Each year, I dive into my blog statistics to find the top 10 homestead posts of the year. I share them at the end of the year for ease of reference. Readers have found these posts the most useful. I hope you enjoy revisiting these favorites!
Top 10 Homestead Posts of 2017
10. How to Make Calendula Ointment – Calendula, also known as “pot marigolds” are annual flowers that bloom constantly throughout the growing season. Calendula ointment has become popular for its medicinal properties. They are easy to grow and preserve the seeds for the next year.
9. DIY Nature Crafts for Kids – I’ve been asking my fellow homesteading families to give me some ideas on DIY nature crafts they enjoy doing with their kids. I plan to incorporate some of these into our school year.
8. 12 Ways to Avoid Ticks on the Homestead – Deet is recommended by everyone but that doesn’t mean it’s a safe way to avoid ticks. It’s up to us to make informed decisions about our health. Do you agree?
7. Deep Mulch the Garden with Hay – This year, I decided to deep mulch the whole garden even the path around the beds. Sceptics kept telling me I would make the weeds worse, but you know what? It works like a charm!
6. Foot Mask Recipe – Our feet have the most pores per square inch than any other area of the body, it is important to remember to treat the feet too! What you put on the feet will absorb into the rest of the body, so do your best to gather high quality, organic ingredients for this foot mask.
5. Natural Tick Repellent – This natural tick repellent recipe is effective on all kinds of insects. No pesticide is 100 percent safe — not even those that claim to be “natural.” However, opting for truly natural alternatives can help you avoid exposing your pets to chemical pesticides.
4. 4 Ways to Winterize Strawberry Plants – Strawberry plants need some care even after the growing season is over. Why? Because strawberries create future buds at the end of the growing season. For this reason, it’s imperative to winterize strawberry plants from the freezing temperatures.
3. Gardener’s Hand Soap – Keeping your hands as nourished as your plants is an important aspect to keep in mind while gardening. We have just the hand soap recipe to get your hands clean and moisturized after a morning in the dirt.
2. Easy DIY Slim with Scent and Glitter – Checkout this recipe from the Sister Scenes. These girls demonstrate their easy DIY slime recipe with optional glitter and custom scent. This stuff is super cool and easy for children to create. Bonus: it doesn’t stick to the walls or floor.
1. Homemade Stevia Liquid Sweetener– Stevia is pretty amazing and an easy plant to grow. The leaves are 150 times sweeter than sugar. Such a handy plant to have around. Stevia has no calories and few carbohydrates so it’s an attractive substitute to sugar. My favorite way to use this plant is this simple homemade stevia liquid sweetener recipe with no alcohol.
Learn More
If you are interested, make sure to check out the Homesteaders section on Amazon. Here, you can find books and guides on how to easily homestead and tips on how to do it better.