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Welcome


Welcome to Homestead and Chill, your hub for information and inspiration on all things plant-centric, nourishing, sustainable, and feel-good! Here you can learn about everything from organic gardening and kombucha, to backyard chickens and seasonal plant-based meals. It is so good to see you here!

No land? No problem. Just how “Netflix and Chill” is open to some…erhhhm, interpretation… so is Homestead and Chill. It can be a deep-rooted lifestyle, or just a weekend fling. Maybe you have acres of property and dream of raising 100% of your own food. Or, you might live in an apartment but still want to get a little taste of modern homesteading life; I promise I have some tips in store for you too! Maybe like me, you’re simply a certified crazy plant lady(man), always on the prowl to add more green into your life. This is not your traditional homesteading site, if you haven’t gathered that already.

Homestead and Chill is whatever you want it to be. I like to think of it as a state of mind: An interest in a simpler life. A stronger connection with, and respect for, your food and where it is sourced. A deeper appreciation for the role of plants in personal and ecological wellness. An effort to get outside, take a deep breath, slow down, and connect with nature. A heightened consideration for what you put on and in your body, and your home. This is a place where all people can come together in that shared interest.

No matter your background, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, or age – everyone is welcome.
 

Garden to table, literally! A table full of colorful, organic, homegrown produce, including lemons, fava beans, summer squash, passionfruit, turnips, radishes, mustard greens, kale, swiss chard, carrots, red onions, and edible flowers. These area all grown in the Homestead and Chill garden.
A spring harvest. Nearly everything shown here can be grown in any zone, and most of them in containers too! If your space limits you and growing your own isn’t an option, I highly suggest becoming a regular of your local farmers market. They usually carry a wider array of interesting veggies and fruit than the grocery store, plus you cannot go wrong with shopping seasonally and locally! It couldn’t get any more fresh.

On the “Homestead” front:


We will focus on whole-homestead wellness. Planting a garden shouldn’t only be about providing nutritious organic foods for your family to eat. That is certainly a key component and huge motivator! Yet we will also explore ideas and practices to encourage additional benefits to native wildlife, the environment, and you ~ inside and out!

While it is easy to focus on what your yard can do for you, we believe it is also important to focus on what your yard can do for the greater good. This can be your most direct impact on our future, by showing children, neighbors, and friends what is possible beyond the norm. If you’re willing and able, together we can create a mini ecosystem ~ one that is all connected. From garden to table, to compost, back to the garden, into food again. This can all be done organically with the help of beneficial insects, pollinators, and other inhabitants that we welcome into our lives.

A monarch butterfly drinks from a purple verbena bloom, lit up in a ray of sunshine. The monarch is happy and welcome in this section of the garden, full of blooming flowers planted to attract pollinators.
There is room for all of us here. If you plant with the butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds in mind, they will come ~ a mutually beneficial friendship!

On the “Chill” front:


I think it is equally important to work hard to create garden spaces, grow food, and make use of it in the kitchen, but also to sit back and enjoy it. There is no denying the therapeutic, relaxing, grounding effects that come from getting your hands dirty, being outside, living with house plants, and filling your belly with meals made from scratch with organic and local plant-based ingredients. On our homestead, we have created a sanctuary for wildlife, monarchs, pollinators, and also for ourselves. It is a place of both utility and tranquility. Most times, there is absolutely no where we would rather be! We enjoy the “work” we have to do in order to keep up with things around here; it is all about how you view and go about it.

No matter your background or living situation, I hope you too can make your home a sanctuary – where you can work, play, and relax – maybe even all at the same time! A place you can spend your weekends working on something healthy and productive, and then kick back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Unwind with some tea, wine, green, whatever it is you prefer. Then feed yourself a healthy homemade (maybe even homegrown!) meal, turn on some good-vibes music, and chill.

