Stores Closing in 2024: A Sign of the Times This year, 2024, has brought with it an unsettling trend with stores closing left and right. Big-name retailers filing for bankruptcy and shutting their doors are becoming an all-too-common headline. It’s a stark reminder that hard times may be just around the corner, and it’s prompted me to take a long, hard look at how we can prepare for an uncertain future. Seeing store closures happening on such a massive scale is scary and alarming. It’s one of the reasons I decided to start stockpiling fruit, vegetable, and herb plant seeds.…
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The Challenges and Joys of Starting a Homestead From Scratch When I say I started my homestead from scratch, I mean scratch. Three years ago, I bought a modest 3/4-acre plot of land just five minutes from the Tennessee River and National Wildlife Refuge. To some, 3/4 of an acre might sound tiny, but for me, it’s a perfectly sized blank canvas. This land, untouched and uninhabited for over 20 years, boasts a precious treasure: 100% organic soil. Since most pesticides linger in the ground for decades, the long period of disuse makes this a prime spot for planting my…
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Awaken to Change: Rethinking Consumer Habits for a Greener Future Discover how our consumer habits are harming the planet. Learn simple ways to reduce waste, conserve natural resources, and shop more sustainably for a better future. In today’s world, consumerism has spiraled out of control. We’ve all been guilty of it—buying things we don’t need, often contributing to the planet’s worsening plastic waste crisis and overburdened landfills. From tiny trinkets that collect dust on our shelves to electronic gadgets that are used once or twice before being tucked away, our habits are impacting the earth in ways we cannot afford…
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Reducing Waste: Sustainable Living Alternatives to Toilet Paper and Paper Towels As the founder of Sincere Scribbles, I’m on a mission to start more sustainable living and help our planet in any way I can. One of the areas I’ve focused on recently is my shopping habits regarding toilet paper and paper towels. If you’re like me, you might not have thought much about how much waste these products create. So, let me share how I’m changing my habits and embracing more eco-friendly alternatives! Transitioning from Toilet Paper to Washcloths To start, I’ve decided to reduce my toilet paper…
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Foundations of a Self-Sustaining Food System: Land & Supply Essentials Hello, everyone! It’s Stacy here from Sincere Scribbles, back with another update on my journey toward a self-sustaining food system. In my last post, I shared how I began my homesteading adventure by purchasing land and setting up a free mobile home. Now, I’m diving deeper into the next exciting step—preparing to grow our own food and establishing our small backyard orchard and greenhouse gardens. Step 1: Preparing the Backyard for a Self-Sustaining Food System Right now, my backyard resembles a mini jungle or small forest. I…