Missy's Homestead: Winter Garden

Winter is a coming!

Sprouts

As the weather gets colder and the ground gets wetter and wetter, I look outside my kitchen windo and see the remains of my once spectacular summer garden.

It saddens me that those plants are now gone but it also makes me happy to remember all of the successes of my first real veggie garden.

Rapini

leeks from summer still growing

Now that the weather is colder it mean it is time to focus my efforts on my winter garden.  Before this experience I never really knew that people actively planted and maintained winter gardens.  By no means is my winter garden growing very fast.  Things are taking longer to come up and some areas of the garden will have nothing in them until next spring.   This summer I had so many tomatoes that I felt I needed to give the soil some much needed rest in order to restore some of the nitrogen.  Tomatoes are delicious but the plants eat up all the nitrogen in the soil.  You can always add nutrients to the soil but you can also give you soil a break and let the rain water restore the nitrogen. I also tried out something new the other day by adding some chicken poop from my chickens to help restore my soil during the winter months.

looking a little bare

I am trying to keep my focus on my small winter garden but I keep thinking about what I am going to grow next year.  I have begun to feel like this is not very fair to the plants that are currently trying to grow in the cold.   While I had endless optimisism for my summer garden it would seem that I have the opposite feelings about my winter garden.  I don't give it much credit or much confidence to actually grow anything. The warmth of those summer months makes it seem more possible for life to grow. The cold damp weather makes me feel like nothing will grow.  I feel rather guilty about this. Like I am not even giving my plants the chance to shine. So far I have some nice little sprouts but they seem tiny and I am not sure if they can live with the cold weather. I planted some beets and broccoli, some peas, a variety of onions and leafy greens. All things that are suppose to do well in the winter months. We will see.

Bok Choy

I will be leaving the homestead for awhile to go on another adventure this winter. I am not sure how well things will survive while I am away but I am sure it will be a nice surprise if when I get back. Hopefully things will be going strong. More on my adventures away from the homestead on the next post. I have some lofty goals for while I am away. I will be sure to share them with you all next week. 

Until next time. Consume more, buy less, bundle up from the cold and don't discount that winter garden just yet.

Missy

Missy's Homestead: A day at the dog park

A Day At The Dog Park


Last weekend I took a walk to one of the local city parks with the lovely ladies that live in the house in front of my cottage.  They have a new young doggie that loves to play with my little ms. lola.

On our way remembered to the park it was brought to our attention that this was the weekend that the swiming pond becomes a doggie swimming pool and dog park for the day.

In order to participate there was a 3$ donation to help support the Sonoma County Parks Foundation.

(I am not exactly sure how things are going in other states and their counties but in California we do have some parks that no longer have enough money to be operated.  I know some of the state parks have closed here in Sonoma County and our county is fighting to take them over in order to reopen them.  By donating our money to the Sonoma County Parks Foundation we can help the county raise enough money to take over our closed state parks.)

My favorite little dog, Lola, is about 14 pounds of white fluffy hair.  She may look small but she is scrappy.  When we got to the pond the entire place had been fenced off in order to allow all of the dogs to be off leash.  We payed our donation, got a free cookie and some info about the parks foundation and proceeded down to let our dogs off leash.

My friends puppy went crazy with all the awesome other dogs while Lola was on a mission.  Get the balls out of the water.  She had so much fun chasing after tennis balls and ignoring most of the other dogs besides her friend Zoe.  I was so proud of her and how many balls she fished out of the water, all while only going as deep as her little legs would go.  She worked very hard to never get her back wet.  

It was so nice to see so many people gathered to let their dogs run wild, swim and just have a wonderful time off leash.
We chatted with some locals and talked about other people's dogs etc.  All in all a great event.  Let the dogs have a great time and raise money for our parks.  Not every city/county is going to have an event like this but if you have a moment to do some research you might be able to find some events close to you that help causes that you care about.  Remember even the smallest donation helps and is greatly appreciated.  Make a difference and be the change you want to see.

I hope everyone has a fabulous holiday!  Remember to always give thanks!

Until Next Time,

Consume More, Buy Less, Find your passions and support them.

Missy

Let's Give Thanks!

Gobble gobble…it’s almost turkey day! While it’s a holiday to anticipate all year solely for the overindulgent spread of delicious dishes, it’s also a great time to reflect on what we are truly thankful for, because let’s face it, one of your relatives will pose that question at the dinner table, so you best have something prepared and it better be good! I’ll be honest; I take things for granted all the time. I consciously try not to, but every time I get so much as a hint of a cold I realize, first and foremost, how much I take my health for granted. Being sick is awful! I remember when I was in high school I broke my right thumb tumbling on a trampoline. Talk about taking something as simple as the use of your digits for granted! I seriously couldn’t do anything! Not that I didn’t think my Michael Jackson mitt cast wasn’t kind of awesome, trying to learn how to be a lefty certainly was not! One thing I’m pretty good at not taking for granted is my family and friends. For some reason, especially when it comes to family, these people will be there for you and love you no matter what…unless you really push it, so don’t! That’s crazy! I think about what my life would be like without them, and it looks pretty grim. So, I try my best to be as good to them as they are to me, and I am very thankful to have these people in my life.

