The Old Walsh Farm

Learn 52 homesteading skills in ONE year. Become more self sufficient.

  • About
  • Book
  • 52 Homestead Skills
  • Start a farm
    • How to raise sheep for milk – Dreamers to Dairy Sheep Farmers in 2 years!
    • How to start a farm – City slickers to profitable farmers
  • Animals
    • Chickens
    • Ducks
    • Bees
    • How to catch your bees – when they escape
    • How to find your Queen bee
  • Growing
    • Fruit trees
    • Raspberries
    • Microgreens
    • Grow lemons indoors
    • Seeds, secrets and eating only what you grow
  • DIY
    • Knitting
    • Deodorant
    • Candles
    • Embarrassing moments and cheap soap
    • How to Make a Healing Honey Hand Salve
    • Homemade Lip Balm – in 3 minutes
    • Convert an existing structure into a chicken coop
  • Recipes

Does morning gratitude actually boost happiness? My year-long results.

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Happy family walking outside

My one-year morning gratitude experiment

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to start a homestead. Oh, how satisfied and happy she thought she would be.

Until one day she moved to a farm. Only to realize that, in fact, she wanted more. She didn’t just want to homestead, she wanted to start a blog and learn 52 homesteading skills in one year. And then oh, how satisfied and happy she would be.

So, she started writing. Only to discover herself thinking how nice it would be to grow the farm, get more animals, and write a book. And then oh, how …

Wait a second?

It took me a while to catch on (I’m a little slow) but I finally realized that I’m living with a little happiness-sucking gremlin. His name is “hedonic adaption”.

“The hedonic treadmill, also known as hedonic adaptation, is the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes. According to this theory, as a person makes more money, expectations, and desires rise in tandem, which results in no permanent gain in happiness.” – Wikipedia

Maybe you are too. Have you ever thought: I will be happy when (fill in the blank ie: find the right person, promotion, earn $X amount of money, achieve my homesteading dreams, retire)

I’ve been chasing “satisfied me” my entire life and every time I think I’m about to finally reach her, the hedonic adaptation gremlin grabs her arm and skips away to a new point in time.

“Much of our time and energy is spent pursuing things we currently don’t have. Gratitude reverses our priorities to help us appreciate the people and things we do.”

How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain, Greater Good Magazine

Many years ago I read the book, “How to get from where you are to where you want to be” in preparation for an interview with the author, Jack Canfield (you may know him as the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Souls book series).

It was a great motivational read, but I couldn’t help wondering: “What about the people who are happy with what they have?”

Mr. Canfield admitted it was possible (he mentioned Buddhist monks), but that most people want more.

I thought he was right. I love setting goals and then testing myself as I try and climb up the next exciting peak to a new adventure. This, as it turns out, can be a positive trait.

“We know that people are happiest when they’re appropriately challenged—when they’re trying to achieve goals that are difficult but not out of reach,” says Daniel Gilbert, Harvard psychology professor and author of Stumbling on Happiness.

The problem is that I always discover more “fun” challenges and off I go on my incessant chase, which, if I’m not careful, can leave me feeling depressed and exhausted at the end of the day.

But what if I was on to something in that interview all those years ago? What would happen if I consciously made an effort every day to truly enjoy the journey. To take pleasure in whatever I have right NOW which, I should point out, just so happens to be the things I was wishing for not that long ago.

Start a good morning gratitude practice

The Morning Gratitude Experiment Begins

I don’t know about you, but I’m terrible at gratitude.

I go from bringing the kids to the school bus in the morning to collecting eggs from the coop and bringing water to the sheep – often without ever stopping for a second to think how nice it is to have that time with the kids, how lucky I am to have fresh eggs or how much fun it is to own a few smiling sheep.

Instead, I might complain about the cold as I walk to the bus. I might get annoyed at the chickens for laying their eggs under the ramp, which means hunting for them on my hands and knees on the floor of the poopy chicken coop. Or I might question my life as I pick burrs out of the sheep’s wool because they somehow tangled themselves in another patch of the annoying stuff.

It’s not that I never appreciated all that I have. I know I am extremely fortunate! But I certainly was not giving thanks often enough.

So, at the beginning of this pandemic when I was feeling particularly low, I decided this was the ideal time to make more of an effort to consciously focus on the good (read: ordinary) things in my life whether that was sipping a large mug of foamy hot chocolate or listening to the sound of my goofy kids’ laughing. Instead of letting these moments pass by without much thought, I took the time to really savour them and think to myself as the author, Kurt Vonnegut, says:

“And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.”

Kurt Vonnegut

Since the pandemic hit, every morning I’ve written three different things I’m grateful for every day. It may sound a little woo-woo, but I can honestly say that this one minuscule, 5 minute action (or longer depending on how grateful I’m feeling at that particular moment) has made a huge difference in my life over the past year.

A morning gratitude practice can boost your happiness
A big thank you to my Aunt Michelle for making this bee-utiful mask for me!

Are the Touted Benefits of a Morning Gratitude Practice True?

Gratitude increases mental strength

It turns out that a pandemic may be the best time to start a morning gratitude practice. Recognizing all you have to be thankful for – especially during the worst times of your life supposedly fosters resilience.

For example, highly grateful Vietnam War Veterans experienced lower rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to this 2006 study.  Gratitude was also a major contributor to resilience following the terrorist attacks on September 11, according to research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Life is suffering. No amount of positive thinking exercises will change this truth. So telling people simply to buck up, count their blessings, and remember how much they still have to be grateful for can certainly do much harm. Processing a life experience through a grateful lens does not mean denying negativity. It is not a form of superficial happiology. Instead, it means realizing the power you have to transform an obstacle into an opportunity. It means reframing a loss into a potential gain, recasting negativity into positive channels for gratitude.

– Robert Emmons, Greater Good article “How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times.

My results: Being grateful has forced my brain to remember there is still so much to be thankful for each and every day despite the never-ending anxiety-inducing media reports and the real-life tragedies of a pandemic. PS. It also helps if you don’t watch/read the news (or at least limit the amount you take in).

Gratitude improves relationships

It turns out that you can not only get used to things but people too. Of course, I personally have never nagged my partner about leaving his towels on the bathroom floor or leaving his tools scattered in random places throughout the house. I always appreciate everything he does for our family and I constantly say thank you. You believe me, right? No? OK, so maybe I can be a little naggy at times. Maybe I learned a lot from this new gratitude habit. I think you will too because this is not just my experience.

In this study, couples who took time to express gratitude for their partner not only felt more positive toward the other person but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationships.

In fact, everyone around you will benefit from your new morning gratitude practice. Here’s why. Many days I found myself writing things like:

I am thankful for…

  • Jack (my 7-year-old son) for making me laugh at myself as I try my best to copy the movements of my online pilates class instructor (apparently it’s very funny to watch me try and bend and contort myself into ridiculous positions).
  • Jeremie for staying up past midnight to help me edit my video for the Mother Earth News Fair.
  • Ella (my daughter) for feeding the sheep this morning.
  • My mom for making me the most delicious gluten-free squares.
  • My friend Isabelle for inviting us over to swim in her pool (during the yellow phase of Covid-19 when we could still do fun things like this).
  • A nice comment a reader left on my blog post.

The more I wrote, the more grateful I became for all the amazing and caring people in my life. And guess what? The more grateful I became, the more I expressed this. And how did that make the other person feel? I actually have no idea. But I’m guessing they felt happier and more positive too.

“Gratitude is just happiness that we recognize after-the-fact to have been caused by the kindness of others. Gratitude doesn’t just make us happier, it is happiness in and of itself.”

Dr. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, researcher, and author of the book Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier

It’s like doubling your income

Sadly, I didn’t double my income over the past year. But the happiness boost injected into my everyday life may have been equivalent. (P.S. If you already earn $75,000, more money will not result in more happiness, according to the experts.)

Skeptical? Doubling your income will improve your happiness levels by 10 percent, according to this study from the American Psychology Association. But participants in this study who kept a weekly morning gratitude journal showed a 15 percent increase in optimism. Let’s hear it for gratitude! The theory is if you believe your everyday life to be positive, you will also believe your future to be just as awesome. Of course, when we are feeling optimistic, we are also likely feeling happy.

My results: Let’s be honest. It would have been really nice to have doubled my income. But my happiness levels did increase. I can’t say exactly how much. I do know it’s waaaaay too easy to get used to whatever you have and to start wanting more or a better version. Being grateful has helped me fight my hedonic adaption monster but it is a skill I continually have to work at.

preserves

Say goodbye to feelings of envy and insecurity

Envy can be positive. Sometimes it can be used as a beacon to point you to what you want to have or achieve in life. For example, I often feel envious when I see photos on Instagram of cupboards full of preserves. Yes, you read that right. Some people may envy gorgeous bodies, beautiful homes, or happy couples frolicking on beaches. But all that is lost on me. I get canned goods envy.

Of course, envy and insecurity can have dark sides. The goods news is you can’t feel envy and gratitude at the same time. So, instead of being jealous of all those canned goods, I say a silent thank you for inspiring me to get busy planning next year’s harvest and hopefully jars and jars of preserves, which I will definitely post on Instagram.

Counting your blessings is better than counting sheep

Next time you can’t sleep, start thinking of the people and things you are most grateful for. If you’re being thankful, you’re not worrying or stressing about work, the kids, or your mile-long to-do list.

My results: I’m usually too exhausted by the end of the day to have trouble falling asleep. But we do have a household rule that we don’t discuss any potentially stressful matters in the hour before bed.

The Cons

Less money

There is a good chance that if you focus on gratitude, you will end up spending less time chasing money and achievements. Instead, you will find yourself spending more time with friends and family and pursuing your passions. If that’s not your jam, don’t practice gratitude.

Your smile lines may deepen

If your mind is busy feeling grateful for a kind word or your favourite pair of woolly socks, it will be difficult for your brain to also ruminate on whatever might not be going well in the moment. Giving thanks shifts your focus to the smile-worthy!

The benefits of gratitude

How to start a morning gratitude practice

Set aside 5 minutes

Five minutes of gratitude is all it takes to increase your happiness and the more often you do it, the bigger the boost. I can’t think of a better investment of my time.

Nowadays, I don’t need to set time aside although I still do. But if you can’t, simply make a point of noticing opportunities to be thankful throughout the day.

Don’t expect overnight success

It takes between 4 to 12 weeks of consistently practicing gratitude before you will see any mental health benefits, according to the John Templeton Foundation Expanding Gratitude Project. So be patient. This is a new skill you’re learning. You are training your brain to remember to be grateful. If you’re terrible at gratitude like me, this won’t be easy. But over time, you will start giving thanks throughout the day without even having to think about it.

Make gratitude a habit

Pick a time every day to sit down and write at least three things you are grateful for or, if you are a meditator, why not try focusing on what you’re grateful for in your next session? The important thing is that you take a few minutes every day to actually feel grateful, which brings me to the next point.

Don’t just write. Feel grateful.

