Most of us were raised on flush toilets. You go in the bathroom, do what you’ve got to do, and then the press of a shiny lever flushes all your unpleasantries into oblivion, never to be thought of again. But that modern luxury — and it is a luxury — is something that many of
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Tiny House Bathrooms
The most compact part of a tiny house, square footage to function, is the bathroom. So much utility is squeezed out of this small area, it’s vital to make every unit of space as efficient as possible. This guide will help maximize your bathroom design for your tiny house, as well as offer some money-saving
Tiny House Interiors
Creativity is essential when planning and designing the interior of your tiny house. Trying to incorporate your kitchen, bedroom, living room and bathroom into an average of 200 sq. ft. is tricky. With the rise in people living tiny, there has been an increase in innovative designs that have come out to help incorporate all
Eco-Friendly Playgrounds
Parents know the benefits of installing playgrounds and playsets. Beyond being a fun activity that gets children outdoors, playground equipment is important for a child’s cognitive, emotional, physical, and interpersonal development. A day in the backyard or at the park does wonders for kids’ physical health, as well as improving their self-confidence and social skills,
If It’s Brown, DON’T Flush It Down: The Wastewater Gardener by Mark Nelson
Mark Nelson does not want you to flush your poo. Why, he’d ask you, are you using perfectly good drinking water to carry perfectly good fertilizer out to pollute (formerly) perfectly good waterways? Seriously, not only does even my low-flow toilet waste a gallon or two of water with every poop, but septic systems like
Eco-Friendly DIY Drain Cleaners
Why is it a slow or clogged drain always seems to occur at the worst possible moment? You’re busy preparing a dinner party, company is soon to arrive, and now you find the water in the guest bathroom sink doesn’t want to drain. What to do? You want something that will clear your plumbing problems
World Water Week: 10 DIY Conservation Tips
Although Americans have access to some of the cleanest, most prolific water supplies, we waste more than anyone in the world. Let’s change that today!
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Too many cleaning products contain chemicals that are extremely harmful to the environment and its inhabitants, including humans. Eco-friendly cleaning products are an easy alternative and solution! The ozone, water, air, land, and the entire ecosystem are all affected by the choices we make as humans, including what products we use. Today I am going
Eco-Friendly Kitchen Sinks
Seekers of eco-friendly sinks, I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news first: Affordable, new kitchen sinks aren’t 100% eco-friendly. When choosing a sink you’ll be balancing different aspects of sustainability. We’ve tried to give you a starting point for all the buying choices you’ll have to make. Kitchen Sink Materials/Colors
Try An Eco Friendly Christmas Tree
Upcycled, recycled, reused eco-friendly Christmas trees are a sustainable alternative to chopping down a living tree or buying a tree that’s been chopped down and shipped to you. Christmas tree farms are a classic example of monoculture, where a single crop is cultivated in a wide area. Row after row of similar trees does not make for a
Eco-Friendly Homemade Ice Melt Solutions
If you reside in a region where the temperature drops below freezing, you know firsthand the dangers of ice accumulation. When the winter winds blow, temperatures drop, and the rain turns to sleet or snow; driveways, sidewalks, and steps become hazardous. Homemade ice melt solutions and anti-icing products help prevent snow and ice from bonding
30 Patio Dining Sets For The Best Outdoor Get-Togethers Yet
When the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, nothing brings the family together quite like enjoying a dinner outside. The sun is low enough to be comfortable and still warm enough to hang out long after the meal is over. Or, maybe you’re taking advantage of that pergola and enjoying a mid-day lunch
Eco Friendly Toys Ages 3-7
Eco Toys Ages 3-7
Organic Mattress Guide
Many mattresses contain harsh fire-retardant chemicals and inexpensive synthetic fabrics. Are these mattresses safe for you to lie on for 8 hours every night? Only a few mattress companies sell 100% organic mattresses. Most mattress companies use a mix of natural and synthetic materials. An organic mattress doesn’t contain harsh chemicals—it meets fire safety standards
Paper Matters
Paper appears to be high on the agenda of a number of organizations this week. It’s necessary. Paper is so ubiquitous – from tissues to toilet paper to memo pads to catalogs to the mess on your desk – that it is easy to forget, or perhaps more convenient to ignore, that paper manufacturing has
12 Ingenious Everyday Borax Uses
Inexpensive and readily available, powdered borax, also known as sodium tetraborate, is a naturally occurring common boron mineral salt. Borax is a component in a diverse array of laundry soaps, bath salts, hand soaps, cleaning products, and cosmetics. It’s a product homesteaders have used for more than 100 years. First discovered in dry lakebeds of
How to Buy an Eco-Friendly Dishwasher (In 2014)
While an eco-friendly dishwasher is already a bit of a redundancy, the model you choose & the way you run it can save even more energy & water.
