I especially LOVED the section on Drying fruits and vegetables. Of course I LOVED the sections on Chickens (man oh man, I'd love a set of backyard cluckers). I really enjoyed the section on Voluntary Simplicity (it starts on pg.195). And there was also a splattering of recipes throughout the book . . . I made the garlic and thyme chicken legs on page 254 and it was pretty darn good.
I should also mention it's on Amazon for $12 right now. Definitely worth the $12! It's gets the Mini Manor stamp of approval (one of the most coveted literary awards out there . . . move over New York Times Bestseller list . . . )
Okay, so the New York Times Bestseller list might be a bigger accomplishment than landing on our List, but . . . Does the New York Times Bestseller list GIVE AWAY copies of the books they review??? I actually have no idea . . . they might. But I do know for sure that WE DO!!!
We have a copy of The Weekend Homesteader up for grabs today!
Here are the Details:
To Enter: Comment Below and let us know if you're more of a 'Weekend Homesteader'-someone who loves the ideas and the principals behind the homestead movement, but only have the time or energy to tackle small aspects.
Or if you're a 'Week-day Homesteader'-Someone who would like to grow and preserve all their own food, while collecting eggs from your chickens and milking your cow. Spending most of your days dedicated to every aspect of homesteading???
~I can't wait to see what your answers are . . . personally, I'd say we're Weekend Homesteaders, hoping to lean more into Week-day Homesteading one day! ~
Open to: Residents of Canada and the USA.
Contest Closes: Friday, December 14, 2012 @ 11:59 pm PST.
Like you, Weekend Homesteader hoping someday to graduate to Week Day Homesteader! This book looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat as you - Weekend Homesteader hoping to one day be a Week Day Homesteader!
ReplyDeleteI live in a high-rise and would love to become more self-sufficient. I'm a part-time weekend homesteader ;)
ReplyDeleteI think I am a full time homesteader. Other than the cows and chickens. I love the smell of warm bread and cracking open a bag of beans from my garden in the middle of january. It makes me smile to know that I am doing what I can for my kiddos and the planet I'm teaching them to use.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work and have a great day
ooliesmith@rogers.com
Is there such a thing as a once-a-month homesteader? We are definitely interested in living a smaller, simpler, more natural life. However, with each of us working full-time jobs and little kids, we have a hard time finding time.
ReplyDeleteI am more of a weekend homesteader, but I have big dreams of being a week day homesteader. I just have to get out of this subdivision first :)
ReplyDeleteWeek-end..I've been gardening & canning for a few years, and added raspberries, strawberries & cherry trees to my suburban lot, but like you, I can't go "whole hog" into homesteading just yet, but dream of one day living in the country!
ReplyDeleteWeekend. We already have chickens and we're starting up the garden. But it's more about enjoying it and the simplicity of it, rather than depending on it.
ReplyDeleteRight now I am definitely weekend. but I have grand plands of moving to the country and becoming weekday :)
ReplyDeleteWeekend! I do have a story of a few summers back when I "chicken sat" while a family was away. Needless to say they got mailed by deer in the middle of the night. It was horrible. I have a lot to learn
ReplyDeleteWeekend, for sure. I don't know if I could ever be a week-day homesteader. But I could definitely do weekends.
ReplyDeleteWeekend, for sure. Hopefully after I finish up my PhD though my Husband and I will have more time to dedicate to homesteading.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am a weekend homesteader, but would love to move towards more self-sufficiency. This book looks like a good one!
ReplyDeleteI would say I am a weekend homesteader, although I dabble in weekday business at times. I can/freeze a lot of fruits and veggies over the summer, make my own stock, and am working on making my own bread. I have a 9 month old daughter, and it is very important that I feed her the healthiest options out there.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely weekend homesteader. I'd like to do more during the week but with 3 boys with 3 different school schedules while working from home, just not doable right now, but I'd LOVE to get the book and learn more!
ReplyDeleteI would love to be a week day homesteader but should probably label my self as a weekender. Once we found out I was expeting baby number 2 most of my energy has been spent on growing baby and not homesteading like I used to. I can't wait until we find that perfect spot of farm land that we can turn into our full time homestead.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'd say I'm a weekend homesteader working towards more full-time homesteading. I would really love to have my own chickens someday, but I have to get my husband on board first. This book looks like a great read!
