Win a Gift Basket from Life Unplugged
Sign up for our newsletter and you
will have a chance to win a gift basket stuffed with prizes. Drawings will be
held periodically, so as long as you are signed up for our newsletter you have a
chance to win! Current prizes include pure honey, scented soy candles, vegetable
oil soaps, natural wool yarn, and real maple syrup. You can sign up by entering
your email address and clicking submit in the upper right hand corner of any
page on the Life Unplugged website. Don't wait, the next drawing will be
held July 25th 2009. |
|
Benefits of an Earth Sheltered Home
Some people assume that an earth
berm home is dark, cave-like, and buried in the ground, but it is in fact quite
the opposite. Instead of the builder placing the home under the ground, he or
she brings the earth up, so to speak, to cover the outside walls of the
dwelling. Earth berm homes (and earth sheltered homes) have many benefits to
both the homeowner and the planet. |
|
Washing Clothes by Hand
There are quite a few tools available to make washing clothes by hand a little
easier, but the only things you absolutely must have are plenty of water, a
large container, some kind of soap or detergent, and a clothes line or drying
rack. |
|
|
|
Keeping Goats for Milk
If you want to keep animals for milk, you should buy cows, right? Think again.
Goats are easier to care for, easier to milk, and goat milk has unique
properties that make it better suited for human consumption. |
|
Generate Electricity with a Wind Turbine
Wind energy is the fastest-growing source of energy in the United States. Clean
and relatively inexpensive wind turbines harness the energy in wind and are an
attractive option for those looking for an alternative way to power their
homestead.
|
|
|
|
How to Harvest, Hull, and Store Black Walnuts
Black walnut trees are
commonly found in mixed forests in the central and eastern parts of the United
States, especially in the Midwestern states of Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky.
Unlike the common English walnuts sold in grocery stores, black walnuts have an
intense earthy flavor.
|
|
|
|
Historical and Modern Homesteading
Homesteading, or living off the land, will never be seen as a particularly
modern lifestyle. However, it is interesting to note that homesteading -- as
it's thought of today -- is a relatively new practice that has greatly evolved
over the past several decades. |
|
Making Soap From Goat Milk
 Goat milk
soap is sometimes thought of as gimmicky, but it's popular for good reason. Goat
milk contains three times as much beta-casein (a type of protein) as cow's milk
does, which along with the butterfat content, moisturizes and conditions skin.
It's also rich in Vitamin E and fatty acids, both of which nourish the skin and
keep it healthy. |
|
|
|
Hybrid vs Heirloom Garden Seeds
Planting a garden from seeds is the most economical way to start growing
vegetables and herbs, and it has the added advantage of providing you with many
more options than if you use nursery plants. For homesteaders, the question is
usually not whether to plant from seed, but which kind of garden seeds to use. |
|
|