Hi! I’m Cynthia and that charming man beside me is my hubby, Doug. Over the last few years, we have been pouring our heart and soul into one thing: creating a suburban homestead with the goal of self-sufficiency and food security. A sustainable lifestyle allows us to spend more time focusing on the things we love like traveling, writing, gardening, homesteading, and the list goes on.
My husband and I married in 2004 (just after 3 months of dating…..but that’s a story for another day) Our goals over the years have changed, but they always revolved around a single focus: Sustainable Living. In 2006 and 2007, we were blessed with two wonderful boys.
As parents, Doug and I want our boys to grow up knowing how to survive in the world. Maybe survive is the wrong word. We want them to thrive. We want them to be able to grow their own food and understand the importance of the dollar. It is our responsibility to prepare them for life after they leave the nest.
“What I do today is the legacy I leave behind for my children”
Tweet
Suburban Homesteading
Growing up, my father always had a large garden. I never thought anything of it until I had a family of my own. Providing nutritious wholesome food for my boys is difficult if I’m having to pay top dollar for organic at the grocery store. When I first started gardening, I didn’t set out with the intention of homesteading. But, as the years passed by, my garden grew and eventually took over most of the back yard. Then we added chickens. Then fruit trees and bushes.
I never thought I would see the day that I would walk into the grocery store and see food shortages. Going into our local grocer, I would walk around the outside walls of the store and find produce that is beyond its fresh date or milk that costs more than $4 per gallon. Food security has become more important than ever.
Self Sufficiency and Food Security
If we are going to grow our own food, we also need to find ways to preserve our harvest. Over the years, we have tried many different methods to preserving the fruits of our labor. From tomatoes to blueberries, our harvest doesn’t go to waste.
My grandmother was born in 1935. She grew up during a time when canning your food was the norm. Growing up, my sister (on the right) and I would spend our summers at my grandma’s lake house. She always had the most beautiful flowers and a large garden.
It was grandmother that taught me how to can my own vegetables. She gave me my first canning pot and jars (I still use them to this day). My grandmother was a large influence on my life. She loved Christ and believed that with a little elbow grease, anything could be accomplished.
Taking my knowledge and passing it to the next generation is important for me. Not only for my boys, but also for anyone who has the same interest in self-preservation and food security. I started this blog in order to pass along what I have learned during my family’s journey toward self-sufficiency in hopes of helping others with the same goal.
Every day I’m learning new things and becoming more strategic. I’m figuring out what works and what doesn’t work. As I continue this journey, I want to share my experiences with you: the good, the bad, and the ugly. We all start from zero and work our way up. If sharing my passion with you from my personal growth, blogging, gardening, cooking, and everything in between can help you achieve your dreams, then I will feel satisfied and accomplished.
