Enjoying the beauty and birdsong of avian visitors can be a delightful and relaxing way to spend time in your backyard. There’s something special about slowing time down to watch birds look for food or call to one another. Many bird enthusiasts look for ways to attract more feathered friends to their outdoor spaces, and […]
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Marking The Way Naturally – Rustic Garden Edging
It really began with the secret garden. No, I’m not referring to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel by that name, though it is a favorite, and I’ve always wanted my own secret garden. Perhaps now I do. My secret garden really was a secret. At least initially. And hence its name which it holds to this […]
A Beginner’s Guide To Restoring Cast Iron
Let’s say you’re walking down the aisle of an antique store, mildly browsing the booths, hunting for treasure. All of a sudden, there! You see it. A cast iron skillet. Sure, there are rust spots, and it looks like it hasn’t seen service for a few decades, but you’re smart enough to know this thing
10 Ways to Upcycle Old Clothes
We can upcycle just about any type of clothing as long as we’ve got a vision, a bit of imagination, and some crafting skills. Clothing is one of the simplest things to upcycle. Old jeans can be transformed into shorts, household items, and tote bags. T-shirts can be made into reusable produce bags, hanging planters,
The Hosta Plant
“Oh my! That hosta is huge!” I was standing in my front drive, surveying what I called the circle garden. It was encased in a rock wall that outlined a circle around a gracious, old willow tree. And the hosta was huge. Not just the expanse of the plant itself, but the leaves rivaled those
Tiny House Plans
When looking for blueprints and designs for building your tiny house, the search can be arduous and overwhelming. With all the options on the internet and in books it can be hard to know which ones are worth using. Look for tiny house plans that come with detailed instructions explaining how to construct the house,
5 Things To Consider Before Buying A Used Tiny House
Buying a house, tiny or large, is a complicated affair. Most of us aren’t builders or work in construction, so it’s a challenge to make sure we are buying a quality house when we’re searching for our future home. This is especially the case when it comes to buying a used tiny house because there
35 Awesome Pallet Projects
Whether it’s because they’re an affordable option or they provide a rustic feel, pallets have become increasingly popular as a source of material for DIY projects. They can be adapted in the most simple or complicated ways, making them a great option for DIY newbies and veterans alike. With pallet chairs to pallet wall art
7 Indoor Trees To Add Some Greenery To Your Home
When one thinks of trees, visions of vast swaths of forested mountains, steamy jungles, or frosty taigas may come to mind. But not every tree needs a scenic backdrop to flourish—some can be content to live in your home with you. And you have to admit, few things can enliven a bitty apartment or a
Homestead Fire Prevention
Many people fail to realize that they face serious wildfire danger. However, if you live in the rural prairies, foothills, or mountainous regions of North America, you are at risk. Fire is frightening, unpredictable, and life-threatening. Weakness in your homestead’s fire protection scheme can create opportunities for a fire to take control, often because of
Traditional Lawns: Their Environmental Harm & Practical Replacements
Lawns, as we know them, have held their landscaping tyranny over our yards for far too long. Backed by out-of-touch homeowners associations (HOAs), zoning requirements, cultural expectations, and longstanding history of conformity, lawns have kept too many of us out spraying, mowing, reseeding, and weeding for no good reason. It’s time for a change. Watch
Raising Muscovy Ducks And Why You Probably Want Them
With their clawed feet, bizarre-looking caruncles, mohawk-like crest, and lack of quack, Muscovy ducks don’t quite fit the “bill” (if you pardon the pun) for what you might consider a “normal” duck. But on our homestead, these are the only ducks we want to keep because they have won our hearts with both their utility
🧱 Natural Building
Modern day building utilizes man-made materials that can be harmful to the environment. Even natural materials, like wood, utilize fossil fuels in order to be milled into the final product. Everything from steel to plastic is used in modern building, and the resources needed to create those materials are not renewable. Alternatively, traditional building methods
Natural Anti-Fungal
A few weeks ago we noticed a rash on my little nephew’s foot. One look at his foot and I knew it was ringworm. Ringworm can be recognized by the round, worm-shaped rash. The area is usually red and the worm-like fungi are somewhat raised and bumpy. Sometimes it can be dry and scaly. I
30 Kitchen Shelves To Declutter Your Space
Your kitchen serves many purposes. It’s the place where you make your morning cup of coffee and pack the kids’ lunches. It’s also where you cook your famous macaroni, and above all, spend time with the ones that you love. There’s a reason that the party always ends up moving to the kitchen. There’s something
Coke – Not Pepsi – Removes Carcinogenic Caramel Coloring
According to CEH, last year both Coke and Pepsi agreed to remove 4-MEI, a known carcinogen, from its caramel coloring, but only Coke has fully followed through.