You can’t just chuck a few nice things on paper and expect to see results from your morning gratitude practice. They have to be authentic. You have to actually feel grateful for what you are expressing. It helps if you are specific when you are writing. So, for example, instead of “I’m thankful for my husband”, I’ll write: “I’m thankful for Jeremie for taking the time to massage my feet at the end of the day even when he’s tired.”

Try thinking about the people, places, things, and activities you are thankful for and how much you’d miss them if they were gone. If you start to run out of ideas, here are some great journal prompt ideas.

I didn’t think a morning gratitude practice would work either…

To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for my morning gratitude practice when I started last year. It sounded absolutely ridiculous that something so small could make much of a difference. But I needed help! Desperate COVID times called for desperate COVID measures. So I ordered a fancy-schmancy gratitude journal (not necessary) and began to write.

On top of writing, I also took time to savour some of the simple things in my life based on advice from the most popular Yale University Course – The Science of Well-Being. Combined (gratitude and savouring), can give depression a powerful one-two punch.

So, what is savouring? Basically, taking the time to appreciate experiences in our lives. It may be as simple as an excellent singing session in the shower, a walk in the fresh air, or a particularly delicious meal. Take a second and capture the moment in your mind (and/or with your camera – maybe not if you are in the shower) and think about how lucky you are to have those experiences. Then share them with another person for bonus happiness points.

A chicken

The astonishing result: A morning gratitude practice is life-changing!

Over the past year, I discovered something about myself. I’m not (or at least I wasn’t) a very grateful person. I took A LOT for granted.

Not only do I get used to bad things that happen in my life but the good too. And I don’t want to take my husband or my kids for granted. I don’t want to take chocolate, sunsets or the funny sounds my sheep make when they baaaaaa at me to hurry and feed them in the morning for granted. I don’t even want to take my two functioning legs for granted.

But the truth is. I still can’t say I am thankful for everything all the time. But I am 100% appreciating my life much more than I used to. My happiness has at least gone up by a few percentage points, my stress levels are lower and I feel more connected with those around me.

Gratitude has not made the bad things go away. But I think it has increased my chances of mentally surviving the tough times and really appreciating and savouring the good ones.

I have also discovered that my happiness is actually found in ordinary moments and everyday things – but only if I take time to savour and actually feel grateful for them.

Will I still set goals to try to get where I want to be? Will I still try and improve myself every day? Absolutely! But will I remember to enjoy the journey and be grateful for what I have? I am determined to try my best.

If you’re like me, maybe you too are skeptical of starting a morning gratitude practice. But I hope I’ve convinced you to at least give gratitude a try. It’s free. It only takes a couple of minutes. And it could just be the best, most life-changing, and easiest habit you’ve ever begun.

PS. Thank YOU for reading and following us along on our life/homesteading journey.

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Filed Under: House poor to life rich - The adventure begins

The ultimate guide to using and caring for wool dryer balls

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Caring for wool dryer balls

I bought 200 wool dryer balls.  And they were not returnable.

You should have seen my husband’s face when I told him how many hundreds of dollars we spent on dryer balls. It wasn’t woolly great, my friends.

On the positive side, I now know more than I EVER wanted to know about using and caring for wool dryer balls.

Click here to jump to the guide.

After skirting, handwashing (several times) and drying our wool from our four Babydoll Southdown Sheep, we brought it to a local mill.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have time to process the wool right away and it became too brittle in storage to use for yarn. But they assured me it would be perfect for dryer balls. So, having no clue as to how many wool dryer balls four sheep can produce, I said, Great idea!

Shearing a Babydoll Southdown Sheep.
Hunter is happy to get his hot, woolly coat shaved off before the summer heat hits.

A week later I got an email saying my 200 dryer balls were ready for pick up and payment. At first, I thought there was a mistake. 200? I questioned. She assured me that yes, each of my four little sheep grew 50 dryer balls in one year.  

Shearing a Southdown Babydoll Sheep
All this wool will produce 50 dryer balls. Wouldn't ewe know it?

Thankfully, many of my amazing local friends, family, neighbours and subscribers (I SINCERELY LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL SO, SO, SO MUCH!!!) purchased dryer balls.

If you are interested in a set of three wool dryer balls (I have 16 sets left!) from our sheep , please send me a message.

If you are interested in a set of 3 wool dryer balls from our sheep ($25 Canadian), please message me on Facebook or Instagram. I have 16 sets left. You can also find lots of wool dryer balls online or make your own (a post coming soon!).

In the meantime, as you can imagine, I have quickly learned more than I (and likely you) EVER wanted to know about using and caring for wool dryer balls.

Two Southdown Babydoll Sheep who have just been sheared.
The sheep survived their annual shearing. All's wool that ends wool.

So, without further ado, here is….

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO USING AND CARING FOR WOOL DRYER BALLS

  • What are wool dryer balls?
  • What are wool dryer balls made of?
  • How do wool dryer balls work?
  • How do I use wool dryer balls?
  • Do wool dryer balls reduce drying times?
  • What are the benefits of using and caring for wool dryer balls?
  • Can I add essential oils to wool dryer balls?
  • How are wool dryer balls different from plastic dryer balls or tennis balls?
  • What is the difference between wool dryer balls and dryer sheets?
  • How do wool dryer balls soften clothes?
  • How do I store and care for wool dryer balls?
  • How many dryer balls should I use?
  • Should I only use the dark brown balls with dark coloured loads and light, cream balls with light coloured loads?
  • Will wool dryer balls lint on dark clothes?
  • Do wool dryer balls leave lint?
  • Can I use wool dryer balls with baby clothes or cloth diapers?
  • Can they help remove pet hair?
  • What do I do if I have static cling?
  • Help! My wool dryer balls are pilling!
  • Do wool dryer balls smell like sheep?
  • Can I use wool dryer balls if I’m allergic to wool?
  • Can wool dryer balls cause itching?
  • Can I clean my wool dryer balls?
  • How long will my wool dryer balls last?
  • How do I know when my dryer balls need to be replaced?
  • It’s time to replace my wool dryer balls. What should I do with the old ones?

What are wool dryer balls?

They are “amaze” balls. At least that is what my friend, who bought a set from me this summer, nicknamed them. She was genuinely surprised by how much they actually reduced her drying time.

For example, if it normally takes you an hour to dry a load of towels, it will only take about 45 to 50 minutes with the addition of dryer balls. Test it for yourself! You will be baaaffled and amazed.

As the name suggests, they are made of 100% wool and are shaped like tennis balls. They are extremely durable and the felted wool will not unravel for many years. In fact, they can work their magic on thousands of loads of laundry. Best of all, using and caring for wool dryer balls is a breeze.

What are wool dryer balls made of?

Wool dryer balls are completely natural and eco-friendly. They are made of 100% wool and will not only reduce your energy use but help eliminate static cling and pet hair. Wouldn’t ewe know it?

How do wool dryer balls work?

If you throw a pile of wet clothes in your dryer, you will notice everything clumps together until the items are dry enough to allow warm air to circulate between them. But if you add a few dryer balls to your laundry, they will happily bounce between and separate the pieces of clothing so warm air can immediately travel evenly amongst the layers of clothing and dry them 20% to 25% faster.  The balls also retain the heat they receive from the dryer and therefore quicken the drying process.

BONUS: Because wool dryer balls are made of wool, they also absorb water (some sources claim up to 30% of their weight).

PRO TIP

Do not cram your dryer full of clothes. Leave some room for the dryer balls to do their magic.

Creamy white, Babydoll Southdown Sheep roving.
Dryer balls can be handmade from wool roving.

How do I use wool dryer balls?

It’s so simple that all you have to do is open your dryer and add three or more dryer balls in with your laundry. Now turn on your dryer and let those amaze balls save you energy. It is recommended to use at least 3 balls. Personally, I use 6 or more especially for extra large loads.

If your dryer doesn’t have a sensor that automatically turns off the machine when your clothes are dry, keep an eye on your load to ensure you don’t over-dry your clothes. This can not only wear out your clothes faster but it can cause static cling.

Do wool dryer balls reduce drying time?

Yes! If it normally takes you an hour to dry a load of towels, it will only take about 45 to 50 minutes with the addition of dryer balls. Test it for yourself. Do an equal load of towels with and without dryer balls and time the difference.

What are the benefits of using and caring for wool dryer balls?

Before buying 200 dryer balls and spending hours researching and putting together this guide on using and caring for wool dryer balls, I thought the main benefit of dryer balls was that they reduced your energy costs, but there is so much more to these woolly balls:

DRYER BALLS ARE WOOLY GREAT BECAUSE:

You will save money $

Not only will you reduce your energy costs (about .10 per load, which works out to $36.5 per year if you do a load a day), but you will also save money on dryer sheets. A dryer sheet costs about 0.12. If you use one per day, you would spend $43.8 per year. Switch to dryer balls and you can save a total of $80.3 per year. Admittedly, that may not sound like a lot (you may want to save even more money by making your own laundry soap), but there are many more reasons to choose dryer balls.

You will cut your energy use

If you save just 10 minutes on every load of laundry you dry and you do one load every day, you would save 550 watts (depending on the electricity use of your dryer). That’s a savings of more than 200 KW of electicity each year. Now imagine if every person in North America switched to dryer balls. Since there are over 126 million households in the US alone, we’d save millions and millions of KW of energy. Let’s hear it for dryer balls and the little sheep who grow them!  

Shrink your drying time by 20% or more

When you are waiting impatiently for your favourite pair of jeans to dry, you’ll appreciate those extra 10 or 15 minutes you’ll save by using dryer balls.

Eliminate static cling

You would think all that bouncing around would contribute to static cling, but by preventing your clothes from rubbing together, you also prevent static from building up.  

Wool also absorbs and holds onto moisture, which means they actually elevate the humidity levels in your dryer and limit the chance of static.

WARNING: Whatever you do, do not over dry your clothing! If the air becomes too dry, it will cause static.

If you have problems with static, try spraying your wool dryer balls with water before starting your next load to ensure the humidity remains high.  

Reduce wrinkles

One surprise benefit of using wool dryer balls is they help reduce wrinkles. This is most likely because of how they keep clothing from clumping together.

Three handmade wool dryer balls
These dryer balls came from our four Babydoll Southdown Sheep - Hara, Hanley, Hunter and Henley.

100% natural, eco-friendly and non-toxic

Made of 100% wool, dryer balls are environmentally friendly unlike disposable products such as plastic dryer balls, dryer sheets and fabric softeners and conditioners.

Since we wear our clothes all day and then sleep all night in our sheets, what we choose to wash and dry them with affects our health. For example, dryer sheets are covered in harmful chemicals, which can get absorbed into your clothes and hence your skin. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s review of Bounce Dryer Sheets, which scores a D for high concern to our health and the environment. Wool dryer balls are a great non-toxic alternative that will also save you energy.

Reusable (1000 loads or more!)

I’ve had the same dryer balls for years and their drying magic has not worn off. Some say after 1,000 loads you may need to replace them. Still, this is much better than dryer sheets.

