CREATING A SIMPLER LIFE OFF-GRID
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    • MINIMIZING >
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      • Bills & Other Debt
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      • Affordable Fun
    • BACKYARD CHICKENS >
      • The Coop
      • The Chickens
      • Feeding the Chickens
      • Fresh Eggs
    • HOME GARDENING >
      • Building the Garden
      • What We Grow
      • Seeds, Weeds, & More
      • Preservation & Storage
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      • BUILDING THE CONCRETE DOME
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      • SURVIVING OUR FIRST WINTER
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      • KUBOTA TRACTOR
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      • WOOD CHIPPER
      • CHAINSAWS
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      • AUTOMOBILES
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      • FOOD
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        • SOLAR POWER
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A little bit of anything and everything that's part of
​creating, enjoying, and living a simpler life!
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Redoing Our Old Banquet Table

7/24/2016

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We have had an old wood banquet table for about 10 years. We use it outside every summer for all our parties and entertaining and believe me it has been through just about everything.  

We acquired it well-used (from someones garbage I believe) and just cleaned it up and use it year after year. At one point we even purchased laminate to cover the top with and that helped it to last a few more years.  

Unfortunately this year when we took it out we realized it was getting pretty ratty looking. The laminate had come loose from the wood and bubbled in a lot of places and the metal edges were actually pretty sharp.  My nephew even ripped his favorite dragon ball z shirt on the corner at our annual Father's day barbeque and we felt really bad about that (We sewed the hole in the shirt and bought him a new one too!).  

We kind of knew the table would have to go eventually so we were prepared to one day have to throw it out.  But I really didn't want to, and neither did my husband.  A new banquet table would cost us around $90 and yes, that would be much easier, but in my opinion, and his, not the best option.  

We really try hard not to throw out a lot of garbage and we are both avid do-it-ourselfers (Is that even a word?).  If we can find a better use for something or redo it then we keep it and do exactly that.

​So, naturally we decided to keep that old 8' banquet table and redo it.  We kept the good parts and replaced the moldy, staple riddled, ruined laminate covered wooden top.  And even better, we didn't even throw out that old top....we ripped off the bubbled laminate and repurposed it to be used on the saw horses as a work table!  Now we use it for painting and other projects with no worries about ruining it.  Bonus for us and less garbage for the dump!

Total cost of redoing the table: $40
Total cost of not having to throw anything out: priceless!

Watch the video below to see how we did it!
And yes, it was a joint effort between my husband and myself! Pretty much everything we do is!
See how easy it was?  So next time, before you just throw something out, think about all the ways you can use it or redo it first and just maybe we can all work to save the world with one less piece of garbage at a time....
Check out more ideas on our 
​Pinterest Repurposing and Recycling Boards!

Thanks for visiting!

Like what you see? 

Then please consider following us on social media for more interesting ideas that help in creating and living a simpler life for you and your loved ones!

Sincerely,
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It's Time to Harvest the Garlic!

7/21/2016

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It's been about a month since we harvested the garlic scapes, and ate them, and that means it's now time to harvest the actual garlic and store it until we are ready to use it!  

And of course, after planting, maintaining, and harvesting garlic from start to finish, for the first time I might add, I can only wonder why more people don't do it too!

Here's how simple it was:
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We planted these hardneck garlic cloves in the fall of 2015...
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And covered them with straw we cleaned out of the chicken coop for the winter...
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This is what they looked like in early spring 2016 ....
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Then we added mulch and waited...
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When the garlic scapes were ready in June, we harvested and ate them. YUM!
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And waited about another month....
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Around mid July the tips of the leaves of started turning brown so it was time to harvest them!
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We very carefully used a shovel to dig them out of the ground. No pulling on the stems!
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They were laid out for a few hours to allow to the dirt on them to dry.
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Dried dirt was brushed off and roots were cut off with scissors.
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Leaves were removed from center stem so they could be more easily be braided.
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I braided them the best I could - it was my first time! I think I did a pretty good job though! My husband secured them with zip ties :-)
Just an end note:
I had basically been told that braiding hardneck garlic was not possible and so I initially planned on using pantyhose to try and store it (this is what I stated in my post about 
planting the garlic in the fall), but I decided to try braiding it anyway.  This was my first time braiding any garlic and I have to say I am very happy with the results! They are not so much braided but more like 'twisted' together so that they all stay in place when held together with a tie. However they look braided, and whatever and however I did it, well, it worked! Now I just need to hang them in a dry, cool location until needed! We are set for the winter :-)

