Sometimes you reach a point in life where everything starts to shift, and the path that used to make sense suddenly… doesn’t. How do you move forward when you're not sure which path to take? You stop for a second and figure out where you are before you move forward.

After a couple weeks of unexpected health stuff, I found myself thinking a lot about the promises we often hear in the homesteading and simple living world. Namely, the insinuation that if you just live “right,” you’ll never get sick.

Modern life has done a pretty good job of making movement optional. We sit to work, sit to relax, sit to eat, sit to connect—and we wonder why we feel off. But the truth is, we were made to move.

The fast, easy option doesn’t always feed your soul. In this episode, we’re talking about the difference between getting it done and feeling filled up—whether that’s in your homesteading life, your work, your food, or your everyday routine.

When we start homesteading—or when we start anything, really—we usually build some kind of system to make things run smoothly. And sometimes that system works great… until it doesn’t. So today I’m sharing three mistakes I’ve made lately when it comes to my life/prepping/homestead systems and how I’m reassessing and trying to pull things back together.

Regardless of what you call this kind of life you’re living—homesteading, the farmish life, the simple life—I’m here to tell you there are a lot of things you don’t have to do in order to be part of the club.

In this episode, we’re talking about the realities of midlife on the homestead. The rhythm of your life changes, but I rarely hear people talk about how to wrap your head around those changes...

Let’s talk about how our fears evolve, how we adapt, and why it’s okay if your biggest homesteading worry today is very different than what it used to be.

Today I'm talking about the strange pressure that can build on either end of the homesteading spectrum—from doing it all to doing almost nothing—and how to find the honest, grounded middle.

Today I’m talking about over-information. The constant barrage of updates, alerts, and hot takes that don’t make us safer—they just make us more anxious. It’s not that we shouldn’t be informed. It’s that we’ve forgotten how to live without the noise. So… let’s talk about finding peace in a world that thrives on panic.

So you want to grow your own food, but every time you search “how to start a garden,” you end up buried under 47 tabs of advice that makes it sound like you need a degree, a greenhouse, and three years of soil samples before you can put a tomato plant in the ground. Can't we just find out about easy gardening... for actual beginners?



Let’s take a breath.



This is Stupid Simple Gardening—for real people who want to grow real food without losing their minds.



Yes, there’s a lot you could learn about gardening. (And you will, as you go.) But if you're the kind of person where too much information leaves you stuck in planning paralysis, you really aren't helped by another 100-item checklist. You need the bare minimum to get started—without shame, stress, or Pinterest-worthy perfection. That is how beginners start gardening!



Whether you’ve got five acres or one cracked tote on a porch, this series will help you grow something. We’ll cover:




How to start a garden without overthinking it



What to plant in your garden (hint: not kale, unless you like kale)



How much space you actually need



What to do if (okay, when) you mess it up



Basic garden care tips so you don’t panic halfway through the season



Or get it all as a podcast episode by pressing the play bar at the top of this post! (Main topic starts at 6:26)




And if you mess your garden up? Guess what. You’re officially a gardener now. Welcome to the club.



Gardening isn’t about doing it perfectly. It’s about showing up, getting your hands dirty, and learning what works (and what doesn’t) one season at a time. You don’t need to know everything today—you just need to plant something. So take a breath, grab a shovel, and let this be the year you grow something real.



Whether you're planting one tomato plant in a five gallon pail by your garage or filling a backyard with rows, this gardening series for beginners is here to help you start where you are—with what you have—and remind you that good food doesn't require a perfect plan.



FIND MORE GOODIES FROM A FARMISH KIND OF LIFE:



Preorder by newest book "Peace Love and Bacon: Tales of a Farmish Kind of Life" for Kindle!



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Books I Wrote: Non-fiction books, Fiction books



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I posted a photo of the inside of my barn recently. A random busy day. Mid-project. Chaotic mess. It wasn’t staged. It wasn’t curated. It wasn’t meant to impress anyone. But ohhh buddy, the internet had thoughts. So let's talk about it...

This episode is a heartfelt reminder that life is unpredictable, and we must prepare ourselves and our loved ones for the unexpected. By sharing the weight of responsibilities, we create a more resilient family and community. 

Can we really go back to the good old days? This episode dives into nostalgia and how to adapt old-fashioned awesome for modern life.

Whether it’s making your own vanilla extract, cleaning out the garage, or finally remembering to call that family member or friend, today I'm encouraging you to take that first step, however small, to build momentum on the things you want to do.

Has your passion for homesteading shifted? In episode 307, I’m digging into why some homesteaders are feeling less all-in, how the pandemic shaped our enthusiasm, and what it means to embrace homesteading as part of a broader lifestyle. Let’s talk about identity, community, and why it’s okay if your spark feels different. :)

These short and sweet phrases, written on my office whiteboard, have given me clarity, perspective, and sanity as I wander through what this year has already set on my plate.

Have you ever felt the need to constantly explain or defend your life choices? It’s exhausting. In this week’s episode, we’re diving into the liberating realization that it’s absolutely okay to be misunderstood.

Ever try building a chicken coop or rabbitry with someone who thinks completely differently than you? In this week’s episode, I’m talking about how my husband’s mechanical, spatial brain clashes with my word-loving, communicative one—and how we’ve learned to embrace our differences (mostly without losing our minds). Tune in for honest stories, lessons learned, and tips for working with someone who just doesn’t understand things the way you do.

Today we’re talking about clutter, the search for simplicity, the "hell yes or no" principle, and making space for what matters most.