I couldn’t find an exact number as to how many dryer sheets end up in the landfill, but the global fabric softeners and conditioners market size in 2018 was estimated at 16.53 billion USD. If one dryer sheet costs 0.12, that’s billions of dryer sheets that end up in our landfills every year.

Big deal, you may think. It’s just a dryer sheet. But it’s not.  In addition to the chemicals and the artificial fragrances used in these products, dryer sheets are coated with other environmentally harmful chemicals. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s review of Bounce Dryer Sheets, which scores a D for high concern to our health and the environment.

Compostable

Don’t throw those wool dryer balls in the garbage. Use them in your compost. Plants love the water retention abilities of wool.

Can be naturally scented with essential oils

Most laundry products smell nice, but are synthetic perfumes good for our health? The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) lists 3,059 materials that are reported as being used in fragrance compounds. Of these 3,059 ingredients, some have evidence linking them to health effects including cancer, reproductive toxicity, allergies and sensitivities. Is any of this true? I really don’t know. But if you want your clothes to smell nice, why not try essential oils instead.  

Can I add essential oils to wool dryer balls?

Yes, but with caution.  Only use a few drops per dryer ball and let dry (you don’t want any oil stains on your fabrics) before using in your laundry.

You should also use caution when choosing which essentials oils to use in your dryer. In some cases, heating essential oils to a high temperature in a clothes dryer has caused fires. Yes, you read that right. But don’t freak out. I have been using essential oils in my laundry for more than 10 years and have never started a fire. But, I wanted you to be aware that it is possible. Please read this article from Emma Loewe, Senior Sustainability Editor at mindbodygreen, which says:

“Different essential oils have different flash points. The flash point is the temperature at which enough of that oil has vaporized into the air that it could ignite. Once oils are exposed to temperatures that exceed this flash point, they become a potential fire hazard. This is why it’s important to check on the flash point of any oil before popping it directly into a hot machine.”

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/essential-oils-in-dryer-safety-guide

So, which essential oils do I use? Sandalwood, geranium and cedarwood are all safe for the dryer. Emma recommends avoiding oils that have low flash points (closer to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) such as the mint family, citrus family and eucalyptus.

How are wool dryer balls different from plastic dryer balls or tennis balls?

Plastic dryer balls and tennis balls are both made of plastic which, once heated, can release harmful chemicals. Wool dryer balls, which are made of 100% wool, are completely natural. They are also much gentler on clothing and make less noise bouncing around the washing machine than plastic balls.

What is the difference between wool dryer balls and dryer sheets?

Dryer sheets are coated with artificial fragrances and other environmentally harmful chemicals. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s review of Bounce Dryer Sheets, which scores a D for high concern to our health and the environment.

Dryer sheets are also not reusable and billions of them end up in our landfills every year.

Wool dryer balls, on the other hand, are made of 100% wool and are completely natural. Wool dryer balls also have the added benefit of speeding up your drying time and reducing energy usage in the process. They are also reusable and compostable.

Handmade wool dryer balls

How do wool dryer balls soften clothes?

I’m not sure they do. I couldn’t detect a noticeable difference in the softness of my clothing with or without dryer balls.

How do I store and care for wool dryer balls?

Caring for wool dryer balls is easy. I simply leave mine in the dryer. But you can also keep them in any well-ventilated area. Wool needs to breathe so don’t store them in plastic.

How many wool dryer balls should I use?

It really depends on your dryer and the size of the load. Never use less than 3 balls. I prefer to use 6, especially for large loads. But you can use more than that especially if you do a lot of extra-large loads. The more balls you use, the less time your laundry takes to dry. Isn’t that woolly awesome?

Should I only use the dark brown dryer balls with dark coloured loads and light, cream dryer balls with light coloured loads?

We have one black sheep in the family and she produces beautiful, chocolate brown dryer balls, which you can use in any coloured laundry load. There is no risk of the colour transferring to your favourite white t-shirt.

Will wool dryer balls lint on dark clothes?

This is similar to the question above. No, they will not.  I’ve been using and caring for wool dryer balls for years and have never had any such problems. They can be used with any coloured load.

Do wool dryer balls leave lint?

No, they should not leave any lint on your clothing although I have read that this can happen with new dryer balls. This hasn’t happened with my own, but if it did occur, it should stop after a few loads or you should try a different brand of dryer balls.

Can I use wool dryer balls with baby clothes or cloth diapers?

I would argue that wool dryer balls are the best choice. Made of 100% pure wool, they are completely safe and non-toxic.

Can wool dryer balls help remove pet hair?

Yes! Wool dryer balls separate the items in your laundry so air can circulate evenly between them, which helps loosen pet hair. At least that is what I’ve read. Here is an article from USA Today, which confirms that wool dryer balls remove pet hair and offers some other suggestions to help remedy this problem.

What do I do if I have static cling?

Make sure you are not over-drying your clothing, which can cause more static and wear out your clothing prematurely. Synthetic materials such as polyester can also cause static. Try hanging them to dry or stopping the dryer prematurely and letting them air dry. You can also try spraying your wool dryer balls with water (this will not increase drying time) before starting your next load to ensure the humidity remains high.

In some cases, the balls can become so dry that they can’t absorb humidity. You can restore them by placing each ball in the bottom of a clean sock and washing them in hot water on a gentle cycle. Dry them on high heat. This will regenerate the wool.

Help! My wool dryer balls are pilling!

Your wool dryer balls may start to pill over time (bits of lint attaching to them).  You can remove the pills or leave them. It won’t affect their effectiveness.

Four Babydoll Shouthdown Sheep in the barn.
Wool dryer balls do not smell like sheep. The wool is thoroughly washed and cleaned.

Do wool dryer balls smell like sheep?

Thankfully, no. The wool used to make dryer balls has been thoroughly washed and cleaned. Wool dryer balls smell just like any other wool product such as a 100% wool yarn or a 100% wool sweater.

Can I use wool dryer balls if I’m allergic to wool?

Yes, the dryer balls will not shed or pill onto your clothing. If you have an allergy to lanolin, it has already been washed away during the cleaning of the wool itself. If it is the bristly fibres that cause an allergic reaction, don’t touch the dryer balls directly. Use gloves or a cloth instead.

Can wool dryer balls cause itching?

No, they will not cause itching as they do not shed or pill onto your clothing. However, if you are sensitive to the bristly fibres of the wool, you may want to wear gloves while handling the dryer balls themselves.

Can I clean my wool dryer balls?

Yes, you can clean wool dryer balls! Simply wash them with your next load of laundry. Place each ball in the bottom of a clean sock and wash them in hot water on a gentle cycle. Dry them on high heat.

How long will my wool dryer balls last?

I have been using my wool dryer balls for more than five years and they still get the job done. However, I have read that after 1,000 dryer loads, they may start to look scraggly and unravel.

How do I know when my wool dryer balls need to be replaced?

Eventually, your wool dryer balls may start to unravel. Time wool tell. Mine haven’t yet – even after using them for five years. But when they do, it is time to replace them. But don’t throw them in the garbage. Use them in your compost!

It’s time to replace my wool dryer balls, what should I do with the old ones?

Use them in your compost. Plants love the water retention abilities of wool.

I hope this guide to using and caring for wool dryer balls has encouraged you to make or get your hands on some wool dryer balls (just maybe not 200 of them). If there is something I missed, please leave your question in the comments below and I will be happy to answer you.

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The Ultimate Guide to Using and Caring For Wool Dryer Balls - From "How do I store wool dryer balls?" to "Do they remove pet hair?", here is all you ever wanted to know about using and caring for wool dryer balls.

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Filed Under: House poor to life rich - The adventure begins

The 7 Must-Have Hive Tools

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(and that time I scalped myself)

Beekeeping tools

I didn’t bother to put on my veil. This was my first mistake.

It was hot and I loved the feel of the light breeze teasing my hair and cooling my neck. I was cleaning around the bee yard and placing pails of sugar water into the hives that nearly starved over the long winter. It was easy work and I was enjoying listening to the song of the bees… – until that rhythmic hum started echoing a little too close to my ear. A bee had accidentally blown into my tangled locks.  Of course, it got stuck.

Now, before we continue with this story, you should know that I hate being stung. During my first hive inspection, I flinched so many times my beekeeping mentor had to tell me several times to stop moving or I really was going to get stung.

So, my first instinct was to get that bee out of my hair as fast as I could before it panicked and jabbed me with its stinger in frustration. I had my hive tool in hand so I thought I’d use that to help free it.

Let’s pause for a moment. I decided to use a sharp, metal object to get a bee out of my hair. Yes, you guessed right. This was my second mistake.

I may have freed the bee, but I also scalped myself. I thought I had been stung but when I reached up to touch my head, I found blood.  Fortunately, I didn’t cut off any of my hair but my head was definitely cut and remained sore for the next couple days.

So, it will come as no surprise that the very top item on my list of essential hive tools is a full body, bee suit including a veil, which you should ALWAYS wear.

As I mentioned before, I really don’t like being stung (it has only happened twice in four years) so I not only like to feel protected while I work my hives, but I also like to work them quickly and efficiently with as little disruption as possible.

With that in mind, these are my favourite hive tools.

Take a peek inside my toolbox – my favourite hive tools

Beekeeping tools

The Bee Suit (or my superhero, alien costume)

I love my bee suit so much I leave it hung on my coat hanger year-round. Or maybe I’m just too lazy to put it away. But either way I do enjoy wearing it.  I feel like a superhero about to embark on an exciting discovery every time I begin putting it on. It’s my uniform and it’s my protection so I invested in the very best.

Although there are many bees suit options out there, I suggest a full body, ventilated suit like mine, which will keep you well-protected and cool even on the hottest days. Many beekeepers simply don a veil or bee jacket. This is fine too as long as you feel comfortable. Whatever you do, don’t wear any dark clothing that makes you resemble a bear. Also, don’t forget to seal your pant legs tight or you may find yourself doing a painful dance around the bee yard.

Warning!

Wash your bee suit frequently. You don’t want any alarm pheromone to build up on your clothes or your hive’s guard bees will likely pay you an unwanted visit.

Beekeeping tools

Gloves

Gloves may make you feel safer when you are working your hives but they are also cumbersome and remove all feeling from your fingers. This could lead to you accidentally squishing a bee.

Instead, you may want to skip gloves or at the very least choose a pair that fit well. Personally, I still recommend buying and wearing gloves – especially if the bees are having a cranky day.

The Smoker

I admit that I didn’t think I’d use a smoker. I just didn’t like the idea of smoking my bees. It sounds cruel. But I’ve changed my mind. Next to my bee suit, my smoker has become my favourite beekeeping tool.

Just a few puffs of smoke will calm, quiet and move your bees out of your way allowing you to do your job faster and more easily. No matter which size or model you purchase, ensure it has a protective shield on the outside. It will save your hands from being burned. Or at least help prevent getting them burned. Somehow, I still manage to touch it on occasion.

Bonus: Some models come with a hook that you can hang on the side of your hive.

Beekeeping tools

The Hive Tool

You can’t work bees without a hive tool. In fact, it is so essential I recommend buying two just in case you lose one in the grass. Hey, it happens to the best beekeepers.