ReplyDeleteMy family and I have chickens during the summer, we have a big garden and preserve what we can for the winter. We have two miniature horses, a dog and a cat, but we don't eat them! ;) We have a woodstove so when the hydro goes out, we are still warm and toasty. This looks like a pretty book to have laying around....oh yeah, and helpful, too, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteMore weekend. Someday I will have chickens though! I WILL! My neighbors have them..like I can see them from my window as I type.
ReplyDeleteTo be completely honest, I am only a homesteader in my mind. But oh how I long to be a weekend homesteader. One day (soon, hopefully!?) that will happen. This book could help it happen sooner rather than later! Thanks for the giveaway - love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI think we are week long homesteaders, I do a lot of preserving, we have a compost pile, big garden, 30 chickens and preparing for two goats!
ReplyDeleteHi, I don't look at the Times bestseller list, but I actually have read quite a few books you recommended. I would say I am more of a weekend homesteader. We live on about a 10th of an acre, and I don't think I would want to deal with poo! But I love the idea of growing my own veggies and herbs. I think I will go check this book out at the library and hope to win. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteHi, Ashli,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book since the trend now is very much toward getting back to basics. I'm more of a weekender but I'd prefer to be otherwise! Maybe some day.
-Didi
I would love to read this book! We are "semi" week day - we have chickens, a garden, and a compost pile. We can and freeze our harvest, but long for the ability to do more!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteWe are on the fence between the two with our organic garden taking up most weekends (and some weekdays) in the warmer months, but would love to do more like have chickens, bees even?
I am going to say I am a weekend homesteader, we have a fairly big backyard for the city and one day maybe we will be weekday homesteaders. Although I am not sure about milking cows and chickens, the neighbours are pretty finiky around here. Good luck to everyone.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashli,I am a weekend Homesteader, but would love to do more
ReplyDeleteHomesteading has quite the learning curve! I am learning as I go. My plan is to learn everything I can on my quarter acre and then go bigger. I am definitely going to check out this book! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think I land somewhere in between. We recently started our own veggie garden, hang our laundry outdoors, make most food from scratch. But dreaming of owning some livestock one day.....
ReplyDeleteNadine U. Sherwood park alberta
I'm a weekender now, but would love to do more! Don't know that we'll get to our own chickens, but we just bought a vacant lot on our block at a tax sale and this would be a huge help in figuring out how best to use it!
ReplyDeleteWe are weekenders! We have a large garden, compost pile, and my husband grows lots of pumpkins! This last Oct. he grew over 200 pumpkins and we had over 100 kids and adults for a pumpkin patch party! SO FUN!!! We are hoping to get chickens this summer! Jana
ReplyDeletejanabergen@hotmail.com
I think I am a week-end homesteader. I live in Houston, TX and I love that where we live you can be in a huge city and then be in a farm where you cant see a building for miles just a drive away. For right now, being a week-end homesteader is all I can be because we live in an apartment, but being a week-day homesteader sounds really cool too!
ReplyDeleteI am a weekend homesteader (or, let's face it, maybe an every other weekend homesteader) who actually has the backyard to be a full time homesteader if I had the time and know-how!
ReplyDeleteI'm a beginner weekday homesteader, I've got the chickens and ducks. I plan on adding animals slowly as I gainore knowledge. Hopefully I'll expand my garden this year as well! This book looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWe are beginning homesteaders - we've just sold our suburban home and have a house on some land in the country. We've been doing the canning/drying food for some time now. We are trying to learn about the critters as we go. We are looking forward to raising our two young children to be more self-sufficient and outdoorsy! BTW, I LOVE your blog! I look forward to it every weekday. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteLaura
I am just a beginner weekday homesteader! I quit my full time job to be a full time mommy and homesteader to my 5 boys! Sarah
ReplyDeleteweekend homesteader for sure!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely a weekend homesteader! Law school keeps me entirely too busy to can all my garden veggies and build a coop, but I'm known to bake homemade breads and make my own garden salsa pretty regularly :)
ReplyDeleteWe're slowly becoming more weekday homesteaders. I can't wait for the day we get some of our own chickens either! :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely fall into the "weekend" category
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteweekend homesteader! But I'd love to ditch my job and be full time! Your blog is fantastic, thank you!-- Amber
ReplyDeleteI would love to grow my own food in our backyard, but having animals would be a bit of a stretch right now. At this moment we are probably int the weekend homesteader group, but would love to spend more time figuring out how to be more self reliant on a lot of things.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog, thank you for sharing all this information!
