Willow Tree Ranch

Willow Tree Ranch - Chickens and Goats and Ducks OH MY!

2011-12-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I promised I wouldn't stay away so long, and I had every intention of keeping that promise, but then life happened and before I knew it, 2 months have passed. Eeeesh, I've never gone 2-months without updating my blog. BUT, as with SO MANY other things this year, there's lot's of stuff going on here on English Mountain.

As I previously mentioned in an early update, my nest is emptying pretty quick. This is a transition year for our family. It's the first year that all of my brood won't be here to celebrate this super special time of year. Louie, my youngest is here for this year and next and then he's off to either Collage via the Air Force ROTC program OR straight to the Air Force via enlistment, depending on the options available to him his senior year. Ashley is doing pretty good in Japan. The Navy just approved her off base apartment (she has a view of the ocean!) and she'll be moving in any day. Although she is adjusting to being away from home, she still calls at least 4 times each week and at least one of those calls starts off with tears and her telling us how much she wants to come home. These calls are the hardest.

Not really being in the holiday spirit this year, I had no desire to go all out with decorating, but Louie went out to the barn the day after thanksgiving and lugged all the decorations in and well...we decorated. We played our official family decorating song and even though I had to step into the other room a few times to cry (I missed my baby girl), we had a good time and the house looks pretty good albeit, a little toned down this year.

We've also decided that we're not going to go haywire with our shopping. After watching the Black Friday news reports and seeing how the season has gone from a time of giving and time spent with family to a totally greed and materialistic driven joke, I refuse to participate. This year we'll try to buy the gifts we do purchase from companies who are in our local community.

This past year has been tough on almost everyone I know. I do believe something good can come from the struggles many of us have faced. I think a lot of people are waking up to the reality that we've sold ourselves out in years past for things that have had little or no importance when it really mattered. That flat screen TV won't fetch enough to pay a mortgage payment in most cases. I'm encouraged to see SO MANY people working to change that. Not a day goes by that I don't meet someone who is starting their own self-sufficient mission and I say "GOOD FOR THEM THAT DO!!"

With Mike headed towards retirement in a few years we've been talking a lot about what we want to do when he leaves the police force. Although he'll probably do some teaching at the local colleges and University of Tennessee, we're thinking of ways to utilize the land we have. We're officially starting our own mini-ranch which we're going to call Willow Tree Ranch. HOW AWESOME IS THAT??

We're going into this slowly. Next spring we're expanding the garden a bit, adding beehives (just 2) to our 17 chickens and we'll be adding 5 ducks and a few dairy goats by summer. Since Louie will be leaving home soon, we want to make sure we can handle the amount of work these new additions will add to our days. With my new goats, I'm planning on making Artisan cheeses and soaps. The bees will provide honey to sell as well as cook and bake with and the duck eggs will come in handy for baking as well. We'll start with that and see how we do and if all goes well, we're going to add 2 horses in Spring 2013.

Please don't hesitate to offer advice if you're already raising bees or goats. I'm open to all the advice I can get and I'd love to hear about your animal adventures!

Summer Finale' :: Blueberry Buckle Cake

2011-09-05T16:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day!

On this official last day of summer, I decided to finish the season of with a delectable Blueberry Buckle Cake that can be eaten as an after BBQ dessert OR a morning coffee cake. Either way, it starts the day out or ends a summer backyard feast with the same delicious taste.

I used fresh blueberries in mine as I like how they retain some of the consistency during baking, but frozen berries can be used as well.

Blueberry Buckle Cake

Ingredients

3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 8x8 inch pan.
Cream together 3/4 cup sugar, shortening, and egg.

In a separate bowl mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in blueberries. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan.

To make topping: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon, and butter. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake at 375 degree F (190 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy it warm with a nice cup of coffee or a nice cold glass of milk! Mmmmmmmmmmmm

Country Fried Chicken...an Ode' to summers End

2011-09-05T01:58:00.000-04:00

Ah, the scorching days of summer are almost at an end. And not a moment too soon if you ask me. Has it been HOT this year or WHAT? I don't care what anyone says, global warming is in full effect here on the mountain. Every year it gets hotter and hotter and by Labor Day, I am SO ready for Autumn to swoop in and cool things off.

I tend to get a good energy burst at this time of the year,and since I don't have a lot to do on the work front, I've decided to focus all of my energy on the house and property and of course, cooking! I LOVE to cook!

This past weekend while Mike and Louie mowed, clipped, weed whacked and basically addressed the outside chores, I decided to treat them to a nice end-of-summer dinner of country fried chicken, homemade mac and cheese, green beans simmered with ham and onion,s and watermelon!

Mmmmmmmmm, it was sooo good.

Here's my not so secret recipe, feel free to improvise, you really can't screw this up!

Michele's Scrumptious Fried Chicken

Ingredients
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Dash Cayenne Pepper

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Misc. Spices to taste

1 cup butter milk

Cut up chicken

canola oil

Directions

Rub chicken with salt, pepper, a little bit of garlic, and any other spices you want to throw in.
Soak the chicken in a large bowl with the butter milk.

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Add chicken to flour mixture, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.

Dip into buttermilk, then return to flour mixture and coat again. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Heat about 2 in. of oil in a large skillet. Fry chicken until golden brown on all sides. Reduce heat to medium and cook until a meat thermometer reads 180°, about 20 minutes.

Keep finished pieces in a warm oven until time to serve.

*Note* If chicken pieces are large, you will want to use a knife and check to make sure the centers are done, you can fry the chicken for 20 minutes and then place in a 350 degree oven and bake an additional 20 minutes to ensure they are done. They will retain the crispiness.

This chicken is a great picnic item too. Fry some up, pack it in a basket with some potato salad, biscuits, and a nice apple pie, and find a nice lake enjoy a meal with family!!

Service and Sacrifice

2011-08-17T08:53:00.000-04:00

While my daughter was on leave this summer she shared a story with us that reminded me that there is STILL some good in this world.

Ashley and several of her shipmates were traveling from Chicago to Meridian, MS, but had to lay over in Atlanta. The kids had a 2-hour wait and were basically running on no sleep so they set out to find a Starbucks to load up on caffeine to get them through the next leg of their journey.

The kids walked into Starbucks, all 7 or 8 of them, and placed their orders. In the process of placing their orders a man came into the cafe and pushed his way to the front of the line in front of the kids. They were all wondering what the heck this guy was doing.

Ashley said the man blocked the Sailors from paying for their purchase, he told the cashier, "I've got this, all of them" and proceeded to pay for ALL of their drinks and snacks.

He walked up to each of them and shook their hand and told them, "It's the least I can do for you for what you're doing for us, thank you". And then he left.

This single act of appreciation had such a profound impact on these kids. They all just stood there staring at each other like "What the heck just happened?". They had experienced their first act of gratitude from a total stranger. And it was this total stranger who restored my faith in my fellow man. As my daughter shared the story, I had tears running down my face. People come up to her, total strangers, and hug her or shake her hand and thank her. I don't know if they are Democrat or Republican, all I know is... for at least just this once, we are in unity and agree and our hearts are all in the same place.

I've been feeling kind of down lately. I chalk it up to all of the negative things that wash over us every day via the news media as well as the hate and discontent amongst my fellow countrymen. it seems that no one agrees on anything these days and it isn't just a matter of disagreeing, it's so volatile.

Believe what you want, but if you're going to believe it, at least make sure that what you're believing is the truth and based on facts. So FEW people do that these days. Don't be a pawn in a game none of us are destine to win, but instead only the politicians who use our differences to separate us.

I am a military mom and a police wife. I have a daughter in the United States Navy who is serving two tours in Yokosuka, Japan , a son who is enlisting in the Air Force upon high school graduation and a husband who has given 32 years (still giving too) of his life to protecting and serving at just about every level of law enforcement. The pride I feel when I talk about my family can't be measured in words, you need only look in my eyes to know how very proud I am of them. I believe I have earned the right to brag about all 3 of them and most of the time, I just can't help but do so. :)

I know there are many military and police families out there that feel the same way I do. Yet, when people get together all they can focus on is their difference of opinions. We owe our troops more than that right now, we owe them unity. Only a military family knows how tough it is to be away from the one you love. Only a police wife knows what it's like to lay awake at night until she hears that car pull up in the driveway telling her he's home safe another night. And only a military mother knows how hard it is to watch her baby go off to serve their country, usually thousands of miles away from home and mom's help.

Today, I just want to ask all my readers to take a moment to be thankful for those who have made the sacrifice and are serving at home and abroad to keep us safe and ensure our freedoms. Freedom isn't free, those of us who love these selfless individuals know that only too well...

Here is a video that makes me forget the difference of opinion I have with my neighbors, this video reminds me we are ALL in this together!

Back To School Already? Memory making Time!

2011-08-03T14:56:00.001-04:00

Well, for some of us it is!

For me, this means my most favoritist (my own word) time is RIGHT around the corner...AUTUMN!!!!

I only have one kid left at home, my nest is emptying pretty quickly. Actually, it's emptying a little faster than I was ready for, but this is life and I am taking it like a true champ, at least until my son leaves and then I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself.

My son is an academic genius. He counts the days from the last day of school before summer break right up until the final 24 hours of the first-day of school. Most of his friends are the same way, they all look forward to being back in school. In this day and age, that's not a bad thing. My son started driving this summer and had a few firsts. .

He ran his firsts errands for me
He's had his first grocery shopping trip because mom is working 12 hours on a new client
He had his first go out with friends to the movies and the mall adventure
He had his first fight with me about the car
He asked me for gas money already
He had his first "I'm going to be late" required text
He had his first curfew

It's really weird to not have to be driving him all over the place. It's even weirder knowing that I don't have to play taxi driver this year for Key Club, foot ball games, Academy Club and a gazillion other after-school activities. I'm really going to miss it and I regret the times I took the 15 mile round trip to and from school for granted - rushed to get back to whatever mundane chore was awaiting me at the house. I listened to their days activities with one ear. Those 20+ minutes with my kids were precious moments I'll never get back. I'm going to savor the moments I've got left. Man, where did all the time go? Has 22 years gone by that quickly already? *sigh*

Since Ashley left for Japan (By the way she is doing GREAT!), Louie and I only have each other most days. Mike works crazy shifts and when he's home the property keeps him plenty busy. Louie is always the one to jump into my Facebook wall fights over politics and other current issues and let me tell you something, you do NOT want to mess with this kid when it comes to politics...if you do, you had better have your facts and lots of them and they had better be from reputable sources else he'll call you to the carpet and you'll think you're fighting with a public administration professor. My son is the future president! HA!

Anyway, enough bragging about Louie, I'm sure I'll hear about how I mentioned him in my blog. the point I'm trying to make is that it's so easy to let the chaos that builds up to back-to-school rob you of time you'll sorely miss in a few years. It takes a mom of almost grown and gone teens to bring these hard learned lessons to those who are traveling the path behind us. Please, heed the message well. I promise you'll regret it if you don't.

I'm getting melancholy in my old age. I find myself watching television shows or listening to songs and tears spring into my eyes as I remember days gone by. It hurts. But then, during my weekly call to Ashley in Japan I hear tears in her voice as she says "Mommy, I miss you, I wish I were home". My heart fills and I know that even though she's off on her magnificent adventure, she still loves me and misses me as much as I miss her. My baby wishes she was home with her mama. She didn't forget me and her heart still longs for home.

Home. A haven at the top of a mountain surrounded by the most majestic, beautiful mountains and nature that one could hope for. That's the physical description. But home for us is traditions and values that have knitted my children to this place that heals the heart and restores the soul. Home is getting ready for the autumn decorating, visiting the pumpkin patch (we STILL do it!), harvesting the garden, and running outside to smell the smoke from the fireplace on the first night cool enough to light them. Home is the smell of apples and cinnamon I fill the house with in fall, our trip to the orchard and the childlike excitement that leads up to the Christmas holiday season, the most anticipated time of our year. Not for religious reasons, but for the traditions they've both come to look forward too. It's during this time of the year I feel closest to my late grandmother, Lucy. There is so much of her in what we do. My children only vaguely remember her, but they know that the things we do were part of a magical time when Nana was alive and the table was full of dozens of cousins, Italian food, wine, laughter and love. We're a MUCH smaller group now, but the her spirit and my Papa's are with us. I feel comforted knowing that my children are taking these traditions into their own lives and will pass them on for another generation.

So as we head full-speed into the crisp, cool, colorful days of autumn, I make a vow that I'm going to warm the nights by the fireplace even more with quality moments with my son. Be it a rowdy Wii bowling competition, or just a dinner for two on the nights Mike works. I'm going to make memories that will carry me through those days when I wait for the phone to ring from whatever far away land they might be in and when I hear those words that warm my heart..."Mommy, I miss you and I wish I was home", I'll know those memories are comforting them until we're together again making new ones.

Times are tough, good times are hard to come by these days, but making precious memories with your children never costs a thing. Make a vow to turn away from the insanity in our world right now and make precious memories... for you... and for them.

This article is dedicated to my children, Ashley and Louie.... I love you. - Mom.

Mmm...Mmm...Sweet Pickles

2011-07-18T15:36:00.000-04:00

One of the first things I tried to row when we moved to the country 8 years ago was cucumbers. Little did I know, six cucumber plants would yield enough cukes to feed a small army and since I was totally ignorant to any type of preservation methods at the time, I gave what I wasn't able to use in my restaurant away. Needless to say, I gave away BAGS and BAGS of cucumbers and learned that 3 plants would provide enough cucumbers for just about anyone.

Fast forward a couple of years, I met a wonderful woman who would become my best friend, Charlene J...a.k.a. Charney. Here I was, this New York, Italian gal transplanted to the country and about as green as they come. Charney took me under her wing and started teaching me all things country. I taught her a few Italian tips and tricks and she made sure that I'd fit in here in our small country town. I don't get to spend as much time with Charney these days, but she is still my most precious friend and I try to expand on the things she taught me over the years. The most important being how to can fresh tomatoes. How can ANYONE who has ancestors who come from Italy, ever make sauce without fresh canned tomatoes? I will forever be gratful to Charney for that lesson and for inspiring me to expand on my canning talents.

So, fast forward again to Garden 2011. I planted 4 cucumber plants, the kinds used for pickling and while the plants took over the "vining plants" section of the garden, I set out to find a scrumptious sweet pickle recipe for my husband. He likes sweet pickles. So today I'm going to share my first Sweet Pickle Canning experience with you. Here we go...

Quick Sweet Pickles

May be canned as either strips or slices.
8 lbs of 3- to 4-inch pickling cucumbers
1/3 cup canning or pickling salt
4-1/2 cups sugar
3-1/2 cups vinegar (5%)
2 tsp celery seed
1 tbsp whole allspice
2 tbsp mustard seed
1 cup pickling lime (optional - for use in variation
below for making firmer pickles)
YIELD: About 7 to 9 pints
PROCEDURE: Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16 inch off blossom
end and discard, but leave 1/4 inch of stem attached.
Slice or cut in strips, if desired. Place n bowl and
sprinkle with cup salt. Cover with 2 inches of crushed
or cubed ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours. Add more ice as
needed. Drain well.
Combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed, allspice, and
mustard seed in 6-quart kettle. Heat to boiling.
Hot pack -- Add cucumbers and heat slowly until vinegar
solution returns to boil. Stir occasionally to make sure
mixture heats evenly. Fill sterile jars, leaving 1/2-
inch headspace.
Raw pack -- Fill jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Add
hot pickling syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust
lids and process as below or use the low temperature
pasteurization treatment described on page 5.
Variation for firmer pickles. Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/6-
inch off blossom end and discard, but leave 1/4-inch of
stem attached. Slice of strip cucumbers. Mix 1 cup
pickling lime and 1/2 cup salt to 1 gallon water in a 2-
to 3-gallon crock or enamelware container. CAUTION:
Avoid inhaling lime dust while mixing the lime-water
solution. Soak cucumber slices or strips in lime water
solution for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Remove from lime solution and rinse and resoak 1 hour in
fresh cold water. Repeat the rinsing and resoaking two
more times. Handle carefully because slices or strips
will be brittle. Drain well.
Recommended process time for QUICK SWEET PICKLES
in a boiling-water canner

                             

                     Process Time at Altitudes of            

Style      Jar       0-          1,001-       Above          

of Pack    Size      1,000 ft    6,000 ft     6,000 ft       

Hot        Pints or  5 min       10           15             

           Quarts                                            

Raw        Pints     10 min      15           20             

           Quarts    15          20           25

STORAGE: After processing and cooling, jars should be
stored 4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor.
VARIATION: Add 2 slices of raw whole onion to each jar
before filling with cucumbers.