I use my hive tool every time I inspect my hives. Why? Because bees stick everything together with a magic glue called propolis. Without my hive tool it would be extremely difficult to pull the frames or boxes apart. A hive tool comes with a flat blade on one end that I use to scrape burr comb and separate frames and a rounded end that I use to lift up the frames.

The Frame Holder

I’m not sure why more beekeepers don’t use this convenient tool. A frame holder simply hangs on the side of your super. It gives you an easy, safe and out-of-the-way spot to hang a frame when you want to remove one from the box you are working in. I always remove one frame from the outside edge of my hive box before I do an inspection in order to make room to examine the remaining frames. 

Pro tip: Make sure the queen is not on the frame you place on the holder. You don’t want her to fly away.

Beekeeping tools

Beekeeper’s Toolbox

My dad made this toolbox for me and I love it. As you can see, there is a place to hang my smoker and I can put all my hive tools in the main compartment. Every time I head out to the apiary, I just grab my toolbox knowing I have everything I need.

Feeders

I made the mistake of not buying a feeder my first year beekeeping. That summer we had a nectar dearth. I had no idea we were having one or what exactly that was but my mentor advised me to start feeding my bees. I now know a nectar dearth is when there is a shortage of nectar producing flowers often caused by an excessive amount of hot, dry weather. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a feeder and when I went to the store they were, of course, completely sold out. I was lucky and my mentor lent me a few.

Learn from my mistake and purchase a few feeders to have on hand when your little bee friends need your help. I have tried many different types of feeders but this simple bucket feeder has turned out to be the simplest to use. I also like the fact that they are placed inside my hives so my colonies don’t fight or rob food from each other.

BONUS ITEM! Beekeeper’s Journal

A journal is not necessary, but it has come in handy as my apiary has expanded. The best way to keep track of inspections, observations and your to-do lists is to write them down. I love this journal.

The truth is you don’t need many tools to be a beekeeper (other than perhaps the ability to laugh at yourself!), but if you want to work your bees more easily, efficiently, quickly and safely, you’ll definitely want to stock up on these hive tools.

Of course, when it comes time to extract honey, you’ll need a couple more hive tools.  But that’s a post for another day. It’s time for me to head down to the apiary with my bee suit (including the veil) on and maybe this time I will avoid scalping myself. 

So, do you agree? What are you favourite hive tools? Let me know in the comments below.

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7 must-have beekeeping tools
You don’t want to waste money on needless hive tools. So, what do you really need to work your bees quickly, efficiently and safely?

Read more about bees – Here are my previous posts:

Six Secrets to Choosing the Best Beehive for Beginners
The Bees are Coming…
Why You’d Make a Great Beekeeper (and the benefits of beekeeping)
How to Catch a Swarm of Honeybees…
How to Find the Queen Bee…
Healing Honey Hand Salve (and how to render beeswax)

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Filed Under: House poor to life rich - The adventure begins

Livestock Guardian Dogs: What I Wished I Would Have Known

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Livestock Guardian Dogs

February, 2018

“Which one is mine?” I asked excitedly as I looked around at all the fluffy, white Great Pyrenees puppies competing for my attention.

“That one in the corner,” pointed the breeder.

“Are you sure?” I asked, as I looked at it doubtfully.

The puppy was fast asleep. It couldn’t even be bothered to open more than one eye even when I picked him up.

“He doesn’t seem like much of a livestock guardian dog,” I thought privately as I held the sleeping puppy in my arms and looked around at the other much more energetic dogs.

Great pyrenees puppy

But I, of course, instantly loved him anyway. He smelled strangely of popcorn and his incredibly soft and wild, fluffy fur made him feel and look like a teddy bear having a bad hair day.

As I examined my new livestock guardian dog, I noticed he didn’t have a ribbon around his neck like the others. The owner laughed and shook her head. He had somehow managed to chew it off, she said.

I laughed too. But I should have known – this was a sign of the trouble to come.

I couldn’t take the puppy the kids named “Buddy” home with me that day. We didn’t yet have our Babydoll Southdown Sheep and, as the breeder explained, you want your livestock guardian dog to bond with your animals. So, they kindly agreed to keep Buddy on the farm with their goats and sheep until ours arrived.

I wasn’t sure what to expect the day I went to pick him up. He was now 5 months old and all he had ever known was their farm. The owner had kept his brother and the two were very close. As I suspected, Buddy was not prepared to come with me. In fact, he refused to walk the few feet to my car. Instead, he had to be carried into the backseat. Not an easy feat when your dog weighs around 100 lbs.

When we got home, I had to once again carry him out of the car and it was a long time before he would even move. He acted like he was deathly ill and would never recover. (Buddy has a bit of a dramatic flair.) Of course, after spending a lot of time with him, he adjusted to his new surroundings as all dogs do and eventually, he stopped crying every time I’d leave and he seemed to take to his new role as guardian of the sheep.  The key word in that sentence was “seemed”. There were a lot of bumps along the pasture road.

What I wished I would have known about livestock guardian dogs

Livestock guardian dogs

Guardian Livestock Dogs and Small Trees Don’t Mix

Buddy and the Disappearing Trees

It was calling for an early frost so my husband suggested using the large, brown paper chicken feed bags we had been saving up all year to cover our small fruit trees. It was a great idea. The bags easily fit over the trees completely shielding them from the frost. Problem solved, we thought smugly as we curled up into bed that night and drifted off to sleep without a single worry about those trees.

In the morning, much to our surprise, the bags were mysteriously gone. Upon closer inspection they weren’t just gone, they were torn to pieces. Apparently, Buddy thought we had invented a new game for him to play: Try and tear the bags off the trees.

Not only were our trees left unprotected from the frost, but Buddy wasn’t very careful when he decided to remove the bags, causing damage to the branches.

Although I was concerned about the damage our sheep might inflict upon our fruit trees, I hadn’t considered that a dog might also be a threat. On top of the damage he did that day, he also decided to start burying his bones at the base of the trees essentially “digging them up”.

They are escape artists

Livestock Guardian Dogs

The Great White Polar Bear and the Fox

I’m out shopping when I receive a text. Our neighbour’s 7-year-old daughter has spotted a polar bear roaming freely around our backyard.  Of course, when her mom peers out the window, she discovers it is Buddy who truly does look like a giant bear roaming around in the snow. He has escaped from the electric fence enclosure. I rush home to catch and scold Buddy, but instead I congratulate him. Footprints in the snow prove that he chased a fox out of the pasture. Unfortunately, he broke through the electric fence to do so. We give Buddy a bone for his bravery and reinforce the fence. No harm done – yet.

Guardian Livestock Dogs Can’t be Trusted with Your Phone

Buddy tries to make a phone call

“Kimberlee, did you see my cell?” asks Jérémie as he frustratingly searches throughout the house.

“When did you last use it?” I ask.

“Well, I had it out in the barn…”, he muses.

Can you guess where this story is going? That’s right. Jérémie finds his cell in the barn…with Buddy.

As you probably already know, livestock guardian dogs are intelligent creatures and Buddy, who realized Jérémie had forgotten his phone, tried his best to text him to let him know he had found it. But it was rather awkward using his large paws and big, black gumdrop nose to push the small buttons and so, in a moment of frustration, he bit down a little too hard on the phone. That is to say, it was completely crushed. And yes, Jérémie had to buy a new phone.

They Have a Sensitive Side

Great pyrenees

Buddy and His Pet Frog

Upon entering the barn, Jérémie can hear Buddy crying. He rushes over to discover Buddy staring at his water bowl. Inside is a frog happily swimming in his water. You’d think Buddy, an incredibly big dog (he now weighs close to 140 lbs), would simply nudge the frog out of his bowl. But no, he just sits there and cries and waits patiently as we remove the stubborn frog. We go through this routine a couple days in a row before the frog finally gives up and finds a new watering hole.

Guardian Livestock Pups Should Never Be with Other Young Animals

Buddy and the Wagging Tail

The real problems begin when Buddy decides to start playing with our sheep. It all started with Hara’s tail. Sheep’s tails are fairly small, fluffy and they move. To a puppy, who often likes to chase his or her own tail, I can imagine a sheep’s tail looks like an attractive toy. So, one day, when I imagine Buddy’s feeling particularly bored, he bites Hara’s tail. And then rips the tag out of her ear. Alarmed, I separate Buddy from the sheep until he is older

They Are Willing to Take Other Animals Under their Protection

Livestock Guardian Dog

Buddy and His Pet Chicken

Without any sheep to keep him company, Buddy befriends our one-winged wonder chicken. Every day she heads to the barn to hang out with him. Buddy even lets her eat some of his food and they form some kind of alliance, which involves her scratching for bugs in the hay and Buddy watching in amusement. To date, Buddy shows no signs of aggression towards any of our chickens and has yet to chase one. But…

Not All Livestock Guardian Dogs Are Suited for Every Type of Job

Buddy’s Duel with Hunter

Once Buddy reaches the age of two, we decide to test him out with our two rams thinking that now he is older and the rams are no longer lambs, all should go well. Unfortunately, the sheep feel threatened by Buddy and Hunter (our most aggressive ram) starts to violently “butt” Buddy in the head. Surprisingly, Buddy doesn’t fight back until Hunter goes for his food. And that’s when Buddy decides he has had enough and bites him hard enough on the head that I have to bring in the vet to stitch up the wound.

Buddy and the Last Lamb

After Buddy’s duel with Hunter, we decide that he may be better off with our gentler ewes instead. All goes well and everyone seems at peace. But we make a fatal mistake. We have an 8-week-old lamb among our two ewes. In hindsight, the lamb should never have been in the test group with Buddy. And apparently Buddy still has an obsession with tails. He bites the tiny lamb’s tail and I once again have to call in the vet who does an amazing job fixing it. Unfortunately, the lamb dies (not from the injury) but of shock. If you read my previous post – death, tears and life on the homestead – you know how important this last lamb was to me. To lose it, was devastating.

Great pyrenees

Unfortunately, because of these incidents, we don’t feel confident that we can ever trust Buddy with our sheep. Sadly, we rehomed him last week. It breaks my heart and I still feel tears well up in my eyes every time I think of him. He caused me so much grief but he was truly the most intelligent and sweetest dog I’ve ever known.

But I’m also extremely happy for him. He is now working on a horse farm near Alma, New Brunswick and, according to the new owners, doing an amazing job. He even has two other dog “friends” to work with and the owners have a nearby river on their beautiful property where he can swim.

To be honest, I’m not even sure Buddy would want to come back to our farm where he spent a lot of time by himself because he couldn’t be with the sheep. Although I took him for regular walks and the kids and Jérémie interacted with him on a daily basis, I think he was lonely.

Livestock guardian dogs are supposed to be aloof, independent creatures, but Buddy loved to be petted and have his belly rubbed. He craved attention from us. I think he would have made a better pet or house dog than a livestock guardian dog. Lucky for Buddy, his new owners even let him sleep in their house.

