Great news! After all of our travels and LOTS of praying, we have finally found the perfect homestead for us! We are extremely blessed to have an opportunity of this level and are preparing for our big move. Each and every day I will be sharing with you the steps that we are taking to make our move as smooth as possible. Where are we moving to? You’ll have to stay tuned and I’ll reveal that shortly…..it’s a surprise. One of the biggest challenges to prepare for the homestead is being absolutely sure that we are budgeting correctly for all the upcoming expenses. I am challenging myself to make as much extra money this week before we move and I will share different ideas that has worked for us. I also want to implement a few things that have been tugging on my heart lately in being as self sufficient as possible…..and to do it naturally. Most of us go through our lives not realizing how much we put out there that adds to our carbon footprint. Now that I’m more aware of our previous lives, our new homestead will be as non-toxic/natural as possible. This includes decor, bedding, foods, toys for the children, etc. My goal as a homemaker living on this wonderful homestead is to make my house a home. Not just any home, a true safe haven for my family…as a refuge from the “world”. I hope you find something here that inspires you.

It’s been a tough few days as we’ve been preparing for our new homestead. As I promised I’m going to share with you how we’ve been earning extra money for our home. Last week my husband went to work at a fruit and vegetable farm. It was nice for the kids and I to be able to come along as well. The farm he’s been working at has so much work that they’ve asked him to come back this week as well! The pay is pretty good and he receives cash after each day worked. Another exciting part is that my husbands job is to harvest. He’s working hard in a huge greenhouse harvesting cucumbers and tomatoes for local grocery stores. We joked that he should enjoy this because once we arrive on the homestead I will be preparing our garden as he is building the things we need. We were also blessed with a significant amount of income from a source we worked for a while back. Every little bit adds up and we’ve been eating quite frugally as well. Exploring on the prairie with the children has been quite interesting as we’ve taken notice to many living things that God has created.  Life in the city has been so hectic so we were glad to get away. Here are just a few of the MANY photos I was able to capture.

When I think of homesteading on our land, I can’t help but to also think about my role at home. My role as homemaker is so important, as I feel that it’s the mother that holds everything together and brings peace to the home. Some women feel that their careers, money or other things are more important to them but in my home, it’s God and my family that’s top priority. God instructs me to be a Proverbs 31 woman and leaves a guide with me (my Bible) on how I can be successful. There are distinct characteristics that he will install in me to carry out and he will hold me accountable. As I continue to strengthen my own spiritual walk with him, he’s called me to desire these special characteristics.

1. A Daughter Of A King
It’s my duty as a believer in Christ to learn more of his word and how he wants me to live my life. I believe that it’s very important to remain soft spoken and always dress modestly. Modest dress has attracted many people to me who are curious about my beliefs. It is then that I am able to share my testimony and God’s love for those that don’t know him. People on the outside should be able to see him in you without you ever saying a word! That is how our father, the King, commands that we present ourselves as sisters in Christ.

2. A Godly Wife
Submission is essential in order to have a Christ-like marriage. Marriage is favored in his eyes and isn’t taken lightly. We are called as help-meets to our husbands and need to be by their sides to be a healthy guide for them. I must admit this one comes harder for me than the others, but I strive to become a better wife each day embracing all challenges.

3. An Early Riser
This one is a major strength that I have. I’ve been waking up all my life before the sun comes up and truly believe that more can be achieved if you do the same. When I rise, the first part of my morning is always spent thanking the Lord for allowing me to see another day. I then take out time to read my Bible and fill my spirit with him so I am prepared for the day that lies ahead. Preparing breakfast and cleaning my home are the next things that are done. I find it much easier to work diligently when there’s soft music playing or it’s nice and quiet.

5. A teacher to her children
Proverbs 22:6 instructs me to train my child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart of it. It’s absolutely essential that I stay focused on Christ and become an avid reader. I will not only better myself but I will also be able to pass my knowledge down to my children. Being an avid reader opens up so many opportunities for me to continue to learn. I am teaching my children to be warriors for the Lord and it’s important that they also learn how to guard their eyes, mind and heart. I help my family with this by eliminating the temptation of “the world”. We don’t own a TV nor a radio (other than a weather radio) and I’d like to remain free from those things. I’m very selective with games, pictures, songs we sing and clothing. Some of my family members have a harder time with this because I have to remind them that we don’t watch the news when we speak. I don’t feel that anything on the news is any more important than what God has to say to me and so I trust in him completely.

