Happy New Year and To Do List Update!

With every New Year comes  new beginnings, new opportunities, and new resolutions.

In 2012 there are a few things I want to do or change in my life. I guess you could call them resolutions, but I think of them as just one more step in continuing to become the person I want to be.

The first change, I want to eat a diet consisting of all natural, whole, and DELICIOUS food! I'm sick of artificial "diet" foods filled with fake food, chemicals, and sub par flavor! So this year I'll be cooking more with fresh seasonal ingredients from my garden and the farmers market. I also want to eventually transition to locally grown meats. I already buy a local cow or 1/2 a cow, but want to raise my own chicken and possibly rabbit. Although those will be slow changes over the next year or several years.

The second change, I want to continue to lose weight. 2011 saw me increase my running, change my eating habits, and lose and keep off 30+ Lbs. This year I want to lose even more weight, continue running, and enjoy a healthier life with my wonderful Hubby!!

The third change, I want to entertain more. We have a lovely home and I want to share it more with friends and family. I'm contemplating several different "party" ideas or themes or reasons for the upcoming year. If nothing else I may rock out an End of the World party on 12/12/12! In fact I want 2012 to be a much more social year spent with family, friends, and friends I consider family! 

The last BIG change, I want to get pregnant this year. This is the first time I'm saying this publicly. I'm not in a rush (although I'm ALWAYS impatient), but this is something I've wanted for a while and I'm ready... Or as ready I'll ever be! Although, if its something that doesn't happen I'll live, but I'm looking forward to having an adorable mini me around!

And Now for an Updated To Do List!!

To Learn -
Basket weaving Completed Oct 2011  I'm not perfect, but I've made a few useable baskets with more to come!
Cheese making
Soap Making
Homemade Green Cleaners - (I already do Laundry soap)
Speak Spanish
Play Guitar
Knitting - I'm working to teach my self, but I need to get a LOT better!
Photography -   My photos aren't bad, but I have some REALLY talented friends when it comes to photography. I'm taking a class soon to help me learn a LOT more about my camera and hopefully take some better photos for the blog!
Cooking - Now I'd say I'm a pretty good cook, but that was using a variety of boxed short cuts, non healthy options, and some just plain weird (but delicious) stuff. I am learning a whole new way of cooking using  fresh, wholesome, and seasonal items. I'm also experimenting with new flavors and techniques.... We'll see how it goes as I learn and practice.

To Do-
Raise Chickens
Establish an Aquaponics system
Fence in my back yard
Plant a herb garden Completed Nov 2011 - Its small with like 5-6 herbs, but its a start!
Practice my Book Binding
Expand my vegetable garden Completed Dec 2011 With the addition of 2 3x6 beds- doubling my garden space!
Grow Mushrooms - (Shitake, Pearl Oyster, Lions Mane, Chicken of the Woods, and The Phoenix Fir Oyster) eventually!
Plant fruit trees (Avocado - Citrus - Mulberry?) Avocado Planted Nov 2011
Plant Berry Bushes (Strawberry - raspberry - blueberry)
Try Rabbit Complete October 2011 Its pretty good and SUPER expensive!
Build a Green House roof - that is IF i need it for my aquaponic system.
Get a shed
Reduce waste
Brew Elder Flower Champagne 
Small vertical hydroponics - I'll  probably be integrating this in to my Aquaponics system.
Maybe a clothes line
Blog more consistently
Teach others what I know! - Thanks to my LOVELY and amazing (and mostly famous) friend Robyn of The Poor Porker this goal will be met soon!
Make and/or modify more of my own clothing Complete Nov 2011 Although I'm not sure this is ever really complete... I've modified several dresses into skirts that I LOVE! Plus sewn a few new ones from patterns.

Wishful Thinking- 
Perfectly Clean House
Pest Free ORGANIC garden

Its Not Neglect

I swear I'm not neglecting the blog... its just that my home computer died... :( I need a new monitor and possibly a new hard drive. Fortunately the old Monitor is under warranty, so that shouldn't be a problem.... Just a pain!

In other more exciting news I have added 2 more raised beds and DOUBLED the size of my garden!! I'm going to put in some more winter crops - Broccoli, Collards, Arugula, Kohlrabi, carrots, radishes, and maybe some more lettuce.

I've been working hard to eat only home grown or farmers market produce. I'm also thinking about how I want to live and eat in the future. I'm leaning towards an all natural diet consisting of lots of veggies, some local fruits, and then eventually transitioning to all home grown or local meats.

The meat transition will be the slowest. I want to start with chickens for eggs, then maybe for meat. I'd also eventually like to raise rabbit for meat. I'm currently working on designing my aquaponics system so I can raise tilapia and hydroponic veggies. I already get my beef from a local farmer and butcher.