I found this recipe at: http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod01/01600134.html

Summer Treasures

2011-07-14T16:44:00.002-04:00

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

What a FANTASTIC 20 days we had with Ashley! She's off to Japan now and we got a call last night letting us know she arrived safely and so far, she LOVES it! Wow! What an adventure she is having and I just can't wait until we've saved enough to go and visit, We're hoping for next spring or early summer...so I get to look forward to an adventure of my own too! What's going to make it even more exciting is the fact that ALL of us are going! Louie is just beside himself with excitement! He's already announced on his Facebook wall that a trip to Japan is coming up!

The Washam Men - Louie, Kyler, Uncle Pat & Mike

Fourth of July weekend was extra, super, special this year. Not only was our Sailor home for the holiday, Mike's brother and his family came too! It's the first time we've had his family here and it was absolutely perfect. We had an AMAZING 4th of July complete with a massive BBQ buffet and our own fireworks display which was twice the size it normally is because Uncle Pat added 3 Holy Moley fireworks to the 2 Daisy Cutters we usually get and a box load of little stuff like roman candles, bottle rockets and all kinds of other stuff that explodes into delightful displays. The mountain was all lit up as others were doing the same thing we were. I have always said that our driveway is the best seat for watching fireworks, we see displays for miles around us and we don't have to deal with the traffic when it's over!

last night I went out to visit with the chickens, the girls are getting big and I'm pretty sure we got one rooster in the bunch, we can't tell yet, but it sounds like one of them is trying to crow. One rooster and 18 hens, he's going to be awfully busy! Bwahahahaha.... The coop is right next to the garden and I was delighted to see that my tomato plants have literally EXPLODED with tomatoes! I have no less than 500 Roma tomatoes growing with a thousand yellow flowers promising more! The cukes are PERFECT and so far I've got about 20 of which I'm going to pickle tomorrow into sweet pickles for Mike and the next batch I'll do dills. The corn is 4 feet high, the pumpkins are going wild and even after the wash out rain that took all my sunflowers I've got 4 mammoth sunflowers growing! Hey, it's better than none and I would have LOVED to see two full rows of those big beauties...there's always next year and I can still enjoy the 4 that survived! The watermelon plants are doing great and I got my beans, peppers, fennel, and Jalapenos and banana peppers planted. I love going out there and finding the veggies ready to pick and the strawberries are flowering again for a second crop... THESE are truly treasures! I love the fact that it's all grown right in my back yard with no chemicals or pesticides. For about $30 I have HUNDREDS of dollars worth of fresh produce.

One of our favorite summer time foods is Fried Green Tomatoes. We had them for 4th of July and they disappeared along with the fried pickles. Both of these dishes are southern specialties and family favorites. Growing tomatoes provides us with an endless supply of green tomatoes and I'm planning to can a few jars of pickles just for frying... If you've never tried a fried pickle and you like pickles... YOU GOTTA TRY THEM!! They are SCRUMPTIOUS! I've included a recipe below for you. It's my own spin on the classic...I just modified mine a bit. You can use this same coating for the pickles, just get a jar of dill pickle slices (the ovals work best) and serve them with Ranch dressing. Mmmmmmmmmm

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

4 large green tomatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoons salt
Dash garlic powder
Dash (or more to taste) of cyanne pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.
Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.
In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels.

Long Time, No See!

2011-05-25T19:45:00.000-04:00

Hello all my wonderful fellow country living neighbors! It's been WAY too long since I've made a post and I sincerely apologize for my absence. It has been a crazy month with way too much going on, but things are settling down again so I am back to baking, blogging and enjoying my country life.

First, I want to tell you ALL about my daughter Ashley's AMAZING accomplishments! On May 6, 2011 she graduated from Navy boot camp and is now in Meridian, MS for A-school. She was just given her verbal orders for her first duty station...are you ready for this? She is going to Yokosuko, Japan! I can not even begin to tell you how proud we are. Out of all the negatives and struggles we've dealt with this past month, Ashley gave us something to be so proud of. Check out the video of her graduation! She was in a performing division and did an amazing job!

You know, the economy has left my business in tatters, and we've had some issues with our middle child, but just when I think I have failed miserably, something as wonderful as this happens. Seeing my daughter wearing the uniform of a United States Sailor for the first time was an experience I will never forget. Can you believe this magnificent creature is my daughter? I can't.

While away she was given standard military issue glasses, better known as BCG's or "Birth Control Glasses" because no one has ever been known to get "lucky" in them HAHAHA!! She said she looks like Erkle! I think she looks adorable! Check out her formal picture...

OK, so now that I've bragged about my amazing daughter and her amazing accomplishments, I'll move on to other things.

The last month has been pretty rough financially, but we're surviving it and actually, these tough times are just a good reason to become more self-sufficient because I do not believe that things are going to get better any time soon.

Last year I planted 35 strawberry pants and of course, the first year didn't yield any fruit. Well, all that changed this year! The plants spread to about 65 over the winter and early spring and the strawberries just exploded from everywhere! I had tons and tons of berries and for the first time ever, I made strawberry preserves! I preserved about 20 jars of the delectable fruit and gave some away to friends and family, but stored a bunch for winter. I compared it to the junk I was buying the the grocery store and not only was my jam made from organically grown berries with only natural sugar as a sweetener and some lemon juice to acidify the berries for preserving, it ended up being WAY cheaper. Not to mention, they are DELICIOUS!! This was my first time growing strawberries and I was pretty proud of myself and I impressed my hubby and family too!

The other thing I did to try and save some money was churn my own butter. Now I didn't sit with that wooden butter churn between my knees laboring away, actually, I found heavy cream on sale and used my Kitchen Aid. The butter was sweet and creamy and delicious and made the store bought butter taste like wax!! I'll never buy the store bought junk again! At least not if I don't have too! I also ended up with about 2 cups of fresh buttermilk which I used to make homemade banana bread. It was heavenly!

We ended up with 19 chickens, all brown laying hens after giving 10-away to a neighbor. Our coop wouldn't hold more than 19. The ladies are growing fast and almost ready to start laying! I am SO ready for those big, delicious brown eggs! I can't wait! AND, we were able to build the coop totally from recycled materials so it cost us practically nothing!

I keep hearing from our elected officials how the economy is getting better. Honestly, I can't see it. My grocery bill for 3 people each week is around $280 and that's without a lot of extras. My grocery bill when all the kids were home and there was 5 of us was about $300 per week, so I can't really see how this is getting better, add to that the fact that our government is trying to cut funding tot he FDA which is the same as killing us slowly if you ask me. It's enough of a reason for me to be totally committed to growing as much of my own food as possible and learning to make the things we call favorites. I've noticed that this isn't just a trend, it's becoming a movement and that's a good thing I think!

It doesn't really matter where you live, whether it be in the country or in the city or even in the suburbs, you can still produce some of your own food. My focus this summer is going to be on sharing how we're doing more, in a healthier way, with less. So, stay tuned, I promise I won't stay away so long next time.

In the meantime, here is the strawberry preserve recipe I used!

Soft Spread Strawberry Preserves
(I doubled this recipe and made multiple batches)

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.

To test for jelling
Place three plates in a freezer... after about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate... if it doesn't try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) it's ready to be canned!

Rain Rain Go Away....But if you won't I'll bake some bread!

2011-03-26T16:38:00.000-04:00

Sigh... after getting my whole article written, I clicked a wrong button and lost it all, so here is my second try.

Spring came and then it left again LOL, From what I understand my neighbors to the north are even getting snow! I am SO DONE with the snow this year! My daughter Ashley, is suffering temperatures in the low 30's at Navy boot camp in Great Lakes so I can't complain. We're just getting rain and temps back into the 50's. The good thing is, my peas and beets are getting plenty of water! Days like this aren't always a bad thing. The past month or so has been pretty hectic with Ashley leaving for boot camp, my dad being sick and then learning Mike has to be tested for prostate cancer. I am keeping my chin up and being as strong as possible for everyone, but sometimes a girl just needs a day where she can bake some bread, write a few letters and gather her wits about her. Today is that day.

I haven't been to the grocery store for days so I rummaged through the cabinets to see what I had on hand to bake bread with. I had plenty of whole wheat flour and some honey so Honey Wheat bread was the winner. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com and it is by far, one of the BEST breads I have ever made. The dough is super easy to work with and before you know it you have a couple loaves of delicious bread, not to mention a house that smells heavenly. Here's the recipe.

Honey Wheat Bread

Ingredients

3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup honey
5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely

And that's my rainy day bread recipe :) Stay tuned for a Country Living Giveaway! If you love magazines you'll love the next giveaway. Someone will win a free subscription to Country Woman Magazine!

Country Living 101 :: 30 Acres and a Mule

2011-03-23T12:08:00.000-04:00

Well, sort of....maybe not 30 acres and a mule, but how about an acre and a Saint Bernard? Hehehe...

Our property sits on 30 acres, we own 3 acres and are preparing to buy the other 27 from the folks who originally sold us our home back in 2003. At the time, we couldn't afford the additional cost for the land but Darrell and Sharon, the couple we bought the house from agreed to let us have the first shot at it when the time came. They moved to South Carolina but come back at least once a month to maintain the rest of the property.

It's been our dream since we moved here to own all 30 acres and each day we move closer and closer to realizing that. Since our neighbors are rarely ever here, they basically let us do whatever we want as they know we're going to buy the rest, it's only a matter of time.

This year business is so slow it's practically at a stand still, I've basically become a traditional housewife. This is not a bad thing and I'm actually enjoying it. I never realized how peaceful the house is during the day when all the kids are at school and Mike is at work. It's just me, the animals, and the sounds of all of this country nature...pure bliss. My husband is simply the greatest man alive. He lets me spend my days doing whatever I want and has pretty much given me the go ahead to take my little homesteading project a little further than I had intended. He's something else I tell ya. I married a prince.

Now that the weather has warmed up, (we're enjoying temps in the 70's much of the time) I've had time to go outside and really take a look at our property and the property that surrounds us. Our house is partially built into English Mountain and much of the land is wooded, but there is plenty cleared that I can work with so long as I leave the front yard, which is about 2 acres, alone and looking nice Mike is pretty much letting me decide what I want to do. The problem is, I'm not sure what I want to do. The downstairs of our home is completely finished with a second full kitchen, but now that Ashley is in the Navy, it's just Cassie and her cat down there. It could actually be another 1500 sq. foot home with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, the kitchen, a fireplace, and tons of open space. As of now, it;s just there, unused and unloved. I need ideas to put this space to work!

I'm a newbie to the homesteading movement, but I've got the bug bad! I know I need to be doing something so I figured I'd reach out to all of my homesteading, gardening, country living, and just plain creative buddies to see what you suggest. Whatever projects I choose to undertake, I'm going to produce an eTV segment for Under the Willow Tree eTV (or more) and I'd love to feature some ideas from my fellow homesteaders.

Some of my ideas include:

- Raising dairy goats
- Making artisan cheese
- Bee keeping

So tell me... what would you do with an acre of good land and 1500 extra sq. feet of house? Anybody? Anybody? (says this in the best Ferris Beuller voice)

Gardening :: Spring Planting

2011-03-21T16:36:00.000-04:00

Oh how I LOVE the spring! Winter started early last year and last almost 4 whole months which is a long time here in east Tennessee. Normally, we're still in sweatshirts in late December with January and February being true winter months. Not this past year. It started snowing in November and it feels like it never stopped! East Tennessee was incapacitated at least half a dozen times from the snow storms that pummeled us one right after the other. With temperatures now in the mid to high 70's it's no wonder everyone is outside playing in the dirt, myself included!

A few weeks ago, all of my friends and I were talking about which veggies could be planted first and depending on where you live, quite a few of us were starting early and planting spring crops we'd never planted before. My wonderful neighbor came with his tractor and disc and plowed and disced the garden for us so the soil would be good and fine come planting time and finally, planting time came!

Up until I moved to the beautiful foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee I had what most people would consider a black thumb, I mean, I could kill silk plants given the opportunity. I never had to worry about anyone asking me to care for their plants when they went away because everyone basically knew that if I looked at the plant it was a gonner. My husband wouldn't even let me touch the seeds of our first 3 gardens (I kid you not) because everything I touched either didn't grow or died shortly after. I felt like I was cursed in the garden so I set out to learn as much as I could about gardening, planting, and the like. Now, I'm no horticulturist, but I've learned a few things about gardening that have yielded some pretty good harvests as the years have gone by. My husband even let me plant the peas ALL ALONE this year! Ha! I can't truly live a country life if I'm dangerous in the garden.

This year, I'm going to show him a thing or two. I got my first batch of veggies planted. I've got peas, beets, and cabbage in the ground! Oh Yea! I've got red onions and basil started in pots and I just started my first batch of Beefsteak tomatoes inside too! I'll start the Roma's in a few days. No Italian household is complete without home grown Roma tomatoes for canning and fresh basil. I can practically smell the fresh sauce already!!

I never realized what I was missing out on when it came to gardening and growing and the joys and benefits of doing it. I've become obsessed with planting and I spend more time researching what I can grow and how to grow it than I ever have before. I am LOVING this new hobby!

If you're just setting out on your country living adventure let me tell you that this is one of the true pleasures of country living. You can enjoy it too and it doesn't matter where you live. With so many folks living in urban areas there are more and more people planting gardens on their apartment balcony's and in container gardens. Where there is a will and a desire, there is a way! Just Google "Container Gardens" and get ready for a TOn of information!

If this is your first time with spring planting I'd go with peas, beets (if you like 'em), cabbage, or even carrots. Peas are one of the, if not the best plant to plant in the spring. Peas thrive in cool, moist, climates and early plantings will produce greater yields than plantings later in the season.

You'll want to make sure that you're soil is about 45 degrees. Peas can tolerate a mild frost, but you should wait until all dangers of a deep freeze are past. Your soil should be moist to the touch and you'll want to plant seeds about 1 inch deep and one to three inches apart with rows spaced about 18 inches apart. Depending on the kind of peas your growing, you may need a trellis if your growing tall varieties.

Some more spring veggies are:
Beets
Cabbage
Lettuce
Spinach
Carrots
Broccoli
and a few more (See the chart below)

Here is a handy dandy chart I found on Heirloom Seeds (Heirlooms seeds are the best!)

VARIETY

MARCH 20

MARCH 30

APRIL 10

APRIL 20

APRIL 30

MAY 10

May 20

BEAN, LIMA	APRIL 1	APRIL 15	APRIL 20	MAY 1	MAY 10	MAY 20	JUNE 1
BEAN, SNAP	MARCH 25	APRIL 10	APRIL 15	APRIL 25	MAY 5	MAY 15	MAY 25
BEET	FEB. 15	MARCH 1	MARCH 10	MARCH 20	APRIL 1	APRIL 15	APRIL 25
BROCCOLI, PLANTS	FEB. 15	MARCH 1	MARCH 10	MARCH 20	APRIL 1	APRIL 15	APRIL 25
CABBAGE, PLANTS	FEB. 15	MARCH 1	MARCH 10	MARCH 20	APRIL 1	APRIL 15	APRIL 25
CARROT	FEB. 15	MARCH 1	MARCH 10	MARCH 20	APRIL 1	APRIL 15	APRIL 25
CHARD	FEB. 20	MARCH 1	MARCH 15	APRIL 1	APRIL 15	APRIL 20	APRIL 30
COLLARD, PLANTS	FEB. 15	MARCH 1	MARCH 10	MARCH 15	APRIL 1	APRIL 15	APRIL 25
CORN, SWEET	MARCH 30	APRIL 10	APRIL 20	MAY 1	MAY 10	MAY 20	MAY 30
CUCUMBER	APRIL 1	APRIL 10	APRIL 20	MAY 1	MAY 10	MAY 20	MAY 30
EGGPLANT, PLANTS	APRIL 1	APRIL 10	APRIL 20	MAY 1	MAY 10	MAY 20	MAY 30

If you've already started your spring planting, I'd love to hear what you've got growing! Feel free to send pictures too! I'll include them on our Facebook Page and if you haven't already done so, join our community! It's free and you can share your gardening adventures with the rest of us..videos are welcome too!