Here are our other posts about planting and harvesting these garlic bulbs we just harvested:
  • IT'S TIME TO PLANT GARLIC!
  • HARVESTING GARLIC SCAPES
  • GARLIC SCAPES RECIPE (also a deviled egg recipe)
Thank you for visiting!

​If you like what you see please like and follow us! 

​Sincerely,
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Pine Soap Decks - How We Make Them

7/17/2016

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There is nothing better than a sustainable clear pine soap deck, well in my opinion anyway :-) But they are great and here's why:
  • Made of a sustainable product - Pine is a considered a sustainable wood because it grows quickly
  • The pine is all natural and grown in the USA
  • The deck allows water to flow through instead of pooling around the soap so no more mushy soap from pooling water!
  • Helps soap to last longer which is especially important with handmade soaps
  • Works great in the shower, next to a bathroom or kitchen sink, or by the bathtub :-)
  • If you aren't handy and don't want to make your own, then you can buy them in our store!
Supplies Needed:
  • One 8' long 1 x 3 clear pine (makes about 15 - 16 decks)
  • Table Saw
  • Miter Saw
  • Ruler
  • Sand Paper
  • Optional wood burning tool
How We Make Them:
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Cut first two slots. Set the table saw blade and make first slot cut. Then flip the wood around and cut the second slot on opposite side.
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Reset the saw blade to cut the two center slots. Cut one slot, then flip the board around and cut the other slot.
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Once all four top slots are cut, then cut the individual decks using a miter saw.
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Individual cut decks.
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Using the table saw again, cut two individual slots in the bottom of each deck. Cut one, then flip the deck around to cut the other side.
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Sand all edges, corners, and slots!
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Bottom view of deck.
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Use a wood burner to add a personal touch :-)
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Finished product!
Watch this video by my husband of how we make our soap decks!
Thanks for visiting!
Please consider liking and following us...
we would really appreciate it :-)

​Sincerely,

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DIY Crochet Border Tablecloth

7/10/2016

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I wanted a tablecloth to decorate my table at craft fairs.  Not just any tablecloth because that would be too easy.  I wanted something simple, but also different.  Something that would stand out and say "this table is special, come and see!"  I wanted a tablecloth that attracted some attention and that could potentially start a conversation with potential customers.  So of course I had to make it myself. Hence this post and how I created this simple crochet border tablecloth, which of course was exactly what I wanted!
Supplies:
54" square tablecloth (affiliate link)
100% cotton Sugar n' Cream yarn (about 5 ounces)
Awl
Size 4 crochet hook
Size 4.5 crochet hook
Scissors
Yarn needle
How I did it:
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Tablecloth, Awl, Hook, and Yarn
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Showing back and front of tablecloth.
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Using the awl, create a hole from the back to the front. Start about 3 inches in from one end.
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Insert the hook through the hole and do a single crochet stitch.
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Completed single crochet stitch. You can choose to create several holes at one time or do one hole, then a stitch, etc.
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Make sure that the stitches are loose so that they do not cause the tablecloth to pucker.
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Do three stitches in each corner to make the turn.
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For the second row, single crochet all the way around, again doing three sc in each corner.
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For the third round I simply did one sc, then chained 6, skipped 3, and sc in 4th. I did this all the way around making sure that it ended perfectly so that there was always a single crochet in the corners. In order for it to work out I sometimes had to skip 2 or 4 instead of three before the corner. No biggie....can't even tell!
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So simple!
Thank you for visiting!

Check out the our other FREE crochet patterns here!

Also check out the many crochet project patterns on our Pinterest Boards Crochet ONLY and Crochet for the Kids!