6. A tidy woman
I like to look at this one as if I’m cleaning my home for Jesus’s company with us for dinner. Being “tidy/clean” doesn’t just mean in the physical form, but also being spiritually and emotionally clean. My home is a safe haven from the world…like a refuge. It has soft lighting, soft music, a cozy feeling and the presents of the Lord is felt immediately once you walk through the door. I want my family and I to be ready for his return.

As you can imagine, I couldn’t possible write out every single characteristic of a Homemaker. Most of these are biblical characteristics that I’ve naturally incorporated to my own life. What about you?

People are always asking me how I’m able to afford to stay at home with my children and homeschool them. I’m sure my answer catches them by surprise but I’m always happy to share what works for me. I believe one very important factor is prioritizing. I was determined to come home from corporate America and stay home to never return. My priorities were shifted and a lot of new habits were formed to support my new lifestyle.  

I was lucky and crossed this video. Check it out. 

Here are a few key points:

1. Never under estimate the power of prayer-Prayer is very powerful and has guided me through many tough times in my life.

2. Create multiple streams of income- I’ve established several supplimental income gigs to help out at home. This was truly a blessing when my husband lost his job because keeping our bills low and having this in place,  we were still able to maintain our normal way of living. A few things I’ve done are market research, mystery shopping, selling homemade goods on eBay,  etc.

3. Don’t eat out-Eating out is way too expensive these days.  Home cooked meals are not only healthier but also cost much less.  Starting with a small garden is a great start towards self sufficientcy. My goal is to grow 100% of our food here on the homestead.

4. Use your local library-We are homeschoolers and absolutely love our local library.  The library is a wonderful free resource for books, dvds, music cds and games, but that’s not all. People are always saying we do so many fun activities but our little secret is that all of them are free thanks to our library!  We’ve done homemade candles, learning to make goat cheese, couponing, ice cream parties, family movie night and so much more by staying in tune with our library events.

5. Keep the bills low- This one takes determination of a different level. Some say I’m crazy but I’m alright with that. Being a Proverbs 31 woman requires me to oversee my families finances and stretch our budget as far as possible. Therefore there’s a lot of things I dont buy. Instead of taking my husband and our twin boys to the barber shop,  I purchased a good set of clippers and I maintain their haircuts myself at home. I also don’t buy trash bags, convenience food, soda or candy because it’s a budget buster. I’ve recently started making homemade toys for the children and they seem to enjoy them better. Our light bill is non-existant because during the day we use natural light and in the evening candles are used. I also catch rain water to save on our water bill.

6. Stay away from advertising- Stay away from the stores and the mall. They’re designed to make you feel like you are walking away with a good deal. Another big way I’ve designed my home not to have advertisements near by is by getting rid of the TV. We’ve been without the TV for almost 3 years now and it’s been wonderful!  We have more time together as a family and the children are able to enjoy themselves out doors….as children should.

These are just a few things you too could implement in your own home to be sure you stay at home on a permanent basis. What have you done to be able to stay home?

Schooling at home is a wonderful blessing! We are on our fourth year homeschooling. There are so many types of homeschooling categories. We happen to be happy unschoolers! What does that mean? Well, some people who aren’t really familiar with unschooling think of it as “not schooling” or “being lazy”. I couldn’t disagree with them anymore.

While I don’t particularly care for the word “unschooling” that’s the category that we tend to fall into. We guide our children as they express their interest. It’s my responsibility as their mother to provide options for them to further their education on a particular interest.

For example, The homestead kids are interested in the Victorian era. They might pick up a few books on life back then but it doesn’t stop there. I will then schedule them an appointment to help out at a historic living museum or general store to receive a hands on learning experience  They will express in their own way if they have fulfilled their interest. If not we will continue to provide various opportunities for them. They will have all the “required subjects” intertwined with this interest.

They will learn the the history and lifestyle of people in that era. They’ll also learn the way they made money, had fun and what people drove. Their vocabulary will be extensive due to all the name of types of occupations, living arrangements and the value of the dollar .

This learning never ends! We live every day like this and have no “set schedule” to when learning can or will be done. One of the best benefits is that if they’re’s a meteor shower that comes through at midnight…….we can watch it and observe as a family without having “restrictions” put on us. We are embracing our unschool journey. 

Are you looking for military meals ready to eat (MREs) for sale? Do not purchase MREs from anyone who would sell you Ebay MREs since they are not putting the customer first. Keep reading and find out why. After conducting extensive research on many websites and cross-referencing reviews on where to buy the best MREs for sale, this researcher has found the XMRE Meals and the Eversafe MREs to be the most liked brands of all the “made for civilians” military meals ready to eat for sale. The NL4S store was found to be the most discount, trusted, and preferred place that answers the question about where to buy MREs. The XMRE and Eversafe MREs do not contain chemicals and preservatives that are used in some other brands to extend the shelf life. This is important if you desire healthier food and especially if you want to have MREs for long-term food storage purposes.