Click here to join the Under the Willow Tree Members community.

Country Living 101 :: Surviving a Disaster Series - Part I

2011-03-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

The events that have enveloped Japan over the past week have inspired me to kick things up a notch. My heart goes out to the Japanese people. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to live through an earthquake, a tsunami, and the threat of a nuclear meltdown all in one week.

Having been raised in Buffalo, NY and having lived in Florida for 23 years the closest I've come to disaster is The Blizzard of '77 and Hurricane Andrew along with a few minor hurricanes in between. I can remember losing power, but we never went without food and water and our house stayed intact. Yea, it was uncomfortable but my mom was pretty good when it came to making things work. During the blizzard she cooked in the fireplace and on a portable propane stove and the hurricanes left us without air conditioning, but we had it pretty easy. It's laughable that people were complaining about having to suffer the heat without their A/C while the power company worked to restore service. I just can't imagine having everything we own, pets, pictures, furniture, and in many cases in the tsunami effected area, family members washed away in a matter of minutes. I can't imagine not having a home to go to where I can lay down and sleep or go to the refrigerator and get a cold drink or microwave a quick snack. None of the people I know can imagine it either. Most of the people I know have what's called "Normalcy Bias". It's when you are convinced that nothing like that could ever happen to you or that the U.S. government would be there to rescue you in the event of disaster striking. Oh people...it's time to wake up. I'm not trying to panic anyone, but the reality of the times we live in should be enough to convince you that you need to be prepared.

One need only look back to the situation that people in New Orleans were left in Post Katrina to realize that the only one you are going to be able to depend on in a disaster is yourself and your family. One of the good things I love about country living is the lessons I've learned about using anything and everything you have for something. Old clothing can be turned into rag quilts, leftovers can be preserved and stored, what we eat, how we prepare it and how we preserve it are all part of a country living mindset. Urban homesteaders have made being self-sufficient an art-form and are raising their own small livestock in their city backyards, they're growing their own food, and learning to live as "off-grid" as possible. If you live in the city near someone who is urban homesteading, my advice would be to befriend them and learn as much as you can. You won't be sorry. In my opinion, the urban homesteading movement couldn't have kicked into high gear at a better time than now.

Until recently, I never really paid much attention to things like this. I had "Normalcy Bias" and believed that nothing as catastrophic as what happened in Japan or even New Orleans would ever touch my world. I believe that is the wrong attitude to have these days. Here's the way I see it. Our government has proven time and again that they are unreliable, not trustworthy, and lately not working in the best interest of the people. I didn't come to these realizations easily and actually used to mock people who used to believe these same things. Over the past several months it seems as if lots of people who used to be just like me are starting to feel the same way. It's like some of us can just feel the change coming and people who never thought about growing their own food or raising chickens or bees are starting to teach themselves these things and more about being self sufficient. We're not panicking, but we know something isn't right and we need to be prepared.

There are a gazillion resources online for disaster preparedness, but I thought I'd just cover a few basics. I'd love to hear from any of you who are prepared and will share your ideas with the rest of my readers. I don't think we can ever be OVER prepared and since we all live in different areas and setting, hearing different ideas is a good thing.

Disaster Planning:

1.) Have a Plan! - The most important part of a family disaster plan is the plan itself. You'll want to make sure that the whole family is familiar with the plan especially if there's a good chance that family members won't all be home or in the same location if/when disaster should strike. For instance, if you and your spouse work and you have kids in school, have a plan in place on where everyone should meet and a backup location if something should happen to your first location. Not knowing where your loved ones are during a catastrophic event is scary for you and for them. You might want to take the time to prepare a written booklet and make sure everyone knows where it is. You can use the booklet to document important details of your plan.

If you're responsible for extended family like elderly parents, etc. you'll want to make sure that if they are capable, they are familiar with the plan as well. Leave instructions with any medical or retirement facilities of what you wish to be done with your family member in the event of an emergency. Since communication is one of the first things lost in a disaster, make sure your plan has been clearly and effectively communicated with all members of your family and touch base every so often to refresh everyones memory.

Don't forget your pets. Our furry family members depend on us for their very survival and comfort. They lack the ability to understand any plans or preparations and in the event of a disaster they'll need you all the more. Make sure your disaster plan includes plans for your pets. Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing the images of Katrina and other natural disasters where pets roamed the streets starving, in search of food and shelter. Don't let that be your pet.

To some people it may seem extreme, but you'll be glad you took the time to prepare should disaster strike.

2.) Prepare a Disaster Kit - It's a good idea to have 2 disaster kits. One for home and one for the car in the event that you are not home if disaster strikes and especially if you live in an area where the weather gets super cold.

At home, be sure to keep all of your important papers like passports, birth certificates, social security cards, etc. all in one place. This ensures that in the event that you need them, you can grab them all at once with your bag and go instead of wasting time to search for them.

Fema recommends the following Items for your home disaster kit:

Three-day supply of non-perishable food.
Three-day supply of water - one gallon of water per person, per day.
Portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra batteries.
Flashlight and extra batteries.
First aid kit and manual.
Sanitation and hygiene items (moist towelettes and toilet paper).
Matches and waterproof container.
Whistle.
Extra clothing.
Kitchen accessories and cooking utensils, including a can opener.
Photocopies of credit and identification cards.
Cash and coins.
Special needs items, such as prescription medications, eye glasses, contact lens solutions, and hearing aid batteries.
Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers.
Other items to meet your unique family needs.

If you live in a cold climate, you must think about warmth. It is possible that you will not have heat. Think about your clothing and bedding supplies. Be sure to include one complete change of clothing and shoes per person, including:

Jacket or coat.
Long pants.
Long sleeve shirt.
Sturdy shoes.
Hat, mittens, and scarf.
Sleeping bag or warm blanket (per person).

Just as important as putting your supplies together is maintaining them so they are safe to use when needed. Here are some tips to keep your supplies ready and in good condition:

Keep canned foods in a dry place where the temperature is cool.
Store boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers to protect from pests and to extend its shelf life.
Throw out any canned good that becomes swollen, dented, or corroded.
Use foods before they go bad, and replace them with fresh supplies.
Place new items at the back of the storage area and older ones in the front.
Change stored food and water supplies every six months. Be sure to write the date you store it on all containers.
Re-think your needs every year and update your kit as your family needs change.

Keep items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers, such as an unused trashcan, camping backpack, or duffel bag.

Some pet care items to include:

proper identification / immunization records / medications
ample supply of food and water
a carrier or cage
muzzle and leash

Car Disaster kit:

In case you are stranded, keep a kit of emergency supplies in your car.
This kit should contain food, water, first aid supplies, flares, jumper cables, and seasonal supplies.

You can learn more about FEMA's recommendations by clicking here.

So ends the first part of our Disaster Series. I hope this information is helpful to you. I don't want you to panic, but I want you to overcome any "Normalcy Boas" you might be dealing with and just be prepared.

In our next issue, we'll be talking about how to deal with disaster when you live in an urban area, what to do during the disaster and after and some survival tips.

Be sure to send me any of your disaster planning tips, I'll include them in our series!

Country Living 101 :: 10 Reasons To Become More Self Sufficient

2011-02-28T13:53:00.000-05:00

The economic crisis we are currently living through is a good enough reason for most people to want to live more self-sufficiently. Granted, becoming totally self-sufficient is not something you can do overnight but if you start now, within a year you can be closer to becoming a producer instead of a consumer. Call me fanatical, but I just can't help the overwhelming urge to encourage everyone I come in contact with to start planning for bad times. The hand writing is on the wall, please, heed the warning. If you do, the bad times won't seem...well... as bad.

I found a pretty good list of the 10 Reasons why you should become more self-sufficient and 10 steps to getting started on your way to off-grid living. This list was found at Activist Post. Check them out, they have tons of good articles. Anyway, on to the good stuff.

10 Reasons to Become Self-Sufficient

1. Freedom from market manipulation – The traditional market-driven investment vehicles are more and more obviously controlled by traders and banking institutions. The debacle of the private Federal Reserve Bank is just the icing on the cake to a previous decade full of Ponzi-type schemes. Now, the institutionalized looting of retirement money is being planned.

2. Hedging against inflation – Have you noticed the price of goods lately? Even Wal-Mart is silently raising its prices. People might have a choice whether or not to buy stocks or gold, but people have to eat – the current increases in basic goods portend hyperinflation, and will not ease anytime soon. Food shortages could make the problem exponentially worse.

3. Increasing health and wellness – It has now been revealed that some "organic" items have been falsely labeled. In addition, a host of "GMO-free" brands have been exposed as deceptive. GMO food lacks the nutritional value of what can be grown in the average backyard. GMO mega-corporation, Monsanto, has a sordid history and has continuously trampled on our trust. It is time that we do the work ourselves.

4. Building community strength – We constantly hear people say, "I don't even see my neighbors, let alone know anything about them." Of course not: 80-hour workweeks and grabbing meals-to-go doesn't exactly promote community interaction. With such little time to interact with our immediate community, it is no wonder why many people report feeling disconnected. In these trying times, it is a local community that can offer the best support.

5. Working for yourself – Working hours are increasing, pay is often decreasing, and corporate executives are taking bigger bonuses than ever. This is leading to a prevailing disgust, as people are being forced to admit that they are living lives of near-indentured servitude. Even for those not working in corporations, working for someone else is rarely as satisfying as creating and working for something where every minute you spend is yours alone.

6. Having more free time – We have been taught to believe that life on a farm is arduous sun-up to sun-down drudgery where you collapse at the end of the day. This is not so much the case anymore. Sure, the setup of any farm or self-sufficient endeavor is often time-consuming and laborious, but new technologies and new skills of manufacturing food via permaculture and aquaponics are offering low-cost start up and minimal maintenance, as these techniques serve to create symbiotic systems that are remarkably self-governing.

7. Generating food and energy security – The planet is running out of food and traditional energy. Climate volatility, market forces, GM foods, and rising costs of harvesting and transporting food are all conspiring to create food shortages even in the First World. This trend will not reverse. And our oil-soaked way of life is being threatened by mounting evidence that the oil lifeline could be disconnecting rather soon. We should be looking to the air, sun, geothermal, and wave power to wean us from the energy grid.

8. Acquiring an appreciation for life – As one gets closer to life-giving forces, there is a natural appreciation for how things come into being. When you have created your garden, toiled there, selected the best for harvest, and have prepared that food for your family and community, the significance of what you have taken part in can be transformative.

9. Restoring balance – Nearly everything in our society is at a peak, or is drastically out of balance. The systems and governments to which we have looked for balance restoration are missing in action. We must take it upon ourselves to restore our own financial and environmental balance sheet. The best way to do that is to reduce our overconsumption.

10. Becoming a producer, not a consumer - This is the best way to reduce your cost of living and increase your self-sufficiency. In the U.S. over 70% of the economy is based on people buying things. This is a clear sign of imbalance and, by extension, it is not sustainable.

Furthermore, we also have seen corporations race to the bottom (see video below) to find low-cost production on the backs of desperate people. The exploitation of the Third World to clothe, feed, and entertain the First World is something that most people do not want to think about, but it is abominable. Again, new technologies are making it easier than ever to produce your own food, and even your own clothes.

Now, the solution or at least some steps to a good start This list was also found at Activist Post:

10 Ways to Get to Self-Sufficiency

The global economic collapse has become an eye-opening experience for many people. The ongoing crisis continues to create more joblessness at a time when the cost of essential items like food and energy continue to rise.

The following are 10 suggestions that can lead to independent living:

Reduce your debt: Especially get your credit card debt under control, since it is entirely corrupt. Call your credit card companies and ask for a work out plan similar to what they received from the taxpayer bailout. If they don't cooperate to your satisfaction, there are some reasons not to pay at all.

(Under the willow Tree does not advocate not paying your bills. This link leads to information for folks who are in no-win credit card situations)

Reduce your consumption: Evaluate your current budget and determine absolute necessity. Push your comfort level to find areas where you can scale back, and then identify comforts that you’re willing to sacrifice.

Reduce energy use: Change light bulbs, have entertainment systems plugged into a splitter that can be shut off completely to reduce phantom charges, etc. Carefully plan shopping trips and other transportation needs.

Store energy: Always have back-up propane storage and a large wood pile for a rainy day. Investing in a generator of some kind (even a solar generator) will be money well spent

Invest in food storage: With a falling dollar and rising food prices, why not create a food savings account? Get some good books, dehydrators and vacuum sealers for storage methods. Best storable food items are grains (rice, beans, flour), canned goods, seeds, and some prepackaged items.

Produce your own food: Replace your lawn with a garden, fruit trees, and keep chickens. Go on hunting and gathering adventures for nuts, fish, and wild game. Store extra garden seeds!

Learn new skills: Surf the Internet, read books, and take courses in practical skills like gardening, cooking with whole foods, composting, carpentry, alternative energy, natural health and wellness etc.

Start a side business: Turn your passion or hobby into a small side business to make some supplemental income. Who knows, it may become your path to full financial independence.

Install alternative energy: Start with small installations like a solar hot water system, a solar freezer, a solar attic fan, or a wood stove etc. If you have limited funds, tip-toe your way to independence.

Suggest solutions for your community: Start or join a local cooperative for food, products, and services. Engage your local community in discussions to take steps for self-sufficiency. Share your story and build support.

These steps will save money as we move closer to the ultimate prize of independence.

Each action we take to live more simply frees us from the control systems put in place to make our lives more complicated, more toxic, and less independent.

Again, a great big THANK YOU to our friends at at Activist Post

DO You Know How Safe Your Food Is? Do You Care?

2011-02-26T21:23:00.000-05:00

The last few months we've heard quite a bit about terrorists who may try to poison the food supply, Relax, the terrorists aren't going to poison us because the government is allowing the big agriculture corporations like Monsanto do it. Here's the point where we, meaning you and I, either stay friends, or you decide that I've lost my mind and we part ways. I haven't lost my mind, actually I've found it. The past year has been quite interesting. You see, I stopped drinking the Kool-Aid and when I did my eyes began opening to the ugly truths that surround us. All of us. My new mission in life is to help as many people as I can see the truth as well as prepare for the situations I believe we are all facing in the near future.

Up until recently I paid little attention to things like "GMO's" (Genetically modified organisms), toxic pathogens in livestock feed and crops", and the blatant corruption in the government agencies who regulate the producers of our food supply. The more I read, the more I realized that Monsanto's claims that all of these derogatory reports about them we're false couldn't be. The fact that the corruption is so obvious leads me to believe that my fellow Americans have truly dropped the ball when it comes to anything that distracts them from their iPhones, XBoxes and PC's.

Big corporations are in bed with just about every government agency so why should agriculture be any different? Is anything safe? Apparently not. How much do YOU know about the food you eat? Are you, like 99% of the rest of the population content with whatever is written on the label? Do you have ANY idea where the food you feed your family comes from and if you learned it was toxic would you even care? I mean after all, it looks good, smells good and tastes good. Wake up people. The people who control our food supply are POISONING you!

Take a moment to Google: Monsanto, Roundup, Monsanto law suits, Monsanto documents, and then think decide if you really think all of the information is overblown or hyped, or conspiracy theory. Think about how you're going to protect your family from this company that controls almost all of the worlds food supply. Their goal is to control 100% within 10-20 years.Most people are not informed, they are conditioned to believe what the mainstream media tells them to believe. Most people never take the time to check the facts. It's time to take self-sufficiency seriously.

Do I sound like one of those survivalist people that spout end-of-the-world scenarios? When you dig deeper and start learning what's really going on beneath the surface of the mainstream media glossing over the facts, you'll get serious too. And then again, maybe you won't. Whatever you decide, you and your family will be left with the consequences be they good or bad. When it comes to my family, I tend to err on the side of extreme caution.

