Water Harvesting & Exterior Work on our Off-Grid Homestead Cottage

Hi, we are Harriet and Mauro and in February 2021 we bought an abandoned smallholding in Castellón, Spain. In these videos we share our life as we restore and improve our little stone house, learn to grow and preserve our own food, and bring our 4 acres of farmland back to productivity.
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Music in this video:
Still Your Girl (Instrumental Version) - Gamma Skies
Dreamers of the Shore (Instrumental Version) - Volcan Peaks
If I Wrote You a Song (Instrumental Version) - Melanie Bell
Lackawanna Trail - Roy Williams
Cooper's Island - Martin Klem
From EpidemicSound

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Very kind to say we helped with the fly screen job. We actually just came, did half a job, partied then left the next day with the job unfinished 🫣😅 Next time we’ll help actually complete a job!! Haha!

[@barbarakloise6790]

I really like the fact that you will tackle anything and the fact that you're not afraid to do the same type of things that men usually do. Plus you have a baby, so your time is so tight, but you still manage to get a lot done. I really love that about you. You take things in your own hands and get it DONE.

[@elamigo74]

Hard working and smart People always get their Goals. Go on, you both are fantastic.

[@jolene2172]

I laughed so much when Harriet went in the barrel 😂 Great video ❤

[@ninemoonplanet]

Definitely something Mauri couldn't do. 🤫

[@kdclothes]

Santi is such a happy beautiful little guy. The raised beds are looking productive. You home keeps getting better and better

[@AdarshPandeyOriginal]

Shanti means peace in my language

[@trotmanjennifer5209]

Wow!!! The cleaning and neatening of your surroundings is really making a big difference. The place is starting to look like a beautiful oasis. It's coming to come

[@julesly]

If there’s ever a zombie apocalypse, I want to be wherever Harriet is. Another job well-done! 👏🏼

[@evolve2learn1010]

Harriett every time I watch I learn something new. I have enjoyed watching your channel these past few years, your home and family have come a long way. Thank you for sharing and educating us. Hugs to Santiago!

[@lisakilmer2667]

You've turned that little ruin into a very attractive cottage. Well done! It's such an impressive job.

[@crapppful]

Harriet, thank you for sharing your beautiful family and life with us. You bring me so much joy.

[@normamurray4450]

Amen to that!

[@erikalouwrens3992]

You are transforming your house! It is starting to look beautiful! ❤

[@a_highland_life]

As always, I really admire how hard working and practical you are. Wishing Santi a belated Happy Birthday 🎂xx

[@franchoco]

Me sorpende lo mucho que ha cambiado esa casa en estos años

[@lidanaude8022]

❤ You are such a pillar for your family! Glad you and Shanti got out a bit . Nice that you took a trip to Italy as well! Beautiful mamma ! Everything looks so nice! To think you made a home from where it was before is just mindblowing! Well done! God bless! ❤

[@vivalaleta]

The contrast between that blue and the white walls in the that bright, Spanish sun! Terrific and I can't wait to see what you do with the terrace.

[@mairead5891]

Loved this episode! Top tip for water butts - put stones or gravel in the bottom of the butt to just below the tap. That raises the level of the water, and means there's a lot less wasted in the bottom that you can't get rid of and goes musty. Also you'll need some way that excess water (for example after a storm or a period of heavy rain) to drain away. As you know, if the butt is full to bursting then the water will find its own way out!

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Ohhhh thank you I love that tip!!

[@ginacrusco234]

Harriet, it's such a pleasure to catch up with you. I'm so glad that you enjoyed your travels to Italy and England this year. Santi certainly looks like he had fun! The white render and blue surrounds give your house a vibrantly joyful face.

[@luisaleonardi666]

You're doing really well around the house, Harriet and you're also so good at everything. Santi is so cute , he' s growing up so quickly and he enjoys what mum and dad are doing for him,so that he can be happy. Your place is so nice now. Best wishes for every single job you,re planning.❤❤❤

[@natxotxuri]

Kaixo Harriet. Tu trabajo y tu esfuerzo en mejorar vuestra vivienda, está dando sus frutos. Está quedando preciosa. Te felicito

[@cathyholt5215]

Harriet I just love your work ethic! With your thyroid issues fixed it looks like there's no stopping you! Santi is a beautiful boy and growing so fast. Enjoy all his stages.

