How to Ease Into a Natural Lifestyle | Roxanne Ahern of Happy Holistic Homestead

If you desire to live a natural lifestyle-whole foods, less toxins, holistic health-it can be intimidating to know where to start. Many people are also concerned about the cost of living this way. In this episode with Roxanne of Happy Holistic Homestead, we tackle the question of where to start if you simply can’t afford to jump all in. What changes make the biggest impact on your family’s health? We also bust the myth that it takes a lot of money or a lot of land to begin prioritizing your health by sourcing high quality foods. You might be surprised by some of our money saving tips! No matter where you are starting from, may this episode encourage you to take the next step in your journey towards a more natural lifestyle.
In this episode, we cover:
- How a health retreat changed Roxanne’s health trajectory
- The easiest place to start if you want to live a homesteading life with limited space
- Simple ways to use raw milk on your homestead
- How producing your own food can simplify your meal planning
- Tips for sourcing quality foods while on a budget
- Encouraging our kids to follow their interests
- An important perspective for the young mom who has big dreams
- The benefits of giving older siblings responsibility in the home
- How learning to forage can improve your gardening skills
- A list of go-to quick and easy meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- The no-brainer meal prepping strategy that will keep you eating home cooked meals all week
GUEST BIOGRAPHY
Roxanne is a published author and a homesteading, homeschooling mother of five. She teaches and consults on the topics of sustainability, permaculture, and regenerative localized economies.
RESOURCES
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon Morell: / 117835
Azure Standard: purchase natural, organic, non-GMO and environmentally friendly products: www.azurestandard.com/
The Best Almond Butter Balls Ever: happyholistichomestead.com/20...
Lisa’s quick and easy meals: salmon patties (www.farmhouseonboone.com/cris..., sourdough pancakes (www.farmhouseonboone.com/our-..., shepherd’s pie (www.farmhouseonboone.com/the-..., einkorn pasta (jovialfoods.com/einkorn/pasta/), sourdough skillet pizza (www.farmhouseonboone.com/how-...)
Tortillas from La Tortilla Factory: www.latortillafactory.com/pro...
Holistic Homesteading: A Guide to a Sustainable and Regenerative Lifestyle by Roxanne Ahern: www.amazon.com/Holistic-Homes...
CONNECT
Roxanne Ahern of Happy Holistic Homestead
Website: happyholistichomestead.com/
Instagram: / happyholistichomestead
Facebook: / happyholistichomestead
Twitter: / happyholistichs
Pinterest: / _created
Lisa Bass of Farmhouse on Boone
Blog: www.farmhouseonboone.com/
KZbin: / farmhouseonboone
Instagram: / farmhouseonboone
TikTok: / farmhouseonboone
Facebook: / farmhouseonboone
Pinterest: / _created
Join us in the Simple Farmhouse Life Facebook community: / 748012922264552
Thank you to our sponsor! Toups and Co Organics uses nourishing, organic ingredients to create simple and safe skincare products. Toups and Co is offering my listeners 10% off any one purchase with the code FARMHOUSE. Visit ToupsandCo.com to order today.
Check out some of my current favorite products: activated charcoal face bar (toupsandco.com/products/activ..., seabuckthorn cleansing oil (toupsandco.com/products/seabu...) , frankincense face balm (toupsandco.com/products/tallo..., liquid foundation (toupsandco.com/collections/ma...)
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
Listen to this podcast episode: anchor.fm/simple-farmhouse-li...
View full show notes and transcript on the blog: simplefarmhouselifepodcast.co...

[@lucyhuppert6694]

It's so crazy...I'm only 25, but so much has changed since I was a kid. I was babysitting by the time I was 11 or 12...Like I'd bike to the family's house and watch their kids, without supervision. I think I started when I was 11? I am just amazed by people freaking out about 11, 12, 13 year old helping with little kids these days. Kids thrive on small increments of responsibility, especially at those ages! I totally approve of you letting your daughter hold and care for the baby for increments of time, she will be a well-rounded young woman seeing her mother trust her with responsibility.

