In The Next Season of Life I mentioned “urban homesteading” again. I am going to urban homestead, or maybe it’s just urban nest.

I kind of started defining it to Ryan as a mish-mash of them both, “my urban homestead nest.”

Day 66: Breathe Deep

In for four, out for five. Oxygen’s good; breathing keeps you alive. Revolutionary Act #66, powered by Experience Life

Urban Homestead Nest

Click HERE to save this post for later.

Our dreams for the future do not include living in a city with 84,000 people, bumped up right next to neighbors (even though I must admit that we finally have lovely neighbors!).

I grew up on gravel roads. Both Ryan and I are from that same, small hometown in Southern Minnesota. Lots of open space and country music among many other things are all planted in our roots.

This March, we will have been in California for 9 years. For me, for now, California feels like home. Since the next couple years will still find us rooted here, I have found myself yearning to bring “that life” to us.

What is Homesteading?

Homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. It means that you completely live sustainably while remaining 100% self-sufficient. Jill is a traditional homesteader, living on a prairie in Wyoming. {For the record, this is what Ryan and I dream of, but this is not realistic for us at this moment.}

What is Urban Homesteading?

Urban homesteading just builds off of the traditional homesteading idea, but instead, means that you homestead within a highly populated area (like where we live). The perfect example is this urban homestead in Los Angeles. It’s completely fascinating, and I fell in love with the idea and concept.

What is nesting?

According to the urban dictionary nesting, “is a ritual performed by pregnant women in ridding the house, the “nest”, from anything potentially harmful to the soon to be born child. This can also be seen as a phase before menstruation where the woman enjoys cuddling and snuggling more than usual.”

Nesting, for me, is neither here nor there, but sort of a combination of them both. I am not pregnant, and I don’t enjoy sitting around cuddling and snuggling all day. 

I do, however, love being at home, making my home inviting, cozy and comfortable. Home is my favorite place on Earth, and if I had the choice to stay at home or go out on the town for a wild and crazy night, I would always (hands down) choose to stay at home.

Urban Homestead Nest

Now that we are clear on what the true definitions of urban, homestead and nest are, it makes more sense for what I’m trying to do in our house, located within a town of 84,000 people and between several neighbors.

How

We are not making any huge life changes immediately. Our plan is to start doing things, little-by-little. In just a little over a week, I will be done working full-time, and then we are going to start implementing some changes, trying new things, and making more space. Some things I want to do include:

• trellis garden (we already have a trellis)
• pergola lights
• cozy backyard living
• cozy porch living
• grow herbs
• grow vegetables
• use less electricity
• line drying
• Dave Ramsey’s Envelope System (we already do this about 75% of the time)
• ferment veggies
• always brew our own kombucha (I haven’t had time to do a cycle in over a year, but the scobys are still going strong!)
• making all the probiotic-rich foods
• DIY old items and furniture to give them a fresh, new look (took a furniture painting class this summer, and I’m already working on a piece)
• throw out everything unnecessary that creates clutter
• buy way less (period)
• meal and menu plan
• simplified Samarah’s room 

So much more to come!

Why?

In addition to the reasons I mention at the beginning of the post, it’s a much simpler approach to living. I am craving space in my life, and I don’t just mean any one kind of space, but instead, space which is free from clutter; physically and emotionally.

But I also know that having this doesn’t just come. It doesn’t come by simply wishing for it since today’s world is a complete contradiction for it. Everyone wants more, more, more, and along with more, we want easy, convenient and quick.

This isn’t about needing to save more money or about having fewer things.

It is about living with a simpler approach to ultimately create more space, less stress. It’s also always about “living like no one else so we can give like no one else,” since this is a part of our family mission.

Xox,
SKH