Gabriella
I am a weekend homesteader. I want to do more including growing food im my backyard and possibly having some chickens.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely a weekday homesteader. This book sounds really great! Pick me!
ReplyDeleteTamara
Weekend homesteader suits me more..:)
ReplyDeletedefinitely a weekend homesteader,
ReplyDeleteInge
I think I'm somewhere in between, a little closer to the weekend homesteader. I don't really want chickens or a cow, but I would love to start growing more fruits and vegetables, and this coming year I am bound and determined to learn how to can!
ReplyDeleteI'm only a weekend homesteader but have great respect and admiration for the weekday types: something to aspire toward! Thank you for the generous giveaway, Ashli.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI am a weekend homesteader with dreams of being a weeklong homesteader!!! I too would love some glorious chickens rooting around in my yard! Thank you!!
I am a bit of both. While I love the ideas of daily homesteader I mostly only do more of the weekend homesteader. I would LOVE ideas though to help work on those aspects of things though.
ReplyDeleteRight now I am barely the weekend homesteader (renovating our home = no time!). But hopefully in the near future I will become the daily homesteader with two of every animal!
ReplyDeleteI am more of a weekend homesteader! :)
ReplyDeleteGee Louise, I don't know! I think that I dream of being a weekday homesteader with a vineyard/farm/garden/orchard like Martha Stewart and we have sheep to shear our own wool having it spun into organic clothes, picking lemons from own trees to add into our fresh garden salad. But as of right now I am a weekender with two little ones-we are barely making our own cakes, cookies and cake pops. But we do try as much as we can to make from scratch at least!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a weekend homesteader, with a new baby I don't have much time for anything else. Growing a garden is on our to-do list though!
ReplyDeleteDefinately a weeken homesteader -I have 2 kids & work 12 hour shifts so time is limited but I LOVE homegrown produce!
ReplyDeleteWeekend Homesteader. Love to grow fresh veggies in Spring/Summer and would like to expand on that in the coming year with other small projects that I can handle.
ReplyDeleteFor me I'm a weekender, but would love to have chickens someday and more space to roam! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a weekend homesteader. I can't wait to have a garden once we have a home of our own!
ReplyDeleteI have to go with weekend (portable) homesteader. Military housing frowns on farm animals in the yard, and with 3 moves in 2 years it is hard to establish a garden. But I would love ideas on how I can homestead even on the continual go!
ReplyDeleteWeekend Homesteader here. I love canning some veggies and we take advantage of garden produce... but that's about as far as it goes.
ReplyDeleteThis looks awesome! Right now I`d say my husband and I are weekend homesteaders since we both work full time, but it`s our dream to someday move into a more weekday homestead-ship, haha.
ReplyDeleteI'm a weekend homesteader, but I know my family would benefit from a more self-reliant way of life.
ReplyDeleteI am so a wannabe weekend homesteader. I was just thinking that I could convert a dining hutch into a cluckin' egg hutch and I have another one ready for hatching chicks.
ReplyDeleteJust dreamin'. My neighbors would have me evicted from the neighborhood if I had chickens, pigs or a cow, so I'm planning to start with a produce garden next year if I can figure out how to organically prevent mice and rats from destroying it.
Thanks for hostessing this giveaway!