[@bluelilly22222]

There is a south indian movie called Bhagubali😅your thumbnail matched it❤.....now you are officially a plumber 👌👍that's cool what you did with rain water storage ❤

[@zuziabuchnajzer579]

I have never heard that blue is distractting mosquitos, but cool

[@annneusidl5794]

Love you guys. Everything is coming together nicely. Santi is a cutie. Big expressive eyes! The white and blue is very Mediterranean.🥰

[@universe1313]

You are so hard working,Harriet! Where did you learn to do so many things;had you done this kind of work (plumbing,construction,tiling,gardening,etc...) before moving to the farm? Seems like you take on whatever it is that has to be done and do a great job.Congratulations ❤❤❤

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

No I never did anything like that, that’s why I’m so bad 😂😂😂

[@universe1313]

@@LittleSpanishFarmstead You are great.I am a 65 year old woman (watching you desde Buenos Aires) and I admire your hard work and your ability to do so many different things,and SO WELL.Congratulations!PS:I was the one that asked if Mauro was from Uruguay or Argentina,because of the "mate" 💕

[@MomPuff-b9w]

Harriet you truly amaze me 😳😳😳 I’m extremely impressed with your hard work & very amazing solutions!! Be blessed 🙌🏻🤗🦋🙏🏻🇺🇸

[@sempi8159]

Love the basic down to earth vibes

[@cantocant2346]

Harriet! You make everything around you beautiful. Well done on all the projects this week.

[@brigid6609]

I love the blue color and the white walls very pretty. The front of the house is getting really cute! I hear vanilla repels mosquitos so maybe you can try that on your skin? I had geraniums in Alicante and they burned in the sun. They need a bit of sun but hours in the spanish sun is too much for them. In holland I had a barrel but due to too much rain the barrel overflowed back into the rain pipe. So if it´s raining a lot or a lot of days in a row you might want to keep out an eye for that. Love how everything is coming together! Take care!

[@RosaFelix]

You're one crazy, funny, fierce, adorable woman! ❤😊

[@deehalpern8988]

So funny that you’re small enough to crawl into a rain barrel. Everything looks wonderful ❤️

[@amaiabecerrilestrada7313]

Hello Harriet, congratulations for your work on the wall, beautiful and practice for using water, resistance to the hot weather.... Santi is very nice, ouhh, and big! I think you love him a lot❤. Thanks for share your experience with us. A kiss from the North of Spain. Amaia

[@AlanHough-p1w]

Harriet you are a very resourceful girl you have done a great job with all the things you have accomplished in this video and Santi is very cute

[@audreydiehl6577]

Congrats on your rain barrel! Not sure if you made an overflow hole or have a valve to deal with that, but I suspect you will need one because the barrel will fill up very quickly in a storm. I live in a Mediterranean climate like you, and our barrels get full almost immediately when there’s a winter rain. Rain storage has been amazing for our yard though.

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

I meant to drill an extra hole in the lid, I just forgot!

[@christinesmith9536]

Harriet, I have learned so much by watching your videos. Thank you!

[@ninemoonplanet]

That water butt will help make a difference for accessing water without running around. How difficult would it be, because of the tiles, to catch the water from the roof now it's repaired. You don't get much rain so every drop added is a plus. Muscle display lifting the butt is amazing after your long health journey. A tub with water +Santi= playing and splashing so he's a "cool dude".

[@anneliesjoss]

Sadly, our pollinators are fewer…….. I’ve noticed a big difference in our garden. The wall you rendered looks beautiful!

[@judyburt8054]

You are a very hard worker😊

[@pattykelly6621]

I was going to say that the Victorians always painted the ceilings of the patios (but I don't think they called then patios) blue to keep wasps away. I don't know why that is supposed to work. But yours is a beautiful blue color and it looks great.

[@lynnemac1402]

Harriet great work on the rendering and guttering, it looks great. I cant believe Santi is a year old already, he has grown so big. Missed you last week but I know you where busy x

[@monikacarless_wordwitch]

Front of the house looks so good with the white and blue! And you're hilarious inside the barrel!

[@anastasiyamemetova3849]

I like the face that you make when you carry smth around :)

[@deeoh3708]

The wall looks so great with white plaster on it. Very bright and cheerful :) The blue looks so cute. Enjoyed going to Culla, Castellon, thanks for taking us.

[@auroraalonso1125]

la albahaca también ahuyenta a los mosquitos. nosotros la ponemos en la repisa de la ventana y por a noche , al regarla la movemos para que suelte todo su aroma.

