Unusual resources from the internet, to help you cultivate a new skill. Some of the mentioned resources below, I’ve utilize or referenced, bookmarked for later, or am actively working on. I hope you enjoy this list! Don’t forgot to check out my instagram for more weekly inspiration.

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1 Thessalonians 4:11-12  and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,   so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Keeping hands and minds busy not only helps you cultivate new skills, it helps with anxiety, self confidence, self esteem, and by-golly it’s just down right fun! Truth is, when your hands and mind are busy, you don’t have time to deal with the worries of the world, mindlessly scroll, or be preoccupied with meaningless chatter. Fill your body, mind and soul with the good stuff, friends. More details on holistic living later in my eBook series … until then, here are actionable links you can start using now to help you grow!

Free Basket weaving designs and instructions https://www.basketmakerscatalog.com/misc/freeins.htm

How to weave a Basket with blackberry

How to weave a Basket with Willow

Free college course Intro to Permaculture by Oregon State University https://canvas.oregonstate.edu/courses/1807270 If you are new to homesteading, gardening, or owning a home and wanting to maximize the use of your space, permaculture offers a unique perspective of observation and working with what you have. It’s great for more than just gardening or homesteading, it offers insight into biology that I’m finding isn’t common knowledge. It’s been several years since I’ve tuned into the videos and lectures, but it is a fun one to revisit.

A British Course in Herbalism https://www.centreofexcellence.com/ref/register?ref=fc98f570c8c124b This course is insanely detailed and so helpful for anyone who is brand new to the idea of utilizing herbs to help with what ails ya. If you are searching for the course, it is the Master Herbalist Diploma course. My link gets you a pretty sweet discount. If you want to know more about this course, check out my instagram highlight Wild Herbs.

Free Intro to Homeopathy #Newbie Course with Mary Aspenwell (Pick a Membership Here) I’m currently subscribed to the FREE #Newbie course to help me better understand the fundamentals of Homeopathy, but look forward to learning more as I can. It never hurts to have multiple tools available to you at all times, if you’re picking up what I’m putting down.

Cooking Basics : The Joy Of Cooking Cookbook (amazon)(thrift books) It doesn’t matter what edition you get, the basics and the recipes are fundamental and helpful for anyone who wants to cook confidently or have a guide or reference in the kitchen.

All things Appalachian: The Compound Club is a monthly subscription by Shallon and her family of the Instagram Account @TheAppalachianHomestead. I did not grow up “in the know” of old ways, homesteading, self sufficiency or country life like I’ve come to enjoy so much. My husband’s family has been incremental in adopting this lifestyle but I do love digging a bit deeper into the traditions of our region. Shallon’s family history and traditions are so well preserved and similar to what we are cultivating, I have enjoyed her content on instagram as well as her compound club subscription. From folk remedies, herbs, gardening, and my personal favorite, learning “the signs” – there is something for everyone here.

In the same vein as The Compound Club, I also have enjoyed Venison for Dinner’s Insiders Club membership. Tons of printable content, step by step guides of various topics of homesteading and homemaking. I didn’t renew my subscription for this year, but keep thinking I may need to revisit that decision once we have a less hectic schedule.

Intuitive Cooking Youtube Channels: Observe, and see if you can mimic or reproduce their cooking style in your kitchen or over a fire in your back yard! Don’t worry about the language barrier – turn on subtitles but try to just observe. I promise, it will stick with you differently. Take in the simplicity, unhurried, unfussy approach. Life revolves around food for many cultures. What do they feel about their food? Lots of fun observations to be made.

Books and Reading:

I enjoy a good book but often never quite finish them. As a young twenty-something, I had no interest in reading much about anything until one day, I realized how much those paper-thingies had inside of them. Words, yes, but lives lived a certain way that was different from my own, knowledge and wisdom from centuries of close family heritage-keeping, and some really great photos too.