So, this is my ode and goodbye to you, Buddy, my pal, my friend, my “boo bear”. You were and are the very best dog of all and we will never forget you.  May you enjoy the rest of your days running wild and free among the horse pastures and never look back.

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Filed Under: House poor to life rich - The adventure begins Tagged With: Great Pyrenees, livestock guardian dogs

Top 10 easiest organic vegetables to grow (even if you have a brown thumb)

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The easiest organic vegetables to grow

I am a vegetable serial killer.  

That’s right. I have a brown thumb. My uncle just about summed up my skills when he once commented on my garden – “It’s kind of like survival of the fittest, isn’t it Kimberlee?”  Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny Uncle Bob.

So, when I publish a post about the easiest organic vegetables to grow, you know they have to produce like weeds or they wouldn’t survive under my neglect care.

The good news is plants really don’t want to die. Surprising, right? And if you’re brave enough to give gardening a try, you’re going to discover that you ABSOLUTELY CAN plant an amazing and productive garden.  You might just have to work a little harder to grow certain veggies or choose to stick to these Top 10 Survivors in my “survival of the fittest” garden.

Easiest Organic Vegetables to Grow

Peas

In my climate, peas are one of the first vegetables I plant in the garden and they are definitely among the easiest organic vegetables to grow. These little guys prefer cool growing conditions and will tolerate light frosts. They will germinate in soil temperatures between 4-24 degrees C.  So, can I get a loud Hooray!!! Come on, let’s hear it for peas!!!! If you live in a cold climate, you feel my excitement.  

Choose an early season variety and dig these seeds about an inch and a half into the ground.  I love that I don’t have to worry about the spring winds whipping them away like the tiny carrot seeds (one reason I don’t plant my carrots early in the season). They stay snug in the soil until it’s time to reveal themselves.

And then they just grow and grow and grow…you’ll need netting or a pea tower for those tall growing varieties.

Tip: You can also plant mid-season and late varieties so you’ll have a continuous supply of peas.

Variety I’m growing this year

Super Sugar Snap Pea
As the name suggests, these guys are sweeter than the regular Sugar Snap and you can eat them pod and all. That is very important to the kids who tend to gobble these up before they even make it to the house.

Easiest organic vegetables to grow
Don’t radishes make you want to dance?

Radishes

This is another crop that can be seeded directly in the garden as soon as your soil can be worked in spring. In fact, it doesn’t do well in the summer heat so plant them early. Radishes may be seen as simply a spicy salad topper, but they are amazing roasted in the oven and served as a simple side dish.

They also grow so fast, I don’t think there is time for these guys to perish.

Variety I’m growing this year

Cherry Belle Radish
Plant these radishes today and in 3 weeks you could be enjoying your first crop. Easy and fast to grow, you’ll love these bright red, cherry radishes.

Beans make a beautiful and easy addition to the garden.

Beans

Beans are so easy, beautiful and fun to grow. And there are SO many choices. Not just yellow or green, but purple and even striped. Have you heard of Dragon’s Tongue Bush Bean with its glorious purple streaks? Or how about the majestic, bright purple Royal Burgundy, which can handle cooler soils? Or “Scarlet Runner”, which will make you sigh in delight as it proudly shows off its eye-catching red flowers that attract hummingbirds. It’s gorgeous, my friends. And every garden needs a little gorgeous. So, plant yourself some beans.

Varieties I’m growing this year

Jacob’s Cattle (Baking Bean)
This is a favourite bean in our area and its perfect for all your baked bean recipes.

Provider (Bush Bean)
I really love this bean. It is very easy to grow and can be planted earlier than other beans, which means I get to eat fresh beans faster!

Rocdor (Pole Bean)
What can I say? It’s a tasty bean and I need something yellow to go with the above green beans.

Carminat (Pole Bean)
And, of course, to round things out I need a purple bean. Although they turn green after you cook them, these purple pods will “WOW” you with their Instagram worthy lavender blossoms. If you can’t find an organic version, try the Royal Burgundy.

Roasting an excess of garden tomatoes to make homemade tomato soup.

Tomatoes

Even if I lived in a 100 square foot skyrise apartment building, I would find a way to grow a tomato plant because nothing compares to the taste of homegrown tomatoes. And they are so easy to grow. Well, you might want to stay away from those “upside down” tomato planters. They dry out easily. Best to plant your tomato in a large pot or in a garden.  Tomatoes need an even supply of moisture. A thick layer of mulch will help hold in the moisture and prevent weeds from growing.

Just like beans, there are so many colours and sizes it will make your head spin. The most important consideration in our climate, other than taste, of course, is if there is enough time for the fruit to ripen. You’ll also have to choose between indeterminate and determinate varieties. I prefer determinate because a cage is usually enough to support them. The downside is all of your tomatoes will ripen almost at the same time. However, we have such a short growing season in our climate that this doesn’t really matter to me. If you choose an indeterminate, you will get tomatoes over a longer period of time, but prepare to prune and stake!   

Varieties I’m growing this year

Easiest organic vegetables to grow
Do you ever get the feeling your tomatoes are watching you? These are our Mystery Keepers happily hanging out on the shelf for months until we are ready to eat them.

Mystery Keepers
This is the best storage tomato in my opinion. They ripen from the inside out so they can stay sitting on your counter for months after harvesting them before they turn red.

Sungold
I grow these cherry tomatoes every year because they are extra sweet and taste like tangy candy. I eat them right off the vine and throw them in salads.

Yellow pear tomatoes make a fun shaped addition to your salads.

Yellow Pear Tomato
These darling heirloom tomatoes produce the cutest, pear-shaped yellow cherry tomatoes that look like little fairy bells. Try them…just because!

Loose Leaf Lettuce

There is no reason you should have to buy salad greens if you don’t want to. I haven’t taken an official poll but these have to be the easiest of all crops to grow. Every two weeks I simply sprinkle a few teaspoons of seeds in my garden and lightly cover with soil. This will guarantee a fresh, continuous supply of leafy greens for all your salad needs.

Warning: Although leaf lettuce is easy to grow, slugs also love it. So, wash your greens carefully! I learned this lesson the hard way. Slug salad, anyone?

Variety I’m growing this year

Easiest organic vegetables to grow
Loose leaf lettuce is incredibly easy to grow.

Mesclun Gourmet Greens Mixture
Get ready for the most beautiful salads ever! This one package of seeds contains seven different tasty salad greens in varying shades of colour and texture – Arugula, Endive, Red Kale, Red and Green Romaine, Salad Bowl and Lolla Rossa Lettuce.

Carrots

Did you know carrots will grow even in sub-par soil? And that’s why I love the carrot.

Now, if you are a gardener, you may be thinking,” you’re wrong!”. Many sources will tell you if your soil is too heavy or rocky, you’ll need to plant your carrots in a raised bed. But if this were true, I would have never been able to grow a single carrot.

Although they do prefer a lighter soil so they can grow to their full and long potential, I have had success growing decent sized carrots even in my clay soil. In fact, I even managed to grow a carrot in my garden path. So, don’t be afraid to plant carrots.

Varieties I’m planting this year

Purple Dragon Carrot
I prefer a plain, old, regular orange carrot, but the kids get a kick out of the purple ones and they say they taste better. These carrots are actually orange inside with a yellow core.

Kids love purple dragon carrots.

Danvers Half long Carrot
If you have shallow soil like me, you may want to try the Danvers Half-Long carrot. They are about 6 inches long and have that perfect sweet, crunchy carrot taste.

Nantes Scarlet Carrot
This is another excellent carrot variety that has survived in my garden. Dependable, nearly coreless, sweet and stores well – What more could you want in a carrot?

Beets

As a northern gardener, my vegetable plot would not be complete without beets. This is a frost tolerant vegetable that definitely ranks high among the easiest organic vegetables to grow

The only problem is that I often forget to take them out of the ground until they have grown past their optimal size – making these roots a lot tougher than they would be otherwise.

If you can remember to harvest them on time and keep sowing every few weeks throughout the spring and summer, you can enjoy beets into the fall.

Varieties I’m planting this year

Boro
This will be the first year I plant this variety. They are touted as the sweetest beet variety. We will see.

Detroit Dark Red
This is an heirloom variety grown since 1892 that is still popular today. It’s the perfect all-purpose beet!

Fresh herbs are easy to grow and a tasty addition to all your dishes.

Herbs

If you enjoy herbs, then pick up as many as you like because there is a very good chance none of them will die. I have yet to kill an herb. Basil, dill, parsley, oregano, fennel, rosemary…they all grow really easily. In fact, if you are nervous about starting a garden, why not start with a simple herb garden? You don’t even need to plant a garden because they do really well (and sometimes better!) in containers

Onions

Onions have survived since the Bronze Age so it’s not surprising that they are easy to grow, right? Although I’ve never planted onions by seed, I do plant onion sets every spring. And by mid-summer I have good sized bulbs. It’s as easy as that!

Garlic

The most difficult part about growing garlic is not growing it. It’s remembering to plant it. Or motivating oneself to plant it at the end of the growing season. In our climate, you have to plant cloves in the fall and then you reap the rewards the following year.

The only pumpkin I’ve ever grown. It didn’t even turn completely orange.

What about zucchini, cucumbers and squash?

Now this is really embarrassing to admit, but zucchini, cucumbers and squash are also supposed to be among the easiest organic vegetables to grow. And yet I have not been able to successfully grow any of these. But that hasn’t stopped me from trying. Here are this year’s victims.

This year’s victims.

Let’s take a moment and pray for them before they meet their death in my garden…or not! Fingers crossed!

So, do you agree? Are these the easiest organic vegetables to grow or do you have one to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below!

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The easiest organic vegetables to grow

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Thank you for your support!  You can find the full disclosure here.

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Filed Under: House poor to life rich - The adventure begins

How to use soap nuts to clean everything

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How to use soap nuts

You may have heard that you can make soap with nut shells, but do soap nuts really clean?

After much experimenting with soap nuts and presenting a workshop at the online Mother Earth News Fair, I can tell you that yes, they do! They are also incredibly inexpensive. I can make a bottle of cleaner for less than $1.

Soap nuts are also completely bio-degradable, environmentally friendly and work like magic in the laundry, as a dish soap or even as an all-purpose cleaner.

What are soap nuts?

Soap nuts come from a tree called ‘Sapindus Mukorossi’ (the Soap Berry tree). But they are actually not nuts . They are berries that are harvested from September to February each year. Although it takes 9 years for the tree to begin yielding fruit; once it starts producing, it can be harvested for 90 years!

The soap nut grows on trees native to India and Nepal. Unfortunately, they don’t grow here in Canada or I would immediately plant one in my backyard. I can’t think of a more environmentally friendly cleaning product than a nut I personally plucked from a tree.

Nevertheless, you can buy these soap nuts at the Bulk Barn and package them in a reusable bag and then throw them in the compost when you’re done. Zero plastic. Zero waste. There are also many great sources of soap nuts. If you live in the United States, Amazon sells these award winning Naturoil soap nuts. In Canada, Amazon sells these organic soap nuts in 250 gram, 500 gram or 1 kg reusable bags.