Whether you believe it or not, there are things that are happening that put everyone at risk. When you simply ignore it, you are only putting yourself in a position to have to take emergency or crisis action instead of being prepared. No one is saying you have to build an underground bunker and hide out, but opening your mind to the possibility that that change you feel coming is real and you need to act. There is a reason why people are learning to garden, preserve their food, and stockpile. There is a reason why people are researching "self-sufficiency", urban homesteading, and prepping in record numbers and why the movement to be more self-sufficient is growing by the hour. It's because people can FEEL the change coming. Some will listen to that inner voice and prepare and some will say that those of us that are have gone crazy and bought into the conspiracy theories of future disaster.

Do you ever wonder why cancer rates have risen greatly over the past few decades? Is it possible that the people who claim our food is being poisoned may just be right? What do you have to lose by checking it out and educating yourself? Search for facts about how our environment and all of the toxins released into it are causing this rise in cancer.

(Global cancer rates are expected to increase 50 percent by the year 2020, according to the latest report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO). The 351-page study, titled World Cancer Report, begins by explaining that 10 million people developed malignant tumors and 6.2 million died from the disease in the year 2000. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/apr2003/canc-a26.shtml)

Under the Willow Tree is committed to bringing you the most accurate information and the BEST ways to become more self-sufficient. Stop listening to the main stream media, start seeking facts and information independently and be prepared.

For those that decided to stick it out with me, thanks for letting me rant. I truly care about you and hope you'll take the initiative to protect yourself and your family, it's obvious that our government isn't going to do it for us!

The Saving Grace :: Urban Homesteaders

2011-02-21T10:55:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you have to be thrust into an unsuspecting situation to truly appreciate some people for who and what they are. Last week, around Wednesday'ish, I had a life changing experience. Good things do come of bad situations and there is still plenty of good left in humanity even if the good ones are off the grid. Well, sort of anyway.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...The world is headed for some mighty big changes. No, I'm not talking about 2012 doomsday scenarios, although, at the rate we're abusing our planet, it's always possible that we'll find ourselves facing cataclysmic events we weren't expecting. No, I'm talking about a shift in attitude en mass.

If the Durvaes Trademark scandal has accomplished anything, it managed to bring the urban homesteading community together, united in one cause. Within days, hundreds of us had come together as one to fight the greedy corporate attitude that has literally destroyed America starting with one Jules Dervaes and family. We were all sharing, and "liking", friending, and following each other and within days we all gained a couple hundred new friends and colleagues in our quest to make the world a better place.

Urban homesteaders EVERYWHERE today are flooding the Net with articles and posts about the one thing that belongs to no one person but to all of us who wish to live and teach others about living a self-sufficient lifestyle in urban areas e.g. urban homesteading. Not one of us claims to have invented the concepts that set us part from most of society, we all openly share our techniques and secrets with one another. The NERVE of Mr. Durvaes to think he would get away with trying to take our way of life and control it for his profit. Not only NO but HELL NO!

I'm not an urban homesteader, I'm in the process of being a rural homesteader, BUT my website - Under the Willow Tree DOES contain information about urban homesteading (notice I am not using any TM symbols? I REFUSE TO give Mr. D. ANY credit for the lifestyle).

So, what's so great about urban homesteaders and urban homesteading? PLENTY! The urban homesteading community is made up of the very people who will be the saving grace of our society WHEN it goes to crap. These people have mastered the art of living off grid, as much as possible, in urban and suburban settings. They grow their own food, raise their own livestock, make their own cheese, raise their own bees, and SO much more! The big corporations and government want you to think they are nothing but a bunch of tree-hugging hippies. If you think that, well, then your just one of the sheeple who keeps feeding the corporate machine while they return your loyalty with processed foods that are killing you, chemical saturated nutrition, an environment they are raping for profit, and a speech to make you think they care about you, your family, and your well-being.

"Here, eat these veggies grown from genetically modified seeds"

"Have some of this beef raised on toxic, pesticide coated feed and pumped with more toxic steroids"

Enter an urban homesteader. These people start planning their city gardens the day after Christmas, they spend all of their time supporting themselves and many of them do it on apartment balcony's, rooftops, postage size lots and some even do it indoors. GO figure! They grow and harvest enough to give to their neighbors, the local food bank, and anyone who might need a little help. They do this with no thought of depleting their stock. They just do it. It's the spirit of sharing and giving that makes up their character. Not just here and there, but ALL of them. That's part of who an urban homesteader is.

Some urban homesteaders take it a step further. They've learned what most people don't know or refuse to believe and that is, even our food supply is tainted and poisoned by the big corporations solely for the almighty dollar. Our livestock like beef cows, dairy cows, and chickens are raised in inhumane ways, fed steroids and genetically modified feed to produce MORE MORE MORE for LESS, LESS, LESS! These urban homesteaders are creating organic seeds and feed that eliminate the poison from our food. Most people are too stupid to take them seriously, but many of us know exactly how valuable a part they play in our system. They are creating LIFE and to those of us who belong to this community, they are a saving grace.

Can you grow enough food to sustain your family for an entire winter? Can you preserve it? Know how to raise chickens or bees in your backyard? How about making homemade cheese or soap? Probably not. Urban homesteaders do.

Go ahead, call us tree huggers, we are. Make fun of our burning desire to store our food and preserve all we can in case of an emergency, call us hippies... it kinda has a nice ring to it these days. But when you're done making fun, remember, it's the neighbor next door to you who has turned their 500 square foot yard or their 10 square foot balcony into a harvest that may be your saving grace if disaster strikes.

It's time to wake up people. You've been used by corporate America long enough. Find the energy, find the time and find the desire to start living a more self-sustaining life. Go ahead, tell us we're all doom-sayers and survivalists, maybe we are. But then take a moment to remember events like Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath and how responsive the government was to New Orleans. Do you think they'd do any better in a city like New York, Los Angeles or Miami? Good luck!

Are you ready for the increase on your food, fuel and basic essentials? Can your already strapped budget afford to go out and buy healthy, organic, fresh produce? Probably not. It might be a good time to make friends with your neighborhood urban homesteader. They may be your saving grace. While you're at it, learn as much as you can from them. I guarantee you won't be sorry.

Today is dedicated to urban, suburban, and rural homesteaders EVERYWHERE! In my opinion, these fine folks may be the saving grace when it all finally goes to hell in a hand basket.

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Coming Up:

An entire listing Take Back Homesteaders.
Strawberries are a comin'!
Under the Willow Live Talk Radio

Stay tuned for the first official Under the Willow eZine!

Be sure to follow the trademark scandal on Twitter at hashtag ##DumpTheDervaeses

and come join the Take Back Homesteaders on Facebook - WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO PROTECT THE LIFESTYLE!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=lf#!/pages/Take-Back-Urban-Home-steadings/167527713295518

Don't Forget to Enter the Under the Willow Tree Spring Giveaway!! Click here to enter.

Country Living 101 - Gardening Season Is Coming!

2011-02-17T09:23:00.000-05:00

We're having a heat wave here in east Tennessee! The temperature officially reached 62 degrees up here on English Mountain and to put it mildly, it was MARVELOUS! I threw open the windows and let all that fresh mountain air flow through the house.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the four seasons. One of the reasons we picked the foothills of the Tennessee Appalachians was because of the well defined, yet mild seasons we get. All that changed when we got our first major snow before Thanksgiving! NORMALLY, we get hardly ANY snow...this year, I was snowed in more than I wasn't. I did make the best of it though. I tried to enjoy every single day of the season, I had all the fire places lit, baked up a storm, quilted, painted, wrote, and spent massive amounts of time with my teens...(THANK GOODNESS IT'S ALMOST SPRING!) You'd be surprised how quick everyone, including the kids, can get sick of snow days. We're a loving family, but there is a point of too much togetherness.

Soooo with the whisper of Spring outside my window, the songs of the birds at the feeders, and the thought of getting my garden started I decided to get started on the 'Garden" section of Under the Willow Tree!

Right before I began this article I received a news alert warning me that food and gas prices were set to spiral up again...wow...what a surprise <yawn>. Who would have thunk it? That's OK, I've got a master plan for saving tons of money this year. Go grab a drink and let me share it with you! We're going to start the series with Homemade Paper Seed Pots because after all, you gotta start somewhere and your seed pots are the first step!.

Whether you are an experienced gardener or a novice like myself, you can still utilize the tips and tricks of the pro's. Each year, I go out and spend a boat load of money on planting items like peat pots, planting trays, seeds, etc. By the time I'm done buying all the equipment, I don't really save much, although I do enjoy great homegrown veggies. Most of you probably save some of the reusable stuff from the previous year but if you don't and you're starting from scratch, here is a good money saving tip for starting your seeds indoors with homemade Newspaper Seed Pots. Take a look at this wonderful video I found on You Tube.

As you can see, almost everyone has the materials for these handy-dandy little pots laying around the house. Depending on how many plants you grow your savings can start at approximately $15+. That's extra money for seeds and if you plan on preserving any of your bounty, you can use it towards preserving equipment (more on that later).

I'd love to hear how your Paper Seed Pot projects go. Be sure to email me and send me pictures and I'll use them on the UTWT community. This project may seem small and insignificant to you , but realize that you are taking your first step towards being self-sufficient AND the pots are bio-degradable, how GREEN is that! You've already eliminated the need for those plastic, mass produced pots! Good job!

Urban Homesteaders Being Hijacked by Ego and Greed

2011-02-16T21:28:00.000-05:00

I run a country living website and produce a country living web series that addresses Urban Homesteading. To all of my readers. When you hear the phrase "urban homesteading" or "Urban homestead" does anyone in particular come to mind or do you think of it as a lifestyle? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

These days nothing at all surprises me when it comes to ego and greed. Several years ago when I began the Under the Willow Tree community I came across dozens of blogs and websites that talked about "Urban Homesteading" and "Urban Homesteads". Obviously as the economy got worse the concept grew more popular and as it grew more popular more and more people began to share their urban homesteading experiences with the rest of the world. Some of them do a damn fine job of it too.

Research shows that urban homesteading isn't something new. The phrase goes back to sometime in the late 1700's or early 1800's and began gaining momentum in the early 1900's as people began populating urban areas in greater numbers. In 2001 (or thereabouts) a Pasadena, California family began a website/blog about their urban homesteading experiences and as the world began to change and the economy began to tank, their website increased in popularity. They were actually doing a good job sharing their experiences until it went to their heads. From what I've heard the family is almost cult like with mom and dad and 3 adult children all living at home in an almost cult-like atmosphere. (This is what quite a few bloggers who have followed the family say). As time went on, the site wasn't really producing much helpful information for urban homesteaders but instead started focusing on how wonderful they are for what they do on their tiny piece of Pasadena property. There are several spots on the website asking for donations and volunteers and they sell much of what they grow to "restaurants and catering companies". So the whole concept of living simply and using even an urban setting to be self sufficient went out the window.

Prior to today many urban homesteaders had never heard of the "Path to Freedom" website or its operators, the Dervaes family. Apparently the patriarch of the family believes he founded the concept of "urban homesteading" and went ahead and trademarked the phrase and began cracking down on anyone using the phrase(s) "Urban Homestead" or "Urban Homesteading". Bad move. So bad in fact it will probably cost them the popularity and good reputation they enjoyed amongst their followers and their fellow urban homesteaders. When the Dervaes were asked about the trademarking of such a common phrase they directed everyone to an explanation in the FAQ section of their website that is nothing short of pure bullshit (pardon the language but that's what it is).

They were obviously confronted by quite a few angry people. Here's what they posted on their site:

“We filed our trademarks for the purpose of maintaining standards and for the protection of the term and concept. We are still in this society that is ruled by laws and governments and, sometimes, you have to use those rules to protect the freedom of an idea before it’s too late.

We began to see the terms “Urban Homestead” and “Urban Homesteading” used as “green-washed bandwagon” terms solely for profit — even mentioned in an glossy magazine advertisement of a car. It bothered us to see the terms being used for ideas that no longer reflected the down to earth roots.
The final straw came in an email we received. It was from the owner of a small business who created a product and named his little business with a great sounding title. Guess what? Big corporations thought it was a great sounding title as well and trademarked it and told him, he could no longer use the name he came up with.

In addition, more and more people began to use the term for profit and the public / media started to confuse our project with that of the others. It was a matter of survival — trademarks keep the little people from being overwhelmed.

So, as the popularity of Urban Homestead and Urban Homesteading increased and began to label everything from television productions to big agriculture products, we couldn’t shake the warning bells in our minds. The establishment of Urban Homestead and Urban Homesteading needed to be protected so we can all move forward as a movement.”

Here are their terms of use:

If you aren’t using it to make money and are simply documenting your life or sharing your information, this would only require that you update your websites and articles to properly cite our works and properly acknowledge if used.

When using these trademarked terms, the proper way to go about it is as follows:
Proper trademark usage should include the proper trademark notice [®], and note in close proximity that the term is a protected trademark of Dervaes Institute or link to the site.

URBAN HOMESTEAD®
URBAN HOMESTEADING®

That’s it! If you want to label a for-profit endeavor with the term, we ask that you contact us first.
Thank you in advance for respecting our legally protected intellectual property rights. If you have been supportive of our ten-year online work in the past, we appreciate very much your continued support.

If you have any questions regarding the use of Dervaes materials or trademarks, please contact us at (626) 795-8400. We would be glad to provide you with more details.

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Additionally, when the angry hoards flocked to their Facebook page to voice their opinion, the Dervaes shut their page down. What's wrong, you don't want your followers to know your really just a bunch of hypocrites? Shortly after the news hit the blogoshpere, Urban Homesteaders from around the web formed a Facebook page of their own to oppose the egotistical and greedy attempt to make people cite the Dervaes website anytime the phrase was used. I DON'T THINK SO!!!!! Within an hour the opposing Facebook page had DOZENS of followers and all of them are doing exactly what I am here, they are spreading the word! Please, take a moment to click on the link and "LIKE" us.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Take-Back-Urban-Home-steadings/167527713295518

The only thing I have to say to the Dervaes family is good luck trying to stop a movement like this. Your greed has now caused literally HUNDREDS of us to oppose what your doing and instead of enjoying the referrals and benefits of being part of a team, you instead acted like the very corporations you claim to be against. And for the record, I WILL NOT direct my hard earned website traffic to YOUR website in ANY cites containing the phrase "urban homestead" or "urban homesteading". If you'd like to benefit from my traffic, it'll cost you. However, I plan to send this post to all 250,000 people on my mailing list.

You want exposure... you got it!

Urban Homesteaders Unite!

**Update**

You can follow the movement on Twitter at #dumpthederVaeses

And here is the original article found on OC Weekly
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2011/02/pasadena_family_trademarks_the.php

Country Living 101 - Getting Started

2011-02-13T10:42:00.000-05:00

When people think of country living visions of livestock and corn fields pop into their minds. That's really not what it's all about, actually that would be farming! LOL. Although, if that's what you want to do, we can help you there too! Under the Willow Tree presents country living as living simply but comfortably, as self sufficient as possible, while slowing down enough to enjoy the world and life around you. Decor, gardening, crafts, cooking, etc. all of those things are part of your country living style and the sky is the limit with what you can do!

Country living is an attitude not just a new home decor. It's about taking the time to get to know your neighbors and in many cases, your family and learning how to live with less without being miserable in the process. It's about cutting the umbilical cord to the fast paced, high-tech, out-of-control world we live in and slowing down enough to enjoy the life we've got and the people in it. Now that doesn't mean that you can't still own a computer or even an iPhone and iPod, but what it means is that these things are no longer the focus of your life and you don't NEED them to exist happily.

With so many people out of work these days and having to face life with less the fist thing that happens is depression sets in as the things they once considered important, like electronic gadgets, computers, Star Bucks, etc. slowly slip from their lives and their reason for living with them. How sad. The good thing is, these situations are forcing people to look around them and in doing so, they're discovering the joys of life without all that noise.

Some folks don't need to lose their jobs to realize they are ready to slow down and enjoy life. They're ready to create a new atmosphere that is less dependent on the "things" we've all become addicted too.

Seven years ago when my husband and I moved our family from the fast-paced, over-crowded, not who you are but what you've got, lifestyle of Palm Beach County, Florida, to a mountain top in the foothills of the Tennessee Smokey Mountains, everyone thought we were nuts. At first, we thought we had temporarily lost sanity too. I won't lie to you, it was a little bit of culture shock because EVERYTHING slowed down DRASTICALLY!

