I'm a lover of nature, animals, gardening, growing, food, all things simple and sustainable. I'm sure this started from how I was raised, my mom had the biggest gardens, she grew so much, preserved, I remember meat chickens. Oh the strawberry garden, I remember going out in the early summer mornings and picking a few quarts of fresh strawberries for your morning cereal. Fantastic memories to have as a kid.
It was natural for me to become a gardener, I had watched my mom do it my whole life, not only with a vegetable garden but also with her flowers, she still to this day has the most beautiful gardens, that bloom all summer. All through my adult life I have enjoyed both vegetable and flower gardening, I often joke it's my therapy, it truly is my happy spot. In the last few years, especially how the world has looked I have taken it more serious each year, and put more thought into how we provide and source our food. Last year was certainly my biggest year not only growing vegetables but also growing my first batch of meat chickens, we officially had 21 we put in the freezer, nothing short of amazing in my eyes.
So can I really say this is homesteading, maybe, it's defiantly not traditional homesteading, so that's why I'm leaning towards modern homesteading, I do love all the modern amenities we have these days. So I have talked myself into needing to have a farm animal with 4 legs for me to officially be able to call this place a homestead, Ha! I'll be honest it wasn't hard for me to talk myself into this conclusion.
We are going with sheep. They mow my grass, they can be easy going, they have wool, I love crafting!, they are the cutest, they have great manure I can add to my gardens and they don't eat everything. Its a win win. Lots to still get done before we welcome sheep but the plan is there and everyone is very excited.
I have some big goals this year with our property soon to be officially called our modern homestead lol I want to triple our meat bird production, increase of laying hen flock so we are achieve 2 cartons of eggs a day, that leaves plenty of room to sell eggs each week, bring sheep to the property and expand on the vegetable gardens. I also want to start keeping track of costs and really lay it out that I can find some profit making activities with in it to help cover some animal food costs. To say I'm excited is an understatement.
All these things are going to bring me such joy, education, gratification and bring us closer to sustainability.
Stay tuned for how this spring, summer and fall play out!
Cheers
Hobbies are something I encourage all women to have, especially moms! We are pulled in so many directions in a day, we need to have something we can reach for that is ours and truly gets us excited, inspired and gives us pure happiness. I have so many hobbies but they do rotate with the seasons. Some hobbies just don't work in the winter as some don't work in the summer, so having a list of things you love to do, create, partake in gives you year round fun and in my opinion, therapy.
Hobbies can run very deep in what they do for you, so choosing one that ticks a lot of boxes is important.
Here you thought it was just about doing something fun on a Sunday afternoon durning nap time, HA! The right hobbies go way further than that. Here are some things to think about when you start to look for a hobby.
1. Are you ok with going off your property or are you looking for something you can do at home?
2. Are you looking to include physical movement and in this hobby?
3. Do you prefer a group hobby or a solo one?
4. Are you willing to take a class or are you a trial and error kind of person?
5. Are you willing to invest some money into this hobby?
6. Does it have to be a night time thing or can you free yourself up durning the day to do it?
7. Will you need a babysitter?
8. Animals or no animals?
9. Are you able to do it even with the kids around?
10. Is it a hobby that is limited to the weather?
11. What would be my excitement level if I mastered this hobby?
Just a few things to think about when you start looking for something that grabs your attention in the hobby department. I'm someone that has a pretty secure list of must haves when it comes to hobbies, I want to be able to do it at home, no babysitter and it needs to have some degree of physical activity, I love a good outside workout that makes me sweat and also gets things done and I like to do things by myself on my own schedule.