13 Savvy Small Bathroom Ideas
Whether you live in an apartment, a tiny house, or a Harry Potter closet, small bathrooms can be a challenge, especially when you’re living with roommates, a significant other, or little ones. Not only do you have to coordinate shower and bath times, but storing away all your toiletries can get tricky. So before you
Plastic Bottle Homes and Greenhouses
Plastic bottle houses, PET houses, recycled plastic home, plastic bottle building
Cattle Breeds: The Best for Milk and Meat
Raising cattle might be worth trying as a way to expand your homesteading horizons. Raising cattle can supply you and your family with homegrown meat and dairy products while teaching your kids valuable life lessons. Owning cows can also provide a second income if you’re interested in selling meat and dairy products at the market.
How Much Does It Cost To Customize A Tiny House?
If you’ve researched buying a tiny house you know prices are usually listed as a “starting price,” just like new cars are. Why? Because a tiny house is too personal for a one-size-fits-all option to work. So builders offer options to match a customer’s budget or lifestyle. Someone doing a lot of outdoor work might
DECT Phone Safety
DECT Phone Safety, Dangers of DECT, low radiation dect phones
Getting Started With Off-Grid Water System For A More Self-Reliant Homestead
In my experience, it seems that discussions about off-grid water systems only take place in niche communities of homesteaders or preppers. If you were to bring it up in “normal” workplace conversation, I guarantee you’d get at least one set of raised “what a weirdo” eyebrows. But considering just how crucial water is to life
Another Green Living Option: Hand Wash Your Clothes
… and easily trade cost and environmental impact, for time! “Do laundry”… what does that mean to most of us? It means carting a large pile of clothes in a bin or basket to one’s home washer and dryer, or if you’re one of the many unfortunate bunch like me, you cart it to a
Flooring Ideas: 18 Eco-Friendly Options For Your Next Home Renovation
If you’re doing a home renovation or are in the market for some new flooring, you’re in luck. Right now, it appears that just about every type of flooring company has some exciting option you’re bound to love. Before choosing your flooring there are a few things to keep in mind. First, be sure that
Orpington
Characteristics With a single or rose comb – both are found in the breed – and thick, fluffy feathering, Orpingtons take cold winters in stride. They are decent at foraging, but they don’t roam very far in search of food. In addition, their heavy body keeps them from taking to the air, so you can be
13 Beneficial Chicken-Friendly Plants To Grow Next To Coops
If you’ve had chickens for long, you probably have noticed that they eat all day long. They peck and scratch at the soil and eat every last bit of our kitchen scraps and leftovers. Letting your chickens free-range, or giving them access to plenty of natural vegetation and/or rotating their grazing parameters, is the key
25+ Sustainable Stocking Stuffers To Give This Holiday Season
It’s not always possible to buy that new greenhouse or build a rain garden as a holiday gift. At Insteading, we understand that garden gifts can easily run on the large and expensive side. We wouldn’t want to substitute our love of natural and sustainable products for a plastic and battery-operated gadget, though, so we’ve
Lessons In Self-Sufficiency Learned From Hurricane Irene
Insteading’s Michele Decouteau shares lessons her family learned from riding out Hurricane Irene on their New England homestead.
New Hampshire
Characteristics If you like the hardy and productive traits of the popular Rhode Island Red, consider the New Hampshire as an intensified option! Farmers and poultrymen are responsible for the creation of this breed, and the good sense of those practical-minded people seems to shine through in the birds’ attributes. To distinguish between the breeds
Wyandotte
Characteristics The beautiful feathering on a Wyandotte hen has both form and function. Hens make good brood mothers, and have enough soft, downy fluff to gently warm eggs–even eggs from other hens. And when it comes to cold weather, Wyandottes take it in stride. That generous feathering, combined with pert little rose combs, and a
Best Miter Saws
No matter the project, a miter saw will make quick and accurate cuts to speed up your work progress. A miter saw is an essential power tool for any cutting job that requires repetitive and consistently accurate cuts. If you’re wanting clean miter and bevel joints, and also a saw to cut through a wide
Farm Sinks
It’s with good reason that homeowners are installing the farmhouse sink once again. Not only are they an aesthetically pleasing design element, they’re highly functional. The farmhouse sink has no extra counter space to reach or lean over, making it more comfortable to stand at, which is especially important for people spending hours in their
23 Genius Epsom Salt Uses For Your Home, Garden, And Wellness
Epsom salt established its name 1600 years ago from the location where it was first discovered in Epsom Common, Surrey, England. It is most commonly marketed as bath products: powder, granules, crystal, flakes, and bath bombs. Although similar to common table salt in color and texture, Epsom salt and table salt are distinctly different. Epsom
10 Off-Grid Projects You Can Finish This Weekend
Going off-grid is a huge endeavor and one that could take years to accomplish as you search for land, make the move, and set up your self-reliant system. If you’re just getting started, it can seem like an insurmountable task to think about all that needs to be done. And if you don’t have your
