10 LEGITIMATE Work at Home Opportunities.....

Initially, the decision to become a stay at home mom was not my own. Fate somehow chose the path that I am  now on. In 2007 I took my passion for photography a step past hobby and started a part time traveling photography studio. At that time I was still working full time in the office of a big wig corporation and hating every moment of being trapped in the stale air of that building. Every day I reluctantly pulled myself off of my fluffy pillows to go to a job that I absolutely hated. Since I didn't know much about business itself, I had no idea how to get more clientele for my photography business so that eventually I could become full time with it and quit my mundane job. In the spring of 2009 the organization I was working for decided to drastically cut my hours and I could no longer work there. Today I look back on it and think about how blessed I was to be pushed full force into working for myself. If I hadn't been forced into it I think that the little nagging voice in my head would have prevented me from going further than part time. You know the voice I'm talking about, don't you? The voice that almost shouts that it is physically impossible to financially support yourself if you don't work hard for someone else? I think you know what I'm talking about.

Because of the fact that I was forced into working full time for myself, I decided to take some business classes online. I attended University of Phoenix and got my AA in Business last spring and I am currently working on my Bachelors of Science in Business Management at Western Governors University. Going back to school is something that I strongly recommend. Not to those people that just want a piece of paper that says they went and graduated, but to those people that want an actual education to help them better themselves. Anyway, after I started my classes I began to put all of my business knowledge into my actual business. AND Lo and Behold......I began to make money. Not a whole lot at first, mind you, but enough to cover my expenses AND write myself a paycheck every week, even if the checks were small.

Then....unfortunately....last year I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I injured my knee and went in for a bunch of tests. The damage done to my knee was enough to keep me off my feet for a while, and keep me from traveling to locations of my clients choosing. It also prevented me from being quick on my feet, as is needed when shooting wedding photography. So, I reluctantly gave up the photography business and started compiling a list of other things that I can do at home. I've applied quite a few of these. Don't get me wrong; I'm not rich, and unless you are extremely talented in any the following, you probably won't get rich either. The following 10 are work at home opportunities geared toward country people and those living on a Homestead.



1. Specialized Homestead Trade (butchering, animal husbandry, welding, etc.)

If you don't have a specialized trade that you think you can offer people, perhaps now is the time to get one. Check with local butchers in your area to see if they are taking on apprentices, take some animal husbandry classes, take holistic health classes, anything that you feel can be useful to people that you can connect with. When dealing in a trade that you will work from your Homestead, you might want to take into consideration that the trade should represent who you are. Even if you are really good at what you do, if the image isn't right the customer may not buy.

2. Selling organic produce, plants and flowers.

This has been my dream for quite some time now, but in all reality my growing season is just too short to make enough produce to sell. However, I do know another Homesteader that sells her organic produce to a big name restaurant in a town near her. You can have a fruit/veggie stand at your house, attend farmers markets, or sell wholesale to restaurants and grocery stores.

Plants and flowers are also really big. If you have an area to grow large quantities of plants and flowers, you might want to seriously consider doing this. Just down the road from me is a seasonal greenhouse. My neighbors open it up in April and close it down in September. People can walk through and make their purchases, and she even has a section that she rents out starting in February where people can start their own produce early so that it doesn't catch a frost.

3. Teach skill building classes.

If you've been Homesteading for a while, chances are that you have mad skills. Maybe you know how to weave, start a fire using only two dead twigs and a cotton ball, or build a raised bed for your garden. Whatever your skill, chances are someone is looking to learn that skill. In my area soap making, candle making, and canning classes are HOT. I've attended a couple myself, just to get a feel for what people are looking for in a class, and I can tell you that I've thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them.

4. Making and selling all natural/homemade beauty products.

Going 'green' is big, though I probably didn't need to tell you that. Many women and men have opted out of using chemically induced beauty aids like body wash, lotion, etc. Search the internet for a starter recipe for the beauty aid of your choice and tweak it (I never recommend using the exact instructions off the internet for two reasons....1. That's fraud. Somebody, somewhere, is probably using that exact same recipe to make their own products to sell. 2. Copying a recipe step by step does not allow you the chance to experiment and make it better).

5. Wood working.

Are you handy with a chainsaw, scroll saw or wood burner? If not, move onto the next option. If so, you might consider wood carvings, wooden signs, or even just hauling fire wood.