For cleaning purposes, we use the shell of the soap nut. The shells contain a natural cleaning agent called saponin, which acts as a detergent. These natural surfactants break the surface tension of water. So, for example, if you were to use soap nuts in the laundry, they will free dirt, grime, and oils from your clothing and keep them suspended in the water so they can be easily rinsed away.

The nuts themselves are naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-microbial. They’re also naturally organic and I can tell you why.

Soap nuts smell like vinegar and if you were to errr…accidentally put one in your mouth or maybe put one in your mouth on purpose because you were writing a blog post about them, they taste like soap. Absolutely bitter and disgusting. Fortunately, Google tells me they are not poisonous although they may make your tummy upset so try your best to resist sampling them.

Anyway, I don’t imagine any human or animal would enjoy the taste of soap nuts. Except maybe owls. Here’s a fun fact: Did you know owls can’t smell? And that’s why these great hunters will eat skunks. See, wasn’t that fun? I thought so.

Now, let’s move on to the real fun. Making a cleaner out of shells!

Soap Nuts All Purpose Cleaning Base

How to use soap nuts

You could simply combine soap nut shells with water and start cleaning but saponin is released faster when the shells are heated.  So, I boil the nuts to make a concentrated liquid that I can use as a base to clean everything from my dishes and laundry to my floors and bathtub.

Ingredients

1/2 cup soap nuts

3 cups water

Instructions

–       Pour the water into a medium saucepan and add the soap nuts. Bring to a low boil and then reduce to a simmer with the lid on for up to an hour or until the nuts become soft and start to break apart.

Boiling soap nuts

–       Stir and mash the berries occasionally.

–       Remove the pot from the heat, strain out the soap nuts and let cool before pouring into your container.

How long does soap nut liquid last?

It has a two-week shelf life or at least a month in the fridge. You can add a teaspoon of citric acid to the recipe to help make the juice last longer.

How do I use soap nuts in the laundry?

If you do your laundry using hot water, you can place 5 or 6 soap nuts in a mesh bag and throw them in the laundry. If you use cold water, make the above liquid and use 1 or 2 tbsp. In both cases, I would add ¼ cup of washing soda (sodium carbonate) to your wash cycle. And then add ¼ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle to remove any soap residue.

Washing soda will “soften” your water (especially important if you have hard water). It binds to the minerals in your water and allows the detergent to be absorbed into fibers properly to clean clothes.

Warning: Washing soda is not the same as baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Although both natural substances are made from a mineral called trona, washing soda has a higher PH level, is a more abrasive cleaner and doesn’t dissolve as well in water compared to baking soda.

How do I use soap nuts to clean my dishes?

Pour the above mixture into a soap dispenser and use a few squirts in each sink full of dishes.

How do I use soap nuts as an all-purpose cleaner?

Mix the above liquid with an equal amount of water and start cleaning.

How do I use soap nuts to clean my bathroom?

Mix equals parts of the soap nut cleaner recipe above with equal parts vinegar to help remove mineral deposits. Use to clean the tub, shower stall or toilet.

And that’s it. Have you or will you try making soap nut cleaner? I wanna know. Leave me a message in the comments below.  

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How to use soap nuts

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Thank you for your support!  You can find the full disclosure here.

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Filed Under: House poor to life rich - The adventure begins

Death, tears and life on the homestead

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life on the homestead

April 9, 2020…

He didn’t need to utter a word. I could tell by the pained look on my husband’s face that something was terribly wrong.

“It was a stillbirth.”

I cried.

I cried harder when I walked into the barn and saw the perfect, little, brown Babydoll lamb lying motionless in the hay.

April 12, 2020…

“Come, quick!,” yelled my husband. “It’s happening.” I ran like a crazy fool to the barn only to just miss the birth of twin lambs, Henry and Henrik, from our second ewe, Hanley.

We watched as Hanley eagerly began showering her first lamb, Henry, with big, sloppy kisses.

life on the homestead

But she didn’t seem to notice Henrick, the second lamb still lying in the hay. So, wearing gloves, we brought the other newborn to her nose. She half-heartedly licked Henrick a couple times and then turned away. From then on, she wanted nothing to do with him.

We waited until morning hoping she would allow Henrik to nurse. No luck. So, we filled a bottle with colostrum and began feeding him.

But it wasn’t easy. Every time we went out to the barn, it was like playing a game of “Where’s Waldo”. Once Henrik got stuck behind the hay feeder and then I found him curled up with the male sheep in another pen.

Bottle feeding a lamb

Fearing for his safety, that evening we snuggled the lamb into a cardboard box and carefully placed him next to our bed, hoping to make those midnight feedings a little easier on ourselves.

Sometime between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. the next morning, Henrick passed away.

More pain. And more tears as I write this wondering if there was not something more I could have done to prevent his death.

I know, you’re probably thinking they are just lambs. But my heart broke anyway.

After five months of waiting, I was eagerly anticipating our first births on the farm, this grand milestone of achievement as a shepherdess.

Death was certainly not in the script I had imagined.

A lamb saying hello to its father

But I should have known better. Nothing I have done on the farm (or in life) has gone according to my carefully made plans.

The truth is life on the homestead isn’t always easy or picture perfect. When you sign up to become a farmer, the agreement clearly states in big, bold letters that you are also signing up for death.

We have lost ducks to foxes and chickens to a ferret. We have had chicks drown in their own water and we had to kill our previous rooster when it nearly clawed out one of neighbour’s children’s eyes.

I have lost hives to human error and the long, cold Canadian winters. And, of course, there are the multitude of plants that have perished under my care.  

Happy, bouncing lamb

And then, there are the purposeful deaths. This year, we will be raising our own meat chickens. And these ram lambs I wept over may (I say “may” because I have not yet been able to eat anything I’ve raised) have one day ended up on my dinner plate. Males have a tough life on the farm.

So here I sit writing to you…contemplating life and death, which are never too far from each other here on the homestead. And, although it is to be expected, it’s not easy. Taking a life or witnessing a death never is.

And this heartache makes me want to scream and cry and pound the dirt, throw my hands up in the air and give up.

But I haven’t yet and I don’t think I ever will. Because homesteaders and farmers, we are not only tough, but, we are full of eternal hope and gratitude.

We learn from the painful experiences and we assure ourselves that next year will be better.

We give thanks a million times over for all the blessings we do have and then we dry our tears and we grab our feed buckets and carry on to the next task knowing there is no other life we would rather live.

life on the homestead

And so, I have said my goodbyes, I have buried the losses and I will press on taking joy in watching Henry annoy my ewes as he happily frolics around the barn showing everyone just how high he can bounce.

There is still life on the homestead, my friends, and it is beautiful.  

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Want to read more about our lambing experiences?

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PREPARING FOR YOUR FIRST LAMBING

MEET THE GANG OF SHEEP THIEVES (RAISING SHEEP FOR BEGINNERS)

WHAT I WISHED I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN DOGS

Filed Under: House poor to life rich - The adventure begins

A wooly great lambing guide: Your top 20 questions answered

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prepaing for lambing

A beginner’s guide to preparing for your first lambing season

Have you ever read a blog and thought: Wow, this person really has it together! Well, this is not that blog. 

This is the blog of a homesteader…

  • who doesn’t know for certain if her two ewes are pregnant.
  • who doesn’t have a clue how to actually deliver a lamb.
  • who is not even sure she can actually get her hands up in there and assist.
  • And who is now wondering how the heck she got into a predicament in which this is what she has to fret about!!!

So, in case you’re wondering, yes, I may be slightly panicking about the impending lambing season. But, as with most things on the homestead, I can usually find someone much more experienced than I who is willing to share their hard-earned, homesteading wisdom. Enter Michelle Schubert.

Interview with lambing expert, Michelle Schubert

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Michelle, owner of Bergamascos’ Babydoll Brigade in northern Scott County, Kentucky, about preparing for lambing season. Michelle has witnessed the birth of more than 123 lambs on her 15-acre farm where she and her husband sell sheep, lambs, and fleece including beautiful, hand-spun, and custom-dyed yarn.

Michelle’s adventures in lambing began with one ewe who was “maybe” pregnant. She still fondly remembers the afternoon Haven was born. She rushed to get a pair of binoculars and watched in awe and anticipation as Pop gave birth to a healthy lamb on pasture on March 30, 2012, at 2:31 p.m. without any issues.

Michelle Schubert with her flock of Babydoll Southdown Sheep on her farm in Kentucky.

So, how did Michelle become a shepherdess? Her tractor died.  

“Our second summer here, our tractor quit running and we spent many hours every day pushing a lawn mower trying desperately to keep up with the fast-growing grass,” she recounts. “A friend suggested we get sheep.”

“After a bit of contemplation and research, I said to myself, ‘Sounds like a plan.’ Initially, I was just going to get the sheep to mow the grass, but quickly decided I would turn it into a business since I prefer to work for myself and from home.”

Michelle hasn’t looked back since. Every day starts with a smile.

“Their smile is contagious. If you’re having a bad day, just get outside and spend a few minutes watching and interacting with your Babydolls. Your mood can’t help but improve. I find myself looking out my windows several times a day and sitting outside just to watch them as they meander the hills and valleys of my small piece of tranquility.”

Although Michelle is not a vet or a medical professional, as you can imagine, she has learned a lot about preparing for lambing season over the past nine years raising Babydoll Southdown Sheep.  

“Lambing season is typically exhausting but so worth it,” she exclaims. 

The only downside is that those sweet, smiling Babydoll lambs wind up leaving the farm much sooner than she would like.    

So, are you ready? Let’s start preparing for lambing season together.

How can I tell if my ewe is pregnant?

I feel a lot better about not being able to tell if my ewes are pregnant after confirming with Michelle that it is indeed difficult to determine until they are getting close to labor.

“It is tough,” says Michelle. “I go by when I put them together and when I separated them.  And, of course, a lot of them, I witness the breeding happening so I use that date.  If most of mine have lambed and I have stragglers, I’ll draw blood for a pregnancy test.” 

Sheep have a gestation period of about five months. So, if Hunter and Henley (my two rams) did their job this summer, my ewes will be ready to give birth in about a week. 

Within days of the birthing, you may notice the ewe’s udder fill out, which is a sure sign that your ewe is pregnant and will soon be giving birth.

preparing for lambing

Should I be feeding my ewes anything special during pregnancy?

Michelle cautions against overfeeding your ewes. “You don’t want them getting too fat, which can cause bigger lambs and possible birthing issues,” she warns. “I don’t change what I do as far as feeding unless a ewe is feeling too thin. Then I sneak her extra palmfuls of grain.” 

What supplies should I have on hand for lambing?

Initially, Michelle bought many of the recommended supplies for preparing for lambing season, but she has never used them and, of course, they quickly expired.  The only items she now brings with her are gloves and a pair of scissors.

“Other than trimming a couple of cords, I’ve never needed to do anything else during lambing,” she says. If there is an emergency, Michelle will bring her ewe to the vet.