Earth-Sheltered Home: An Eco-Friendly, Passive Housing Alternative
Folks on the street may call them “hobbit houses” in reference to J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, but earth-sheltered homes have been around for far longer than 1937 when the novel was published. Though the practice of using a protective layer of earth to embrace your home exploded in popularity in the 1970s, it’s truly been around
Living Off-Grid: What It’s Actually Like
In our modern day, with cable TV shows banking off of the “weirdness” of living off the grid, the very phrase “Off-Grid” images of end-of-the-world preppers stocking up MREs and ammo, wild-haired hermits digging in the dirt for acorns and mushrooms, or maybe criminals attempting to elude capture. But if you visited our off-grid homestead,
20 Energy Saving, Eco-Friendly DIY Clothesline Ideas
In today’s world, people are becoming ever more conscious of the ways their behavior impacts the planet. Everything we consider a modern convenience, from electricity right down to how we do our laundry, can hurt the environment. One way to reduce your carbon footprint is to build your own DIY clothesline. Of course, you can
20 Ways To Use The 5-Gallon Bucket: The Most Useful Tool On The Homestead
We homesteaders love our tools. We hang them from our belts, carry them until the handles show the impression of our hands, and use them to accomplish amazing things. As we keep our acres and animals in good working order, certain items start to become near extensions of our arms and take on their own
13 Fall Crafts Ideas for the Family
The evenings are getting cooler, and I can sense that special, autumn crispness all around me. If you haven’t already done so, check your crafting supplies, because here come the autumnal-themed crafting ideas for you and your whole family. There’s something for everyone on this list. Grab your hot cocoa or warm cider, gather your
Using Human Urine As Fertilizer
Fertilizer comes in many forms, depending on your gardening outlook. If you’re super conventional, it comes in a nasty smelling, chemically-derived, pellet-filled plastic bag emblazoned with the 3-figure NPK ratio of your choosing. What’s it made of? Where did it come from? How was it made? What does it do the soil in the long
23 Charming Outdoor Thermometers
Outdoor thermometers have been a staple in gardens and backyards for years. Not only are they functional and helpful, but they are a beautiful addition to your outdoor decor. There are both vintage and modern options, all of which can bring your own personal touch to your backyard. Moon Phase Outdoor Thermometer With this thermometer,
Sustainable Living
With the effects climate change growing more and more obvious—now it’s actually shrinking the world’s reindeer—we all want to do more to live sustainably. Here’s how you can start to take action right at home. Meat-Free Kitchen The agriculture and food production industry has grown into a major environmental threat as a growing source of
The Best Amazon Prime Day Deals For Homesteaders
Amazon’s massive Prime Day promotion started Monday, July 15th at 12 am PT. They’ll be announcing deals throughout the day. This year’s Prime Day will last for 48 hours. Each deal will be one of four types: Prime Day Deals: Deep discounts on top products that last until Amazon runs out of stock (in some cases,
19 Small Kitchen Tables For Conserving Space
Whether you’re an apartment dweller or a tiny house owner, limited kitchen and dining space can cramp your style. Small apartments tend to have a compartmentalized layout, and often times you can’t fit just any old dining table in the space. When it comes to tiny living, you have to get a bit more creative.
25 Gorgeous Tree Stump Tables
Simply put, tree stump tables are easily the most gorgeous addition you can add to a room. Not only are the majority of them constructed from reclaimed or sustainable wood, but they are eye-catching and sure to start a conversation. While some of the options on this list are more functional than others, they all
Dominique
Characteristics If you were a colonist trying to establish a homestead in a wild, new land, you’d better believe you wouldn’t want to spend your time nursing fragile, sensitive chickens! Thus, the Dominique is an incredibly self-reliant, hardy bird. A fantastic forager with tightly-arranged, cold-hardy feathering, these black and white beauties can hold their own
Faverolles
Characteristics If it’s a unique-looking bird you want, look no further! This portly chicken sports a beard that would make a hipster jealous, muffed cheeks, feathered feet, a fifth toe, and can be found in almost every color in chicken kind. Aside from their endearingly odd looks, one of the most notable traits of the
Eco Friendly Tips To Redecorate Your Living Room
These eco-friendly redecorating tip for your living room will save you money and help the environment all at the same time. EPA reported in 2009 that 9.9 million tons of furniture were thrown in the landfills compared to only 2.2 million tons in 1960, that is an increase of 450%! If you compared the increase
tentree Holiday Gift Guide
When you’re on the search for the perfect gift this holiday season, you may feel yourself completely overwhelmed and inundated by the number of newspaper advertisements and holiday sales there are to choose from. If you’re anything like us here at Insteading, you’re keeping your eye out for a high-quality gift that your family and friends