About The Insteading Marketplace
We built the Insteading Marketplace to curate products from across the web that our readers will love. We manually select every product on the site from vendors on Amazon, Etsy, and other top tier online retailers. We specifically look for products that meet the following criteria: High quality non-disposable products: We advocate for paying more for
Environmental Impact of Eating Meat
New United Nation Food and Agriculture report tells us again that eating meat has perhaps the largest negative environmental impact of any human action. And more than half of the world’s crops are fed to animals. I’ve written on the relationship between eating meat (or being vegetarian) and the environment extensively before. However, there is
Insteading Giveaway – December 2019
Regardless of whether you had a large harvest of food from the garden this year, or simply found a lot of cucumbers on sale at the grocery store, preserving food is an excellent way to provide yourself with a little more self-sufficiency in the winter months. While canning and dehydrating are common methods of food
Compost vs Landfill: Does it Really Make a Difference?
Editor’s note: Many thanks to Dr. John at Flopping Aces for bringing this 6-year-old-post back into our “Popular Right Now” column for a few minutes. I hope he’s given himself a good pat on the back for his snarky observation; I hope you’ll read just a bit more than he obviously did…. it’s a short post,
Types of Cabbage
Cabbage is an annual vegetable crop known for its versatile culinary use. Get to know these dense-leaved heads that come in many varieties — each with distinct features and flavor.
Why Manure Is The Unsung Hero of the Homestead
When I lived in the city, I had the luxury of ignoring poop. If a neighbor’s dog left it on my tiny lawn, it was a rude, unusual inconvenience. Aside from what I delicately flushed into oblivion with the touch of a lever, my experiences with poop were largely nonexistent. My suburban upbringing trained me
Edible Mushrooms
No doubt, white mushrooms (also known as button mushrooms) are yummy. Those little white fungi that you can find at nearly every grocery store are adorable, affordable, and super versatile for cooking. You can turn them into veggie tacos, stroganoff, scrambles, veggie burgers, and they are the perfect shape and size for stuffing. Button mushrooms have
20 Interesting Uses for Coffee Grounds
If you drink coffee every morning or even just enjoy the occasional pot, the number of grounds left behind can really add up. Tossing those grounds into the trash may feel wasteful, but the good news is there are plenty of clever uses for coffee grounds. Not only is this helpful for your wallet, but
tentree – 10 Trees Planted For Every Item Sold
Here at Insteading, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Sustainability is the reason why we skip pesticides, collect rainwater, compost, choose solar and wind energy, and strive to live more self-sufficiently. Of course, we’re always on the search for brands that use sustainable materials and business practices. As for a company that
Can I Compost Bread?
Discover which types of bread are suitable for composting, how to prepare bread scraps, and the optimal composting conditions. Additionally, explore alternative ways to reuse bread and find out what bread should not be composted.
Homestead Stories: The Burglar Bear
We were living down the canyon in a big, round house with a 45-minute drive one way just to get to the grocery store. So we grew some of our own produce and raised chickens (and a duck) for eggs. Living out in the woods with gardens surrounding your house and a small flock of
Tiny House Cost
Tiny houses vary widely in cost. The factors that are going to impact the final price tag of your tiny house are: The type of materials you use (natural materials, salvaged or new) The systems and features you chose (off-grid or on-the-grid) Whether you are building it yourself or hiring a builder If you’ll be
20+ DIY Indoor Hanging Planters to Refresh Your Home
Science tells us that indoor plants offer benefits such as reduced stress, improved attention, and a boost in productivity. Additionally, plants have a positive impact on a home’s indoor air quality. Indoor plants are great for those who enjoy gardening, and they also add a decorative touch. One way to get creative is by making
20 Outdoor Showers for Your Lake or Poolside Home
If you live near a river or lake, you know how frustrating it is when sand gets tracked into your house. It makes a mess, it’s dirty, and once it’s made its way into your home, there’s no turning back. It’s there for what feels like forever, and let’s not forget about all the dirty
Cob House Interiors
Earthy and warm, the inside of cob homes exude an incomparable charm.