I'd say weekend homesteader. I have more time to dedicate to somethings but we live in a small dwelling with no land to grow things. I love the idea of preserving my own food [hello farmers market] and taking steps where we can but milking our own cow and having chickens is currently out of the question. Maybe one day :) My mother in law has cows, horses, chickens, and sheep and is such an inspiration. She can also spin her own yarn! She is amazing. This book looks super neat - I will have to pick up this book even if I don't win. :) Thanks for the great giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI would love to be a weekday homesteader. But, I am an aspiring weekend homesteader.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely more of a weekend homesteader. But, I greatly admire the weekday homesteaders.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a weekend homesteader. I can think of several friends who would love to read this book.
ReplyDeleteI read another book you recommended, "You Can Buy Happiness,..." and really enjoyed it. Even the husband read it although tiny house living isn't for us, it had a lot of good points. I'll wait to add this one to my reading list but won't buy it yet, just in case I'm lucky enough to win a copy. I'm a wanna be farmer (have you seen The Fabulous Beekman Boys? love them and their farm)but in reality I'll never be able to live on a farm and be a full time homesteader. So, I guess that makes me a weekend homesteader.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win another great giveaway.
Weekend unfortunately. I really want chickens too!
ReplyDeleteUm... I can't call myself any kind of homesteader (although I did make jam once!) but I would like to be! I'm a tragically misplaced suburbanite. I think I would like being self sufficient but I have no clue how to start!
ReplyDeleteWeekends for now, but we just bought a new home, so that can change with a little bit of time and energy.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently a weekend homesteader just waiting for the day when I can be a weekday homesteader. I do have 4 chickens! We get 2-3 eggs a day!
ReplyDeleteI am not a homesteader at all yet, but would love to get that way! This book would be a great place to start. I love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI barely know what homesteading is - but I'd love to learn more! We live in an old farmhouse out in the country and I just became a stay-at-home mom. I'd love to learn more about homesteading with my son!
ReplyDeleteHow about this: I need this book to inspire me to be more homestead "ish" I am a domestic goddess that doesn't make enough time to make dinner for her husband, much less walk the dog. I know, bad mommy!!!! My goal for 2013 is how to manage work/home. This book is exactly what I need. Does it have time management lessons?
ReplyDeleteI am a weekend homesteader. I have made peach and raspberry jam, pickles, mason jar candles, and I try my best at container gardening :)
ReplyDeleteWe try to be "Week-day Homesteaders"! During the growing season, we grow, tend-to and love our garden. We have planted a variety of fruit trees around our yard, which have yielded the most amazing tasting fruit. I love to can and preserve almost anything I get my hands on. For now our chickens are just ornaments scattered about the yard (no real ones - yet)! My father was a true farmer and his love of working the soil, smelling the soil and tending to the soil has passed on to me, although on a much smaller scale. The only thing better than working with the soil and harvesting it's rewards is sharing the fuits of our labour! Every growing season is a learning experience and as my father often stated, "You'll never know it all but always be open to learn more!"
ReplyDeleteweekend only unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like an interesting book! At this point I'd say I'm an occasional "homesteader" who would like to learn a lot more about the subject. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
ReplyDeleteI would love a copy! I think I am half way in between. I'm a stay at home mom with a tiny budget so growing food and aiming for self sufficiency is the goal, but our yard is tiny and I'm not that good at it.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a weekend homesteader!
ReplyDeleteAh, that would be a weekend homesteader. Do have a compost heap and try to buy produce from local farms. I do cook a lot and freeze meals as it's difficult to cook for one!
ReplyDeleteI'm a weekend-ish homesteader. I buy local produce and meats, and this year I made my own applesauce and canned my own tomatoes. We tried to grow a garden, but to quote a man in the garden center, "It's a bad year to learn how to garden." I'd love to have this book as an inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI'm disabled, so I'm a 'whatever the hell day I feel go enough to do something' homesteader. lol I love being frugal, cook and freeze meals, fruits and vegetables, and I hope to plant a garden this year. Just made my own laundry soap this week, and it works great! I'd like to learn how to can, and do more to save money and eat healthier at the same time.
ReplyDeleteWe'd be weekend homesteaders. We joined a co-op to buy local fruit and veggies. We are trying to transform our "fast food" lifestyle into a healthy and natural one.
ReplyDeleteWe've just sold our townhouse and bought a house with a yard ... so I'm eager to become that homesteader - weekend, weekday - whatever it takes!
