One of the best things about homeschooling your children is having experiences, not just reading about them.  When my 3 y/o asks me "what is a mammal mommy?" We don't just have to look at pictures in books, we can go on a "mammal hunt" and look for soft furry creatures who give birth to live young.  

Homeschooling also allows us to take beautiful days when daddy is off work and go on a hike.  It makes us closer together because my children have to learn how to get along with their classmates who are also siblings for life.

We took one such beautiful day recently and went out nature exploring.

I am not at all a fan of bugs, mosquitos or any other creepy crawly.  In fact, the only real complaint I have about living on our farm is the number of ticks that can be found and the fact that it freaks me out when my kids come in from playing out in the field or trees and I have to check them over and I often find one of those vile little attachments.   My dilemma is that I have never felt safe spraying bug repellant on my kids and putting the crazy ingredients all over them to ward off insects.  I now have a new favorite weapon in my arsenal...a blend of essential oils that can be used and I attest, is fantastic at repelling ticks, mosquitos, etc.  I think we may all be bathing in this stuff all summer!  We just apply it directly to exposed areas and we are good to go

The one I am currently using is a blend of Skimmia Laureola, Catnip Plant, Amyris Bark, African Sandalwood, Cabrueva Balsam, Wild Orange Peel, White Fir Needle, Cedarwood, Citronella Herb, Eucalyptus Leaf/Stem, Hawaiian Sandalwood, Genet Absolute.  It smells good too!

If you are interested in this blend too let me know with a comment below and we should chat!

Yes, you read that right.  You can garden with nothing more than dirt, newspaper, and seeds.  Seriously...it IS that simple.  I do recommend poles and strings added to this configuration as I will do this when the seeds germinate and my plants start to grow but for now, I will show you how simple it is to feed your family fresh produce from your yard.

Disclaimer...this is no ordinary dirt, though you could use ordinary dirt just fine.  

I use compost because my plants grow about 2-3 times healthier this way.  Before you let this scare you off if you are not already a gardener compost can be as simple as a small pile in the corner of your yard where you put your kitchen food scraps (think whole foods only like egg shells, banana peels, veggie waste, etc) and then you pile on leaves as you clean up your yard, grass clippings if your yard is not treated with weed killer, etc.  There are so many different recipes for the perfect compost but I am here to tell you I do not adhere to any of them.  I simply pile on what I have in no particular order, turn it over with a shovel 3-4 times a year and viola!  The most rich, black dirt you will ever use!!! (you know when the compost is done and ready because it doesn't smell like anything but fresh dirt) this process does take about 8-12 months so just be thinking for next year and use dirt if that is what you have.


So, as you see it is just dirt, newspaper and bean seeds (oh and a shovel for those of you who are in to technicalities).

Next, select the spot in your yard where you want your bean rows.  I made mine wide enough apart that we can still fit the riding mower between them.  Beans take up space and since I have planted SOOO much this year (and still need to plant way more) I opted for this simple means to give me more room.  I have planted my beans this way for the last 3 years and have had wildly successful harvests.  

When you have your spot picked out leave the newspaper folded and about 3-5 pages thick. Then you simply overlap it into a strip in the yard.

When you have your newspaper strips ready you then just lay the dirt on top of them.  The newspaper will kill the grass underneath while encouraging earth worms to come up from the soil as it breaks down.  The dirt is obviously for planting in and if you want to really top it off to look nice you can use woodchips on top of the dirt for a more "finished" look.  At the end of the season (provided you did not use the wood chips too) you just pull down the poles we will put up later and by next year the grass will pretty much cover over the spot you had the beans allowing you to do your crop rotation by moving the rows to another spot in your yard if you choose.  Simple, right?

Then you just lay your bean seeds in a row (yes I plant mine VERY close together) and go back and cover them with a sprinkling of dirt so that they are approximately 1/4" deep in the dirt.  Or you can poke them in which is what my 3 y/o likes to do.

So here is the finished product.  I will add 4 ft tall posts at the end of each row and add string between them when the plants start to grow so they have something to climb.  I also will be planting rows like this again in 2-3 more weeks so that I don't have all the beans coming ready to harvest at one time (succession planting).  I will post more pics as soon as I have germinated seeds and the plants emerge!

I have found as I have gotten older that it really is the simple things in life that not only make me happy but truly please my soul.  There was a time where I was clearly in the race with the rest of the world for the BIGGER, BETTER, FASTER mentality that so many of us fall prey to.  I lived that life and went down that path.  I was definately no happier.  I may have had more "things" but those things require attention and upkeep that often steal your focus.  I am now a farmgirl who relishes in hearing the laughter of my children outside as they make up games to play while I hang laundry to dry.   I am thankful that I am now in a position to reflect on how much simplicity makes me smile.  

Clothes hanging on the line during a sun-filled beautiful day.  I smile just watching the clothes wave in the wind.  I don't know why, it is so simple really but it makes me happy.  I don't have the newest and fanciest washer and dryer (remember this post?) but I am happy with the ones I have and the line that my husband built me out back to hang them on.

Digging in the dirt and planting seeds.  I smile when I walk barefoot through the rich soil in the garden and plant little seeds that I know will grow into ridiculously large and bountiful plants to feed our large family.  I stand amazed to see God's handiwork how something as small as the pea seeds above can produce tall towering vines full of produce for my children to snack on. 

So, the thought for today...look for something simple that makes you smile.