Please forgive the extreme tardiness of this post! Life has been happening like crazy around here and there's still some huge things on the horizon. So while I catch my breath from the former, and wait patiently for the latter, I bring you this post in the humble spirit of "Better late than never."
April is here and I'm excited and anxious for this time of sowing!
THE HOME:
-If you don't already have one in place a cleaning schedule is a wonderful place to start. Everything runs so much more efficiently when the home is managed each day in bite sized amounts, rather than trying to play catch up each weekend.
-The sad fact: Most of the things we use to clean our homes and create a safe environment are the very things that make our homes toxic! Commercial cleaners are loaded with all sort of chemicals that are linked to things like respiratory problems, skin irritation, and blindness or even cancer. The internet is a wealth of information for homemade cleaners. Use discretion. Even things like vinegar can cause harm if insufficiently diluted (it can erode grout) and it shouldn't be used on marble as it can corrode it over time. Keep an eye out for some of our own favorite cleaning recipes in the future!
-I'm not referring to food here. Get a bucket or tote (Or two if you have 2 stories) to hold all of your cleaning products and tools. This will help you to quickly clean room to room without having to go back for different tools or cleaners.
THE GARDEN:
-It's time to get planting things like beets, carrots and greens! One of the parts we've all been waiting for!
Before you start dumping seeds of all kinds everywhere and laughing like a mad woman take time to read about each of the seeds you intend to plant so you can be sure the time and conditions are right. This will vary from plant to plant and zone to zone. You can find your zone
HERE.
Keep track of everything you choose to plant in your garden journal.
THE KITCHEN:
- Consider an outdoor Kitchen
-This isn't some crazy huge remodeling project. This is a space for efficiently cleaning your garden goodies, spending even more time outdoors and canning when an indoor kitchen would be far too hot and muggy. Consider it a way to cut energy costs! A grill or propane cooking range and outdoor sink would get you where you want to be heading! At a minimum your outdoor kitchen should have:
-Burner for canning pot
-Counter to place jars while you're filling them
-Sink with a bucket below to catch draining water
-A hose (Preferably attached to your sink)
-Optional: An additional burner to cook your jams or sauces on while you are heating your canning pot!
Photo source:
Here and
Here
~Abbey