Gloves come in handy if you need to help the ewe and can prevent “bottle babies”. Ewes identify and bond with their lambs through the scent that is produced within the placenta and contained in the amniotic fluid.  

“I wear rubber gloves (sometimes even fresh clothing) to keep my scent off of the lamb,” she explains. “Even for the first couple of days, I wear gloves if doing anything with the lamb, especially if there are more lambs being born around the same time that I’ll be handling.”

preparing for lambing

If all goes well, these are all the supplies you really need when preparing for lambing:

  • A lambing book to keep records such as the date, sex and number of lambs born.  
  • Latex gloves
  • Scissors to cut cords 
  • And, if you’re like me, a copy of Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep. If something goes wrong. I’m hoping I can read and assist at the same time. Sounds doable, right?

You may also want to have on hand:

  • Milk bottle and lamb nipple as well as colostrum and lamb milk replacer 
  • Lube 
  • A digital veterinary thermometer
  • Dental floss (may be needed to tie off a bleeding umbilical cord)  

Should I bring my ewes indoors to lamb?

Although every shepherd will be preparing for lambing season a little differently, Michelle has never locked a ewe in a pen/jug when she feels lambing is close or even during lambing. Instead, her ewes can come and go from the barn as they see fit. In the evenings, she says, they decide on their own to make their way closer to the barn where they usually sleep.

“Often, in the middle of the night, they’ll go out for a couple of grazing sessions,” she explains. “Hence, come lambing time, I don’t change their routine and they are still free to come and go as they please.” As a result, Michelle has had lambs born on pasture and in the barn without any issues.

If she does see a ewe in active labor in the barn and it is late at night, she will go ahead and close the gates to the pen until the ewe lambs.  

Do I need a special birthing pen for ewes?

Yes, you may want to consider sectioning your barn into smaller pens, encourages Michelle. “I have noticed many of my ewes will go to the furthest corner pen when it is time to lamb. We now call it the maternity ward and have it ready with fresh straw when lambing time arrives.”

Usually, the ewe keeps herself and her lambs inside, or away from the flock for a few hours, says Michelle. “By afternoon, mom and lamb(s) are venturing outside and within 24-hours, the lambs are checking out the grass and doing a little nibbling alongside their dams.” 

Can ewes share a pen during lambing?

They need to have enough room to be able to get away from each other, cautions Michelle. You don’t want a lamb wandering over to the wrong ewe or a ewe stealing someone else’s lamb.  

“My barn is set up with five roughly 10 x 10 areas and one larger area,” says Michelle. “The ewes tend to separate themselves from the others when they are getting ready to lamb.”   

Do I have to be present during lambing?

Not necessarily, says Michelle. “Many, many lambs are born without any intervention from humans. Most of my lambs wind up being born in the early morning between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. Of course, when it’s lambing time, I’m checking on them to see if any ewes are in labor. If I see a ewe in labor, I pull up a chair and have my camera ready. I have managed to witness the birth of almost every lamb born here.”

Will I have to help deliver the lamb? 

Michelle doesn’t intervene unless she feels the ewe or lamb are having issues. “I, personally, feel it is best to reign in our desire to “help” and rush the birth,” she cautions. “Don’t interfere unless absolutely necessary.”

How long do I wait before assisting in the lamb’s birth?

How long labor lasts varies and is largely influenced by age, according to Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep. “First-time ewes usually take significantly longer than older ewes. A good rule of thumb is to allow half an hour to an hour after the water bag breaks, or up to 2 hours of labor, before you jump in. Wait a little while longer for first-time ewes: up to 3 hours.”

As a general rule, according to Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep, let the ewe do her job until any of the following:

  • The lamb’s one front leg and nose are both showing but the other front leg is nowhere in sight.
  • There are two right or two left legs showing (indicating twins are trying to come out at the same time)
  • The lamb is showing but the ewe isn’t making progress.
  • The ewe is obviously becoming weak and tired, and nothing seems to be changing.
  • She has been in obvious labor for a couple of hours with no sign of change.
preparing for lambing

Do I need to dry off the lamb and iodize its navel?

“No,” says Michelle. “Instead of using a towel to dry off the lamb and wipe the membranes from the lamb’s mouth and nose, she lets the mother clean her lamb.  “I feel it is part of the bonding process,” she explains. 

If the ewe doesn’t start to clean her lamb, Michelle will move the baby to her nose so she sees it.

“That is usually all that is needed,” she says. “If she’s had twins, she may get confused and pay more attention to one over the other. I’ve had situations where the second one slides right out and mom is so busy cleaning the first, she doesn’t even realize she had another. This is an instance when I would move the lamb to her nose. Or, if you’ve had to help with the birth, best to put the lamb by her nose right away.”

Michelle has also never iodized the lamb’s navel. “Maybe I’m lucky,” she points out. “But I’ve never had any issues with a lamb’s naval.”

Will I have to cut the cord?

“The cord breaks when the ewe moves away from the lamb or the ewe chews the cord,” explains Michelle. “Occasionally, they will leave it too long and it drags on the ground. In this case, I shorten it. It can be done with any scissors you’ve cleaned well with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.

What happens if a lamb does not immediately get colostrum?

“Don’t panic,” says Michelle. “I’ve had three children. I know from personal experience, labor and delivery are a ton of work for both mom and baby. Sometimes, in my opinion, the lambs are tired after making their way into the world and need time to get it together. I do not feel a lamb is going to die if it doesn’t make it to the teat five seconds after it is born. I think that as long as they are up and nursing at some point within the first six hours (the absolute longest), they’ll be fine.”

Should I strip the waxy plug from the udders?

“No, I don’t,” says Michelle. “I think letting the lamb do this helps them gain strength.” 

What happens if a ewe rejects her lamb?

“I HATE having bottle babies,” she exclaims. In fact, Michelle has only had one lamb be rejected by his mom and it was several hours after he was born.  “The mother cleaned him, the lamb nursed and then what the heck happened, I have no idea,” she recounts. “He became a bottle baby but did continue to live full time with his mom and his sister. His mom just refused to let him nurse.”

Here are some common reasons for lamb rejection, according to Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep:

  • The ewe has a painful or sensitive udder from mastitis or an overabundance of milk.
  • She has delivered one lamb in one location, then moved and delivered the other, forgetting about the first.
  • Some ewes cannot count to two; they may be willing to accept twins, but as long as they have one, they are happy and do not seek out the other.
  • The lamb has wandered away before the ewe has had a chance to lick it off and become bonded to it.
  • The ewe has sore or chapped teats, or the lamb has sharp teeth.
  • Because of a difficult lambing, the ewe is exhausted and not interested in her lamb.
  • The lamb is chilled and abandoned as dead.
  • The ewe has new-mother syndrome: young, first-time moms may be nervous, flighty, confused, or just frightened by their lambs.
  • The lambs have been swapped: if two ewes lamb near each other at the same time, one ewe occasionally adopts and bonds to the other’s lamb, but the other ewe does not accept the first ewe’s lamb….”

 “I really do wonder if a lot of the rejections are due to too much human interference during the first 24 hours or so,” says Michelle. “There is plenty of time after the first couple of days to snuggle newborn lambs.”       

What is the best advice you would give to someone preparing for their first lambing season?

“Let the ewes do their jobs,” emphasizes Michelle. “When humans get impatient and interfere with the process it can cause problems with ewes rejecting lambs, etc. My personal opinion is that all of this suggested human intervention may be the cause of so many instances of abandoned/bum lambs.” 

She also suggests reading as much as you can about preparing for lambing including what to expect, what may go wrong and how others tackle lambing season.

“Then do what feels right for you, your ewes, and your lambs. I prefer a more” natural” way of doing things here at the Bergamascos’ Babydoll Brigade Farm.” 

Are there any books you recommend reading?

Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep is an excellent book to read while you are preparing for lambing season.

Note: “Keep in mind,” she says. “Not all the advice in regards to quantities would apply to smaller breeds such as Babydolls.”  

Tails, castration and tagging

Now, you may be wondering about the exciting topics of tail docking, castration and ear tagging. Due to the fact that this post is already getting rather long, I will link to those posts here once I have them finished.  

Ready, set…lambs

So, who is ready to kiss and snuggle adorable newborn lambs? Me!!! Now, excuse me while I once again go check on my ewes’ lady parts to see if we are getting any closer to that terrifying and exciting day. 

Share your tips!

Are you preparing for lambing season or do you have any tips for preparing for lambing season? I would love to hear them! Please leave them in the comments below.

Want to read more about raising sheep? Check out my previous posts:

  • Meet the Gang of Sheep Thieves (Raising sheep for beginners)
  • Dreamers to Farmers in TWO Years! (Raising sheep for milk)

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Thank you for your support!  You can find the full disclosure here.

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Filed Under: House poor to life rich - The adventure begins Tagged With: lambing for beginners, Preparing for lambing

Six secrets to choosing the best beehive for beginners

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So you’ve decided to get into beekeeping, but now you are faced with the big decision – What is the best beehive for beginners?

Choosing a hive will likely be the costliest decision you will ever make as a beekeeper. However, it is almost impossible to find a group of beekeepers who will all agree on the same setup. Why?

Every beekeeper lives in a different climate. Every beekeeper has different goals. Every beekeeper has different preferences.

What is the best beehive for beginners?

And once a beekeeper invests money into their setup, it’s rare for them to change it. It would be too costly.

So, what is the best beehive for beginners? Here are my six secrets to choosing a hive:

What is the best beehive for beginners

How to choose the best beehive for beginners

Secret #1 – Combine the best of both worlds

Instead of using a Langstroth or a Warre hive, why not combine the best elements of both?

When I was doing my beehive research, I stumbled upon The Beecentric Hives built in Edmonton, Alberta by Dustin Bajer.  He took the most beneficial aspects of both the Langstroth and Warre hives and combined them into what I think is the ultimate hive. Unfortunately, at the time, he didn’t ship his beehives so my dad volunteered to come up with his own version of the Beecentric Hive. Here’s how you can easily put one together:

Bringing home my first two beehives.

Secret #2 – Use All Medium Langstroth Supers

I use standard Langstroth brood boxes and supers (supers are boxes containing honey). Although they are available in deep, medium and shallow sizes, my second secret is to use only mediums. This makes it easier when it comes time to split hives (making a second bee colony from your existing hive usually to prevent swarming or as mite control).  I can easily transfer frames of brood and honey from one box to another saving me time and the expense of keeping different sized boxes. I have heard from some beekeepers that if they could start beekeeping all over again, they would choose all mediums for this reason.

Bonus: Medium boxes are lighter! They weigh between 40 and 50 lbs as opposed to 79 and 90 lbs for ten-frame deep supers. I like to think of myself as a strong woman, but it would be impossible for me to handle 100 lb boxes without doing some serious damage to my back.

Secret #3 – Use 8-frame equipment

Most brood boxes or supers contain 10 individual frames. However, I chose boxes that fit 8 frames. This may sound like a bad deal but I prefer the narrower supers that house only 8 frames. Why? I was inspired by my mentor, George Wheatley of Doré Products in New Brunswick, who has been keeping bees for 40 years. His bees fare better in 8-frame equipment throughout our bitterly, freezing Canadian winters.

