Life in the Prairie Box

Tags for Life in the Prairie Box: foursquare 1920s Indiana arts and crafts homesteading

Our home is a 1920-something Foursquare located in northern IN. Although it is in very good shape structurally, one of the previous owners made dysfunctional improvements over the years. The last owners started to straighten things out, but were forced to relocate before they got very far. My husband and I are working on finishing the job and restoring our home to as much of its original appearance as is possible and practical.

Thought for the day

Authors: Di

“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”
~ William Morris
...

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Things I love: antique kitchen gadgets

Authors: Di

As we've started to make more and more food from scratch, we've found that our need for kitchen tools have changed as well.  Although I can and do make bread straight in the oven, I've found that the bread machine is great for set-it-and-forget-it days.  My food processor gets used all the time, for everything from making pie...

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The reality of homesteading, parenting, and working

Authors: Di


At first I thought I could do it all.  Plenty of people work full-time and raise happy, well-adjusted kids, I told myself.  Hell, I was one of them!  My mom was a single parent, so she worked full-time out of necessity.  My grandmother helped with childcare when I was little, then I went to an after school care at...

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The Great Upstairs Scramble

Authors: Di

In spite of not working much on the bathroom, we ARE working.  After moving Ethan into a "big" (twin-sized) bed, what little organization and order that was left upstairs completely fell apart.  Since we started seriously decluttering last year, I have a much lower tolerance for chaos.  I can deal with a few piles here...

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Life in the Prairie Box - 540912591a1dcc89d02ad01af06537ce - 2012-04-15-04-00-34

Authors: Di

I feel like, overall, we've settled into a pretty good rhythm with what we eat.  I still buy some things pre-made from the store, like crackers, cereal, some bread, and cheese.  But I've also learned to make many things myself, like pasta sauces, yogurt, many kinds of soup, pie crusts, and lots more.  I'm almost tempted...

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Busyness

Authors: Di

Between one thing and another (was I this exhausted at 25 weeks when I was pregnant with Ethan?), it seems like I'm either too tired to do anything, or so busy I can't keep my head on straight.  Eesh.  Here's a quick little update on what we've been doing:
  • transitioning Ethan to a "big boy bed", AKA a twin mattress on the
  • ...

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Who owns YOUR favorite brand?

Authors: Di

I'm a bit behind the times, but I finally watched Food, Inc.  Part of the film focuses on how some organic/natural food companies have sold out to bigger corporations.  Some of them did it for profit.  Others  so that they could market and distribute more effectively, thereby reaching a greater number of consumers...

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Thought for the day

Authors: Di

“They say I’m old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast.”
– Dr. Seuss

...

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Jarhead

Authors: Di

Today really brought home how much I love canning jars.  They're so convenient for so many things, that I can't figure out how some people live without them.  Just today I used them for:
  • "canning" maple syrup that I bought in bulk from the farmer's market.  I bought a half-gallon and repackaged it into pints so that it
  • ...

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This year's homesteading plans

Authors: Di

Yes, yes, I'm well aware that the year started about 3 months ago...  But the gardening season is just starting here, so it seems an appropriate time to talk about my goals.
First of all, our garden will be considerably smaller than the past two years.  Really small.  Baby #2 is set to make an appearance in mid-July, and I...

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