[@earthangel8730]

I'm so glad you had a nice vacation. Well deserved!

[@lynnechilton5794]

Wow !!Lots of hard work again🌺🌼🌻Love the colour 🦋💙🦋Plant rosemary ,lavender, marigolds, basil 🌱🌱near doors and windows will repel mosquitos and flies.Easy grow from cuttings and useful in cooking as well 🌱🌱🌻🌻🌻🌻

[@juanitakauffman6336]

The wall looks nice with the render. You from door is pretty. The blue paint looks good. Santiago is changing each video.

[@gerryryan1372]

Harriet I missed your vlogs. Thank you for sharing xx

[@jeanettefrancis6473]

Great idea to cover the pot plants with cardboard. Lots achieved with the house.

[@danyoutube7491]

I went to Rome in July too - 22nd to the 29th - my first holiday this century! I was not well prepared though, it was a bit frustrating trying to find information because my 'smart'phone was downgraded to 2G this year (and it was too warm; whereas you had a good reason to go, as a pure tourist I should have gone at a cooler and quieter time of year). It's weird for me seeing you walking down the same streets as I did @2:33 ( at least I think it's the same street; is it the Viale Guilio Cesare? I used the metro system to get around and it looks like the aforementioned street, a huge avenue on which the Lepanto Metro stop can be found).

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Oh gosh I can’t remember exactly where we were, or rather, probs wasn’t paying too much attention! I’m glad you managed to get away and have a nice trip!

[@galefrost7404]

You are amazing. You work so hard all the time. Everything is looking amazing. ❤❤😊

[@davidmiller-br4bu]

Great job Harriet ….Santi is too cute 😊

[@maryannknox7158]

Your Home 🏡 is really looking beautiful inside and outside you’ve both accomplished a lot

[@censon]

Great job Harriet! The place is looking fantastic. It is hard to believe that it is the same house from a couple of years ago.

[@sandrasouza5983]

Hi my dear, lovely to see the progress you guys are making in your lovely little Spanish house. About the water catching water from the roof, I would put a bit of netting underneath the lid of the water butt, to catch the debris that will come down with the first flash of water from the rain. 😊 This was the easiest solution I have used in my own water butt.

[@sharoncherry]

You are so talented when updating your home place. Thanks for sharing your life and family with us. You will reap so much .

[@sharumkama8096]

Amazed with your skill of plstering the wall

[@sadjaxx]

Such a cute hat! and the barrel and the rendering job looks terrific!

[@hildamuss]

Harriet, está quedando hermosa vuestra casa, me gustan los colores elegidos, me trae recuerdos de mi niñez en el campo, ver tus vídeos, tu energía y creatividad son admirable, enhorabuena familia.

[@grahamalastairkrebs2241]

You are a person that say what you going to do, and you do it. Not like some blockers that talk and do nothing.

[@carolmcmillan1108]

Great job Harriet 👌 and Santi is growing up fast 💙

[@jacquelinegomez4974]

Santiago is so cute and your home is coming along it’s getting better keep up the amazing job 😁👍

[@maitegonzalez1261]

Your work is amazing your videos incredible keep going lovely family, can’t wait for next one! Take care in this very hot weather!❤

[@cindygray2236]

Your blue color reminded me about a tradition in some parts of the southern United States. It is called Haint blue and people would paint there porch ceilings in this colors to keep out the ghosts. It was supposed to mimic water and keep out the unwanted ghosts.

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Added bonus if we manage to keep the ghosts away too!

[@DIYGUY1-2-3]

Hi you'll need to put an overflow pipe from the top of the drum, normally the same size as the feed. Also put a filter on the inlet, you can insert half a plastic plantpot, bottom cut off, in the lid with an onion bag wedged in the hole.

[@Alex-nt8wr]

Hola Harriet, creo que deberias hacerle un orificio al deposito negro de agua, oara que escape el aire a medida que entra el agua. Saludos desde Uruguay.

[@MariannaRajtárová]

Good job, you have very prakticky with water from terase. And house look very well.👍👏👏❤

[@dorothyallen3614]

I’m just ❤ you’re looking home is lovely!

[@sherriblake6887]

Your farm and home are looking beautiful! Love watching all the improvements and little garden areas you've planted. Very homey. Thanks for sharing.

[@robynclarke5274]

Great video Harriet, thanks for sharing.

