This got me to thinking when we had snow and ice for a week here in South Texas. How many people just did not know how or what to do. If only they had been taught some of the old-fashioned homemaking skill it may have been a little easier on them. I will be the first to admit I have gotten spoiled with our modern conveniences. Modern conveniences and busy schedules have made modern homemaking faster and less hands-on. But what important, old fashioned homemaking skills have we lost? Here are some ideas to inspire you, and tips to get you started. GARDENING Decades ago, all farms and homes had vegetable gardens, even city homes. Fresh produce was expensive to buy, homes were on larger lots, and growing your vegetables just made sense. Today food is less expensive to buy, and we have less time and space. Gardening is on an increase. You can container garden for small areas, but many people are likely to try it and give it up, or see it as just a hobby. But for the old-fashioned homemaker, keeping a home garden was a given. That does not mean that everyone was living off the land! But vegetable gardens were expected as a way to supplement the family’s diet and help save a little money. 00:1 It is debatable whether gardening still saves money. But as food prices increase, it seems more and more valuable, and it’s a skill that you have to build over time. Why not start small and learn what you can? Don’t forget about cutting flowers as well, which are the perfect way to give your house charm and coziness in the spring and summer. If you have any amount of outdoor space at all, gardening is a worthy activity. Everyone can have a few herbs in pots at least. Preserving Seasonal Food Hand in hand with gardening is preserving the harvest. Canning, dehydrating, and other ways to preserve food help homemakers avoid waste and live seasonally. Even if you do not garden, you can preserve food. You can frequent farmer’s markers, ask friends for produce, and even preserve grocery store items. This can actually be very cost effective when you buy good sale prices on foods you really eat. Even though canning is one of the most important traditional homemaking skills, make sure you are using modern resources for canning recipes and techniques. A lot has changed over the years in terms of best practices for canning, and many old-fashioned recipes are no longer considered safe, unfortunately. Baking Bread Baking bread is one of the best ways to revive a vintage homemaking skill, because anyone can do it. Homemade bread is so much better than store bought, and it definitely saves money. Even though it takes quite a bit of time to bake bread, most of it is hands off time and it can easily be fit into the rhythm of your day. Bread baking is something that has become much easier with modern inventions like bread machines and instant yeast. But it is good to know how to do it without any of these things too. Once you get used to yeast breads, branch out into sourdough and kneading by hand. They are timeless skills that help you reduce your dependence on store bought supplies. Cooking from Scratch Old fashioned homemakers did not have the luxury of any mixes or pre-made meals. Everything was made from scratch out of necessity. But keep in mind that most meals were very simple (like beans and cornbread for dinner simple). When you transition to cooking everything from scratch, it is best to get there slowly. First: stop buying things that are expensive, like fully prepared meals. Then give up boxed mixes and instant side dishes. Then work up to making even more things yourself, like mayonnaise and spice mixes (if you want to!). Now just because cooking from scratch is an old-fashioned skill doesn’t mean you can’t use modern conveniences. If you have a deep freezer, slow cooker, or pressure cooker, take advantage of them! Planning Ahead Running a household has a lot of moving parts. And often we get so caught up in the details of our day to work like picking up the house, gardening, yard work, taking care of the livestock, and making dinner that we forget bigger picture items. Old fashioned homemakers did not plan elaborate events or vacations, but their day-to-day life followed a routine, as did their weeks. The homemaker was also in charge of the grocery list and meal planning. A century ago, if a family had a lot of money, this might be the only task of the homemaker, and everything else was done by servants! Think of the term “managing” the home. That’s what this is. Thinking about what is needed, ahead of time, and being ready. Don’t forget to plan down time for yourself and your family as well. Sewing I was fortunate to have grown up learning to sew. My mom was a seamstress so it was a must to learn sewing. When I was in school we had to take "homemaking" it was a mandatory class. I ended up helping the teacher with the sew class because I already knew how. 😃 Sewing does not save you much money, if any, unless you are very clever about reusing fabric and getting deals. But it’s such a satisfying and productive hobby! And if you really think about why clothing and other fabric goods are so inexpensive, it is definitely worth the effort and expense to make nicer quality, longer lasting things. History Keeping Don’t forget about this, as it is one homemaking skill that will outlive you, long after every loaf of bread is eaten! Old fashioned homemakers were able to simply save photographs, letters, and the family Bible. Every photograph and letter were likely to be special. But today, our homes are filled with junk papers and with so many things being digital, devoid of special photos and letters. So, it’s our job to make memories and record history more consciously. Don’t just keep your pictures trapped on your phone, get them printed and hang them up! Consider an easy journal with a few lines a day so that you have a real memento you can pass down. Soap Making This is one that people think is really weird! But it is so satisfying. There is two ways of making it "cold press" or "hot press". The cold press is simple so everyone should try it at least once. Soap making can save you money and also is great way to give handmade gifts that people will really use. You can also make a small amount of money selling soap, or more money if you are willing to make it on a large scale. Vintage Vs. Modern HousekeepingOf course, things are different today. Many women work outside the home and even stay at home moms have