6. Ebay.

This is one of my favorites. One of the reasons is because I get to partake in one of my favorite pastimes in order to build my Ebay store.....Yard Saling!! There are many different categories of items that you can sell on Ebay. The trick is to find your section and become an expert in that area. If you know baseball cards, search for collectable ones at a good price. If you know antique toys, search for some at garage sales and become an expert in that category. Also, make sure you follow these steps before selling on Ebay.....1. Buy at least ten items, pay immediately, give five star feedback and recieve a yellow star if they give you five star feedback. 2. Sell at least ten items at a ridiculously cheap price and make sure you mail orders IMMEDIATELY to get good ratings 3. Unless you have a customer that is so bad and ruthless that you don't think anybody should ever have to deal with that person again.....give everybody a five star rating. 4. Check competitive prices. If you are selling the same thing as someone else and the other person has the item for two dollars cheaper, your item may not get bought.

7. Artistry (selling paintings, photography, sculptures, or teaching art classes).

Please do the world of Art a favor.....if you aren't talented in any of these categories, including photography, please skip onto the next category. Being a good photographer is more than owning an expensive camera and getting people to say cheese. Being a good photographer is about knowing how to work with natural light, knowing what settings to use on your camera to get your ISO just right, and knowing what your ISO is....However, if you are talented in any artistic fields, seriously consider selling your artwork or services. Thanks to places like Etsy (see below) there aren't that many starving artists any more.

8. Etsy.

Etsy.com.....what a wonderful website to browse. If you have any type of home crafting ability (sewing, jewelry making, sculpting, pottery, artwork, etc.) then let Etsy become your home away from home. It is really easy to set up your own e-store, just be sure to check out the tips and blogs of people that have been selling on Etsy for a long time.

9. Blogging.

If you are hoping to become rich.....blogging is probably not for you. While there are some blogs that have become so popular I'm sure they are making at least a tiny little fortune from  people clicking on the advertisements or from sponsors, it takes a lot of clicks to even start earning money. However, if you are an interesting person, live an interesting life, or at least have some interesting skills, you could probably bring in at least some money from blogging.

10. Tutoring.

This is another one that I have put into play since I homeschool my daughter. I charge $20 an hour, and sometimes meet with each kid two or three times a week. Doesn't make me a fortune, but it does help me pay the bills.

Chances are, none of these are going to make you rich. So if you are looking to become rich by working at home you might want to revert back to the "Become Rich While Working At Home" schemes. While I don't guarantee anything, it is my belief that the longer a person does something the better they get at it. To me, this suggests that the longer you do something, the more practice you get, the more money you are likely to make.

So you think you want to Homestead....some food for thought

When I was a little girl I use to love the Little House on the Prairie reruns. I loved the thought of family sharing actual one on one time in front of the fireplace while pa read from one of his favorite books or all of the kids running wild and free chasing butterflies through the prairie grass. Something about the whole idea seemed romantic. While hardships were shown on the television show, love always seemed to concur all. Almost to the point that the hardships were barely noticeable. I think that watching those old reruns is what started my fascination with living off the land. Ever since then I carried around this image in my head of simply foraging for food, smiling and laughing with my family in front of an oil lamp, and waking up each morning to the sweet smell of fresh dew drops as I thanked God for the peace and tranquility of living in the wonderful wilderness that He created. Even to this day that image still bounces around in my head, but it plays more like a comedy these days. A comedy because now.....I know better.

I think a lot of people carry the misconception that Homesteading is oh-so-nice. Many people would give up their 9-5 jobs and work from home any day. But is that any reason to homestead? Homesteading is extremely hard work, especially if you are limited in your resources, support, and start up finances. Some people aren't shy about hard work, and to those people I say "AWESOME!" However, they aren't the norm. If they were we wouldn't have any of today's modern conveniences. Let's face it, life's luxuries have led to an incredibly lazy group of humans.

So, you think you want to Homestead? Here are a few things that you might want to consider before making the big plunge.....

1. How physically fit are you and your family? Any average Joe can pull weeds, or feed the chickens, or sweep the porch. But what about if you had to pull weeds for four hours straight? If your family needs wood for heat, how many cords of wood can you bring in? Can you use a saw, and if so for how long? Are you physically capable of taking care of your family?

I have to be honest here. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis a while ago, and find many of these tasks almost impossible now. If it weren't for the fact that other Homesteaders share my property and the big chores, I may not be able to continue Homesteading.

2. How large is your family and does every member wish to Homestead? Bigger families can have an advantage because there are more people to help with chores. However, they can also have a disadvantage, because there are more mouths to feed. Also, if you are going to be receiving slack from any member of your family, now is the time to confront the issue. If you are counting on your teenagers youth and strength to help with some of the big chores, and they do the task as fast as any average slug, it could hinder your family rather than help them.