ReplyDeleteI love homesteader any day of the week. I started believe or not when I had an apartment. With a growing spices for cooking now I have a home but not a lot of land. Would love a book like to really learn from.
ReplyDeleteOh how I want to become a Homesteader!!! My goal is to start little and become a weekend one...that sounds like a great New Year's Resolution! :)
ReplyDeleteKIm H.
I am a "tweener". I am definitely a dedicated weekend homesteader, working toward weekday homesteader... Baby steps! goldnuggt at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteI'm a little bit of both like the person above. I work part-time so on my days off during the week I like to bake bread and not have to rely on grocery stores for things. I also keep a garden on my balcony in the summer and this year I actually got to do some canning of beets and tomatoes for a first time.
ReplyDeleteBut I want to do more and would love this book to help with inspiration!
This sounds like such a fun thing! I'd love to get hands on this book and start doing the activities, any time I get to do such things, I enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteWeekend Homesteader, for sure.
ReplyDeleteI am definitely more of a weekend homesteader!
ReplyDeleteI want to be any kind of homesteader, but with 3 kids under 22 months and a full time job, I seem to have run out of time. My mom would love this book, she grew up on a farm and always dreams of going back to the "old ways".
ReplyDeleteWe are weekend homesteaders, on our way to weekday! Chickens in the springtime is the plan. Would love to win this book.
ReplyDeleteI would definately love to be more self sufficent - I would love to try the ideas in this book
ReplyDeleteAlso a weekend :) I think its just great to keep learning on how to slowing incorporate these things into your weekend and then eventually spill into your whole lifestyle
ReplyDeleteWeekend homesteader over here!
ReplyDeleteWe're self-sufficient in some ways. We live off-grid, making our own power. We have chickens for eggs and goats for milk. I just can't seem to get to where I can eat my own animals. Our family hunts so we eat elk meat all year long. I am trying to learn how to garden but it's kind of challenging here in Arizona.
ReplyDeleteIt would be so fun to have a book like this. I love books and it's a subject that interests me very much.
Thanks for the opportunity!
I am definitely a weekend homesteader. We try to plant a garden in the summer. I would love to win the book!
ReplyDeleteI am becoming a weekend homesteader. I'd like to say I'm already there, but I still have a lot to learn!
ReplyDeleteI am a want-to-be full time homesteader! But I'm only limited to small pockets of time.
ReplyDeleteWe are wanna-be homesteaders! I usually search our local libraries for this type of book - love learning new things about being self sufficient. :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely an in-process weekend homesteader. This would be great!
ReplyDeleteWe are weekenders, but I'd love it if we were full time. In fact, my fiancé and I daydream about that together a lot. Unfortunately some of the things (chickens or goats) are viable for us because we live so close to DC. I don't think our HOA would like it!
ReplyDeleteI guess we're weekend homesteaders - we have a large garden in the summer that provides most of our veggies for the winter. I love the idea of completely living off the land tho, so maybe someday I'll be able to make that huge commitment!?
ReplyDeleteWeekend homesteaders, but I really do love the idea of being a weekday homesteader. 2yrs ago we raised our own chickens and we do have a big veggie garden but both were tough to manage with summer vacations, kids, working full-time & running a business.
ReplyDeleteweekender here. But i really love the idea of one day having a small farm and growing much of our food, if energy and health permits.
ReplyDeleteWe have a garden and chickens but we are so far from being true homesteaders...still working on that one. :)
ReplyDeleteDefiantly weekenders, but would love to be more!
ReplyDeleteHave got a pretty large garden, no chickens allowed by our HOA, so more of weekenders but wanting to do more! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI would love to be a "weekday" homesteader. I grew up on a farm, but now live in the 'burbs. I want to get back to being in the country! I want chickens and a large garden!
ReplyDeleteI grew up on a farm too, and my parents are weekday homesteaders...but I moved to the city and live in an apartment and now scheme of ways to get back to the farm! :)
ReplyDeleteI think I'm a 24/7 Homesteader. I would love to do more though
ReplyDeleteI'm a weekender, but one day I know I'll be a weekday homesteader :-)
ReplyDeleteKimberly