Once I got over the fact that everything in town closed at 9:00PM and they rolled the sidewalks up until the next morning, and once I got used to all the businesses closing early on Wednesdays, I adapted and began creating a special place for my family up on top of English Mountain. When I couldn't find good Italian bread close by, I learned to make it. There are no corner stores or corner deli's in the mountains, I couldn't just run down the street anymore and buy a few pounds of Mr. Cino's delicious homemade Italian sausage, so... I mastered my own recipe. Little by little my life adapted to the simplicity of country living. I found that our lives became fuller and we were spending more time together. We're one of the last families who still sit down to dinner each night and talk. These things have improved the quality of our lives and have kept our foucs on the most important thing...family.

We had moved from a beautiful, 2-story, Mediterranean style, pool home on a zero lot-line lot, to a 40 year old farm house nestled on 30-acres of rolling, partially wooded land, with views that STILL take my breath away! This was our dream and all of a sudden we were living it!

You need not move to the actual "country" to live a country lifestyle. Although, if you dream of owning a home and some property that's really "away from it all" then hang on to that dream, you'd be surprised at how many people are doing it these days. One of the most common things I hear from people who want to sell off their city life and move to the peace and quiet of the country is that they can't buy another home because of the real-state market, or because of bad credit due to lost jobs, etc. One of the great things about relocating to small country towns is that many of the people selling property are willing to owner finance. Under the Willow Tree is in the process of creating a database of "owner Finance" country property opportunities. Stay tuned for the release.

How Can I Get Started?

Here is one way to get started building your new country life. Let's say you are a city dweller but you want to slow down and start living a simple country life. The first thing you need to do is create a country living atmosphere. The space you live in will play a great part in changing your attitude. One way to develop a country living attitude is to take stock of the home you live in and ask yourself these questions:

How far do you really want to go with this new vision?

Are you just looking to re-decorate your home to look more "country"?

Or are you wanting to make drastic life changes that will allow you to possibly survive on one income while you or your spouse stays at home and raise your children or even work from home?

Are you ready to learn some of the basics of "country living" like sewing, canning and preserving food, growing your own veggies, or maybe even raising backyard chickens, etc.?

Are you longing to grow your own veggies, preserve the foods you grow and become more self-sufficient?

Buy yourself a spiral notebook or a journal and write down your country living dream, EXACTLY as you see it. Prioritize the things you want to accomplish right away and list the things that are less important in order. This is going to become your Country Living Bucket List and Journal. Remember, you don't need to do everything at once. Set realistic goals according to your available time, budget, etc. The good thing is, as you move into this new lifestyle, you'll find your spending less and creating more.

The first thing that pops into most minds is "I don't have the money to make any changes!"

Well we might have a plan for that. Once you've decided to simplify you'd be surprised at the things you can do to accomplish your goals!

Start by going through your entire house, from attic to basement and if you have storage anywhere else, go through that too. Go through your things and begin a "Yard Sale" collection. One of our readers made over $1200 selling stuff she had been saving for years that she didn't really need, but hung on to "just because".

This serves two purposes.

First, it is clearing the clutter and forcing you to get rid of stuff you've been saving that really has no purpose other than to take up space.

And second, it's giving you a shot of cash that you can use to make some cosmetic changes to your home OR money to buy "equipment" like a canner, sewing machine, gardening tools, etc. All things you'll need for country living!

If you live in the north where it's cold, that's OK, you'll have a good 4-6 weeks to organize your Yard Sale and believe me, the better organized you are, the more you'll make! If you're selling clothes, take the time to make sure they are clean, separated into groups for kids clothing, adults, etc. price everything so there is no questions and people can easily see your asking price. Many people will put an item down and walk away because they are embarrassed to ask how much.

Recruit the Family. Get the kids involved, have them go through their old toys and books, tell them they get a cut for anything they sell and even get your spouse involved. Most husbands have all kinds of "stuff" in the garage they can get rid of. Keep everyone motivated by sharing your excitement over what you're going to do with the cash you earn. Make it a family project.

Of course scheduling your sale will be dependent on the weather. Plan to announce your sale a week in advance. Most newspapers allow free Yard Sale ads, Facebook Marketplace allow free local advertising, make a bunch of signs and the night before your sale, recruit helpers to hang them.

Most IMPORTANTLY! Yard Sales attract EARLY BIRDS so MAKE SURE you are SETUP EARLY!! If possible and safe, set your sale up the night before maybe in the garage or carport and then just move the tables out in the morning.

Be weary of early bird shoppers who want everything for nothing. DON'T Give your best stuff away for pennies, simply tell the early bird that you will reduce the prices of stuff an hour before your sale ends and if they want to come back they can. These shoppers go to Yard Sales early and unsuspecting or inexperienced sellers are usually excited to have buyers or anxious to make money and will give their best stuff away for peanuts. DON'T FALL PREY TO EARLY BIRDS!! HOLD OUT and get as close to your asking price as possible.

I suggest that if you have enough stuff, do a two day sale and keep your tables/displays full. Make sure hanging clothes are hung up and displayed so people can see them, fold clothes that have been tossed about by shoppers. Keep your sale neat at all times.

DO NOT try to do the sale alone! Have some help, whether it be teenagers or a spouse, parent or neighbor. And DO NOT keep your money on you. Have enough to make change and keep putting the rest in a safe place in the house.

For more Yard Sale resources visit the Under the Willow Tree community by clicking here.

Now that your sale is over you can count your money! Sit down with the family and if you haven't decided how your going to use the money to implement your new lifestyle have a family meeting. Order a pizza and make this a family affair. Trust me, it will make some of the best memories you've ever had!

The secret to great country living is to become more self-sufficient. Creating a country atmosphere in a city setting IS possible. We'll cover more of that in our next post.

In the meantime, check out our Urban Homesteading blog "City Cents" with Julie Charet. Julie is an urban homesteading expert and she's sharing her secrets to successful urban homesteading with our readers!

Love Is in the Air - Making Memories

2011-02-03T18:49:00.000-05:00

Ahhh sweet memories. Is there anything more valuable than the memories you make with your family? I don't think so. This has been a bittersweet couple of weeks for our family. Our oldest daughter enlisted in the U.S. Navy and ships out for boot camp on March 9, 2011. That's it...just like that, she's all grown up and off to serve her country... to date, nothing has moved me more than watching her take her oath of enlistment....

"I, Ashley Rose Leahy, do solemnly swear, that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States of America... against all enemies foreign and domestic...."

Tears of pride streamed down my face while I tried to hold the video camera still in an effort to capture this most precious moment on tape. My husband tried unsuccessfully, from the back of the ceremony room to hold his composer, but a quick glance showed he had failed miserably too. As we left the ceremony room to wait in the lobby area of the Military Processing center, he put his arm around me as tears streamed from my eyes and we mutually agreed that our baby as all grown up...we have to let her go and follow her dreams now.

Upon arriving at home and seeing my two younger children, my heart swelled with pride and love. These little human beings are a product of the environment, love, caring and values we've spent the last 21 years (some of them not easy) enveloping them in. Where did the years go? How could they all be so grown up and ready to leave home so soon? Whoa!! We need to slow this process down a bit!

I broke out the cookbook and asked Cassie (my youngest daughter) if she wanted to bake some Valentine cookies with her ole' mom...

"Sure mom, as soon as i finish my homework..."

Two days later, I baked the cookies and she decorated. As I was cutting the cookies, I wondered if this would be the last year we would get to share our little Valentine cookie baking tradition together. I surely hope not.

People...listen to me. SLOW DOWN.... text your kids and tell them to come on home and when they get there, spend time with them! Turn your computer off, power down the cell phone, get out the cookie cutters and spend some time with your kids...time goes by fast and before you know it...they are gone, off to follow their dreams. At least make sure you have quality memories to keep you company until they come home to visit again.

Here is our cookie recipe and a picture of our labor of love. Feel free to use it to make your own memories this Valentines Day. I share it from my heart to yours....

Cassie and Mom's Best Valentines Day Cookies

Cutout Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Ice with your favorite sugar cookie icing and decorate with sprinkles, gel, or other fixin's. Then brew a pot of tea or whip up some hot chocolate and enjoy!

Old Fashioned Parenting Reaps Family Rewards!

2011-01-23T00:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at around Noon EST, my first born child, my daughter, enlisted in the United States Navy. This article cannot contain the PRIDE I feel right now! This is the same kid who has struggled through the last 2-years of life undecided about what to do with her future. She's extremely bright, she's always done well in school and has almost perfect grades for the year she spent in college, but like many other young people her age, she just hasn't been able to decide what she wants to do with her life. Yesterday, all that changed.

We weren't surprised when her recruiter came out of the testing room after Ashley had taken her practice ASVAB test (like a military entrance exam) and said "Wow! She did really well!". I never doubted for a second that she would ace it :)

For two years Ashley has walked around in somewhat of a daze bouncing between our house and her grandparents house trying to find her way. Within 3-days of suggesting the military as an option, her entire life has changed. She's gone from this introvert, moody, quiet person to blossoming with excitement and eagerness to take this next step in her life. I knew it was the right thing when I see the excitement in her eyes. I've never seen her look like that about anything before. I just KNEW she had FINALLY found her way.

As a mom, there have been many times when I have questioned my parenting skills and methods. I've always reverted back to old fashioned family values and traditions with my kids, the way my parents did with my brother and I. It's important to me, and will be to them one day, to know these values and family traditions so that they can be passed on to their children. If you're a parent, you know it isn't always easy, heck, it's RARELY easy and if you have more than one child (we have 3), then you can relate to the mother animals that eat their young, ESPECIALLY during those turbulent teenage years.

Yesterday, all of the blood, sweat, and tears become worth it. All of the hard work and persistence, all of the arguments, eye rolls, mumbling under her breath, etc. all became worth it when the child I least expected to do it, stepped up to the plate and made a serious adult decision, loaded with responsibility and challenges. She now eagerly awaits the next step in this most incredible journey she has chosen to take.

I was a single mom for 7-years. During those years, I often worried that I wouldn't be enough. I worried that it would be impossible to instill the values that would develop good character and values that a in-tact family has. Then I realized that way too many families with both parents are failing to teach these precious traditions and values. After 7 years of being a single mom, I met and married my husband Michael who shares my sense of values and believes in the old-fashioned traditions that make a family so precious. As Ashley signed her first set of papers committing herself to the military, we both sat with tears in our eyes. We did it! One down...two to go! And the other two seem to be heading in the right direction too! Our youngest daughter, Cassie is planning a career in law enforcement when she graduates in May, she's already a senior police explorer and her sisters decision has inspired her to consider enlisting as well since she can't enter the police academy until she is 21. She is going to decide on her 18th birthday in March. Either way, she has her life mapped out and our son, the baby, is enlisting in the US Air Force upon graduation in a little less than 2 years. Obviously, we've done something right.

As my kids get older they are starting to appreciate the old-fashioned, family traditions that I have made part of our lives. People can say whatever they want about old-fashioned values, but when it comes to rearing kids, it's my opinion that they are invaluable in teaching them that there is more to life than iPods, XBox, and cell phones. These conveniences have robbed and separated families from the most important traditions and simple activities that strengthened families 20 or 30 years ago. Too many parents are raising their kids via text messages and e-mail and there's something wrong with a parent who depends on Facebook to keep up with their kids daily lives. What good can come from this? How can parents be surprised when their kids go off and make major mistakes that will effect them for the rest of their lives like getting pregnant, using drugs, etc? Parents only have themselves to blame.

When we moved to Tennessee and began living a simple country life, we allowed that lifestyle to spread to all areas of our lives, including our parenting. It's obvious that it was the right thing to do. My kids have iPods and cell phones, but we've taught them that these things are only THINGS... they will never replace the importance of our family dinners each night or our day trips to the national park or even doing chores around the house together. They certainly don't replace or even come close to being as awesome as a day spent in the kitchen with my daughter baking or cooking or out in the garden with my husband.

NOTHING is more rewarding than the one-on-one face time I spend with my family. You want my opinion? Pick at least one day a week that cell phones, iPods, video games and TV are off limits and spend time with your family face-to-face. You'd be surprised at what you're missing,

In closing, I want to say how VERY PROUD I am of my daughter. Way to go Ashley! The courage and responsibility it took to choose the path you've chosen was a wise and brave decision. We're so very proud of you and we know you're going to do a great job serving our country!

Farm Fresh Eggs No Matter Where You Live

2011-01-16T17:57:00.000-05:00

When my family moved to the east Tennessee mountains 7-years ago, I was determined to learn all I could about country living. I'm still learning and I have a ways to go, but I'm enjoying every minute of it.

One of the first things we did when we moved to Tennessee was buy chickens. We decided on Rhode Island Reds because of the superior brown eggs they produced. Needless to say, we had a lot to learn about raising chickens but we learned a lot fast. Within 6 months of getting our little chicks, we were enjoying big, brown delicious fresh eggs. I've never tasted better eggs in my life! And these were the best eggs for baking too. Sadly, after a year and a half, my husband entered a 6-month para-military style police academy in order to join the police force and we had to give our chickens away. The good news is, now that the kids are older and we've adjusted to our country lifestyle, we're going to get more chickens.

These days, even city folks can raise chickens right in their backyard and enjoy the benefit of fresh eggs or fresh meat, depending on what you decide to raise your birds for. Our chickens became pets so we only raised them for the eggs, but many people raise them for both.

Chickens come in handy for a few things.

1. They help you become a little bit more self-sufficient by providing you with healthy, non chemical or steroid injected eggs. Add up the amount of money it would cost you to buy free-range, organic eggs and compare it to the cost of raising your own. In most cases you come out ahead and in the rare case that you decide to raise fancy birds or spend more on a coop, etc. it's worth the extra cost to know that what your eating is way healthier than the stuff you buy in the grocery store.

2. Chicken droppings make excellent compost and natural fertilizer for your garden! Talk to anyone who uses chicken droppings for fertilizer and they'll tell you, it works better than the chemical laden fertilizers you buy at your local garden center. It's cheaper too!

Chicken droppings are high in nitrogen, adding it to the compost pile will turn it into a rich addition that adds organic matter and increases the water holding capacity and biota in your soil. Aged chicken manure can also act as a good fertilizer, providing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to help your plants grow.

3. Chickens are good for pest control. As they hunt and peck around the yard they devour all those pesky insects eliminating the need for toxic pest controls or at least less of them. Always be sure to use natural pest controls.

4. Their hunting and pecking is good for the soil. As they search for bugs, grubs and worms, they break down the leaves and large pieces of soil debris and aerate the soil.

Some of the benefits of farm fresh eggs are:

Thanks to a 2007 study by Mother Earth News that took egg samples from 14 different flocks, we have some pretty good data to back up the claim that free range or pastured eggs are better for you. Here are some of the benefits:

1) Less Cholesterol: According to the study there was 1/3 less cholesterol in the free-range eggs. This is good news for an egg lover like me who also has a family history of high cholesterol.

2) Less Saturated Fat: Mother Earth News found 25% less saturated fat in the pastured chicken eggs. Saturated fat is a buzz word in the food world now, with reason, so anything with less is always a plus.

3) More Vitamin A and E: Vitamin A helps in all sorts of areas including vision, skin health, immune function, and so much more. There isn't as much information out there on Vitamin E, but I think we can assume it does have a purpose.

4) Extra Omega-3s: We are constantly learning more about the Omega-3s, but there has already been a lot of research pointing to benefits for people with heart concerns. Double the Omega-3s is a good thing!

5) They Just Taste Great: I suppose this is more of an anecdotal thing, but I believe pastured eggs just plain taste better.

** The above information was found at the article: The Health Benefits of Farm Fresh Eggs" http://astrology.yahoo.com/channel/food/the-health-benefits-of-farm-fresh-eggs-237375/

So many people are starting to realize that our world is spinning out of control, being self sufficient is going to be a necessity. Not everyone can afford to or wants to live in the country on a farm. The good thing is, raising chickens in the city and in urban areas is becoming more and more common. The first thing you need to do is contact your local zoning department to learn about the rules and regulations for keeping livestock in your area.

For more information on raising chickens visit the resources below:

Back Yard Chickens - http://www.backyardchickens.com/
The BEST online resource for raising backyard chickens, including breeds, hatcheries, and more.

