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The Miller Acres

We help young families pursue a simple, more sustainable lifestyle by planning purposefully with frugality in mind.

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Holistic Health for Women, Intentional Motherhood, and International Ministry: An Interview with Betsy Ruales

November 10, 2023

🎄🎁 It’s finally here!!! 🎁🎄 Handmade

🎄🎁 It’s finally here!!! 🎁🎄Handmade gifts are not only often more sustainable and affordable, they are also incredibly meaningful due to the time, thought, and intention poured into them. The Handmade Holiday Gifts edition of the Hillside Magazine is a collective effort between 20 homesteaders who share some of their favorite homemade holiday gifts. I had the honor of writing alongside these incredible women about how I sew handmade Christmas pajamas for my kids each year. I share my favorite patterns, fabric recommendations, and how to create meaningful traditions with homemade gifts. This magazine has the option to be purchased as a print + digital bundle for $35 or just the digital version for $25.Whether you’re looking for some meaningful gifts to give to your loved ones or useful crafts to make with your kids, this edition has it all! The magazine is over 100 pages and includes instructions on how to make the following and more:* Homemade Flavored Butter* Canning Cranberry Juice* Homemade Bread Baskets* Rosemary + Sage Herbal Body Spray* Mommy + Me Crochet Ear Warmers* A Gardener’s Gift Basket* Beeswax Candles* Sewing Christmas Pajamas* And so much more!Comment the word HOLIDAY below, and I’ll send you a message with a link to The Handmade Holiday Gifts Edition. This special edition is only available from December 1st to 13th, so don’t wait on this limited-time offer! ⤵️#handmadegifts #diygifts #homesteaders #homesteadgifts #handmadechristmasgifts #diychristmas #sustainablegifts #sewingpatterns #holidaygiftsideas

This afternoon, I finally got my daughter down for

This afternoon, I finally got my daughter down for a nap… two hours later than anticipated.We’ve been sick this week, our schedule is off, and we’ve honestly just been trying to make it through the week.Once I finally got my daughter down, I was more than ready for a break and some alone time. But I decided to take about half an hour to give my oldest my undivided attention before focusing in on my work.After eating a snack together, playing a game, and racing like cars he said, “Mommy, I like spending time with you like this when sissy is asleep.”My heart melted. ❤️Connection doesn’t have to cost anything but our time. There are some days where I’m running on empty and choose to forego this intentional connection with my kids. I’m far from a perfect mom and lose my patience and have to ask for forgiveness regularly.But I find that taking time to slow down, set technology aside, and really focus on my children goes a long way. It has meant working on intentional daily rhythms in our home so that I have the capacity and energy to give them my best. Because it’s near impossible to pour from an empty cup.It’s easy in the midst of the commitments and expectations and endless to-do’s to make excuses for prioritizing other things over intentional quality time with our families. But I find that when I do make it a priority, the tone in our home is more peaceful and enjoyable for everyone.On Friday, I’m sharing a blog post with 25 affordable ways to connect with your kids this holiday season, including making salt dough ornaments like these. Follow along @themilleracres as I share more simple ways to cultivate connection with your family at home this Christmas 🎄 •••#slowliving #homesteadjourney #intentionalmotherhood

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is making

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is making salt dough ornaments with my kids. 🌲It’s easy, affordable, and they absolutely love it! It’s definitely messy with a 4 and 1 year old, but the memories make the mess worth it!Here’s how to make your own ⤵️❄️ Mix 4 c flour, 1 c salt, and 1.5 c water.❄️ Knead 3-5 minutes, adding extra flour or water as needed.❄️ Split the dough into fourths, rolling it out to 1/4 inch thickness between two pieces of parchment paper to prevent sticking.❄️ Cut out different shapes and poke a hole for the ornament string!❄️ Bake at 250 F for 2-3 hours.❄️ Cool and decorate with paint!We love making these as gifts or for our own tree! Make sure to SAVE this salt dough ornament recipe to try later this winter!#farmhousekitchen #homemadechristmas #homemadechristmasgifts #handmadeornaments #homeschoolchristmas #christmascrafts #farmhouseinthecity #urbanhomesteading