a lot of expectations related to their children’s school and activities. These old-fashioned homemaking skills are not things that we can expect everyone to know and do on a regular basis. But if you are feeling the need to look inward and pull in your skills, try mastering one of the things on this list. And don’t forget to count your blessings and be content. Perhaps the most valuable skill of all. My Homemaking / Home Management Binder I like to transfer my schedule into my daily binder (this is the schedule I’ve been using for several years). I feel like it’s the best planner for homemakers, because it also includes 20 pages for weekly schedule and budgeting. Also a place to list meals for each day. Print and reuse as needed. GET YOUR HOMEMAKING / HOME MANAGEMENT BINDER Some links may be affiliated. By purchasing an item from an affiliate link, I receive a small commission—but you are not charged more or less by clicking or purchasing through the link. Thank you for supporting us! Don't miss a thing! Sign up to get updates delivered to you inbox. Blessings,
Margarita & Stace
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AuthorI'm Margarita. A Christian, Wife, mother of three, & grandmother "Mimi" of three. I create blog post about our life on the farm. Archives
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The Goat Management Binder
$15.00
The Goat Management Binder This binder will help you keep your goats health records organized and more. Remembering all the identifications and medical records for each goat is difficult so I quickly learned that I needed to write down our goat herd information. We created all the pages for our goat heard. This system works for us. I think our Goat Management Bind will help you with your recordkeeping. This eBook has 24 pages Print our the pages, fill in your goat information and place in a binder of your choice. When all of your goat information is kept in one place it saves time in case of an emergency. Homemaking / Home Management Binder
$15.00
Digital Homemaking / Home Management Binder I'm excited to share with you my Homemaking / Home Management Binder. This is a beautiful simple binder to write your Weekly task for you home. You can use every day over and over. You will get: Faith based / Proverbs 31 Women Weekly Cleaning Schedule Organizing your home Daily Chores Monthly Plan Meal Planner Grocery List Bill Tracker Savings Tracker Vacation Budget 20 pages 8.5"x11" letter size that matches any printer Unlimited prints (personal use) Instant download and get started PDF Printable Enjoy getting organized with our Homemaking / Home Management Binder ** THIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT. ** NO PHYSICAL PRODUCT WILL BE SHIPPED. Your files will be available to download once payment is confirmed. * You may print the files as many times as you like for your own personal use. * Sharing this product is not allowed. ** We do not accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations, but please contact me if you have any problems with your order. Instant Download Your files will be available to download once payment is confirmed. Farm/ Livestock Management Binder
$25.00
Farm / Livestock Management Binder In this binder you can log all your livestock needs and help you stay organized with all records. Such as: *Goats *Chickens *Horses *Medications *Purchases of Livestock *Sold Livestock Our Farm / Livestock Management Binder is 24 pages. Print our the pages, fill in your Livestock information and place in a binder of your choice. When all of your Livestock information is kept in one place it saves time in case of an emergency. Gardening In the South
$20.00
Gardening In the South E-Book Learn about Gardening in South Texas Zone 8 In our e-book we cover Fruit trees, Perennials & Pollinator, Garden checklist, What months to plant. Your files will be available to download once payment is confirmed. I don't accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations. But please contact me if you have any problems with your order. Thank you for shopping with us! Margarita Common Goat Medications
$20.00
Common Goat Medications We give you goat medications that we use for our goats. Included: Common Goat Medications & Easy to Understand Dosages General Information on Injection Wormers Antibiotics Anti-Inflammatories & Hormones' Injectable Vitamins and Minerals Oral Treatments You will get: 13 pages - eBook Unlimited prints (personal use) Instant download and get started PDF Printable ** THIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT. ** NO PHYSICAL PRODUCT WILL BE SHIPPED. Your files will be available to download once payment is confirmed. * You may print the files as many times as you like for your own personal use. * Sharing this product is not allowed. ** We do not accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations, but please contact me if you have any problems with your order. Instant Download Your files will be available to download once payment is confirmed. Thank you for shopping with us. Crochet Cup Sleeve Cozy
$6.00
Only a few left! Pretty cup cozy for both hot and iced beverage cups. It will slide up over a standard size non handle travel cups or store-bought coffee cups. They are great at protecting hands from the heat and cold of the travel mug/cup. *100% cotton yarn. * Colors may vary due to stock so message me if you prefer something specific. *Machine washable and dryer safe on low heat. *All Cozy’s make a great gift for literally anyone! *If you don’t see one you love don’t hesitate to message me! I love creating new products. Thank you for visiting our store. Handmade Goat Milk & Honey Soap
$7.00
Handmade Goat Milk & Honey Soap 4 oz. bar. Benefits from goat milk & honey - it's moisturizing, clarifying, and naturally antibacterial. Goat milk & Honey Soap has always been a favorite, it smells divine, and there are loads of skin benefits. Goat milk & Honey Soap hydrates and nourishes dry skin. It doesn't leave your skin feeling dry. Ingredients: Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauretha Sulfate, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Goat Milk, Honey Titanium Dioxide. Due to the handmade nature of our soaps and fragrance oil added, all bars vary in color. |
Handcrafted items made with love.
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Tailspin Farms
2273 FM 1681 Stockdale, Texas 78160 |
210-771-7205
Email - mcgoats@tspinfarms.com |