DIY Chicken Coops http://www.diychickencoops.com/raising-chickens
Excellent information for beginner backyard chicken raisers.

The Country Chicken - http://www.cyndilou6.com/
Information and resources for raising backyard chickens.

Stay tuned for more backyard chicken and urban livestock articles. As Under the Willow Tree grows we'll be adding more to these sections. Feel free to leave questions, etc. in the comment area. We'd love to hear from you.

Under the Willow Tree - Winter Day Wonders :: Fresh Pasta Recipe

2011-01-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

Wow! What a winter we're having! When we moved to our country heaven on earth seven years ago, we chose the foothills of the Smokey Mountains in east Tennessee for the mild climate. This year, we broke records. It started snowing on Thanksgiving day and it feels like it hasn't stopped!

I am not complaining. One thing I missed when I lived in Florida, was the change of seasons and this year, for the first time since I left my hometown of Buffalo, NY some 23-years ago, we had a white Christmas! It was gorgeous!

What I love most about these wintry days is the time it gives me to cook and bake. The kids have had a bunch of snow days too so I get to spend time with my youngest daughter, Cassie, who also loves to cook with me. Yesterday, as the news was issuing Winter Storm Warnings, and the state was declaring Level 3 state-of-emergency for our area, Cassie and I broke out the pasta machine and decided to take full advantage of the time we were spending cooped up. We lit a fire in the kitchen fireplace, and got to work!

Under the Willow Tree embraces the simplicity of country living. None of this is scripted, this is our life and we're enjoying every minute of it. One of the things I love most about country living is the closeness that's developed within my family. We've gradually become like those families you saw on television 30-years ago and to be honest...I am proud of that! I feel so so much pride when my daughters stand next to me eager to learn all of these old fashioned traditions. It brings me comfort knowing that they'll be passed on to my grandchildren.

So anyway, on to the fresh pasta! You'll find this recipe on the Under the Willow Tree Community! (http://underthewillowtree.wall.fm/forum/topic/5)

Fresh Pasta

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water (add more 1 tablespoon at a time to make a stiff dough)

Directions

In a medium sized bowl or Kitchen Aid, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the flour, add the slightly beaten egg, and mix. Mixture should form a stiff dough. If needed, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. With a pasta machine or by hand roll dough out to desired thinness. Use machine or knife to cut into strips of desired width.

We used a manual pasta machine for ours.

In a medium saucepan, boil about 2 quarts of water, place your pasta in the boiling water for approximately 3-4 minutes. Fresh pasta cooks much quicker than the pasta you buy in a box at the supermarket.

** To store your pasta, let it dry for about an hour then place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can freeze the pasta for up to 3 months.

The more you work with the dough the better you'll become at this whole process. If you don't have a pasta machine you can roll your dough to the desired thickness and then cut it into strips with a sharp knife. The sky is really the limit with how you can work with this recipe.

Add your favorite sauce and ENJOY!!

The one thing I like most about fresh pasta is the fact that I know what's in it. Unlike store bought pasta, there are no preservatives or other junk that you find in mass produced product. This is a simple recipe that ensures a healthy end result.

Stay tuned for our upcoming homemade cheese series! That's right, we're going to be making cheese!

Sometimes Progress is Only Possible by Taking a Step Backwards!

2011-01-01T23:09:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all of my friends! Can you believe 2010 is over? My goodness the year flew by didn't it? For many, that's not a bad thing. But for me, it was all-in-all a good year. I did a lot of progressing this past year. All it took was a little step backwards.

Yep, I did say backwards.

For me, it took watching the bottom fall out of the economy and realizing that with the way we were doing things, an implosion is imminent. Fortunately, the economic events of the past 18-months did not effect my family too much, but seeing how it effected people close to me was enough to make me realize that things have to change. I've been preparing for the amazing things that are headed my way this year and I am happy to say that progress is has been made.

My blog will be taking a new direction.

For the past 7 months I have been writing and now pre-producing the Under the Willow Tree Country Living eShow for the eChannelz Internet Television portal. What started out as a whimsical idea to share the joys of country living has turned into an entire production complete with a fully stocked online community, radio show and, come the end of January, a weekly eShow and live talk radio program. The Under the Willow Tree eShow is not only about the simplicity of country living, but will encompass much more and won't only be for people who want to live a country life, the content has now been written to appeal to anyone who wants to take a step back and learn to live more simply by learning how to be more self-sufficient.

Let me explain....

Not too long ago, my daughter and I were having a conversation about what we would do if something happened that made it impossible to carry on the way we do currently. We were talking about how we would survive if there was a Hurricane Katrina like incident in our area. Although highly unlikely as we live in the mountains, but it got us both thinking and we took a look around our home to see what things we had that we could use to live and survive with should we be unable to access stores, water, food, etc. It was an enlightening moment and it made me realize just how unprepared we really are, regardless of our country home in the middle of the woods, to sustain ourselves for any length of time. The fact of the matter is, my husband is a police detective in a city 50+ miles away. It's safe to say that if something catastrophic did happen, me and the kids would be on our own for a while until he got home or until he was able to leave. As a police officer, terrorism specialist, and highly trained in emergency management, his skills would be greatly needed and that would mean the kids and I would have to fend for ourselves.

Most people don't even think about it. They just assume the government will step in or that it'll never happen. Until recently, I thought the same way. But then, I watched a few documentaries about Hurricane Katrina and it was as if I had an instant wake up call. Not too long ago, people were self-sufficient. They were able to survive using their own devices. They lived without fast food restaurants on every corner and pre-packaged, microwavable meals. My new direction will help you reach back and bring forth the important things in life that so many of us have forgotten.

Anyway, my blog will begin to focus on country living and the simplicity of this lifestyle.

Now don't go running off just yet! Give it a chance, you never know, you might pick up a good recipe, gardening tip, decorating idea, or something like that and if you hang out long enough, I'll teach you how to can your own food!

I hope you'll stick with me and get ready for the Under the Willow Tree eTV program that will air weekly starting the third week of January. Also, stay tuned for Country Living radio... I have LOTS of plans and lots of great topics to cover.

It doesn't matter where you live, you can enjoy country living no matter where you are! I hope you'll join me!

Tis' the Season to Plan!

2010-12-17T11:40:00.000-05:00

I know, I know... ya'll are thinking "Is she crazy? I don't have time to think let alone plan!"

Just hear me out for a few minutes. There is a method to my madness.

This year, Mike and I decided we were going to spend less on Christmas and spend more time enjoying the festivities. With our large family and extended family, it's necessary for us to start our financial planning for the holidays early in the year and as the kids kid older, they definitely get more expensive! Gone are the days when we could go to Toys R Us and spend a few hundred dollars and come back with a boat load of presents. These days, a few hundred doesn't even cover a good iPod! Add Hollister jeans, American Eagle hoodies, Nike Air Max, etc. etc. you get the picture. It also turns out that college tuition for our oldest is due about the same time and the majority of our family members birthdays fall between September and December. The end of the year is without a doubt, an expensive time for us and requires a lot of pre-planning and because I am self employed, my income is not steady so I have to make the best of what I do make.

The economy has been a good tool for teaching the kids how to be responsible with their money and so far, so good. They made excellent decisions with their Christmas funds and the two kids we still have at home decided to go in together on family gifts. They saved a lot and still managed to get everyone on their lists something nice. We were really proud of their efforts.

In looking ahead to the new year, a lot of people are dreading more of the same. As I stated in an earlier article, I refuse to participate in the recession. I'm a firm believer that there is money out there to be made and even if you've lost your job, you still have everything you need to make a living. Everyone has special gifts that can be taken out and dusted off or in some cases, discovered! For too long people have put the fate of their lives in the hands of others only to pay the price when those same "others" have to look out for themselves and their own interests.

Through my coaching program, I am working with people who are feeling the same way. They came to me feeling hopeless and little-by-little they are finding that they don't have to participate with the rest of the world in these horrific economic times. In every case, my client's are realizing that they have talents and ideas that are not only good but they are DOABLE!

The new year is a perfect opportunity to plan a fresh start and an incredible new beginning. All you need is a spiral notebook and your imagination to get started.

Have you ever sat at your desk and daydreamed about what it would be like to work at home doing what you love the most? Maybe it is writing articles or an eBook, or some type of art, or maybe it involves starting a home-based business to help seniors i.e. a home delivery service for the elderly, or another service for people who can not get out and about. Maybe you love to take pictures or have a special gift with video... it can be anything you enjoy and it can be used to start anew.

With few job choices available to many of you, it's the perfect opportunity to stop worrying and start doing. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain and you'll enjoy yourself in the process.

My plans for the new year is to produce my own Country Living program for eTelevision. It's been a dream for over a year and I've let other things get in the way, but in 2011 it's going to become a reality! I've made my list and I've begun laying the ground work for the shows production. I have sponsors lined up and fresh ideas flowing. This is something I LOVE to do! Part of my project will involve selling some of my artwork in the form of greeting cards and home decor. Who would have thunk it? Ha! The best part about this plan is that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what I am doing! I began sharing my ideas with others and before I knew it, I had people referring other people and sharing ideas, it took on a life of its own and some of my friends and family are even participating in the creation and production. Piece by piece the dream is coming together and it's becoming a reality!

You can DO this! You can find a way to make a way and when you shed the chains of fear, uncertainty, and stop being negative, your mind will reward you with incredible feedback! Try it, you got nothin' to lose and everything to gain!

As a side note, I want to caution you about the thousands of "Make you Rich Fast!" MLM offers you may come across. Most of these programs are junk. If they were any good, everyone would be doing them, but some of the sales people are pretty convincing. Don't throw your time or what little money you have away by participating in any of these programs no matter how good they sound. Use what you do have for your OWN idea, not someones else's.

I am excited about what the New Year will bring for all of us. I'd LOVE to hear your ideas and I'll help guide you any way I can. Don't wait another second! Get your notebook, grab a nice cup of hot cocoa, and start planning your successful future!

Until we meet again... Simply Believe!!

Let Your Creativity Change the World!

2010-12-02T01:53:00.000-05:00

I've made it a point to avoid negative people for the most part this year. I mean, if I want negativity I just need to read the news every morning and absorb the incredible amount of bullshit the politicians and mainstream media are trying to force down the throats of the masses. Between politics and religion, I don't know which one takes the cake for being more dishonest and manipulative.

Around April of this year, I set out on a new journey to re-invent myself and in the process I freed myself from old beliefs and whatnot that truly made the most incredible difference in my life. I discarded people who were no good and were a drain on me and I welcomed new people into my life that think alike, encourage and support me. It may have been a rough year financially for a lot of people but for me, it's been a year of abundance in all areas. I have refused to participate in the recession that is consuming the rest of the world and I have enjoyed teaching others how to do the same.

For the past 2+ years I've been working diligently on my Internet television portals and through thick and thin, an attempted theft of my concept, scrounging for development resources, the portal is finally where it needs to be to move into the new year and embrace the world with our amazing technology! Can I tell you how excited I am about this? Words can't describe it!

So what exactly is Internet television? Well, in my case it is television quality program that is broadcast via the Internet, mobile devices AND through regular television! It is a platform that allows people who would never have the chance to share their unique programming with anyone except a YouTube audience. eChannelz put unknowns in front of over 100 million television viewers globally and five times that amount via Internet and mobile devices. How incredible is that?

The opportunity for creativity is so endless not to mention that the opportunity for opportunity is endless as well! Just flip through the cable channels at night and peruse the number of totally ridiculous reality shows. There is everything from cake baking to pawn shop sales and EVERYTHING in between! It seems like you can come up with a reality show idea and BANG! You're on TV. It may seem that way but it really is a bit more complicated than that. And honestly, it seems like every week the shows get trashier and trashier. For instance: Jerseylicious. This is a reality show about a bunch of incredibly sleezy New Jersey women/girls who make total asses out of themselves, wear WAY too much makeup, spend WAY too much time in the tanning booth and act like total pigs. Not a show I want my 17-year old daughter watching that's for sure, but she is the exact demographic they target. Nice eh?

Although I am no longer a member of the Christian faith I still believe in family values and offering programming that isn't going to encourage my teens to go out and make an ass out of themselves or embarrass me. I think we can present programming that families are looking for that are not as trashy. Sure there will be programming for a mature audience (no porn of course) but the key to eChannelz is that people can pick and choose what they want to watch. It's kind of like programing a la' carte. Find a cable company that will offer you that! ha!

The great thing about creating this portal is that I was able to really let my creativity lead the way. I have channels for just about everything and everyone. At the moment, we are not offering faith based programming because in the process of setting up that channel none of the people involved could agree on whose beliefs were right and which version of Christianity should be presented, SO, we'll have a "Spiritual" channel and invite people of all beliefs to participate from Catholics to Muslims.. everyone is welcome to share their message on our portal so long as it complies with the broadcaster guidelines.

SO back to my point... I wanted to just share a little of my vision with you. The world is lacking jobs, funds, loans, mortgages, customers, sales, etc. But what it will never lack is the creativity in your own mind to leave those negatives behind. Do you have ANY IDEA how much power you have within your own self to create and accomplish your dreams? If I could get the masses to listen to and believe ONE THING, it would be that they don't need to listen to the garbage that they are told day after day and that everything they need to live their dreams is within them! I'm not just talking the talk either! I am LIVING it!

Do you have a really unique idea for a television show? How about an idea for an eSeries or a documentary? Email me and let's talk about it! You might be the next E-cademy award winner! And if you need help overcoming the funk your in because of the circumstances you're surrounded by, I'm here to help you through that too... get in touch and let's live our dreams and reach our goals together! THEN...we can help others do the same! Are you with me?

Until we meet again...Simply BELIEVE!!

Refuse to Participate!

2010-11-22T12:46:00.000-05:00

Man...what a rough year it has been for many. Everywhere you look there is someone who is sinking in circumstances. In my lifetime, I have never seen the world in such distress and those who are older than me, claim it hasn't been this bad since the Great Depression days.

It's tough not to read the news every day and be effected by what is going on around you. Add people to the mix, positive and negative and it can feel like an emotional and psychological roller coaster that has you feeling like you've already reached the high tops one day but the next you feel like your sliding down the face of Mount Everest at warp speed. It's a heck of a way to live and tough to see an end too when you're going through it.

In my house, this week starts the annual holiday festivities. We began partying on Saturday with my son's 16th birthday and this year, with all of the negative going on around us, I've decided to make this the most festive year ever. What's more, I am going to make sure that we enjoy every single second of it too! The next 6-weeks are going to be full of fun, laugher, family times, and traditions. I've already begun and my family is catching on quickly. The kids are super excited about Thanksgiving Day when we begin decorating for Christmas. The work gods were smiling down on us and Mike goes off duty Tuesday at 3AM and doesn't return until Saturday at 4PM! That gives us PLENTY of time to get our house decked out for the holidays! I'm trying to be contagious with my positive attitude and excitement and so far, it's working!

I'm still receiving emails from people that just don't see how things can change. These people have made it a point to focus on everything negative in their lives and they refuse to see it any other way and then wonder why things keep getting worse instead of better. They want to focus on the past, the lack, the sorrow, and the worry. In reality, they are attracting all of those things into their lives. They resent the success of others and they continue to participate in the events of the world around them instead of refusing to participate in the recession and all it entails.

That's right... I said, "REFUSE to participate". What I mean is, refuse to participate in the mindset of recession, lack and resentment. It's not as hard as you think it may be.

Every single person I come in contact with has the ability and the resources to be so much greater than they allow themselves to be. They have simply buried these positive tools so deep that they simply see them as non-existent. EVERYONE has what it takes to be successful. EVERYONE!

Most of the time, I hear people say that they are just praying and waiting for their deity to send the answer. That's very noble, but weren't you blessed with the gifts needed to bring the answers to those prayers into your life? For whatever reason, people have chosen to just sit back and wait for the answer to drop out of the sky. In the meantime, they have everything it takes to begin moving towards that answer or desire. I personally believe, too many people use this as an excuse to not act. They use the fear of offending someone or something that isn't correct and in the process they totally defeat the purpose and power of their beliefs. Nothing good will result from fear. NOTHING. Until you face those fears and deal with them head on, you will continue to wait in frustration for an event that will never come and then be satisfied with the "it wasn't meant to be" explanation that so many fall back on. The bottom line is, if you have reached a point where you feel you have no other option but to sit still and do nothing, GET UP AND DO SOMETHING! You have NOTHING to LOSE and EVERYTHING to gain!