All I’m really saying is that if you are reading this on a computer screen right now, chances are you are a pretty fortunate human being. So let’s all spend Thanksgiving sharing the gratitude and warmth that’s in our hearts for all the people and things we have. When you really get down to it, we all have so much, and so much to be thankful for everyday. Of course, what I don’t like thinking about, because it makes me so sad, are all those who are less fortunate. However, instead of just getting teary-eyed about the unavoidable realities and injustices of the world, we can do something about it! Call a friend who needs to hear your voice, smile at strangers, say hello, share what you have and give away what you don’t need. These are just a few ideas, but another important thing to do on Thursday is let the people in you life who you are thankful for know it! I’m including a list of places to volunteer in the New York City area, as well as a list of food banks around the country. I also cannot stand wasting food, so I have included a link to some great ideas for what to do with your leftovers. One easy one minute thing you can do while you shop for the big day is just to pick up a few extra cans to donate to a local food bank. I know I’ll be doing this one!

Hope you all have a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving! In closing I would like to say I am thankful to have each member of the On the Leesh team in my life! These are all amazing women who add so much good to my life! New York City Coalition Against Hunger City Harvest - Rescuing Food for New York's Hungry Food Bank for New York City Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen Feeding America: Hunger-Relief Charity | FeedingAmerica.org Food Pantries | Soup Kitchens | Food Banks Excellent Recipes For Your Leftovers

What You Can Do November 2012 Campaign with Holy Apostles Soup Ktichen

Jessica announces What You Can Do's campaign with The Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. Help us reach our goal of 2500 meals by "liking" the Holy Apostles on Facebook.  Every "like" means 1 meal for a New Yorker in need, so visit http://www.Facebook.com/HolyApostlesSoupKitchen and like them now.

Starring:

Jessica Arinella

Produced by - On the Leesh Productions

Shot by - Amanda Blohm

Edited by - Cassandra Lizaire

What You Can Do:

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/whatyoucando

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/whatyoucando

Other YouTube Channel - http://www.youtube.coom/whatyoucando365

Blog - http://www.whatyoucandoseries.blogspot.com

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/1minette

Website - http://www.whatyoucando.com

Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen - 

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/holyapostlessoupkitchen

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/holyapostlesnyc

Website - http://www.holyapostlessoupkitchen.org

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Hurricane Sandy Relief

Sandy Relief Information

Local/New York/New Jersey 

Occupy Sandy

NYC Service

Community Food Bank of New Jersey

City Harvest

Humane Society

Pet Drive with Rock and Rawhide

National/International Relief

Red Cross

 Text to Give

Text: Red Cross to 90999

Charity Navigator

What You Can Do

What You Can Do: Hurricane Sandy Relief

Jessica informs viewers of the many ways they can help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Learn one minute ways to help, as well as information about incredible organizations that need your help too.

Text RedCross to 90999

Visit - www.charitynavigator.com to find organizations that are helping with Hurricane Sandy relief

Volunteer opportunities in NY and NJ - http://interoccupy.net/occupysandy/

To help pets - http://humanesocietyny.org

Food Rescue in NYC - www.cityharvest.org

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Facebook - www.facebook.com/whatyoucando

Twitter - www.twitter.com/whatyoucando

What You Can Do YouTube Channel - www.youtube.coom/whatyoucando365

Unstoppable Minute YouTube Channel - www.youtube.com/unstoppableminute

Blog - www.whatyoucandoseries.blogspot.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/1minette

Website - www.whatyoucando.com

Missy's Homestead: Recycled Decorations

Planting!

Last weekend I threw a baby shower for one of my sister-in-laws.  I had never thrown a baby shower before and wanted to do a good job.  For the past several months I have been planning out how I could make everything cute and adorable without breaking the bank and be a good steward of the earth.  So I decided that I would challenge myself to make or source all of the decorations in a recycled manor.  This way I could save money and feel good about helping the environment.

"Flowers"

Gourds!

Instead of buying flowers or arrangements I cleaned off the labels of wine and beer bottles and arranged them with foliage that all came from my backyard.  Rosemary cuttings combined with berries from my tree made a beautiful fall decoration and large sprigs of heather added some great greenery to my tables.

Heather from my garden

A couple months ago I went to another party where my friend opened a bunch of gifts.  Instead of throwing all the tissue paper away I saved it and made colorful paper flags that I able to hang all over the front and inside of the house.  I was also able to make recycled tissue paper balls to hang on the outside of the fence to the shower, this saved me from buying balloons and actually looked even better.

For favors I found a bunch of free terra cotta pots at a garage sale and over several weeks I made cuttings from all of my succulent plants. I planted them with dirt from my yard and gave each lady who attending the party one as a reminder of the new growing life.