I am a single mom. I have two mouths to feed. However, I live on 40 acres with two other families and we have a community garden. I love to garden, so normally I end up with way more produce than my little family can eat and I pass it on to my Homesteading neighbors, who in turn help with the more tedious and heavy duty tasks.

3. What is your financial status? How do you plan to obtain an actual Homestead? And how do you plan on financially supporting that Homestead once it has been established? These are some of the more important questions to ask yourself. If you are planning on purchasing property and a house, you need to figure out how you are going to pay the mortgage, insurance, and taxes. I know a few Homesteading families that have one member still working outside of the home. I think this is the most reasonable approach for families that have huge financial costs due to purchasing the Homestead.

Many Homesteading families get their property from relatives that have passed away. If this is the case, how can you financially maintain the property? I personally work from home. But it took me a long time to get to where I'm at. I blog, I sell almost brand new designer clothes on EBay, and I do photography on the side. I also make all natural/organic salt and sugar body scrubs and sell them at the local farmers market and health food store. There are many different options for working at home, however it is a timely process to get to the point to where working at home is your only income.

4. What skills do you have? Are you an avid gardener, butcher, repair man/woman, mechanic, doctor, herbalist, veterinarian? If not, what skills can you bring to the Homesteading table? And if you don't have many of these types of skills, what types of skills are you interested in learning before developing your Homestead? Also, are you interested in bartering with others who have different skills?

I am an avid gardener, herbalist, and am very knowledgeable in holistic health. I use these skills to keep my family healthy. However, I know next to nothing about butchering. When it comes to butchering my Homesteading neighbor takes care of that, and we trade services as he knows next to nothing about gardening, herbs, or holistic health.

5. What resources do you have available to you? Are you planning on keeping the Internet, or electricity for that matter? How will you find information when you absolutely need it? Library? Phone?

I personally have the Internet, electricity, phone, and use the library quite frequently. Perhaps I'm a new age Homesteader. I think that keeping the Internet helps me have immediate access if I have a question about gardening, such as when a plant needs a specific PH balance in the soil and how to get the soil just right. I also think it is helpful for being able to work from home. Not everybody feels this way though. There are days that I would prefer to not have the Internet, such as the days that I am not as productive as I could have been because Pinterest got away with me.....but that is a topic for another day.....

6. What type of support do you have? If you tell your parents, friends, kids, etc that you are planning on Homesteading, what do you think their reaction is going to be? Don't get me wrong, do what you want. Don't base your decision on what other people think. Do, however, take into consideration that some people see Homesteaders as "extreme." If that is a label that you are willing to live with, then definitely go for your dream. If it isn't, then you might want to rethink Homesteading.

Honestly, I lost a few friends when I decided to Homestead, simply because every conversation with them became them making fun of the way that I chose to live. In the long run, though, I think it was a good thing. Who wants to keep friends like that anyway? I don't know if I would have felt the same way if it were my family acting like that though.

7. How good are you at emergency situations? What if there was a fire? A snow storm? A broken bone? Would you have a plan? When dreaming about your future Homestead, try to put an image in  your mind about one of these emergency situations. How would you handle it? Would you have a plan for just that emergency? Or are you more a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants type of person?

This most recent winter, we had a horrendous snow storm that left us without electricity for a few days. Thankfully, I have an emergency tote for just such an emergency. The tote includes extra flashlights, batteries, candles, oil and lamps, games to keep us occupied, matches, lighters, and a small first aid kit so that if something happens in the dark we don't have to scramble in the bathroom to locate the big one. I also always keep water jugs filled and rotate them every few months to keep the water good. Because we have wood heat, there were no problems with the heat.

For those dead set on Homesteading, I commend you and say "Good luck!" Seriously, if I can do it, anybody can do it. Just make sure you're ready for it and have completely thought it out!!

Cheers!!

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter, from my house to yours!!

Woke up this morning to blue skies, sun shining, and only a few small patches of snow on the ground. Yep, today is going to be awesome.

I'm expecting between fifteen and twenty family members here for dinner and can't help but feel a little blessed. Over the years my family has grown with those that are so kind and loving that no matter whether they are blood or not, they are dear to my heart and I'm excited to share this day with them.

My daughter and I stayed up late last night dying our eggs naturally, something that we have never done before. The end result is pretty neat. They aren't as dark and richly colored as their chemical counterparts, but they have a wonderful country charm to them. We had a blast experimenting with different fruits, vegetables, and spices to create some pretty unique colors. It took a lot longer to dye the eggs naturally, considering that I had to let them sit overnight. But now I don't have that feeling of guilt over using the dyed eggs to make deviled eggs, because if the dye seeps through I know that I'm not exposing my family to harsh chemicals.