Alternative caption: Before leaving for vacation v

Alternative caption: Before leaving for vacation vs. the day after we get home. 😅Kitchens are meant to be used. We tidy our kitchen every day—usually multiple times a day—but it almost always looks like the second clip at some point.When you commit to cooking more at home, it often means that you won’t have a clean kitchen all of the time. It requires more work to clean, but in my experience… it’s worth the work.Sitting around the table over a meal is where you can connect with your kids, your spouse. It’s a place where you can invite others over to be seen and known. The table where we eat the food that I cook in this kitchen has been in my family for generations. I treasure the memories made and relationships built around it.I often feel overwhelmed when my house isn’t tidy and the work just keeps piling up, but homes are meant to be lived in. Kitchens are meant to be cooked in. I have learned to love our little farmhouse kitchen, mess and all!•••Follow along @themilleracres as we share about living on a few acres on a farmhouse in the city!

Here’s how to make the shift ⬇️ I’ve noti

Here’s how to make the shift ⬇️I’ve noticed a trend in recent years that many people are longing for a simpler way of life. Whether it’s due to a desire to become more self-sufficient, to slow down, to provide food for their families, or all of the above—homesteading has become a dream for many.However, this dream can feel unattainable when you’re comparing your reality to beautiful farmhouses nestled back on 40 acres and endless amounts of money to invest in every animal or project imaginable. But homesteading is supposed to be about self-sufficiency and slowing down, not about trying to do everything and burning yourself out before you really begin. Here are three AFFORDABLE ways to start homesteading right where you are:1. Water Bath Can: I learned to can this year, and I got most of the supplies I needed at an estate sale in my neighborhood for less than $20. I started by canning strawberries that I got on sale for a few dollars from our local Aldi. Since then, I’ve canned quite a few things from my garden, and I have a long list of items that I want to learn to can!2. Composting: My husband built our compost bin system for a whopping $0. I drove around town looking for wood pallets, and we screwed them together to create a compost bin system in our yard. We throw grass clippings, garden debris, veggie scraps, eggshells, chicken bedding, leaves, and more into our bin, and over time it breaks down into a rich compost that we can use in our garden. 3. No-Till Gardening: Our first year gardening, my husband built 2 raised beds out of cedar fence posts. This past year, we wanted to significantly expand our garden, but when we priced out the cost of lumbar and dirt to fill the beds it was astronomical. Instead, we opted for a no-till garden, using cardboard, compost, and mulch. The cardboard and mulch was free, and we got the compost for significantly less than raised beds would have been for the size of garden we wanted. If you’re ready to get started homesteading right where you are, I wrote a guide to walk you through how to learn all of these skills and more, plus tips and tools that will save you time and money in the process! Link in bio ⬇️

Here’s what you need to know. ⬇️ I first st

Here’s what you need to know. ⬇️I first started learning about home-milled flour when I was looking for a long-term storage solution for flour.Buying food in bulk has drastically reduced our grocery bill and has increased the amount of meals we eat at home. A lot of the meals we eat require flour, but flour is difficult to store in bulk. It is susceptible to moisture and pest issues, and it can lose freshness quicker than other bulk foods. After some research, I found out that wheat berries were the solution I was looking for! When stored correctly, they can last up to 30 years! I have no desire to store food for 30 years; however, buying grains in bulk is a great way to reduce your grocery bill. But, the benefits go beyond long-term storage. Here are 5 additional benefits to milling your flour at home:1. Freshness - The taste of fresh-milled flour is hard to beat! It tastes extremely fresh and the bread texture is incredible.2. Variety - So far, I have milled hard white wheat berries for bread, soft white wheat berries for pastries and baked goods, and rice flour for baking with sourdough. You could mill corn into cornmeal, beans into bean flour… the options are endless!3. Nutrient Retention - Because you’re grinding the whole grains, you retain the essential nutrients present in the grain, including vitamins, minerals, and fiber. This can contribute to healthier and more nutritious baked goods.4. Easy to Digest - Home-milled flour includes nutrients that can help with digestion. You can also mill gluten-free flour at home if you have dietary restrictions.5. Cost Savings - Organic wheat berries, especially when bought in bulk, are significantly cheaper than organic flour. Yes, a grain mail is a large initial investment, but if you plan to bake a lot of your bread products at home, a mill will pay itself off quickly!If you’re ready to start baking with home-milled flour, @nutrimill is having their BEST sale of the year for just a few more days. Save $80 on this Harvest Grain Mill or $100 on their Classic Grain Mill! Plus, you’ll get Comment the word MILL and I’ll send you a direct link to the sale!

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