People need to start thinking for themselves. It is this surrender of control of our own logical thinking that has left so many in dire straits. People have forgotten how to use their own reasoning and intelligence to go after the life they want. They fight to the death their refusal to make decisions and take actions based on what someone has told them they need to believe. Rarely, do I hear stories of how this ever produces gratifying lives. More often than not, I just hear a continuous tale of "wait".

Come on people! You're NOT a bunch of ROBOTS!

Take your life, your thoughts, and your ability to act BACK into your own hands and stop waiting for answers to fall out of the sky! Use the gifts you've been given to MAKE a better life and to achieve your dreams! You can do it! If you refuse too, then you only have yourself to blame and you'll have to live with that feeling of desperation and resentment (even if you don't admit it) when you see people around you moving forward while you sit stagnant.

Start today, right this very second... get a pad and a pen and make a list of the assets you have within yourself. No gift you've been given is too crazy to utilize. Do you like to paint or write, or something else you consider just a hobby, but think it's just a dream you'll live out some day if you win the lottery? That's ridiculous. You were given the ability to do those things so that you can DO THEM! BUT, somewhere along the way, someone convinced you that it was just a crazy dream that you just can't live until and if the time is ever right in your life. So, you'll spend the next however many decades doing something you sort of like, or that you tolerate simply because it seems to be the "right" way of doing things. That's LAME!

This past year I have watched many people rise from the ashes of their lives, out of pure desperation, and a belief that ANYTHING is better than waiting for the end to come. These people believed that they had nothing to lose and they faced their lives with a new attitude that one way or another, they were going to make something of themselves and better their situations. Every one of them, I mean EVERY ONE of them is in a better position than they were when they started!

So what are you going to do? Are you going to continue to wait for the magic answer to appear or are you going to go on a treasure hunt and dig deep to find the gifts that can be put to work in your life to make it better? The choice is yours, the time is now, and the success you so feverently dream of is waiting. Stop waiting and go and get it!

The Rewards of Paying it Forward!

2010-11-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

Too many people go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. They'll take all they can take and give little or nothing in return. These are the type of people I avoid. It doesn't matter how much you do for them, it'll never be enough and to hear them talk, you realize that no matter how much they have, it will never be enough for them.

It's OK to want more in life and to want to better your life and I believe that believing anything different is unnecessarily depriving yourself of a life of abundance. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting financial security and nice things for your family. Too many people have been brainwashed through their religious beliefs that wanting more is wrong. I'm violently opposed to that teaching and try to reverse it anytime I can with people who are simply afraid to wish for more.

The key to abundance is making sure that you pay it forward. What I mean by that is, that you make sure you give back to the world. I'm surprised by the responses I get to this statement sometimes.

Most of the people I talk to tell me: "Well, I give my tithe to my church".

That's honorable, but what's wrong with taking the choice of how your gift is used back into your own hands? Sure, it's easier to leave a check in the collection plate, but there is more to paying it forward than that. Paying it forward includes the effort, thought, and feeling involved in giving back to the world. It includes being part of the changes your giving will make in the lives of those you give too. It involves being part of the joy that is giving.

How many times in a week do you hear about people in need? Maybe it is a co-worker or a neighbor, or a friend of a friend. Do you have any idea how your giving would effect their lives? The most common excuse I hear for this is that people are too proud to take from you or you don't want to embarrass the one in need by offering money, help, or other things.

You don't have to embarrass anyone. let me share the Angel Fly By project with you. And NO, this is not an attempt to get you to give anything... just read.

Eleven years ago when I launched the Just4Ladies.com website. Many of the women who came to the site were recently left single by their spouses or significant others. The whole purpose of J4L was to help people through the devastation of heartbreak. As the community grew and I got to know the ladies who came looking for help, I learned that many of them had been left with little or nothing. Divorce and separation can cause people who otherwise loved each other to do some pretty shitty things to one another. I saw this first hand.

As time went by I tried to offer help, but I was often met with strong pride or embarrassment to be taking "charity". In my eyes, it wasn't charity, it was simply helping another person through a tough time. The site received donations even though we didn't ask for them and I felt I needed to find a way to use those gifts for the women who came there looking for help. I created the Angel Fly By program.

Upon joining the J4L website, visitors had to fill in a registration form which contained their general information like name, address, etc. This information would later come in handy.

The first Angel Fly By we did was in August of 2000. There were about 7 women who were worrying about how they were going to send their kids back to school as their soon-to-be ex-husbands had left them with no money. These women were struggling to put food on the table. The thought of having to clothe the kids for the upcoming school year left them feeling defeated and helpless. I've been there and done that... I had to find a way to help without making them feel any worse.

Enter the Angels.

I sent emails to all of the J4L members save the ones who were in trouble. I explained what these ladies needed and with the help of some of my local friends we were able to get most of the kids clothing and shoe sizes, etc. I then asked anyone who could help to send me what they could for these women.

The response was OVERWHELMING. We had more than we needed and then some! With the permission of the givers, we even put some of the stuff back to give away at Christmas time.

Myself and my kids and friends boxed the items up. Everyone started to really get into the spirit of what we were doing and some of the gals included little toys, a bubble bath basket for the moms (to take a much needed rest and pampering day), the boxes were loaded to the gills with clothes, school supplies, and all kinds of goodies. We wrapped the boxes in white paper with silver ribbons and put them into shipping boxes and one box was for a local lady. With her box, we waited until we knew she was at work and brought the box to her home and left it at her front door. One of our gals actually sat on her street for 2 hours to make sure no one would steal it.

We shipped the boxes out and never told these moms where they had come from. We have some idea about how they reacted because they came to the J4L forums ands shared the "miracle" they received. They may have caught on that the J4L girls had something to do with it, but we never admitted it. We were content knowing that for a short time, we made their lives a little brighter and gave them the hope to carry on.

The moderators who helped package the boxes began planning for the next "Fly By". It became a regular program and to this day, we still do it. We keep it as secret as possible. All of us just KNOW we're making a difference. The people who participate int he Fly By project are generous to a fault. We've always got more than enough to send and we'll often go into our chat room and talk about the wonderful things we're giving to the people who need them and imagine how the receiver might react. The gals "troll" the message boards on the site like highly skilled detectives to pick up on any serious needs and then we include a wish/want/need list in the registration. It's become of favorite thing to do. We even did an Angel Fly by at my kids school for prom a few years ago. One girls mom had passed away and she was living with relatives, they had no money to purchase a prom dress and all that goes with it.. Our angels fluttered into the guidance counselors office with a donated Vera Wang gown, shoes, and a HUGE basket of beauty supplies.. we left it with the guidance counselor, explained who we were and as she sat there in tears listening to us, she told us she would call the young girl to her office and tell her an angel stopped by... that little girl had the BEST dress at the prom and it touched our hearts to learn that after prom, she gave it to a friend at another school who was in the same situation. THIS is chain reaction PAYING IT FORWARD!!

I can honestly say that this way of paying it forward is very rewarding for me and the women who help me. I can't think of many things that feel better than knowing we've helped someone with no expectations of ever receiving anything in return. The gift of giving is by far, the greatest gift.

Do I think my success is a result of this spirit of giving? In a way, yes I do.

I believe that the more we have, the more we should give. In my life it always results in more success in all areas. I don't look at my successes as things I need to save or put back for a rainy day... My husband and I can give and still have plenty left for our family to enjoy.

The more we give, the more we receive. It's just a fact. But the giving has to be done with no regrets or worries. When you think about giving and feel hesitant in your heart because your worried about being left with less, you're not really giving. You're simply repeating a behavior that says you have to give to get. It usually ends up leaving you feeling like your in a tug-a-war with yourself.

Start off small... instead of throwing your check in the collection plate be receptive and AWARE of what's going on in the world and lives around you. Make a difference using your own sense of creativity and giving spirit and then give and see how it feels and watch how it comes back to you. Don't wait for it or expect it... just move forward and watch.

Here are some suggestions for doing your own Angel Fly By:

1. If you know someone is out of work and facing a tough holiday season you can leave an envelope with a Visa Gift card in their mailbox. Just put To: The Person From: Your Angel on the card. If it's a large family, think about getting a few friends to secretly participate and contribute to the card. The Visa gift card can be used anywhere Visa is accepted so it eliminates the risk of giving cash and allows the recipient the option of shopping wherever they want. If you're going to make this a group thing, find out if the family's utilities are paid, maybe assign an amount to each person in the group that they can afford or are able to pay/give.

2. SO MANY homeless people are NOT delinquents... many of them are just down on their luck and need some help... grab a meal from a local take-out, just drive by and hand them the bag of food and keep going.

3. Know of a single mom who is struggling? These gals are the perfect people to do an Angel Fly By for. They are usually in need of EVERYTHING! Anything you do for them will help. ANYTHING even babysitting for a few hours so they can have some "me time".

4. Know an elderly couple or person? Just show up with a plate of cookies or a few days worth of meals and offer to help around the house or go shopping or run errands for them. Even if they object.. tell them you're staying until they tell you what they need. Seniors are often the hardest to help as they have much pride.

5. Contact your local police department or social service office and explain what you're doing. Ask them to pick a family (or more than one if you can do it) and get the ages, sizes, etc of the kids, mom and dad... get someone in your group to dress up as Santa and "arrive" with a sack full of goodies... we did this one year with our youth group, one of the kids dressed up as Santa and we went to a family who was in great need of food, clothes, everything. We showed up 15 strong with a VAN full of goodies and I will NEVER forget the looks on the faces of the little boys and even mom and dad as they stood on the porch watching our "elves" unload the gifts... it was priceless and something I;ll take with me to my grave.

The holidays are a great time for giving, but people need help all year round so don't limit your giving to just the holidays... be aware of the people who need help and pay it forward no matter what the day!

I'd love to hear your stories about paying it forward.. nothing is more inspiring than hearing about giving... please, share with us in the comments section? I'll include as many as I can in the next eZine!

Until we meet again... SIMPLY BELIEVE!!

What Sets You Apart?

2010-11-11T23:23:00.000-05:00

Every day I get dozens of messages and emails from people who are promoting their businesses. Many of the notifications come to me via my Facebook account through status updates and invitations to join special events and groups that promote the individuals services. I can tell you this" There are a TON of Internet based MLM companies and ALL of them promise to be "THE ONE" that will finally make you rich!

The one thing that makes all of these people with their "one of a kind" offers the same is, not one of them actually tries to establish any kind of relationship with the potential client's their attempting to sign. I mean, the closest thing I get is a boiler plate statement telling me in a super excited 2 sentence paragraph with a link that they have chosen ME to share this incredible business opportunity with.

Come on guys... do I look like I was born yesterday? Do ANY of the people you solicit that way look like they were born yesterday? Are you wondering WHY you aren't getting any sign ups or new clients? It's because you not doing anything different than the 32 people who messaged me yesterday or the day before.

The next thing, is the fact that VERY few people will reciprocate their business. They want you to "like" their fan page, join their groups, listen to their Blog Talk Radio show, subscribe to their blogs or newsletters, sign up for their life changing offer, but few, if any will consider you for your services. Again... there is no relationship building in any of this and there is certainly no "pay it forward" attitude. Is it any wonder why so many people are failing to accomplish their goals?

I recently tried an experiment on Facebook. I wanted to see how many friends I could find by "friending" friends of friends. I did pretty well with this. I added 4200 friends to my standard Facebook page and about 320 to my new "Fan" page. Additionally, I started a page for my upcoming book and my upcoming eTV series. My book fan page is doing really well. I have over 1200 new fans and that number goes up every week depending on whether or not I ask my followers to share it with their friends.

Of the 4300 people I added to my standard page I introduced myself to each of them with a personal greeting and a brief description of my services, etc. I then asked the person I was greeting to send me information about themselves including links to their fan page or groups. They joined mine, I joined theirs and we share with others. Instead of having a bunch of names on my Facebook page, I began interacting with the people I was "Friending". Within 3-weeks I had made several thousand dollars selling my services and I picked up a few really good clients. Two of those clients referred me to some of their local friends and I sold a couple thousand dollars more.

Every day I get on my Facebook page and I post interactive status messages in the form of a question. Some days the thread will go to 30 or more responses and it's been a great way to develop relationships with the people on my page. These same people remember me and who do you think they call when they need web or graphic design services or want to be on iTV? You got it! They call me!!

In the process of making connections on my social sites, I make an honest effort to pay it forward. When I make a good connection I may not be able to use the persons services but after getting to know my new friends I gladly forward their link to others and promote them in my own newsletters and such. They do the same for me. This has resulted in sales of services for me and my new friends. Isn't this what networking is all about? Anytime someone from my social networks refers me to another and I make a sale, I offer a finders fee. The bottom line is, EVERYONE can use extra cash these days and what better way to say "Thanks" than by sending a gift to the one who helped you?

Some people think they have the whole social media thing figured out, but based on the number of messages and emails I get offering me identical opportunities, I'm betting most of these people aren't making much at all.

Here's my advice:

1. Make sure the product or service you're offering is quality. If you signed up based on a promise but found it hard to produce, the people you're offering it to may experience the same difficulties. This will sure result in a damaged reputation. Once you've tarnished that, forget it!

2. Don't add a bunch of contacts to your social network pages with the intention of spamming these new contacts with ads about your service, product or offer. VERY FEW people take things at face value, especially on the Internet. Be prepared to prove yourself and your program if it is MLM.

3. If the MLM program you're part of has a template web page it's pretty certain that the people your solicitation have already seen in from others. I had over 50 people send me a link to a "DYNAMITE" offer and it all went back to the same page coded for the individual sending it to me. If you can, customize the page to stand out.

4. When it comes to web design my 16-years experience makes me an expert in my opinion. If you built your website yourself and you have no experience, people will KNOW! If you bought your website in a box, people will KNOW! If you're using a free website or a template site... PEOPLE WILL KNOW! If you don't have the capital to build a professional web presence, WAIT UNTIL YOU DO to start your online venture. Your website is the single most important part of your business, if it isn't perfect, people won't buy from you. That's a FACT.

You only get ONE CHANCE to make a good first impression. If you aren't doing it with your website, don't be surprised if your online business fails.

5. Don't send people messages telling them your program is THE BEST. They've heard it already, at least a gazillion times. IF your program is that great... prove it. Give legitimate references and use interactive testimonies so potential clients can speak to your successful client's.

6. Develop a relationship with people before you try to quick sell them a "Change your life" program, service or product. Selling yourself is the key to everything else you do.

People are becoming extremely savvy when it comes to how they spend their money online. The old ways of sending out 1000 contacts and reaping 10%+ in sales is no longer true. Think about it... do people have to work harder to earn your business? Expect to work hard to earn theirs.

If you meet another person offering a product or service that compliments what you do or even if it's just a good service... pay it forward... and ask them to do the same. If you buy from the people you're trying to sell to, they'll most likely buy from you when the time comes.

In my next article we'll talk about the explosion of people selling courses and coaching. Stay tuned!

Politics...The Great Divider!

2010-11-03T00:55:00.000-04:00

Ah Election Day... if you wanna see the ugly come out in people, yesterday was the day you'd most likely see it.

Our nation has never been in a bigger mess than it is right now. America is divided and that's a fact. It seems like even good friends can't discuss their political opinions or views without it turning nasty. Just the other week, my dad and I were enjoying our daily call when politics entered the conversation. It went down hill from there. Being that we're almost exactly alike when it comes to temperament, you know, that good ole' fashioned hot-headed Italian temper...not only did the call get loud, it got a little ugly. Regrettably, I think I accused my dad of being senile during the call because his political opinions were, in my opinion, not correct. I know he shot some good insults back at me and by the time it was all said and done, we hung up aggravated with each other.