One thing that remains the same when dying eggs naturally is that you add vinegar to the "dye". Here's a list of the ingredients we used and my personal thoughts on each one.....

• Blue: Blueberries mushed in hot water and vinegar. The unique and vibrant blue is probably my favorite of the bunch. I think that next year I will add less water and vinegar to try and make the color a little darker, but I do love the color.
• Green: Boiled spinach leaves. The green did not turn out as vibrant as I would have liked, so I think that next year I will add less water and more spinach leaves.
• Yellow: Turmeric mixed in hot water and vinegar. The yellow that came from this spice turned out to be very pure and bright. I personally could not tell the difference between the naturally dyed yellow eggs and those that we dyed last year using store bought dyes. Careful though, turmeric WILL dye your fingers so use gloves when dealing with this spice. I dropped some of our home fresh brown eggs in this dye to create an orange which turned out really neat as well.
• Brown: Coffee mixed with hot water and vinegar. This brown turned out to be really cool. The eggs have a sort of speckled marbled look. I'm interested in seeing whether or not some of the cracked eggs end up tasting like coffee. Maybe I should set them aside for "adults" only so that the kiddos aren't bouncing off the wall from the caffeine......
• Redish Pink: Pickled beet juice. I didn't add more than a drop of vinegar to these ones because they are pickled and I didn't want to dilute the dye too much. The color turned out really neat, another group of eggs to resemble a marbled pattern.
• Violet Pink: Beet juice mixed with mushed blueberries in hot water and vinegar. Very unique color, sort of a country pink. Very much in love with this color. I love how soft it is.

I would say that our natural dying experience was a success this year and I can't wait to do it again next year; adding a few new ideas. My daughter had so much fun dying eggs that she asked if we could dye some for her birthday. An Easter themed birthday party might be kind of neat;)

Anyway, I hope you all have a marvelous Easter full of love, laughter, faith and family. 

Preserve Dried Goods and Store for Up to 20 Years!!

A couple of months ago I was reading one of my favorite magazines, Countryside, and came across an awesome article about oven canning. I had personally never heard of it before, but was intrigued. So I followed the directions step by step and am now addicted (just one of my natural addictions) to preserving dried goods.

Even though store bought dried goods will last for a couple of years, chances are within a certain length of time weavels and other bugs will get into them and they will begin to taste stale. Oven canning these goodies will preserve them for long periods of time, which is awesome for the emergency prepper, like myself.

Here is a rundown for the process of oven canning.

What you need:

Dried goods (rice, pasta, cereal, dried fruit, dried vegetables, dried herbs, etc)
Canning jars of any shape or size
Canning lids to fit the canning jars
Cookie sheet
Paper towel
Water

Step 1: Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Step 2: Place cookie sheet into preheating oven.

Step 3: Fill jars with dried goods, leaving the lids off

Step 4: Place jars on cookie sheet in the oven for 1 hour.

Step 5: Remove carefully from oven. Take a damp paper towel and wipe the mouth of the jar with it. Place lid firmly on the jar.

Step 6: Listen for popping to indicate that the jar has sealed. As in regular canning, not all jars will seal. If the jar does not seal it could be an indication of a bad lid or a bad jar or just plain dumb luck. You can try it again for that jar or be satisfied in knowing that at least your dried goods are kept safe from bugs.

Another little nifty trick for those that do not want to preserve their dried goods for long periods of time, but would like to keep the little critters out is to put bay leaves in their jars and bags of dried goods.

15 Awesome Things You Can Do With Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of those miracle ingredients that seems to be way under rated. I use it for cleaning and beauty aids more than I use it for baking. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure that out of the hundreds of boxes of baking soda I have purchased in the past couple of years only one or two has been used for baking. Since baking soda is so rad, I thought I would share what I use it for.

Beauty Aids

1. Dry Shampoo: Baking soda works awesome as dry shampoo, but make sure you wash it out afterwards. When you wash your hair with regular shampoo some of the chemical ingredients that are added are suppose to "strip" away the oils from your hair. Sounds excellent, especially to women that are tired of having oily hair. The problem is that shampoo also takes away the good oils, leaving your hair feeling stringy and dry. That's what conditioner is for, right? Well, if you use baking soda, which leaves the good and natural oils in your hair, there should be no need for conditioner.

2. Deodorant Powder: For those women that are looking to get away from the aluminum that is in regular deodorant (which just so happens to be heavily linked to breast cancer) patting your pits with baking soda works great to keep you smelling fresh.