20 Smart Uses For Shredded Paper Around The Home
Many people use a lot more paper than they should. From printing to scribbling down notes, it’s easy to waste paper without even realizing it. Finding ways to reuse paper scraps around the home can help folks cut down on paper-based waste and put shredded paper products to good use. So before you toss those
How to Make Beeswax Candles: 3 Methods to Try at Home
DIY beeswax candle making is a great way to add a festive flair to your home. Not only do beeswax candles provide a warm and inviting light, but their fresh fragrance is also appealing this time of year. Professional candlemakers spend years honing their craft and use specialized tools to make high-quality products. But that
Ten Ways to Change the World Through Social Media
Editor’s note: We’re pleased to welcome Max Gladwell, of MaxGladwell.com, as a regular guest writer on sustainablog. Max Gladwell covers the nexus of social media and green living. We feel that these two trends and technological developments hold tremendous promise for improving the quality of life for everyone on the planet. If you’re reading this
How To Make Soothing Cherry Honey Cough Drops
It’s cold and flu season and that means one of two things. It’s either time to stock up on cough drops OR it’s time to make your own at home! It seems like I never have cough drops on hand when I need them, so when a cold hit our family this winter, I decided
9 Flowering Trees To Consider
Flowering trees are available in a variety of sizes and shapes for almost any landscape application. Not only do deciduous flowering trees bring visual impact and beauty to your homestead, but they also provide habitat and food for birds and other wildlife. These types of trees also provide cooling shade for people, pets, and plants.
35 Fun DIY Indoor Activities For Weekends And Rainy Days
Whether the rain is pouring down from the sky or you just have a weekend without any plans, there are plenty of fun ways to keep the whole family entertained while stuck inside. Having a blast indoors doesn’t have to mean a big expense, and many of the following suggestions are perfect for both kids
Wooden Bathtubs
The lowdown on today’s wooden bathtubs…
Live Fencing: What Is It and How to Implement It
A few years ago, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal, West Africa with the specific task of implementing agroforestry practices. Before this position, I was only vaguely familiar with agroforestry, but since then, my eyes have been opened to it, and I see it quite a lot. Whether done unintentionally through home
Homestead Stories: The Rainbow Tree
I love my trees, and I’m always looking for something unusual or different from forests around the world. Imagine my delight to discover a tree that grows in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It is cleverly called the rainbow tree. Actually, rainbow eucalyptus or Eucalyptus deglupta, to be more accurate. It’s also known
Ponytail Palm
“You know those hats the young girls wear?” my friend asked. “The ones with the opening for a ponytail?” She pointed at an addition to her garden collection. “Here’s a plant that looks just like that.” The tall, spikey leaves stretched upward before spanning out in every direction, much like a ponytail escaping a hat.
🌻 Gardening
Gardening is a cornerstone of both homesteading and sustainability. Nothing is quite as local as growing your food in your own backyard! Gardeners can come in all sorts of shapes and forms, from the apartment-dwelling indoor gardener to the 20-acre owning permaculturist. Whether you have a few plant containers to maintain or entire fields of
Can I Compost Glass?
Learn why glass is not suitable for composting and how it can negatively impact the composting process. Explore alternative methods such as recycling and upcycling to safely and sustainably dispose of glass waste.
DIY Wine Cellar Plans + 10 Ideas to Inspire You
When you first moved into your house or apartment, there were probably a few things on your wish list. Maybe it was a fireplace. Or perhaps, a big open kitchen. And of course, you probably had a beautiful yard to grow a garden on your list. If you consider yourself a wine connoisseur, maybe it
Farmhouse Bedroom Inspiration For Your Rustic Home
If you’re thinking of redecorating your bedroom, consider a farmhouse-inspired look for an ultra-cozy feel. Revamp your boring sleeping nook into something rustic and romantic. If you’re not ready for a complete remodel, pick and choose a few of these decor items to try out this interior design trend. What are the main components of
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
Cape Coral, Florida: Go Off the Grid, Go to Jail
Robin Speronis is a retired widow who happily lives off the grid in her Cape Coral, Florida home – the only problem is that it’s illegal to do so.
Is Tesla’s Solar Tile Roof Right For You?
Tesla’s solar roofing tile is now available for pre-order. Should you go for it? Ultimately, Tesla’s goal is for you to use their products to power your home with 100% clean and renewable energy. Tesla’s solar tiles work in tandem with their Powerwall battery pack to power your home and save you money in the
Raising Mealworms: 7 Easy Steps To Raise Mealworms At Home
While there are many nutritious treats you can feed your chickens to keep them happy and healthy, mealworms are one of the best that you can provide your flock. Mealworms are extremely high in protein. Dried mealworms can contain as much as 53% protein. Mealworms are a really great treat to feed chickens, but they can
25 Functional and Elegant DIY Desk Ideas
Building a DIY desk not only allows you to custom make furniture that suits your unique needs, it is also an enjoyable and gratifying experience in and of itself. Not to mention, building your own desk from scratch can be more affordable than buying a new one. If you’re looking for ideas for your next