Is it the idyllic countryside, the homemade bread, or the cozy farmhouse decor that drives us to this lifestyle?
Perhaps.
Is it the focus on self-reliance and or the personal accountability that comes with “doing it yourself” (DIY) culture?
Maybe.
Or, is it a reactive response to cramped, city living.
Yeah! I’m sure that’s part of it.
But, I think we all have deeper reasons for embarking on homesteading journeys–especially if homesteading is new to us and we didn’t grow up this way.
After all, homesteading is A LOT to take on.
The reality of homesteading
Between the extra time in our schedules it requires to do chores, take care of our animals, tend to the land, and work on never ending house projects, it’s not an exaggeration to say homesteading is a lifestyle. And an expensive one at that.
It often requires a lot of resources; land, equipment to take care of that land, and tools, which can really add up.
While I agree with the philosophy that anyone can homestead anywhere (the balcony of a city apartment, for example), it’s still a commitment to tasks and activities the average person living in 2024 doesn’t think twice about:
Growing your own food. Preserving it. Buying in bulk. Making things like soap, balm, and mayo. Freeze drying herbs. Butchering your own chicken dinner.
Why in heaven’s name go to all the extra effort?
Why I do this
Don’t get me wrong. I love freshly baked homemade bread. I love farmhouse decor. I love the character building that comes with taking care of animals.
And I love the independence that comes with learning how to do something yourself.
But it’s not just about those things for me…
It’s about her:
The reason why I am utterly obsessed about this lifestyle is because I believe it puts my family first.
It’s a deep, guttural instinct. And I believe moms should follow their instincts.
Side bar: it should go without saying that every mom will have her own definition of how to put her family first. And that there is no one-size-fits-all.
What I didn’t have
As a young girl, we didn’t eat food made from scratch.
There was a lot of TV. Oftentimes, I ate cereal for dinner by myself. And we just didn’t spend much time together as a family.
Like, at all.
My childhood wasn’t bad. But it also wasn’t warm and fuzzy.
There are a lot of reasons for this that go beyond this blog, but in short, I am compelled to carve out a different path for myself.
And to define what putting my family first means to me.
Making my own way
My husband and I are choosing the path that we personally believe puts our values of family, and togetherness, at the forefront.
I’m choosing to cook and bake from scratch.
We’re choosing to source the healthiest ingredients we can for our family.
We’re choosing to grow, and raise, and make what we can.
This is why I’m so passionate about things like homemade mayo, raising goats, and building a cozy home.
It’s not just about the mayonnaise, the cute goats, or the home decor.
It’s about the intention behind all of it.
It’s about love, effort, and care.
It’s about the family inside the home that’s enjoying the food and cozy atmosphere. It’s about the family working outside together–bonding over shared chores and enjoying the bounty produced from their hard work, too.
My homesteading manifesto
Homesteading, for me, is a testament to the glory of God and the beauty that comes with taking small blessings and multiplying them:
Whether it’s planting sunflower seeds, tending to baby goats, or transforming a fifty pound bag of flour into endless cinnamon rolls and rustic loaves of bread–I personally find this lifestyle to be aligned with our family values and vision of togetherness, health, and true wealth:
The wealth that comes from building wonderful family memories, learning together, and taking responsibility for our lives.
More ways than just one
There are many ways to go about accomplishing the goal of family togetherness. For some people, it’s traveling together as a family to unique and far away places.
For others, it’s doing lots of sports together as a family (soccer, fishing, etc.).
Right now, for us, it’s living closer to the land.
I know we’re not commercial farmers. Or Amish. Or even mildly experienced. And we’re not pretending to be.
But we’re making our way in life. And we’re learning together as a family.
And we’re living the healthiest way we know how to live.
And that’s all I can really ask for in life.
After all, I’m living a dream come true.
And it’s worth the extra effort.