3. Natural Face Exfoliating Scrub: Combine baking powder and a little bit of water in the palm of your hand to make a nice paste for lightly washing your face. I use this in the morning before putting on any makeup, so I'm not sure how it works for taking makeup off. However, when used in the morning this helps to wake my skin up and make me feel invigorated. In the winter months, when my skin dries out, I usually add a drop or two of jojoba oil and vitamin E to the paste to help keep my skin moist and firm.

4. Tooth Paste: Honestly, all that you need to keep your teeth clean and cavity free is baking soda and water. But I prefer my mouth to taste minty. Somehow the minty taste makes my mouth feel fresh and clean. So I normally add a drop of peppermint extract or some crushed up dried peppermint leaves to the paste to help make it all better. I've heard that adding some crushed up strawberry to baking soda will help to brighten up your pearly whites, but I've never actually tried it.

5. Stinky/dry Foot Powder: In the summer months my feet sweat. Totally disgusting if you ask me, but baking soda becomes my hero. I use it as a lovely deodorizer inside my shoes and when wearing flip flops I dust a little bit on the bottom of my feet to help keep them dry.

6. Bug Bite/Sting and Pimple Paste: When my daughter was real little she got stung right on the mouth by a nasty little hornet. I was concerned because I had no idea whether she was allergic or not and a friend of mine told me to take baking soda and water and form a little paste and smudge it over the sting. Almost instantly my daughter stopped crying and the pain was gone. The baking soda had actually drawn the pain out of the sting. It wasn't too soon after that (you know because of my baking soda obsession) that I tried the paste on a nasty little pimple that I just could not get to go away. The next day I woke up and *poof* it was gone! Now I use it all the time!!!

Cleaners



7. Prewash Laundry Soak: I have compared this little prewash laundry soak to store bought ones that are full of chemicals, and honestly, this stuff is amazing!! Add 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to 2 cups of warm water. Stir vigorously until the ingredients are combined. To use the prewash laundry soak I use a plastic tub that is meant for dishes. I fold the piece of clothing, stain side up, and poor the soak over the top. I seriously love this recipe!!

8. Tub Scrub: Martha Stewart is my hero. Seriously. I might just worship her more than I worship baking soda. It's a close second anyway. I got this tub scrub recipe from her website years ago, and still use it. It's that good!! Combine one teaspoon of liquid soap (I use certified organic Dr. Bronners) and several drops of an antibacterial essential oil (such as tea tree, lavendar, eucalyptus, etc.) and one cup of baking soda. You want to add just enough water to make a paste and then apply with a scrub brush and scrub your little heart out. My bathtub shines!!

9. Drain Cleaner: There is nothing worse than a funky smelling drain. Over time food particles from washing dishes or cleaning veggies, whatever, will get lodged in there and rot. Sounds yummy, right? The best way to take care of this problem is to poor some baking soda down there followed by vinegar. Then quickly cover the drain with a washrag or towel. I don't have an exact measurement for this one, because I literally just poor from the box and bottle. However, it works wonders!!!

10. Cleaner Clothes: I always always always add at least one scoop of baking soda to my laundry. Not only does it make sure your clothes get cleaner, it helps to prevent your washing machine from smelling funky after being used so much. To make sure the baking soda thoroughly dissolves start the wash on warm water until it is gone. You can change the setting back to cold if you so desire.

11. Carpet Deodorizer: This is one of my most favorite cleaning recipes. It is sooooo easy. Fill a mason jar 3/4 full with baking soda. Add a few drops of whatever essential oil you prefer. Shake and Voila!! Just sprinkle it on the carpet like regular carpet deodorizer, let it sit for a few to sink in and then vacuum off.

12. Stained Cookie Sheets: I hate cookie sheets that look like they still have food on them. To cut through the grime and the burnt on stain add one cup of baking soda to 1/2 cup of peroxide and scrub. 

13. Stuck on Grime: Can't remove that nasty burnt or stuck on grime on your counter? Sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on the ick and spray the top with vinegar. Be warned, baking soda and vinegar are the same ingredients used for those exploding volcanoes our science teachers made in school. So don't be surprised if it sizzles.





14. Detarnish Silverware: I borrowed this awesome recipe from Susanbranch.com. Line your sink with aluminum foil. Combine 1/2 cup of table salt and 1/2 cup of baking soda. Fill with hot water and then add silverware. Let it sit for about 30 minutes and the tarnish will transfer to the aluminum foil. Picture is also borrowed from Susanbranch.com.

15. Refrigerator Deodorizer and Scrub: The last thing that you want is to put some chemical in your refrigerator. I always have a container of baking soda sitting open in my refrigerator and use baking soda + water to make a paste for cleaning the inside incase of a sticky spill.  








 

 
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