Its all just a slow process to set up the self sustainable life I want to lead!

~LuLu

A Moment of Silence...

... for my poor poor sewing machine! I think I've had it since I was 12 (possibly longer). We've been through a lot together. The ups, the downs, the quilts, the clothes, the royal messes, and the awesome successes. Last week she finally gave up the ghost... and I haven't been quite the same since!

Although I guess its guess its a good time of year for a BIG purchase... Now to pick my NEW machine! MUAHAHAHA!! I have a feeling my new machjine will be WAY better than my 12 year old walmart special machine!!

However, the torture of having a stack of reddy to go projects waiting on a new machine is enough to drive any crafter MAD!

~LuLu

Homesteading

I have to tell you I've VERY interested in creating a modern homestead, but I have found the books on the subject to be a bit lacking. I understand the authors problem is that they only have so many pages to give you an over view of the whole subject, but there isn't enough information in any one book to teach you to truly become proficient at any of the skills they mention. Don't get me wrong there are some GREAT books that give you an overview and details on each aspect of homesteading, but you can't teach some one to spin their own yarn in one to two pages. Everything I need to know about raising chickens can't be written in 4 pages with pretty colorful pictures.

I guess I'm just complaining that the all in one resources aren't all in one, and that I'm going to have to get out side the quick and easy route to learn more about homesteading as I put what I've learned into practice. Its just annoying that there are so many all in one books and that even though I've read probably 50 all in one books I'll still have to find books one EACH and EVERY individual subject to put it in to practice.

However, on the bright side as I learn more I'll be able to share more with you guys and MAYBE even put video out there walking you through the processes I'm going through.

So I guess I'm still in the beginning of my journey to spend less, grow more, and rely less on others for the needs of me and my family. Don't get me wrong we're not giving up deoderant, electricity, and running water..... just yet ;)

~LuLu

Things I want to learn and do

So here is a list of random things I want to learn about and do over the next ---- well eventually.

To Learn -
Basket weaving
Cheese making
Soap Making
Homemade Green Cleaners - (I already do Laundry soap)
Speak Spanish
Play Guitar

To Do-
Raise Chickens
Establish an Aquaponics system
Fence in my back yard
Plant a herb garden
Practice my Book Binding
Expand my vegetable garden
Plant fruit trees (Avacado - Citrus - Mulberry)
Plant Berry Bushes (Strawberry - raspberry - blueberry)
Try Rabbit
Build a Green House roof
Get a shed
Reduce waste
Brew Elder Flower Champagne 
Small vertical hydroponics
Maybe a clothes line
Blog more consistantly
Teach others what I know!
Make and/or modify more of my own clothing

Wishful Thinking- 
Perfectly Clean House
Pest Free ORGANIC garden

Ok so I know its a lot, but its what I want to do. I'm working to create a more sustainable backyard that focuses on producing more of my own food - especially fruits and vegetables. Plus fresh eggs and possible meat chickens and/or rabbits EVENTUALLY. Through Aquaponics I'll be able to grow more veg in my semi greenhouse and as a byproduct every 2 years or so I'll get to harvest fresh fish!

I'm also totally engrossed with what I call Dying Arts. The loss of the craftsman is a sad sad situation. Which is why I am apparently single handedly working to learn as much as possible. Plus I totally love learning and enjoy it and look forward to it. Its just so exciting to learn and try and experiment, so that is what I'm working on now.

I know its a little hippytastic, but it makes me happy - and isn't that all that matters?

~LuLu

Major Blog Edit and Content Shift

I've gone back through and deleted about 50 blog posts of nothing important. I've left all tutorials and posts of substance, but this blog is going to be focusing more on me and the process to become more self sufficient. I want to use it partly as a journal of my experience and also as an inspiration for others to join in if its something they are interested in.

It should be said that I'm a city girl and have no real training in ANY of this. So I'll be learning as I go, making TONS of mistakes, but most importantly having FUN! I believe that a HUGE part of something being sustainable is that you have to enjoy doing it.

I'll still be doing crafty things, I'll still be journaling, and I'll hopefully be posting a lot more because its something that I'm passionate about!

Here goes nothing!

~LuLu

Bored!

Uggh! I've been working on my masters - and I really do want the shiny piece of paper at the end, but I'm so over the school work!!

The assignments feel pointless and overwhelming, but I am trudging on through. I gotta get my butt in motion!!

Maybe I'll just take one class in the future - especially if I am full time soon (I hope, I hope, I hope!!)

My garden is growing well, but with all the hours at work and the school assignments I don't get as much time out side as I want!

~LuLu