[@rubybenge9301]

I’m almost 70 years old. My grandmother was born in 1893. She was concerned with eating whole foods, fresh foods and lots of vegetables From childhood. I remember in the 1980s when she was in her 80s, she read in Rodale’s Organic gardening magazine that she should be eating fresh food. And if you could eat fresh than it should be frozen. Canned or dried was the last resort. She ground her flour every day. Her cholesterol went from being high to being low normal. My grandmother‘s name was Ruby. Ruby was very concerned about pesticide pollution - She took Rachel Carson silent spring book to heart. Every few years will hear someone say how there is the first generation to be concerned about organic gardening, or to be concerned about clean food. It’s just not true. A Small percentage of the population has been able to see past the corporate media massive advertising of “convenience food” fight for healthy and natural food, a clean environment, clean housing for everyone.

[@ginnylorenz5265]

Yes! I'm 81, and I remember my mother's efforts to give us real food. She read Adele Davis and Rodale and others. This was back in the 1950's.

[@carrieperrigo2319]

Watching this gives me so much anxiety as a mom who lives nothing like this and works full time, but knowing how we should be living. It's going to be a slow process, and I don't see how I can ever attain this level of a natural lifestyle. I can make some small changes. Not sure I want to start with a whole chicken. The thought of that makes me nauseous! Thank you for the information and advice.

[@jessa4282]

I am SO glad and thankful you talked about having little ones and being in survival mode. I was recently let go from work, we have debt we are trying to work on, have 2 under 2.5 and I’m trying to stretch my partner’s paycheck as far as possible. I get SO frustrated at myself that I have a hard time taking care of a sourdough starter, making bread 2x a week, making 3 meals a day, keeping the kids alive, maintaining a relationship, and keeping a house clean (to my parent’s unrealistic standards as we live with them currently).

[@rachelelizondo7052]

Love the fact that you’re breastfeeding the baby during this 🤣 nursed by baby to sleep while watching this too

[@melissasnyder9452]

Going to jump in, when I had babies, being young, having so much energy, way more productive!! Older, young adults now, I had way more time back then!!!

[@leah-yv7xj]

In that busy season of life with 3 years of marriage and 2 little kids. Learning to keep homemade home together in -30 northern Canada.

[@missykuss9975]

Loved your guest. I’m definitely going to check out her new book. Wish she had a KZbin channel.

[@debigriffin1604]

It’s VERY hot in Tennessee this year. I don’t remember it being this hot last year, but my hubby said I say that every year lol, so who knows. Living clean and simply is such a joy! You feel so much better physically when you eat a whole, clean diet, and you feel better mentally when you keep your life simple! I love our life!

[@robynlee5436]

I used to do Charlotte Mason as well! In fact I still have my handbook of nature study 20 years later.

[@Hillside-Hive]

Love seeing mama's that actually like being with their kids. Sadly that's a lost art 🙃

[@juliefakkema]

I bought Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Traditions about 20 years ago!! Her stuff is so healthy and delicious!!

[@samanthaabbott9587]

Growing up, I didn't have much experience with gardening. Sometimes my mom would grow a tomato plant or try raspberry bushes, but that was about it. This year is my second year of marriage, and my husband rented a rototill, plowed up a chunk of land, fenced it in and told me that I was in charge of the garden. I was pretty nervous! But once I started, I fell absolutely in love with watching things grow. I've frozen bell peppers, green beans, and canned tomatoes. We've eaten fresh cantaloupe, beets, and spinach. We have had such an abundant harvest just this first year of experimenting! It is so much fun, saves so much money (I will hopefully never have to buy tomatoes or bell peppers again), and I think it is the most satisfying experience to tend something and watch it grow. I am learning so many skills just by taking that one step to start a garden. Once you begin dabbling in that, canning, cooking, and other food preparation/preservation techniques will follow!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Sounds like you had quite a garden your first time...how wonderful!

[@Mom2Melody]

Lisa, your podcasts I do believe are getting better with each new interview. Love how you keep it real and go with the flow of life. ❣️

[@lucyben9173]

Your video have helped me reach over $200,000 in stocks by age 24! Thanks. Keep the videos coming

[@susangriebel9903]

Enjoyed the visit. How I deal with tomatoes: Whirl up in blender, skin, seeds and all. Pour into turkey roaster and bake low and slow in the oven. May can as sauce or freeze. Thank you.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Great tip!

[@aprilyeno1919]

I love this one!! Well, I love them all! But this one was extra special. Great options and ideas for us “city homesteaders”. Thank you! God bless! ❤️

[@viversholisticnutrition8180]

Thanks for doing these podcasts, Lisa. So wonderful to be connected to other mothers and homesteaders. Great resources, lovely conversation!

