Spruce Hill Homestead

How a Simple Meal Plan Saves My Money and Sanity (FREE Printable)

My kids come home from school every day starving… every.single.day. They immediately want food…and lots of it. Of course, this could send me into an utter panic, desperately pulling easy foods from the cupboards and freezer trying to find ANYTHING that they will eat. But, I learned long ago that having a meal plan set up in advance takes the pressure off of me. I can look at that meal plan each morning as we are all getting ready to head in our various directions, and know just what I need to do to make sure our evening is less hectic and more wholesome. The side effect is not only am I more sane, but we also save a ton on groceries, since we no longer have to work on a whim and a prayer. Continue reading “How a Simple Meal Plan Saves My Money and Sanity (FREE Printable)” »

The Go Bag for Household Pets

No disaster plan is complete until you also have a plan for your household pets. We have all heard stories about pets being left behind during evacuation or of people who could not leave because they did not have a plan for their pets. Having a plan in place and a GO bag packed is the first step to protecting your four-legged loved ones.

Our family has evacuated with pets. A wildfire left us in a hotel room with two huge labs, a turtle, and a gecko. It was a little crazy…but we were prepared with everything we needed to ride it out. Not having to worry about how to get all our beloved animals taken care of took a huge weight off our shoulders.

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Simple and Wholesome Pumpkin Muffins

I love this time of year, because when I am out and about I can find pumpkin-flavored EVERYTHING. Pumpkin is one of my favorite fall flavors. But, in our home, we use pumpkin quite a lot throughout the whole year. Pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A, fiber, and beta-carotene. I find pumpkin soothing to my stomach and easy to eat. The flavor is fantastic, and when combined with warm spices…really has such a comfy feel! I keep canned pumpkin in my cupboard, as well as fresh pumpkin puree in my freezer in the years when our pumpkin crop does well.

These simple muffins are great for breakfast or as a snack. They are also super to pop in your kid’s lunch boxes. They are light, moist, and filling. I hope you give them a try. Their simplicity is my favorite part. It takes very little time to whip these up! Continue reading “Simple and Wholesome Pumpkin Muffins” »

Helping Your Kid Find their Inner Superhero

Being a kid today is a tough job: I mean that! No, they don’t know the pain of chores like we might have. No, they don’t know what life was like before the internet, or cellphones, or a bazillion after-school clubs. But, they do live in a distractible, confusing, and sometimes anxiety prone world. There are plenty of things that pull our kids in more directions than we would wish, and today’s kids feel them.

So, how do you bring out that inner superhero in your kids each and every day? Believe it or not, the answer may lie in slowing things down, taking things easier, and finding your kiddos inner strengths (the ones they didn’t even know they had). Continue reading “Helping Your Kid Find their Inner Superhero” »

Sunday Sentimental Recipe: Grandma Velma’s Refrigerator Pickles

I am lucky to have many family recipes passed down through the generations. Most of the women in my family were amazing cooks, and they also knew how to stretch a budget and feed a family for a very low cost. The origins of these recipes are pretty much unknown. Most are scrawled on cards, and very few say how the recipe was discovered initially. Dinners in their homes were always amazing. Occasionally, I will share one of these family treasures with you! Continue reading “Sunday Sentimental Recipe: Grandma Velma’s Refrigerator Pickles” »

7 Fun Finger Foods for Halloween Night

Before you head out to Trick or Treat, these seven fun finger foods are a great quick dinner option. I always struggle to get bellies full when the kids are excited about Halloween, so I can’t wait to try these out! These easy and fun recipes are sure to hold your family’s interest and help insure that something of substance goes in before all that candy! Continue reading “7 Fun Finger Foods for Halloween Night” »

Helping Kids Who are Afraid at Halloween (with FREE Printable)

Children are usually very excited about Halloween, The chance to dress-up in a million imaginative costumes, have sweet treats, and get just a little scared is often fun for kids. But, some kids don’t find this holiday fun at all. They find it frightening. They feel nervous and afraid to participate in Halloween activities, even at school or home. As a parent, it can be frustrating to try to make the holiday special for a child who is feeling this way. Here are some tips to make this holiday fun and to introduce it in a manner that feels safe to your child.

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Beginner Preparedness Vol2: GO Bag Basics

A GO bag is an essential item in preparedness, and a great place to start your preparedness journey. If you need to evacuate your home quickly, this bag can be an essential part of getting out safely and with the basic items you will need to be away from home for a short period of time. The GO bag is not intended to give you all the comforts of home, just some basics to make you more comfortable or safer if you need to be away. We evacuated our home several years ago during the Black Forest Fire. At that time, I felt fairly prepared to do what I needed to do to get out. We had hours to prepare, so I was even able to grab more non-essential items, like family photographs and other memorabilia. We can talk about being prepared with those later, but for now will focus on getting out FAST.

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Being Neighborly: Is it Gone for Good?

I remember, growing up, that our neighbors all were a regular part of our life. We had get-togethers, the kids played in one big pack, the parents drank coffee (and sometimes stronger fare), and when there was a problem, everyone showed up and pitched in. I know that has a Mayberry-vibe to it, but it was true then. We knew that if we needed help, the Dad down the road could help us. We knew that if there was a problem, we could talk to the Mom two farms down. Every adult seemed to know what was going on with the kids. If we were up to no good…we didn’t get away with it for long. Those neighbors weren’t afraid to tell you to straighten up and fly right when you were out of line. No one got upset about that…it was just part of being a neighbor. Continue reading “Being Neighborly: Is it Gone for Good?” »

Prepping the Barn for Winter

Here in Colorado, we have vast swings in temperature this time of year. It’s October and we have already had snow. We have had freezing nights. But, yesterday, it was over eighty degrees. Winter barn prep takes on a whole new meaning when you are sweating your boots off one day and freezing the next! The good news is that this also means we can have days when it is still nice enough to get out there and get the barn prepped.

For me, the very first priority is animal comfort and health. Here at Sawdust, we mostly have horses since we live in an area where other types of livestock are not permitted (yes, we can’t wait until the day when we are in a new place and can increase our little herd!). But, I still prep the barn like a farm girl-old habits die hard. Here are some steps to making your barn a comfy, safe, and reliable haven for the winter months. Continue reading “Prepping the Barn for Winter” »