As my family and I are embarking on creating our second homestead in the months to come (2022), everything kitchen and design has been on my mind as of late. I’ve so enjoyed peering through timeless design books from the 1990s (but without the goose and apple decor, timeless meaning not able to decipher quite what year its in), as well as out-of-print books that are coming unglued at the spine.

I’m currently reading through “The Efficient Kitchen” by Georgie Child written in 1909 (revised in 1914, linked below). The perspective of an efficient kitchen has much changed over the years with modern day inventions, convenience foods, convenience appliances, and extra utensils for all sorts of things you may encounter one time in your kitchen. I tend to look at all the latest “must haves” and try to do the exact opposite of what is proposed.

I find myself attracted to the simplicity or rather, practicality of an old kitchen. Stove/Cook top, Multi purpose mixing bowls, worn wooden spoons, tea towels, soap, sink, and some dishes. I’m not a minimalist but I am a practicalist (Why isn’t that a word?). It’s a fun challenge to procure based on the simple need or not need of anything and while I do think beautiful things can be considered practical, I need to sit with my new favorite word and draft a blog post specifically for that and stay on topic here.

BOOKS for Free: OpenLibrary.org

The Efficient Kitchen by Georgie Child I downloaded the PDF and printed two pages per page and printed front and back. It’s 144 pages that way if you reduce the page sized in print options to 70% or something like that. If not, you can download the pdf and read it on a screen. It’s not the same. It does have photos of kitchens from that time, which I find really exciting.

Books not for Free: Thriftbooks.com (this is my regular person account that has a special tell-a-friend deal – If you spend $30, you get a free book and so do I, if you use my regular person account tell-a- friend link.)

Books I’m enjoying currently that I think you may as well,

Country Kitchens (Amazon) don’t forget to check out Thriftbooks too! Lovely photos of old world, unfitted kitchens with tons of color, texture, and all the good, old crusty stuff. This style isn’t for everyone, but it draws me in like a warm hug.

The Marvelous pigness of pigs This is a wonderful perspective on respecting all of God’s creation and gives the christian a lot to consider about the food we consume, being a good neighbor, and living out our faith in a really counter-culture way. It may ruffle some feathers but I encourage anyone, farming or not, to sit with Joel’s words and just ponder.

Active things you may not want to do but are really good for you:

Cold Exposure (Podcast Episode) listen, then try.

Bake some sourdough bread (Free sourdough guide from Homegrown Education) Everything from making the starter to baking the bread.

Learn to can, buy a pressure canner and some jars , pick a recipe from your instruction booklet that comes with your canner, and try your hand at canning. If you want to see my first time pressure canning, here you go. Grab some dried beans and can them with confidence (my very uncool bean canning video) (blog post)

ENCOURAGEMENT:

Every single person in the entire world was born without the ability to talk, crawl, move, feed themselves, or other “adult” or “mature” things needed to survive. We had to find boundaries, learn about hot things the hard way, and observe sounds, movement, textures, noises, and the like. We all have opportunities to learn. They may not all look exactly the same as another person may learn to talk or walk, and one will have to adapt or die.

It is so simple to slip into the mindset that you are too old, or too young, or some people are just lucky or more diligent or disciplined or have more money or resources. What you are actually witnessing is someone who has done something longer than you and is willing to be a beginner and be terrible at something longer than you. They are also resourceful. Maybe they are an expert at googling, or know someone who knows a thing or two about what interest them.

Open up your mind and your heart. Seek for opportunities that grow you. Diamonds are created under extreme pressure and over many years. Muscles grow under strain and resistance. Minds expand and create neural connections when they are challenged. Immune systems get stronger after fighting a battle. I could fit in at least ten more analogies but I digress.

Do not sell yourself short, or resort to the easy way of doing things. Aspiring to do something simply or on your own, isn’t a lowly calling or aspiration. Aspiring to do something because it’s easy or more convenient is common. Be uncommon. Do the work with your hands, and your mind. Cultivate your calling and dig in your heals.

I hope this post is an encouragement and maybe sets off a few sparks.

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