Love Thy Neighbor

Easier said then done. Am I right?

I believe now more than ever people need to know that they are thought about, cared for and loved. I’m sure we can all agree that 2020 has kinda stunk. People are feeling isolated and alone and that’s not good for anyone’s mental health.

And neighbor doesn’t necessarily mean the house next door. It can mean anyone that is put on your heart to reach out to. Even that grumpy person that never smiles when you wave to them. Especially that person. *smile*

I just thought I’d share a few easy ways to reach out to people without being a freak.

But first a quick backstory. I started walking my street just over a year ago as a means to get more exercise in. Long story short, I have gotten to know a lot of my neighbors this way. So in light of how 2020 is going I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to show God’s love to these people. To show them that not everyone is bad. Which is what you start to think if you listen to the media too long.

So here’s what I’m doing. I am crocheting little pumpkin treat bowls and making handmade cards and handing them out to a few of my neighbors that I’ve gotten to know over the course of this year.

Here’s a few that I have ready to go. I’ve already handed out one and I’m making a couple more.

Now if you don’t know now to crochet, that’s okay. Here are a few simple ideas that don’t involve being crafty at all.

• A card and a just a cute bag of candy tied with pretty ribbon.
• Pumpkin spice coffee and a mug
• Special Autumn flavored tea and a mug.
• A card with a $5.00 gift card to a nearby coffee place.
• Or you could simply give them a nice card or even just a treat bag of candy. One or the other. 

The idea is to not overthink it and to not make it too expensive that you can’t afford to. Simple is best and I believe that even the simplest gesture will not go unappreciated. AND here’s the bonus part, it keeps YOUR mind off all the garbage that’s going on in the world and helps you focus on others, which in turn makes you feel a lot better!

So what do you say? Are you going to reach out to someone around you? Even if it’s ONE person. That one person matters.

If you do something please come back and share. If you’ve already done something please share and kudos to you! Also if you have ideas to add please do so in the comments so others can see. :-)

HUGS!

Kim

 

Calendar Choices 2020!

I was going to just post this on my Homesteaders Heart Facebook page but it got a little long winded so I decided to just do a quick blog post. You’re welcome.

The year is winding down and as we get ready for the upcoming holidays, I like to do a little thinking ahead.

I don’t know about you but I love a cute and fun calendar to hang on my wall. It’s just nice to quickly glance up and see what day it is (because half the time you don’t know)  or to look at a picture that just makes you smile for that month or to quickly jot down an appointment that you swear you’ll remember but know you won’t so you write it down “just to be safe.” etc. etc.

I’m going to show you which ones I chose for next year. I buy 2 because I put one in my kitchen and one in my office/craft room.

The first one is the Gooseberry Patch calendar. Now some of you who go way back with me might remember when I used to collab with Gooseberry Patch and review and give away their cookbooks. I will forever hold Gooseberry Patch close to my heart and loved the opportunity they gave me when blogging was still a big thing. I’ve had their calendars hanging in my kitchen for years and still love them!

The bonus thing about the Gooseberry Patch calendar is that every month there is a new recipe to try.

Now the second one I chose is the Lang Bountiful Blessings calendar. The pictures each month are just so fun and down homey. You can’t help but smile at each one.

 I purchase my calendars from Hobby Lobby on two separate trips so I can use my 40% coupon on them, which makes them VERY affordable.

Do you still do wall calendars? And if so, what are your favorites?

Have a lovely day my peeps!

Kim

Line Drying Pt. 2

Okay so it’s been 6 years since my first post about line drying but better late than never right?

If you missed my first post about line drying it basically gave you a run down on how much money we saved. You can find that HERE!

But today I’m going to tell you other reasons why it’s good to line dry, besides saving money.

1. It’s therapeutic. Consider it free therapy. Being outside and soaking in some sunshine and breathing in fresh air is just good for the soul. It is I tell ya!

2. It motivates me to buy cuter underwear. (You never know what the neighbors might see. Give them something fun to look at!) Plus, cuter underwear may improve marital bliss. That is if you’re married. If you’re not it will still put a spring in your step just knowing that you got some super cute underwear on. Go on, try it. I dare ya!

3. If you have children you are setting the example of how to be frugal; a different way of doing things. Plus when my 11 year old was younger he loved to hand me the clothes as I put them on the line. Get them started young in helping with chores and they’ll be more prepared for life when they go out on their own. Which can never happen because they’re my babies.

