Homestead Happenings / Fall 2025
If you’re new around here, I like to give homestead updates/recaps. It’s a journal my family can look back on, give family/friends an update of our lives, or maybe it’ll give you some inspiration for your own homestead.
I was doing monthly recaps, but I’ve decided to them as seasonal updates instead. So, here’s our homestead update of Autumn/Fall! Hope you enjoy!
Kitchen
It’s definitely taken me a while to get back into being in the kitchen again, grief hit me hard, and I just wasn’t enjoying it. I’ve always loved creating in the kitchen though. It’s been a slow start, but I’m finding the joy again.
One of my goals I’d like to work towards in the new year is definitely cook more from scratch, and eat out less. I’m so sick of how expensive it’s gotten, and how awful it is for our bodies. Here’s a few things I’ve whipped up in the kitchen this season. I’ve also activated my sourdough again, and have been baking away(sorry no sourdough pictures though, however we do make this focaccia bread all the time).
(I’ll be sharing some recipes soon)
Garden
Despite the lack of garden attention, we were able to still harvest a lot. Partly because of the food forest/perennials that are established, and also most of the annuals were started in the spring. I just really lacked on garden chores this summer and fall.
I had so many garden goals this year, but the universe/God had other plans. I’m looking forward to making goals for the new year!
Livestock
It’s the off season for the livestock on our homestead. The chickens have slowed down egg production, and I’ve been letting them free-range more with the gardens put away for winter. We’ve unfortunately lost two chickens the past couple months, one from sickness and one from a racoon. That’s farm life for you. I’m fairly positive all the youngest are laying now, all green and brown layers. Maybe next time we’ll get a blue layer.
Bees are all tucked in for winter, hoping they’ll all survive winter. They’ve got plenty of food, and quilt boxes on for moisture control.
Not technically livestock – but dogs, cat, and bird are doing good.
Homestead Projects
Any projects around the homestead have been lacking this fall or a slow start. I’ve been working on burning some brush & weeds that I’ve collected over the past couple months, when it’s not raining. I put away most of the garden for the winter and have done a little clean up of the property.
I’ve created a memorial garden for my Mom, with a few plants and tree that was gifted to us. This spring/summer I plan on adding more to the area.
Life & What I’m Loving
We’ve had some fun times over the past couple months; crafts at the library, park days, swimming, talent show at the high school, trick or treated in the rain – typical PNW Halloween!
Celebrated my 41st birthday, first one without my Mom being here – it was nice to look back at text messages or at old cards and just that feeling of her wishing me a Happy Birthday from heaven! For Thanksgiving, we had a smaller group, and it went better than I imagined it would.
We also took one last camping trip of the year, to Sol Duc Hot Springs Campground on the Olympic Peninsula. We stayed the weekend in the camper van and had a great time!
The fall wasn’t all fun times, I choked on one of those elastic hair ties, and the fire department showed up. Thankfully it didn’t go into the lungs and didn’t have any problems in the intestines. So, learn from my mistake don’t put them in your mouth while doing hair. We also had my Mom’s celebration of life, it was beautiful and sad at the same time!
Hope you’ve had a great Autumn/Fall! We’re happy to welcome the winter and the holiday season. I’ll be back in a couple months for an update, until then you can always follow my Instagram for daily posts.
