Every winter we fall into the same routine. More time is spent inside due to the decreasing daylight hours which means much more time on our hands. We like to think of this as a benefit because we trade in our long to-do lists and projects for more time relaxing and doing things to we like to do just for the sake of doing it.  We've been trying to do more activities instead of watching more tv, but sometimes we do both at the same time! Not all of these hobbies will interest you but I hope you find one that does and maybe this is the nudge to get you to try something new. Doing any of th ..read more

If you have waited until the last minute to get your Christmas presents together AND you are crazy enough to want to make gifts, you have stumbled upon the right place. I have a round up of 20 DIYs that make great gifts. They are all pretty easy and not too time consuming. Some of these posts go from many years back because we've been running this blog for THIRTEEN YEARS!! I honestly can't believe it.  1. Grown Up Friendship Bracelets What's great about these is there are endless ways to customize them. You could add charms and do any color combo that your heart desires. The metal clasp ..read more

*This post contains affiliate links. I was introduced to this idea by something I saw in a store and I knew I wanted to recreate it for our cordless lamp. We bought this lamp a couple of years ago because we love the idea of being able to move it around to places where we need it without it needing to be plugged in. If you can make sure to charge it every few days, it'll work great for you! Anyway, this cordless lamp shade is easy and almost free to make and can be changed out every season or holiday. All you need to gather for this project is the stencil, scrapbook paper of your choosing ..read more

After spending the past three years working on completing the inside of our home (and still not being done!) we finally decided it was time for us to be able to decorate for the seasons. Before we lived off grid, we really enjoyed decorating and spent a lot of time on this blog sharing that journey. So we are happy to be back doing something we love to do and love to share. 1. Something you made. First off, I made these witch hats that were inspired by an Anthropologie item I saw this year. They were much pricier than I wanted and I wanted them to light up. You can see how I made these from ..read more

The first halloween decoration I saw this year was a black witch hat made out of vines and I knew I wanted to have one. The only problem is I wanted multiple and they were fairly pricey- they were from Anthropologie after all. So I set on a mission to DIY one myself. This is the simplest way I figured out how to do it. For these DIYs you will need: (These are affiliate links.) - Christmas tree form - Wire wreath - Hot glue - Grapevine garland (or foraged vines) - Zip ties - Jute Rope - Black Spray Paint - Fairy Lights - Fishing Line The Christmas trees I bought in person at Old Time Pott ..read more

**This post contains affiliate links. We've made natural lip balms over the years and one thing I've learned is that most recipes on the internet make a huge batch. Seriously, the last one I looked at made 18! Unless you are making lip balms for Christmas gifts (good idea!), you  probably don't want that many. This recipe will make 3 tubes of lip balm, which is likely all you need for a while. But by all means you can double or triple the recipe if you want to make a larger batch.  What I particularly love about making my own lip balm is knowing exactly what is in a product that i ..read more

**This post contains affiliate links. Calendula salve is a great herbal remedy to always keep on hand and it would make a great gift for anybody! It's not overly complicated to make and has lots of benefits. It has anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Which make it great for applying it on minor cuts, scrapes, and burns but it's great for many other things too like chapped lips.  Speaking of chapped lips... if you are looking for a way to make your own lip balm, look no further.  Ingredients & Supplies: - 2 Tbsp. Calendula Oil** - 1/4 Tbsp. Shea Butt ..read more

  ** Products linked are affiliate links.  1. Pumpkin Pitcher / 2. Pumpkin and Bat Taper Candles / 3. Ghost Candles / 4. Cat Vase / 5. Halloween Banner / 6. Cat Halloween Doormat / 7. Ghost Pillow / 8. Pumpkin Mug / 9. Glass Pumpkin / 10. Glass Pumpkin / 11. Light up Pumpkin Stack / 12. Floral Pumpkin Candles / 13. Cat in Pumpkin Pillow / 14. Ghost Tumbler Since moving off grid, we haven't been able to decorate our home because we've been deep in all kinds of infrastructure projects. If you've been following along for a long time, you may know that we spent a lot of time on here re ..read more

Last summer we built an outdoor bathroom in our woods and it honestly became the nicest place on our property. It was like our own little outdoor spa in a sort of wild period of our lives. I've always enjoyed the experience of an outdoor shower and I now can't imagine not having this option in my life. So let's talk about all the details in our bathroom. **These are affiliate links to products and similar products that are in our bathroom. 1. Outdoor propane water heater / 2. Watering can / 3. Composting toilet / 4. Amber soap dispenser / 5. Sink valve / 6. Copper pipe for sink faucet ..read more

If you have big dreams for your backyard, but also have an unlevel backyard, this post is for you. When we were looking for land, we were focused on getting as much flat land as possible. The thing is, that doesn't mean that the land is also level. In our backyard area we want to be able to have a fire pit area with seating and also a place to put a dining table. This means we need a space that is pretty level, but we also don't have the budget for something like a concrete slab. This project is our solution! All products and materials used in the project: - Landscape Fabric - Landscape Timb ..read more