Welcome

     Hello! And welcome! My name is Amanda and one way or another, you have managed to find my blog. This will mainly be sort of a diary to chronicle my journey to become a better cook, mother, and steward of our earth. Homesteading is defined as practicing self-sufficiency through home food production, storage, cottage industry and simple living in a sustainable way. It can encompass such topics as gardening, crafts, soap and candle making, fiber arts, sewing, frugality, animal care, raising children, organics, healthy living, cooking, and more, so you will probably find a wide range of information here as we go along. I have a particular interest in gardening, healthy cooking, and traditional home arts. Ultimately though my main goal is to optimize the health of my family. Luckily none of my four boys, nor myself or my husband suffers from any chronic illness, however, I can certainly tell a difference in how everyone feels and acts when we are taking care of ourselves the way we should.
     I've just moved to D-town- Dallas, Texas that is. Yep, this small town Kansas girl has moved to the big city (in order to be near my husband's family), and I plan to do everything in my power to continue this path towards healthy that I have begun over the last couple years! Healthy for me and my kids as well as the planet. We'll be living in the 'burbs which poses some challenges to authentic homesteading but there are many, many other steps that can be taken and alternatives that I tend to explore.
      One thing that is terribly detrimental to a person's health is stress. In Jamaican patois there is a word: Irie. It means to be at total peace with your current state of being; the way you feel when you have no worries. When I am learning and growing and doing things to improve my life and that of those I love, I feel totally Irie. Life is good when you accept that you are not perfect, but strive to be better. Be ok with where you are at. Take one step at a time and don't let things overwhelm you. Make one thing a habit before moving on to the next and know that every new change benefits your family in some way, no matter how small.
     So there it is. Click here to read my initial post. Be sure to follow the blog and "like" my facebook page if you'd like to join me on this journey.