The Homestead and Chill back patio garden. The concrete patio is surrounded by several raised garden beds that are full of homegrown produce. A large archway is overgrown with tall passionfruit vines, creating privacy and a tropical feel. A colorful leaf motif rug and table sit in the center; the perfect place to sit and unwind.
Our outdoor living room, the back patio garden: where utility meets tranquility. Surrounded by plants, the chickens roaming just on the other side of the raised beds, music drifting out the open windows, a fountain providing beautiful ambient sounds (that also drowns out some of the neighborhood noises!), a fire pit on wheels nearby, sparkling solar lights that kick on at dusk… this space is made for chillin’. This is one of my favorite places to do yoga, read, write, or just sit and relax.

Speaking of music, you might be wondering why there is a “music” tab on this site. It is because here at Homestead and Chill, we are firm believers that everything in life is better with music! Especially when you’re out working in the yard, cooking it up in the kitchen, or just sitting back and enjoying your space, reflecting on what you’re grateful for. Music has always been a huge part of my life, and I thoroughly enjoy incorporating it into anything I can, including sharing it with you here.  

I hope you find find this site helpful, welcoming, and encouraging. More posts are added every week, so please subscribe and check back to follow along! Thank you for being here!

If you would like to read more about the author, click here. Or if you would like to read more about our little homestead, you can do so here. Don’t have your own garden space yet, but are so ready to get started? You may like this: “How to Start a Garden: 101”.

Now let’s get to work on sharing, learning, and creating ~ so you too can Homestead and Chill!

12 Comments

  • Anastasia

    Have been looking for information on marijuana for years but just now stumbled on this page. I’m so obsessed and I have things to do but I’m glued to my laptop xD
    Reading one article after another, can’t stop lol. Thank you for the info, awesome pictures and the whole energy.

  • Christi

    I just stumbled across this blog at the office searching for easy raised bed ideas. I am completely in LOVE and I haven’t even begun to read everything. There are even playlists!!! I had to comment and that is actually something I never do. I love ALL OF THIS!!! I can’t wait to dive into this and see all of the information you have. Now going to IG and finding you guys there. This is the kind of thing that needs to be on the internet! THANK YOU!

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      Thank you so much for the incredibly kind words Christi and we are so glad you found us!. Hope you find Homestead and Chill to be educational and inspirational, hopefully we hear from you again soon!

  • K peacock

    A friend just forwarded your link to me, what a rich resource! We’re also Central Coast Cali, looking forward to reading more.

  • Barb Brejot

    I just wanted to let you know that your web page is a brand new discovery for me. I’m devouring every word and article I read on it. I’m so happy to have discovered you. What an amazing source, you are! I can’t thank you enough. Inspiration galore! I can’t wait for Spring to arrive to feel the outdoor dirt under my fingers once again.

  • Danielle

    I had heard of you prior to following you on IG, and then in searching for a good worm composting bin tutorial, I found you on YouTube! Thank you for making it so straightforward. I am now here to look at your monarch caterpillar pics!

  • Pam

    Dear DeannaCat,

    I’ve recently begun raising monarchs here in Central Florida. Your blog has been so helpful! My daughter found you on IG and sent me a video of yours. Thank you for everything and I look forward to reading how you move Chrysalises although I’ve already had to many times!

    Pam

    • DeannaCat

      Hi Pam,

      Thank for the reminder that I need to write up that post too! Oops! Haha. Adding it to “the list” now. Also, thank you for the sweet feedback! Happy monarch season to you and your daughter.

  • Jennifer Deyo

    Dear DeannaCat!
    I have deleted my free garden tool kit that you sent to me when I signed up for the newsletter. PLEASE may I have another?

    I have a special needs 10 year old. We follow you on Instagram and Facebook. My son is an amazing gardener and loves your posts. He’s a huge fan of Quincy and the girls and loves your “yardin”. Much love from Minnesota!

    Jenn Deyo

    • DeannaCat

      Hey Jenn! I just emailed you over the toolkit. Let me know that you got it! Thank you for the sweet message and story about your son! It really made my day. Tell him I will give Quincy an extra good belly rub for him tonight 😉

  • Darcy

    Yay, so excited I found your blog and still get to follow along on your homesteading adventures now that I’m off IG! I have seriously learned so much from you!

    • DeannaCat

      You’re so right – being on another platform than IG makes all this stuff not only easier to categorize and share, but also opens it up to the people who aren’t on IG! Thanks for sticking with me 🙂

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