You may have heard of bees starving over the winter in 10-frame equipment even though there is still honey remaining in the last two outer frames. For reasons I’m not 100 per cent sure of, bees often opt to move up to the next box stacked on top before consuming those last two frames of honey. It may be that the bees can’t break out of their warm cluster to reach those outer frames. I believe the narrower 8-frame equipment is better sized to the tightly knit, overwintering cluster of bees.

The 8-frame equipment is also better sized to me. Because there are 8 and not 10 frames per box, these supers are even lighter than the medium deeps I mentioned above. Medium 8-frame supers clock in at 35 lbs (16 kg) or less.  So, for anyone out there who was thinking they couldn’t get into beekeeping because of the heavy lifting, you’ll need to find another excuse. 

A slatted rack has many benefits including raising the brood box from the hive entrance.

Secret #4: Use a slatted rack

When I say the word “slatted rack” even among some beekeepers, no one seems to know what I’m talking about. I think this piece of equipment is one of beekeeping’s best kept secrets.

A slatted rack, like the name suggests, has wooden slats that run parallel to your frames. It fits on top of your bottom board, raising the brood box (where the Queen lays her eggs and raises young bees) from the hive entrance. Why is this beneficial? During the dog days of summer when you will often find bees congregating outside the hive because it is too warm in the hive, the extra space the slatted rack provides allows the bees to hang out in the safety of their home and fan cool air into the hive.

My queen also lays her eggs all the way to the bottom of the frames using a slatted rack. Most likely because even on cool days, the eggs and larvae are still far enough away to be protected from the drafty entrance.

During the winter, the extra air space the slatted rack provides also acts as an insulating layer between the cool bottom board and the brood box.

All my beehives have a screened bottom board with a removable insert to help control varroa mites and increase ventilation in the hive.

Secret #5: Choose a screened bottom board

There are two types of bottom boards – solid and screened. All my beehives have a screened bottom board with a removable insert, which you can coat with a sticky substance such as cooking spray. The purpose of the screen is to allow Varroa Mites, tick sized parasites that feed on bee blood, to fall through the wire mesh as the bees clean the hive and groom each other.

The insects then get stuck on the insert allowing you to estimate how many mites are in your hive.  Varroa mites can easily take down a hive. If you have too many, you will need to treat your hive or risk losing it.

Secret #6: Cover your bees with a Warre Hive Roof and Quilt Box

If you have been researching how to choose the best beehive, you have probably stumbled upon the Warre Hive. This vertical top bar hive has a unique sloped roof that fits over what is called a “quilt box” (basically a box filled with wood shavings). Although I use wood shavings during the summer, in the winter I also add a piece of Rockwool insulation to keep the bees extra toasty. The quilt box not only insulates the hive, but it prevents moisture from building up and dripping down onto the bees and killing them.

The bottom of the quilt box is made of wire mesh. This allows air to flow, but it also gives the bees the ability to add or remove propolis (what I like to call “bee glue”) to regulate the airflow themselves.

What is the best beehive for beginners?

Buyer beware: When you are inspecting your hive, you can easily set your equipment on top of a traditional, flat Langstroth telescoping outer cover. You definitely can’t do this with a sloped roof. Instead, I use an extra super to hold my equipment.

I hope these tips help you in your quest to finding the perfect home for your little bee friends. I would also suggest joining your local beekeeping association and speaking with other beekeepers in your area who will be able to provide even more insight on how to choose the best beehive for beginners or perhaps even let you try out a top bar or another different style of hive.

Happy bee house hunting!

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Want to read more about bees? Check out some of my previous posts…

The Bees are Coming…
Why You’d Make a Great Beekeeper (and the benefits of beekeeping)
How to Catch a Swarm of Honeybees…
How to Find the Queen Bee…
Healing Honey Hand Salve (and how to render beeswax)

If you have more questions about choosing the best beehive for beginners, please leave a comment below and I will be happy to help you.

Filed Under: House poor to life rich - The adventure begins Tagged With: Best beehive for beginners, What is the best beehive for beginners

Keep Kids Entertained and Learning While Stuck at Home

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Keep Kids Entertained

I’ll admit I panicked a little. Ok, a lot. Ok, I might have stomped my feet and pouted.

I’m a planner so when it was suddenly announced that schools were going to be closed for an indefinite period of time, I didn’t feel prepared. Now, this shouldn’t have come as a shock but, at the time, there was only one case of COVID-19 in all of New Brunswick.

So, while most people in our province immediately rushed to the stores to stock up on toilet paper and bottled water, my first thoughts were:

1.      Buy more chocolate.

2.      Raid the dollar store for craft supplies. Because what the heck am I going to do to keep my kids entertained, active, learning, off screens and most importantly — from uttering the dreaded words: “I’m bored”?

A friend once told me, “Only boring people get bored.” And while this may be true, it is nice to have a few boredom busters up your sleeve when your kids insist on wearing their cranky pants.

So, what’s my secret? Keeping a schedule. Whether you’re under mandatory quarantine or simply avoiding the crowds, here’s a few suggestions to create a routine to keep your kids entertained, active and learning.

Stay at home schedule

Keeping a Routine with Google Calendar

As many of you know, I like to make plans and detailed to-do lists. So, of course, once I found out the kids would be at home over the next few weeks, I quickly made a daily routine using my favourite scheduling tool – Google Calendar. Here’s how I patterned our day:

1. Schedule what you need to do first

First, I entered all our “fixed” activities such as when we sleep and eat as well as the mornings I work from home teaching English online. Basically, all the things we “need” to do.

2. Schedule what you want to do next

Teaching the kids at home

Next, I blocked off time for things I would like to do such as home schooling. The kids were so excited when I told them they could continue their studies. Ok, maybe not. But I am thrilled!

IXL Learning

There are many online learning options available. I enrolled the kids in https://ca.ixl.com/, which follows our provincial curriculum and offers training in both English and Math.

ABC Mouse

ABC Mouse is another great option for ages two to eight and the first month is free.

Ted Talks for Kids

If you’re looking for some educational screen time, I love TED Talks. Here is a list of talks to watch with kids.

Outschool

“Outschool” has 8000+ video chat classes for K-12 science, art, mindfulness, English, social studies, life skills, and more!

Masterclass

Older kids may enjoy Masterclass, which has many easy-to-watch 12-minute lessons.

YouTube

There are several great educational YouTube channels. I love the Encyclopedia Britannica’s channel where your kids will find answers to everything from: “Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?” to “Is Pluto a Planet?”

Free books

I also stocked up on grade level activity books and books from the public library. If your public library is still open, stock up now or go to your virtual library and take out ebooks or audio books.  

Bonus: You can download unlimited audiobooks and ebooks from “All You can books” for free for 30 days.

Reading lists by grade level

You can find lots of book ideas organized by grade level from Mensa Kids and Goodreads.

Learn a new skill

This is also a great time to extend upon your child’s special interests. Jack loves learning about animals (especially sharks) and Ella likes to make slimy, squishy things in the name of science. What does your child want to learn more about and be sure to sign out extra books on those topics or check out related online learning through sites such as “Outschool” or “Masterclass“

Hint: Now is the perfect time to start your seeds indoors and is a great learning activity that will keep your kids entertained.

Make a mess (aka cooking)

Cooking may not be an official subject at school, but there is a lot kids can learn from whipping up a batch of their favourite cookies or even homemade yogurt. Bonus: The probiotics will help boost your immune system! Older children can even make a simple meal such as this one. Check out this post for a guide to cooking skills by age.

Time to be Creative

Next, I blocked off another hour for crafts and creative play. My kids love to draw, paint and create a mess.  Here are some ideas to keep your kids entertained:

Keep Kids Entertained

“Save your sanity” supplies                                                  

 I may not have stocked up on toilet paper, but I definitely stocked up on craft supplies from the dollar store. I may or may not have spent over $50.

  • Markers, crayons and paint supplies
  • Grade level activity books
  • Stickers, “make a funny face” books and a few treats as rewards for completing their school work
  • Balloons
  • Bead kits
  • Puzzles
  • Melting beads
  • Bouncy balls
  • Playdoh and clay
  • Origami paper
  • Craft kits
  • Notebooks (especially for older kids who may want to journal their thoughts)
  • Mini trampoline (Unfortunately, they didn’t have one. But I would have bought one if they did!)
  • etc.

Slime

My daughter is so obsessed with slime and making other gooey things that we bought the book – “Mason Jar Science”, which has lots of sticky recipes to keep your kids entertained.  Here are also a few fun, easy projects you can make with items from around the house.

Keep Kids Entertained

Story Rocks

Although our kids love story time, they also enjoy making up their own stories. One fun way to do this is using story rocks. Find some rocks or other objects the kids can use to paint pictures on and place them in a box. Everyone can take turns choosing a rock and incorporating it into a story. You can also simply have fun counting the rocks and making piles of numbered groups or pulling a rock out of the box and seeing how many things in the room are the same shape or colour.

Get out the sillies!

I blocked off another hour simply for rough housing and play. Here are some ideas:

Game on!

We have a library of board games and puzzles we purchased over the years at thrift stores that have been gathering dust. Our plan is to take one out a day and battle it out. The winner gets to choose the following day’s game.

Danceathon

Music may just be the ticket to lift the mood in your home. Now may be the time to sign up for that free month on Spotify and take advantage of their music playlists.

Make a fort

Grab some boxes, blankets, pillows and couch cushions and make a fort.

Get moving

Active for Life is an awesome website that has tonnes of ideas to get your kids moving based on age and skill.

Bonus: Exercise helps boost the immune system!

Need more screen free acitivities?
Check out this list of 27 screen free activities for kids.

Get outdoors

Get out of the house!

Just like at school my kids are enjoying at least an hour of forced time outdoors. If you happen to live on a homestead like us, this is a great time to clean out the sheep (goat, donkey, etc) pen. Or maybe just enjoy a nature hike followed by a campfire and roasting marshmallows.

Reading and snacks (aka: quiet time for parents)

If you can encourage even the youngest ones in your household to settle down with a book, the afternoon is a great time for a cup of tea while the kids hopefully munch on snacks and enjoy some quiet time.

Clean up and chores

The last hour of the day before supper is reserved for clean up and chores because supermom can’t do it all. Even the youngest in your household can help with chores. Here is a great list of things your kids can do by age.

Pop pilates

This is not for the kids, but for parents. Since most gyms are closed, you might want to consider heading online for your workout. I love the pop pilates workouts from blogilates.com. She has a monthly calendar so all you have to do is follow along with the exercise routine of the day.

I hope this schedule will help you craft your days while at home with the kids. If you have any other ideas, please let me know and I will add them to the list.

Now, it’s your turn. You know your children best. Head over to Google Calendar and create your own sanity saving schedule to keep your kids entertained, active and learning. 

Filed Under: House poor to life rich - The adventure begins

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