[@0Eliza0]

My childhood was the same - looking at my mom’s garden it’s amazing how she intuitively planted flowers (mullein, peonies) and appreciated a few healthy foods (nuts, broccoli) that were exactly what her body needed. She was always 100% into doctors and the modern way and I tried to explain healthyness to her after I left home and learned about one’s ability to take control of their health and avoid so many toxins in modern society. Unfortunately, she caught on too late. I wish I’d worked harder to learn about, harvest and cook things that she intuitively was drawn to. It’s an overwhelming landscape, that of nutrition/healing...perhaps one of the keys for someone really, really new to everything or overwhelmed helping others is to find those sort of intuitive moments people have / cravings / things that they are drawn to with plant and animal food and learning about how to incorporate those into your diet / daily habits. - a little off topic but the convo was really great and I totally agree with everything. Ps my grandparents knew about health and grandma apparently always had a bowl of hard boiled eggs and apples in the kitchen for a “snack” and they never left home without a gallon jug of water in the trunk. How complicated, unhealthy and expensive the modern food landscape became! Lol

[@christinaortega-pysherconk693]

Always ate homemade healthy meals growing up. My mom was the "health nut!" Now that i have to cook for my family,I fully appreciate her cooking now. 😆 I never realized how much work she put into her cooking. Her cooking is way better than mine. But I'm getting there. Slowly but sure.

[@iamperfectlight1978]

Exciting to hear SWIHA shout out! I'm in AZ, know the family who founded it, it's a wonderful place.

[@jessa4282]

There is really no bad bread 😂 I made a loaf of artisan bread so dense, I joked it was cake😂😂 we ate it anyway. It was delicious.

[@creativeessentialmama913]

This was so helpful! I’m in the process of transitioning our family to a more real food diet and it’s been a bit overwhelming at times. But I’m determined. ♥️

[@marialicemorgan19]

I grew up in New York, but my Greek grandmother lived with us and we always ate healthy Mediterranean meals. My older sister always took care of me. We were 12 years apart but became the best of friends as adults.

[@vintagebeliever5023]

What a beautiful podcast! Great information. Love how you love your lives and it shows. Thank you

[@The-Ancestral-Cucina]

Thank you ladies. Great conversation!

[@stephaniedougherty7845]

Oh my goodness, I love that you have elderberry trees! I used to go to the woods in Germany with my tiny girls and pick the flowers and make delicious elderflower syrup - you should try it! 😋 I did not know they grow in this country!

[@thesewinggarden7311]

Yes, I have one huge elderberry tree now. In my former yard, we planted 6 bare root elderberry trees and later found out we could make jelly from them. Now I make elderberry syrup and also dry a bunch and mail them to my daughter. The berries are so easy to pick and make juice from!

[@barbarascherer7623]

I cooked my first whole chicken facing feet up 😄. Thanks for sharing your knowledge - bought my first einkorn flour and am going to try that.

[@victoriaw349]

The Sourdough pizza is EVERYTHING

[@ruthgreen2014]

This is absolutely wonderful...realistic and doable! Thank you

[@hacketthillfarm3229]

We found a Paw Paw grove on our homestead 2 years ago and have been cultivating them ever since! They are delicious and we look forward to the fall every year so we can enjoy them.

[@rachellebrooke4614]

Wonderful podcast!!!

[@afolsom685]

This was great. Thanks!

[@ginaexum3345]

I love the idea of having a family owned, healthy, non toxic skin care and makeup. But wow!!!!! The Toupsandco is soooo expensive. How do you justify the cost? Thank you

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

My thought is you pay now or you pay later with health problems from toxic overload in your system. I don't wear makeup everyday, but when I do I want it to be clean ingredients...traditional make-up is loaded with chemicals. I would rather not wear makeup than put toxins on my skin everyday. You really have to follow your own health journey and do what is worth it to you...

[@vintagebeliever5023]

I had to look up paw paw 😁

[@user-cx1ni5vm3f]

👏

[@MichaelMorris-eq1hn]

first one to comment on this video 🎉🎉🎉

[@christinaortega-pysherconk693]

Going to follow her on Instagram !!!! 😉

[@vidabella5744]

Second comment, good content

[@jcav7]

What jarred pasta sauce do you like?

[@103Catherine]

I'm from mo. also,it's very hot

[@davidmitchell1304]

Homeschool seems to be the gateway to other drugs.😅😂