From NL4S store you can obtain the much loved XMRE MREs, and these are just as good as the twelve pack Eversafe mre package that comes with or without heaters so you can enjoy them hot or cold depending on your preference. But the most satisfied connoisseurs of this kind of food buy MRE meals through the purchase of XMRE MREs which has a heater included or they buy the 1300XT 12 Genuine US Military grade MRE Complete Meals Heater because hot - warm food tastes best. This package of twelve has a four or five-star rating for customer satisfaction and the 1300 XT 12 MREs - Meals ready to eat - 12 Case Order (144 meals) has a four or five-star rating also. You can obtain the XMRE MREs in greater quantity also to save even more money and buy cheap but not wholesale MREs. You need to be a dealer to purchase wholesale meals ready to eat.

Should you buy mre meals on eBay? This researcher has found countless warnings on a number of websites and forums about purchasing cheap MREs for sale on eBay since the older and less desirable the mre, the cheaper the mre purchase price will be. If you buy military mre online from eBay, you are buying an item with only a “packed date” and “inspection date” on it so there is no way to know for sure how fresh and edible the MRE purchase will be since there is no clear expiration date on the MREs, and therefore you have no sure knowledge about what hot place they may have been stored in. If you buy MRE meals from eBay sellers, you are not certain about the conditions under which those MRE meals were stored. They could have sat for many months in the hot Louisiana sun after they were shipped to the hurricane Katrina victims. Their shelf life diminishes greatly in the heat, so it is safer to get them new from a reputable source rather than purchase cheap MREs on eBay and take a big risk.

When you make an XMRE purchase from an NL4S store or even an Eversafe mre purchase, you are getting the best price on MREs which incidentally are made by the largest military supplier of MREs in the case of Eversafe and the oldest contract supplier of MREs to the U.S. military in the case of Wornick. So you know for sure you are getting the best made MREs. Reviewers who used to be in the military have said that both the XMRE brand and also the Wornick Eversafe brand comes closest to tasting like the MREs that they had eaten in the military. So these comments carry lots of weight since they come from veterans who ate the best military MREs.

There are some other brands out there, but they are not liked as well as the XMRE ready to eat meals and the Eversafe MREs. The names of these other brands of mre meals for sale are Meal Kit Supply, Menu C MREs, and MREStar’s MREs. On this site, the editor will be reviewing these other brands in the future so please look for these reviews, but for now, you can save time and not be disappointed when you buy mre meals from the NL4S store made by XMRE. You can purchase up to a six month supply of XMRE Meals from the NL4S store, or you can purchase the Eversafe brand in the 12 package order or the 12 case order option also.

If you want to buy mre meals for camping, then stick with just an MRE purchase, but if you are purchasing for survival reasons and for emergency food storage, then you can break up the future menu monotony by adding freeze-dried food to your survival food storage plans. First produced for the U.S. Military and NASA, freeze-dried food has some advantages over frozen and also dehydrated foods. While frozen foods keep their flavor and nutritional value, they require a low-temperature storage environment. Both dehydrated and canned foods are shelf-stable, but they lose flavor, texture, and nutrition. Freeze dry food encompasses the very best of benefits by retaining freshness, color, and aroma, at the same time being completely shelf-stable and space saving. But unlike military mre meals which are entirely self-contained and require no water, freeze-dried food does require water so please have a Berkey water filter stored with your freeze dried food to guarantee yourself safe water and food insurance for your future.

Buy military grade MRE meals for sure, but while you are shopping pick up freeze-dried food that is made by Mountain House™ or Saratoga Farms™. Out of all the extensive research, this editor did on reviews about freeze-dried food the wide variety of Saratoga Farms™ freeze-dried packages and also the Mountain House brand got four and five-star ratings from customers. These brands of freeze-dried food last up to 25 years for the best in emergency food storage preparedness, while the mre meals will last 5 to 10 years depending on how they are stored.

So when you buy mre meals from the NL4S Store, you can also make a purchase of freeze-dried food so that both you and your family are protected from whatever it is you are protecting yourself and your family from. Natural disasters are making the storage of food and water in a disaster-proof safe room one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. Now is the time to prepare and looking for military meals ready to eat using our reviews puts you miles ahead of other people less fortunate.