So what do I mean by a hobby can go so deep for you, well, it has been my experience that a hobby is more than just creativity, it is more than just making something fun, or setting time aside to do something for yourself. If you find the right hobby you will experience a passion inside that you may have not felt before. You will dive into it and forget the days worries, be able to separate yourself from your struggles, sadness or even anger for the time you are doing that hobby. Hobbies can help you think through tough problems in life, give you time for reflection, help you work through anxious moments, even help you move through being stuck in life. They can give you confidence from excelling at them, they can help calm your mind, it truly can be an escape to let your brain recharge. I'm sure I could keep going with all the things my hobbies supply for me. You may have herd me say before gardening is my therapy, and I say that with all seriousness. It is the activity I can do not only when I'm happy, but also when I'm sad, frustrated, hopeless, fearful, stuck or even angry and I come out of it in a totally new spot than when I started.
If you don't have a hobby I encourage you to find one. I also encourage you to find one that not only sparks your interest emotionally or creativily but one that also combines fresh air or some sort of physical movement. I have found these types of hobbies to be the most powerful type, the ones you will get the most out of and be able to pull from the most, when you are in a spot you aren't happy with. I believe the power of mental gratification combined with the outside fresh air is a winning combo to help us with our struggles.
If you haven't already, pop on over to my Facebook Group Happy & Thriving Moms and see what hobby hits all the boxes for me, especially the physical activity box when you get dumped on by a weekend winter storm.
Cheers
Ebony
You will hear a lot of successful people both in business and in life say it's all about surrounding yourself with the right people. I can definitely see the angle they are coming from, the people y0u are surrounding yourself with or gaining input from can shape the path you are on both positively or negatively, so are you hanging with the right crew?
In my personal experience there are a few types of people I gravitate towards and others I try to shy from. I think being conscious of where you are and where you want to be has a huge impact on these choices and how you surround yourself for success.
Here are the people that I have found to be so priceless for any journey I take in life.
1. the dreamer! Oh the dreamer, this is me hahaha, I am to the core a dreamer of the greatest visions, no hesitations, full commitment, no limitations, you can do it as long as you have a plan. These people are your biggest cheerleaders, they will help you let loose to achieve your wildest visions in life and help you discover your life passions. Who doesn't want someone in their corner like this? And as a dreamer I love to have other dreamers to help me nail down the projects, visions and goals I have in life, it truly is a magical meet up when you can do this with someone you enjoy.
2. the encourager! Someone who is unbiased and only wants the best for you regardless if they see your dream or not, they are there to encourage you on. This is golden and sometimes exactly what you need, they can help you figure things out, talk things through with an insight that can be so helpful because they aren't necessarily blinded by the dream.
3. the do'er! This is your muscle, they love to help and get things done. They will probably share in a passion you have and they love to help you get a vision to come to life. These folks don't sit around twiddling their fingers they are eager to get in and get things done to get you closer to your goal.
4. the seasoned! This is who you learn from. These folks will have already walked the walk many time over and are more than happy to help you avoid and pitfalls they have stumbled in along the way. They will be someone you strive to be, so make sure they are doing the thing you want to do in a way you strive to do it.
ok this is your crew of victory now we need to look at who you should consider shying away fr0m.
1. the bubble burster! Not to be confused with the logical thinker who is someone who is only bringing up potential road blocks to get you to start thinking ahead. A bubble burster usually has some ill intent that stems around them not succeeding in life, and wishing they had. You will notice these people are more focused on themselves and usually they point out the hurtles in you vision but without a solution, or even an offer to help you find one.
2. the limiter! These folks are limited by their own selves, they are not eager to move forward and excel they try and push limitations on you so be carful. They can be hard to spot at first but once you do, oh you know. You will notice they may have big dreams but something always gets in the way and they refrain from personal growth to push past the hard times.
3. debbie downers! Oh poor me, usually everything revolves around why they can't do something or how the world is against them, they are draining. They will suck the life out of you if you're not carful. They will always see the worst in things and not the silver lining. You need to seriously question if this is worth your time!
Now it's time to align your crew! I hope you have lots from the first list that you can be so grateful for and tell them how happy you are to have them in your life! If you don't start positioning yourself in life so you attract these people. Are you helping others, supporting them in their dreams and visions? You need to be in order for these people to enter your life, we attract what we put out, so start being the best version of you, personal development should be on everyones agenda.