4. It’s a good workout. Especially if you’re trying to hang them out on a super windy day and you start laughing so hard your abs hurt. Here’s a video my husband recording of one such line drying experience.

Here’s Pt. 1, when I’m actually getting them hung up. This is older video because our house isn’t that smurf blue any more.

And here’s Pt. 2 after they’ve been hung awhile and I go to check on them. You’re welcome!

Now I know a lot of you just can’t line dry because of one reason or another and that’s okay. I hope you enjoyed this post any way.

Have a lovely day my friends!

Kim

The Post Where I Talk About Going to the Bathroom.

So when I thought about writing this post I was like, “Seriously? You’re going to write a post about the one topic that most people try to avoid? I mean it ranks right up there with religion and politics.”  Then I said. “Why not? These people need to know this?” To which I replied. “Let someone else tell them!”  To which I ignored and started writing this pot.

Yes, my friends this post is about going to the bathroom and I don’t mean walking into the bathroom and brushing your teeth. I mean “going” to the bathroom. More specifically, #2. There I said it. Sheesh.

Now if you’re like “most” people when you go in to do your business it probably doesn’t smell all that great. In fact it’s down right unbearable sometimes. But I’m here to help. I discovered something and I knew I had to share my findings with my peeps no matter how embarrassing the topic.

I had heard about some stuff that was actually invented for this purpose. You spray it in the toilet before you do your business and it will absorb the odor of….well……your bm, but the price was a little steep for this gal. So while shopping at BJ’s the other day I stumbled across these all natural air fresheners for around $10-15.00 for 4 of them. And upon further investigation I realized they are 100% natural oils. This was about the time the light bulb came on.

I grabbed one of the cans, more specifically the orange scented one and made my way to the bathroom. I sprayed it into the toilet BEFORE I did my business and I didn’t smell a darn thing. Nadda. Nothing. Zippo. It was about as awesome as it could have been under the circumstances.

I’m pretty sure this will revolutionize the world. Seriously. Like world peace and everything.

You’re welcome.

And for those of you who don’t live near a BJ’s, they do have them on Amazon here. (affiliate link) But they are a bit more expensive. However I’m sure they will last a long time as they are 7oz. 

Coconut Oil

How’s that for a title? Did it suck you right in? *smirk*

My mom and dad are down visiting and mom brought this book with her called The Coconut Oil Miracle (Affiliate Link). Now I was already convinced that coconut oil was a much healthier oil than it’s counter parts but I didn’t realize all the other health benefits it had.

Let’s just say that by the end of the book I wanted to bathe in it. And from the looks of me you’d think I had. Ha!

I’ve started putting it in our smoothies and you don’t even know it’s there. In fact it adds a nice creaminess to the smoothie. It’s an easy way to get it into your diet. I’ve also tossed it into pasta instead of butter and it taste great.

I’ve come to use it more and more in my cooking but after reading this book I’m going to be more strict in using it exclusively. Now I don’t know how true this is but they said that if you just make that one change (switching all other oils for the coconut oil) you will see a difference in your weight in a years time. And I mean for the better. You know, like actually losing some. Well I’m all for that.

So we’ll see how it goes. In 6 months I’ll give an update on how I’m feeling and looking etc. It really is a fascinating read and if you’re looking for a simple way to improve your health I say reach for the coconut oil. 

*Just so you know I am telling you this because I love to share with you, things that I think would be beneficial to you. I didn’t get a free book from the company or anything. This is just me telling you about something I like. *smile*

Have a lovely day my friends

OXOX,

Kim

Here’s Your Friendly 2014 Calendar Reminder

I know we still have 2+ months left in the year but if you want to insure that you get the calendar you want you better purchase it quickly. For instance, I just bought the 2014 Gooseberry Patch calendar last week because I know for a fact that they disappear really quick.

There are a few places you can buy their calendar. I for one bought mine at Hobby Lobby and used my 40% off coupon. Hobby Lobby actually has a wonderful selection of calendars to choose from.

If you’re like me you like to hold the calendar and be able to look and see what the pages of the month look like and then choose based on what you like best.

I for one go for the happy and fun calendars and Gooseberry Patch calendars always nail that on the head for me. They go perfect in my kitchen and also have a recipe each and every month. Yay! (No Gooseberry Patch is not paying me to say this. LOL!)

Here’s a peek at the calendar I just bought.

 

 

 Here a sneak peek at my birthday month. Isn’t the artwork just fun and colorful?