For the entranceway I really wanted to do something cute and flashy so I found some old gourds from craigslist for a total of 12 bucks and painted them with spray paint.  I made some lettering and paired them with some jars and "flowers" and made an arrangement to spell out "Baby G" in honor of my sister-in-law.  I also have a lot of mason jars that I use as cups etc. around my house, so I brought those to be decorations around and combined them with various baby pictures that I borrowed from the couple.  I was also able to use some beautiful mason jars that I received from my friends wedding center pieces earlier in the year.

I know that some of these items may sound cheesy but I have to say I am so proud of myself for making all of my own decorations and using sourced items.  The only stuff I bought new was the spray paint.  Everything else was recycled and or reused.  Unfortunatly if you needed decoration items immediately this method would not be as effective, as I spent over 2 months collecting all of my recycled materials and waiting for certain items.  But if you can learn to think slightly out of the box when it comes to sourcing used materials you might be surprised at what you can make and find.  I have never done something like this before with so many recycled items. And I plan on saving a lot of my materials for the next time I need to throw a party.  Maybe I can even get a few more uses out of all my hard work.

Well that is all for now.  Until next time: Consume More, Buy Less, Reuse.

Cheers!
Missy

Get to know Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen

Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen is the second largest soup kitchen in the country, and the largest in New York City.  Watch this video to learn more about Holy Apostles and their efforts to help the people of New York.

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 Featuring - Rev. Glenn Chalmers, Yvonne Cassidy, Michael Ottley, Charles Dennis Jr., and Fred Street
Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Shot by - Amanda Blohm and Alicia Arinella
Produced by - On the Leesh Productions, Inc.
Music by - Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by - SCG Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by - Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Yvonne Cassidy, Naosie McGee, Rev. Glenn Chalmers, Michael Ottley, Charles Dennis Jr., Fred Street and everyone at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen and Dennis Arinella

What You Can Do:
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Check out our Website
Watch videos on our YouTube channel
Check out our Vlog
Follow us on Pinterest

 For more information about Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen:
Like them on Facebook
Follow them on Twitter
Visit their Website

Missy's Homestead: Voting day

Voting Day

Here on my homestead my goals are twofold.  Learning to live a more local and sustainable life and getting involved with my new community.  Yesterday of course was voting day!  Now I am not one for politics.  And I will not go into any of them here in this blog.  But what I do want to touch on is taking advantage simply of the right that we have to vote.   And how you can bond with people in your neighborhood over the simple act of coming together to participate in your civil right.

When I was a child I remember getting up with my mom and going with her to the polls that were in the basement of a local church in my hometown.  I would hide behind the little curtain with her while she voted and than I would get a little sticker from the older folks who were running the polls.

Greg was not as happy to get up at 7am 

When we lived in NYC we voted downstairs inside our building.  It was awesome.  We had to wait in some pretty long lines but we voted with these super old machines that were kind of like voting with a slot machine.  Not only did we have fun voting but we had a great time seeing people we knew from the building and encouraging them to vote.  Not matter what their views.

Greg and our Neighbor high-fiving about voting

Our Polling Center at a local School

This election was my first in my new county and I had visions of how I could make my experience feel like a small town community.  And to be honest is absolutely lived up to what I thought voting in Somona County would be like.

Greg and I woke up at 7am made some delicious coffee, poured it into our ceramic mugs, picked up our friend who lives in the front house and walked 5 blogs down the the arts charter school near our house to vote.  There was a small line but nothing crazy.  Our volunteers who ran the polls were very nice and in the end we all got our little "I voted" sticker.

I am grateful to be able to walk down to my polling station, drink my homemade coffee and converse with my other neighbors who were waiting in line along with me to voice their choice.

Our neighbor Emily with one of the polling volunteers

Greg adding his voice

No matter what your choices are please remember that a lot of people, especially a lot of women, took the time to make sure everyone in this country has the right to voice their opinion in a nationwide voting system.  Go on out and see how you can make your community a better place.


More fun projects from the homestead next week!

Cheers,

Missy

Everyone loves a sticker

Help Feed the Hungry of New York

Right now New Yorkers are battling hunger more than ever, and the devastation of Hurricane Sandy will only cause those numbers to rise.

Many of us want to help but aren't sure how to do so.  By liking the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen Facebook page, you can help fund meals for hungry New Yorkers.

Watch this video to find out more about what you can do to help.

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Starring - Alicia Arinella
Directed by - Jessica Arinella
Written by - Jessica Arinella & Cassandra Lizaire
Shot by - Amanda Blohm
Edited by - Alicia Arinella
Music by - Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo by - SCG Creative Group

Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/whatyoucando
Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/whatyoucando
Watch more videos on YouTube - www.youtube.com/whatyoucando365
Check out our Vlog - www.youtube.com/unstoppableminute
Follow us on Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/1minette
Visit our website - www.whatyoucando.com