Cheers! Ebony
We have officially stepped into the last month of the year, how is that possible? eeeeek! What a great time to asses how you are ending your year, I see it in 2 ways, you are coasting through the last month or you are really looking to start January running by doing things in December that push you in a direction you want for the new year. I use to be the person that would coast through December and say oh when January comes I'm going to do... Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with that, I just think there is a stronger more efficient way to do the things. Success in any area loves momentum, so by doing activities or steps now jump starts your momentum for the coming year.
So you're probably thinking, what things? Well this depends on you, what are you working towards, do you have goals for the future, a direction you want to head, a project you want to do? Us Mom's have the world at our fingertips, we are all masters at something, even if you can't see it through the fog. So maybe that is your first step, to start figuring out what is truly calling you, setting up specific time to make a plan for your future and what you want. I have always been that person that looks for opportunity in everything, even the smallest passions, I alway knew I didn't want to end up doing something that I didn't like I want to do something unique and interesting, on my own time. Maybe you aren't ready for that kind of focus, maybe you looking for something more in the areas of health, hobbies, personal development, there are many areas that make up a happy mom, so pick one and get started before January.
We as moms need to be filling our cups, I talk about it all the time, how can we happily and excitedly give to our families if we aren't taking care of US. If we don't have excitement and passion in our own life around things outside of our families it's going to be very hard to withstand the challenges of mom hood when times get tough. If we have that core foundation of passions, creative escapes, things we can dive into to build our confidence, we then have tools to help us cope properly when life hits us.
If this isn't a spot you are currently in, and you are thinking I don't even know where to start, pop over to my FB Group Happy & Thriving Moms this is a great starting point, you will find a group of like minded women. It's also the home of the 5am Club, that is where I have changed my life, it's a dedicated time in my day that I only focus on me and where I want to be in my life and the passions that fuel my excitement. We as moms are still able to make our wildest dreams come true, it's just about knowing how to get started.
xx Ebony
Balance is a never ending journey for me, some weeks I feel I have it all figured out, others I'm and all or nothing girl. This week I'm struggling with balance, I have a project with a deadline and I feel the need to just put all my time into it. It's a creative project so it is completely my jam but I'm letting so many other things drop, so today I stop, pause, reorganize myself, get tough with myself and install balance back in my life.
I know I'm not the only one that has a constant struggle with balance right? Being aware of your struggle is huge, you are then aware of your weak spots and it is so much easier to move ahead in the right direction. Balance makes life flow so much better, you are less hard on yourself because you feel like you are contributing in all the areas that are important to you. You are much more likely to be less stressed and feel more motivated for everyday things. Let's take a look at 5 things that you need to recognize so you can achieve balance.
1. Define balance for yourself, your balance is not going to look like my balance, so spell it out folks. Make a list of the important things you want to regularly include in your life that will keep you excited, healthy, fulfilled and happy, this is your foundation.
2. Practising self discipline, oh this is a biggie, we can know where we want to be but unless we stick to the plan and hold ourselves to the things we need to do, we will be off track in no time. This can lead to procrastinate, overthink things and then in the end nothing happens, we haven't moved forward, we are still struggling. I have been guilty of this more than once, you get excited for the plan and a few weeks in the wind comes out of your sails. Good news you can always gather yourself and start again with a stronger motivation and more self discipline.
3. You aren't being consistent with your actions. Again this is huge, you have to take the steps each day that will get you where you want to be. Wanting and doing are different, you can't want your way to success, you must put in the work, consistently every single day.
4. You don't plan ahead. Once you have your game plan you have to have it wrote down, you need a map to follow to any destination. So with balance you most likely need to schedule things in that you want to do, flying by the seat of your pants here is too risky and is not going to help you get where you want to be.
5. You aren't taking proper care of yourself. Self Care! Giving yourself permission to rest, exercise, finding something that fuels your soul. You need to be consistently making time for yourself to do these things, guilt free.
I started thinking about all these areas and where my weak spots are and my lightbulb went off. I have all the tools I need, I'm just not utilizing them efficiently.