[@deltorres2100]

Love it and your pretty good engineering..you always up to great things…keep up the great work 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽🌱🌱🌱🌱👶🏼

[@MatildeMoon]

Harriet your son looking nice and good to hear you all had a great holiday relaxing you looking well so d`ont do too much in the hot weather try to enjoy your life with Santi see you bye

[@catherineclement7798]

Très jolis les rebords de fenêtre en bleu

[@silviapucha]

Hola chicos! 👋. Me ha encantado el vídeo. Un apunte: el azul que ves en la antigua fachada no es pintura. Es una mezcla de cal, con un colorante que se llama azulete. Mis abuelos pintaban las fachadas con esa mezcla, y la cal es la que evita mosquitos e insectos. Pregunta en el pueblo y verás como te venden la cal y el azulete...un fuerte abrazo familia!!!!!😊😊❤

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Ahhh interestante, gracias!! Imaginaba que era algo basado en cal pero no sabía que se dice que es la cal que evita los mosquitos!

[@gardentours]

The village you visited was very nice. Good idea to put the cardboard on the geraniums. Some of my plants were roasted in the heat. I use the lids of the rainwater barrels as a table for my seedlings but only the ones that are in the shade. Yours is perfect for cups ☕️ and tools. They have a nice height. Have a relaxing Sunday 🌞🏖🌝😎

[@dvidgonzales8376]

He will be such a help to you

[@Hargitasimplyliving]

Love your sense of humor :)

[@oaleooo5248]

Qué alegría ver vuestro vídeo hasta en vacaciones🎉😊

[@beeheart6324]

Great jobs done! I love your videos very much, thanks for sharing them with us! 🙂

[@followeroftheway9861]

You never cease to amaze me 🇨🇦🙏🏻

[@carolblackler9386]

Wow 😲 what a difference 😊. The house is looking so good now. You're such a hard worker 😊😊❤😊.

[@marinajebb1999]

I love that you both just get on with it… your inspirational - I have just purchased a house in Spain and have a lot of work to do. 🙏

[@l.g.4451]

You are an amazing woman and seem to accomplish anything. Your place is adorable and will soon look so clean and fresh.

[@robine916]

You could paint either the insides or the outsides of the terracotta pots with paint and it will reduce the evaporation, in case you don't want to get new pots💖

[@BeccaAl]

The house is looking fantastic. You’re doing so well. You should be extremely proud. I love the blue frames and white walls outside.

[@dvidgonzales8376]

Think it would be so fun to leave the suburbs of Los Angeles for a while but winter will be coming and wonder if we will get two or three times the normal amount. Election coming up but check and balance system can help the smiling a little easier. Fun to have your own space of an ample size, having help does make a difference, good luck angelino

[@SettleinSpain]

looking good, when we lived in Greece the blue windows were allegedly for the same reason, we found turquoise here so are replacing with the same colour. A neighbour has tiled their window openings, with colourful tiles, I'm thinking of doing the same as it would be easier to keep clean... love that smithsdale farm visited we follow them too!

[@luisayepesonoro217]

Que bonito esta quedando todo. Me encanta el color tiene muy buenas vibraciones. El niño esta precioso . Eres una mujer muy trabajadora ❤un saludo Sois geniales familia ❤

[@jeanmeyer8194]

Hi there thku for always sharing❤

[@philipallen8648]

Hi, you will know better than me but I expect at some point the water butt will overfill, unless it has an overflow system on it. Maybe worth thinking about where you want the water to go when the butt fills up. For now, the tap will work well to leave a bit of space in case of storms in wetter seasons.

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

I’ll drill a hole in the lid, I just forgot!

[@paulroberts5695]

A WONDERFUL LIFE 😊

[@cindyconnour446]

Huge improvements

[@geraldinekerr8645]

Love the blue paint .

[@Acidsophy]

Love it all 😍😍😍😍😍😍💙💙💙💙💙

[@makoke1matsuri]

Que fofiño está Santi🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@montsepastor1911]

Como siempre tan trabajadora😊😊😊😊

[@catherinecarreiro3955]

Amazing it’s coming together ❤

[@jldisme]

Have you thought of beekeeping? Pollination, honey and beeswax for candles. :)

[@adoracioncastanerandres2895]

Con paciencia y ganas.todo se consige❤

[@freespiritwithnature4384]

Very very beautiful. ❤

[@kristinregine4798]

I enjoy your progress. good jobs!!!