Please feel free to comment, e-mail, or contact me through my Facebook or Google+ pages!
​

Sincerely,
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0 Comments

Using Fresh Raspberries

7/1/2016

2 Comments

 
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It's raspberry time again and we have been steadily picking a pint or more a day from our backyard bush!  I love our raspberry bush because we actually get two (2) harvests a year!  Read my post Growing Your Own Raspberries if you are interested in learning more  because todays post is about what we do with all those fresh raspberries!  Whether you grow your own or buy them fresh, the certainly are healthy and delicious!
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How we use our fresh raspberries:
  • Literally eat them right off the bush!  We don't use any pesticides or anything on our berries so we can eat them as is. This is my favorite way :-)
  • ​Make a raspberry banana smoothie!
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  • Make Raspberry Banana muffins!  Follow the recipe below, but fold in a handful or more of fresh raspberries before baking.  Absolutely delicious!
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  • Freeze them and save them for something else later on! Raspberries don't last forever so if you are not going to use them right away, you can freeze them.  Read our post about Freezing Raspberries.
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  • Make Raspberry Jelly!  Absolutely delicious and one of mine and my families favorite way to eat our raspberries.  We get to enjoy them all year long!  Read our post about Making Raspberry Jelly. Check out the written recipe below too!
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Other ways to use fresh raspberries:
  • Add them to oatmeal or cereal.
  • Add them to pancakes.
  • Add them to yogurt.
  • Make a simple raspberry syrup to put on ice-cream, pancakes or other deserts! Simply boil the raspberries, strain out the juice, add sugar to desired sweetness (about 2 tbsp. per pint) and dissolve in juice over heat. Serve warm or cooled!
  • Make a raspberry sauce for pouring over meat.  This differs slightly from a syrup in that it usually has a citrus added to it.  Here is a simple recipe from Emeril.
Do  you have a favorite way to use fresh raspberries?  Please share!  I would love to hear from you :-)

Thanks for visiting.

​Sincerely,
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2 Comments
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    Hi there! I'm Kathie, the author behind Creating A Simpler Life blog. I'm excited to share our longterm projects (and planning) toward building our future retirement homestead in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. In the meantime I will be sharing all the other little things we do that are part of creating our simpler life!
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  • Home/About
    • What does OFF-GRID mean?
    • MINIMIZING >
      • Home Size
      • Room by Room
      • Get Organized
      • Household Waste
    • MINIMIZE DEBT, MAXIMIZE SAVINGS >
      • Bills & Other Debt
      • Saving Money
      • Shopping Tips
      • Affordable Fun
    • BACKYARD CHICKENS >
      • The Coop
      • The Chickens
      • Feeding the Chickens
      • Fresh Eggs
    • HOME GARDENING >
      • Building the Garden
      • What We Grow
      • Seeds, Weeds, & More
      • Preservation & Storage
    • DO-IT-YOURSELF >
      • Health & Wellness
      • Simple Cleaning & Tips
      • Crafts & More!
      • Printables
    • CROCHET >
      • IDEAS & MORE
      • VIDEO TUTORIALS
  • HOMESTEAD
    • The 5 Year Plan PLUS! >
      • 2017
      • 2018
      • 2019
      • 2020
      • 2021
      • 2022
    • WHY AN EARTH SHELTERED HOUSE?
    • OFF GRID TINY TRAILER
    • BUILDING our HOMESTEAD from Scratch >
      • BUYING LAND & GETTING STARTED
      • BUILDING THE CONCRETE DOME
      • FROM DOME to HOME
      • SURVIVING OUR FIRST WINTER
    • HOMESTEAD MACHINERY >
      • GENERATORS
      • KUBOTA TRACTOR
      • ATV'S & UTV'S
      • WOOD CHIPPER
      • CHAINSAWS
      • LOG SPLITTER
      • POWER TOOLS
      • SNOWMOBILES
      • AUTOMOBILES
    • BUDGETING THE BUILD
    • SUSTAINABILITY >
      • WATER
      • FOOD
      • SHELTER
      • ENERGY >
        • SOLAR POWER
    • The Adirondacks >
      • Wildlife & Nature
      • Insects & Bugs
      • Things to Do
      • Water Fun
    • ADIRONDACK CRAFTS
  • VLOG
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021