If you want to purchase this calendar I wouldn’t wait too long.  
If you don’t have a Hobby Lobby near you, you can purchase it either at the Gooseberry Patch website HERE or on Amazon HERE. 

I still love my wall calendar even with all the high tech gadgets out there. What about you? Do you still use a wall calendar or are you completely digital these days? Frankly I use both. 

Have a lovely day my friends.

OXOX,

Kim

*The Amazon link is an affiliate link and I will receive a small kick back if you purchase through it. *smile*

 

How to Grow a Pineapple

So you’ve got the top of a pineapple, now what? Well the answer to that question is easy. You plant it.

Any time you purchase a pineapple or in our case grown one, make sure you cut the crown off about an inch down from the top so you can grow your own out of it. It really is simple.

(If you live in colder climates you may stop reading now because pineapples like/love the warmer weather.) For the rest of us, this is what you do.

First of all let your crown sit in water for a couple of weeks. You want it kind of rotten. I know it sounds gross but just let it sit there. If you’re like me you have no problem ignoring plants in your home and watching them die a slow and painful death. Embrace this and just let that pineapple sit there.

 

After a couple of weeks it should look something like the picture below. Yummy huh?

Now simply dig a hole a couple inches deep and then bury it just over that rotten part. Pineapples LOVE dry, sandy soil but we’ve had success in richer dirt as long as there is proper drainage.

Place your rotten and in my case moldy crown in the ground and just bury the yucky part. Leave the rest sticking out.

Voila! You’re done. Easy Peasy right?

It’s not hard. They take little to no maintenance and if you’re lucky, in a year or so you’ll get the best pineapple of your life. I say if you’re lucky because you know who else likes fresh pineapples? Raccoons, squirrels, armadillos etc. So sometimes you have to fight for what’s yours and that could mean putting wire around it when it starts to ripen. It worked for us and we reaped the benefits of one of the best tasting pineapples on the planet.

I’d like to thank my supper fabulous husband for planting this and taking photos for me. Yeah, he’s good like that.

Have a lovely day my friends.
OXOX,

Kim

Bloglovin’ and Organizing Your Blogs

Sometimes it takes me awhile to catch on to things, so the information I am about to tell you could have been around for a LONG time but I’m just now getting on the bandwagon. Better late then never I guess.

I happen to have stumbled across this because I was checking my blog stats to see where most of my traffic was coming from. Usually it’s Pinterest or Facebook, but ever since I posted my recipe for the Cheesy Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken Breasts, this thing called Bloglovin has popped up out of nowhere. And being the curious cat that I am, I started checking it out.

Since Google got rid of the whole reader thing I’ve depended heavily on my Blogger dashboard to check blogs. The problem with that is, if I don’t check them every so often throughout the day the earlier blogs gets pushed so far down I never see them.

With Bloglovin you can categorize your blogs, which I love. They also send you an email each day with the posts from the blogs you have listed. Now I won’t miss a single post from my favorite blogs. That still doesn’t mean I have all the time in the world to visit and comment on them all but at least I can pick and choose based on content.

So if you’ve never heard of this blog following phenomenon, be sure to check it out. But most importantly don’t forget to add my blog to it. *wink*

 Have a lovely day!

OXOX,

Kim

The Chipotle Pepper, What is it and what do you do with it?

Years ago I kept coming across recipes asking for chipotle peppers. I quickly avoided them, not knowing what the heck it was. I’m glad I finally looked into it because now I use them all the time.

First of all, What is a Chipotle Pepper?

The chipotle pepper is a dried or smoked jalapeño pepper. It naturally, resembles a jalapeño, but after the smoking process it tends to look brown and shriveled. It doesn’t lose much of its heat through the smoking process, so you not only get to enjoy that wonderful spiciness but the natural wood smoke taste. YUM!

Here’s the kind that I buy at the grocery store. They are located with the Mexican stuff.

Here’s one straight out of the can. See? Nice and brown and shriveled.

When I use them I like to chop them up really fine so that they are distributed throughout whatever it is I’m putting them in.

And then there is always plenty leftover to use in other recipes.

On this particular day I was using them in a cream sauce to cook with my chicken. It was FABULOUS! I also make a Chipotle Meatloaf that is my family’s favorite meatloaf recipe ever. A lot of times I’ll put them in my soups or casseroles. If you like spicy then you really need to give these a try.

Well I hope this helped curb your fear of the unknown. LOL!

HAVE A LOVELY DAY!