Fortunately, after a good night sleep, we were buddies again the next day. Although, it still bothers me that my dad (and my mom) are being schmoozed by the far-right, conservative, fear-mongering, Fox News brain washing. (You can use the comments section to fight with me hehehe). They both like Hannity and O'Reily...ugh... what happened to the conservative Democrats that raised me to think for myself and never believe anything just because the news or Glenn Beck says it? I think the Tea Party abducted my parents and replaced them with Rush Limbaugh lovin' clones. (Sorry ma and dad... hehe - My Ma reads my blog so be sure to look for her comments in the comment section, I am probably grounded after this post)

It's amazing how politics can take us from a state of bliss to a state of anger, hate, fear, and resentment and don't believe that all of these negative feelings don't affect our ability and power to attract good and positive things into our lives. If you wake up to the news either on the radio, television, or Internet, the first thing that's filling your mind at the start of the day is all of the negative that's happened since the night before. This can and does set the tone for your day. I didn't realize how much it effected me until I stood back and took stock of how I was starting my day off.

Normally, I got up, got a cup of tea, and sat down to read the news. The good thing about news on the Internet is that after you're done reading, you can then voice your opinion in any number of blogs or forums which almost ALWAYS have people who oppose your view. This quickly turns into debate and depending on if your winning or losing, sets the tone of your day. At least it did mine. Especially if I was losing.

I honestly didn't believe something as routine as reading the news could effect the way my day went, but as with a lot of other things, I put it to the test and proved to myself that it really did.

So what did I do? I stopped reading the news fist thing in the morning. Sometimes, when I glance at the headlines and see it's all negative, I avoid it altogether. ESPECIALLY when the negativity is about politics. In all honesty, I can't in good faith say that I think Democrats are the better party. I believe both sides have done an equal amount of damage to our nation in their bid to be in control. But you know what? I'm going to continue to move forward and upward with my life. I am going to keep being positive, keep being kind and compassionate to people, I'm going to keep being the BEST American citizen I can be. That's all any of us can do.

It's obvious that our elected officials are only interested in doing what's best for themselves and their interests. It's up to each of us to do what's best for us and ours. Don't you agree?

If your guy didn't win, that's OK... let it go... don't allow the resentment and disappointment hold you back from the abundance you can and will achieve. Instead of fighting with your neighbor about the difference of opinion, embrace, with love, the fact that you can agree to disagree and still stay friends. Try to listen to them with an open mind and ask them to do the same. If that's not possible then put the difference aside and move on. No politics are worth losing a friend over. No political beliefs are worth destroying a relationship for. And as a believer of the law-of-attraction, you can't harbor those negative feelings and expect to draw positive things. Make peace... find a way to unite and work together... our politicians surely aren't... WE THE PEOPLE CAN!

I am working on an excellent article about paying it forward for my next post. I know you'll love it!

If you haven't already, please be sure to check out the Christmas Miracle Live Webcast! If you're worried about how your going to make your holidays happy... this webcast is the answer!

Go to: http://bit.ly/sbxmas

Until we meet again... Simply Believe!

Using Subliminal Messages to Manifest Your Dreams

2010-10-28T00:42:00.000-04:00

For many years advertisers have been using subliminal messages in their ads to entice the consumer, albeit unknowingly, into buying their products and services. There is even evidence that Disney and even the government have used subliminal audio and flash to embed messages into the viewers sub-conscious. Needless to say the feedback on subliminal messaging is mixed.

Some people are totally against it and believe it can only be used for negative purposes while others believe that it can be used to embed positive messages into the subconscious for the purpose of self-improvement. Some people don't believe it works at all. When a church or other religious group uses subliminal messaging to brainwash people unknowingly and against their will they are in the wrong. The same goes for advertising companies who only want to entice consumers to buy their products and services irregardless if they need them or not. When the government uses subliminal messaging, well... the government denies ever using it so, that in itself tells us they are up to no good. These days, that doesn't surprise me! LOL!

After researching the good and bad of subliminal messaging I concluded that when used for self-improvement purposes, it is a good thing. I started by downloading a few subliminal audio messages for relaxing and reaching a state of calm. These audio tracks, made up of the sound of the ocean waves lapping against the shore, had a subliminal message embedded designed to help the listener achieve a state of calm. A calm mind, a calm spirit, and a relaxed feeling.

As I listened to the audio I began to feel so light and relaxed. Something that is tough to achieve in my home and life. By the second time I listened to the audio, I was feeling very calm. That was the first night I actually slept through the night without waking up once! It's now a regular thing...sleeping through the the night that is! I haven't been able to do that in years.

My next experiment was to set 3 goals for myself using subliminal flash on my computer. I listened to the advice of a few and created my own custom messages using special software. I programmed the messages to flash for 1/100000 of a second every 2 seconds on my computer screen. The results have been UNBELIEVABLE!!! Two of my 3 goals were met and surpassed. I didn't set just any goals, I set challenging goals that weren't likely to be easy. Without even realizing I was reaching the goals, and way faster than I expected, I accomplished 2 and the 3rd is as good as done too!

Of course, there has to be the few doom-sayers that try to discourage you from trying or doing anything they themselves weren't successful with OR that they were taught is bad or wrong... to those people I say... "mind your business" You do what works for you and I'll do what works for me!

I communicated with about a dozen people who had used subliminal messaging successfully. Each one of the people I spoke to had incredible results. One person increased their sales at work by almost $30,000, another person lost 43 pounds, another won $225,000 in their state lottery! One gal met her soon to be husband and another lady used subliminal messaging to learn patience, which she says was something she greatly lacked and was making her life miserable. All of these people used subliminal messaging to improve themselves and their lives. It was used oin a positive way and netted super positive results!

I'll be adding a segment about subliminal messaging to the Christmas Miracle workshop with a free custom message. Register at http://bit.ly/sbxmas

If you'd like to know more about how to use subliminal messaging for anything from losing weight to quitting smoking or other bad habits to being more successful in your career or business and family endeavors, email me at michele@michelewasham.com and I'll be happy to share what I know and even point you in the right direction to have your own custom messages made.

I'll be sharing more subliminal message success stories with you over the next few weeks so stay tuned! I'd love to hear your feedback too!

Until we meet again...Simply Believe!

Dreaming it to life...

2010-10-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

I have a life motto... On my death bed, I don't want to look back over my life and say I woulda, shoulda, coulda!

I want to look back and know that I tried it all, did it all, and lived every moment of my life to its fullest. Is there any other way? For too many years I allowed myself to be bound by false beliefs and teachings. Once I broke away from that, I REALLY started LIVING!

After moving to our dream home in Tennessee, I decided that I was going to retire from web design. With the dot-com craze and all that went with it, I had burned myself out with design and wanted a break from the demanding, often unrealistic people I contracted myself too. So, I spent the first few months in Tennessee just trying to find myself and began writing. Something I NEVER saw myself doing professionally. Needless to say, I became a published author on accident.

Around February of 2004 I longed to do something more than sit around and write. I was cooking gourmet meals for Mike and the kids every day and slowly began to realize that I could make money with my love for cooking. Little by little the desire to open a small, cozy restaurant became a burning desire and I felt driven to make it happen.

Mike thought I was nuts. He pointed out all the reasons why the restaurant business was a bad idea. It took years to make any profit and the work was hard and the hours were long. My mother, having been in the business many years before echoed his thoughts and opinions on the matter, but in my heart, I knew I wanted to at least try it.

You need quite a bit of startup capital to open a restaurant, even a tiny one like I was wanting to do, but the desire was there and I began making plans. I JUST BELIEVED that the money would come from somewhere. Everyone in my family thought I was crazy, but deep in my heart I KNEW I was going to open a restaurant!

I picked a name, and began designing menus. Each day I would visualize myself in the kitchen of that restaurant cooking for my customers. I went for rides around town and found a location and then visualized how I would fix the building up to reflect the cute little deli/bistro I had in my mind. I shared my vision with friends and then out of the blue, one of my web design clients called me up and said...

"Shell, I'm coming to Tennessee to see you... I want to invest in your restaurant idea!" HA!!

I had NO IDEA that she was going to do that. I just believed that the startup capital was out there in the world and it would find me, somehow, some way...it did. I just BELIEVED!

My friend came to Tennessee and we rented the building I had chosen weeks before. Mike and I agreed we would do the renovations ourselves to save time and money and within a month, my dream came to life. We decorated the space in bright, cheerful colors with wood floors, shelves made to hold the fresh Artisan breads and rolls I would bake and a glass case to display the scrumptious Italian desserts I would sell. The business would be a New York Style Bakery and Deli right in the heart of a quaint southern town.

The local newspaper ran an article about the new restaurant and the public stopped by daily to check on our progress and ask when we would open.

Grand opening day came and the lines stretched out the door and around the corner... Toodles Deli and Bakery was a hit! We served over 10,000 customers (one-third of the county population) in one month! People came from as far away as North Carolina to purchase my homemade Italian sausage and cannoli's, We names some of our original dishes after local attorney's that helped make them famous. We made friends in a town where outsiders are normally kept at arms length. It was a dream come true.

After I opened the deli, I looked back in my journals and read my own story. I had Simply Believed it was going to happen, I daydreamed, imagined, and literally visualized every aspect of the deli from the decor to the menu. I even built a website for the business before I had the seed money...I just KNEW it was going to happen.

Simply Believing is a way of life for me. Long before the "law of Attraction" craze became popular, I put to practice the methods that basically attract your hearts desires. I let go of the fears and the false beliefs and opened the doors of abundance in my life.

A little over a year after I opened the deli, I realized that my husband was right... it WAS a lot of work!! I felt my heart pulling me in a new direction and to the disappointment of my considerable customer base, I decided to close Toodles and move on to brighter things... I had no regrets just good memories, tons of new friends, and a sense of fulfillment at having accomplished another goal. I could look back on my life someday and say... I did it. I believed it, and I did it.

So few people that teach the law of attraction principles have actually experienced the major things it can do for you. In many cases, people are taking advantage of the burst in popularity but really don't know or realize themselves how powerful the principles are...I'm not talking about free parking spaces and refund checks in the mail. I am talking about PROFOUND things... LIFE CHANGING events that can be attracted when you truly learn how to PROPERLY harness the power of the law of attraction.

As anyone who knows me or follows my Facebook or blogs know, I am CRAZY about the Autumn and Holiday season. Every year I make sure my family makes the most precious memories and we always practice the traditions that have been part of my family for over two centuries. This year, sooo many people are writing in to my advice line asking how they can get out of the rut their in and make it a great year too.

I'm here to tell anyone that will listen that YOU CAN achieve EVERYTHING you need to achieve and even the things you WANT to achieve! Unlike other teachers of the LOA, I'll walk you step by step through the process of believing your dreams to life!!

Join me for my upcoming Christmas Miracle LIVE Interactive webcast. This event will change your life!
http://bit.ly/sbxmas

Until we meet again...Simply Believe!!

Getting a Head Start on the Holidays!

2010-10-21T12:42:00.000-04:00

I'm hearing a lot of holiday pre-depression amongst my social circles. A lot of my friends are worried that their holiday is going to be leaner than years past and to that I say..."It doesn't have to be!!"

I decided that no matter what, I am going to make this THE BEST Christmas EVER! The power to do so, really is within each and every one of us. Let me repeat that. YOU Have the power to make this holiday ANYTHING you want it to be!

One thing I believe in is the power of the imagination and the feelings it creates to produce miracles and manifestations of our hearts desires. I'm not saying it because I read it in a book, I'm saying it because it works! Let me share just one of many times that Simply Believing has manifested my dreams.

Seven years ago while living in Palm Beach County, Florida I started feeling the urge to move. There was really no major reason for this. We lived in a gorgeous house with a pool, in one of the nicest neighborhoods, the kids were in good schools, and we were pretty happy there. But I just started longing for a quieter, less congested way of life. South Florida was over populated and living on a zero lot line, no matter how beautiful the house, starts to get old. So, I began searching the Internet for "country homes" and came across a small town Realtor listing titled "Gorgeous Mountain Views!" - I clicked on the pictures and knew in an instant that the house I was looking at was where we belonged.

Now to convince my husband, Mike.

Mike had just retired as a Special Agent Supervisor with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and was at that stage where he wasn't sure if he was enjoying retirement or wanted to go back to work. Cops are funny about that stuff... many of them have a hard time leaving the job behind and as time would prove, he ended up going back! That's a whole 'nuther story!

Anyway, as Mike came waking through our room, I was laying on the bed reading and casually mentioned that it would be nice to move to the mountains, maybe, Tennessee?

His response was a firm "No!" then "I am NOT moving to the mountains in Tennessee, we have a perfectly good house and good lives here!"

"OK" I said... "But just check out this house even if to only daydream about it". He looked at the pictures but still insisted he would never move to Tennessee. In my heart of hearts, I KNEW we were going to move to Tennessee and live in the mountains! I printed the pictures and kept them in my desk drawer. I took them out regularly and imagined us in that house, walking on the 30 acres of surrounding property, baking apple pies in the country kitchen... well, you get the picture! I basically imagined I was there already!

Two days later, Mike came walking through the room again, where I was once again laying on the bed reading and said, "Ya know...my dad was from Tennessee, maybe I should just go up there and take a look around".

I am sure he was wondering why my jaw was on the floor but I wasn't giving him any time to change his mind! We agreed that I would stay in Florida as the kids were in school and we had pets, etc. that we couldn't afford to board, etc. You know, all the details you have to address before you take a vacation.

We stayed up late that night planning and setting times to travel and the next day we called a few realtor's so Mike could look at houses. He insisted we have more than one house to look at just in case. I insisted back that the house I had found earlier that week was the one we were meant to be in... "we'll see", he said.

So a week later he got in the car and headed north to Tennessee... This was in September of 2003. He arrived in east Tennessee at the most beautiful time of the year. He called home at least twice an hour to give me updates and he brought the video camera with him to video any houses so I could see them as well. Within 2 days, Mike was hooked and one way or another, we were moving. He met with Marie, the listing agent for my "dream house" and although the house was 30-years OLDER than our home in Florida, he fell in love with it too! It had 3 fireplaces, an extra building with storage and a spot to set up a retreat or office for him, mountains, mountains and more mountains!! The house was 3800 sq feet, over 1000 sq feet larger than the house we were in and the asking price was $100K LESS than what we paid for out home in Florida. He videoed the house and the owners were the epitome of Southern hospitality.They told Mike they hoped we'd get the house. But then came the bad news.

There was already a contract on the home with a couple from North Carolina. Ugh... my heart fell BUT something inside told me that we were going to have that house. The Realtor told Mike that the sale to the other couple was contingent on them selling their home in NC. Mike, stepping totally out of character, made an offer on the house, outbid the other couple and told the Realtor we would purchase the house BEFORE we sold our home in Florida!!

You have to know my husband to know how totally out of character this move was for him. A half million dollars in mortgages on our back and only his retirement supporting us with minor income from my business was truly a gutsy move for anyone let alone my ultra conservative about money, husband.

So back and forth we went and the owners agreed that they liked us better and wanted us to have the house. As the saying goes... We made them an offer they couldn't refuse! LOL!!

Mike came back to Florida super excited but in keeping with his 30-years of government training... a bit nervous about the situation we had put ourselves in by adding another mortgage to our backs.

I wasn't worried at all! As soon as he called me from the Realtors office to tell me what he had done, I began visualizing being in our new country home! I imagined that I was there, cleaning, decorating, cooking and living in that house. Nothing could shake the feelings of excitement and contentment. I really, really FELT like I was already there. It was SO AWESOME!!!

A week later, worries about having enough money to pack and move a 5-bedroom house out-of-state were put to rest when I sold a massive web design contract for $75,000. I knew we needed the money to move and not put a strain on our finances, so, I imagined that there was a client out in the world somewhere who needed my services and would find me... they did and I made three times what I make on an average job! Way more than enough for us to get settled and enjoy our new home before going back to work.

We put our Florida house on the market Thanksgiving weekend 2003. Eleven (11) days later we sold the house! A month later, on Christmas Eve 2003, we arrived at our new country home nestled in the foothills of the GORGEOUS Smokey mountains!! The first thing I did after unpacking was bake an apple pie! I wanted to fill the house with the aroma of something sweet and homey. As I stood in the kitchen, watching the fire in the fireplace (we have a fireplace in our kitchen, living room and downstairs sitting room!) I was in total awe of how I had literally manifested the things I had imagined!

Our country home atop English Mountain is one of the greatest dreams I have ever manifested and in only 3 months too mind you. No matter what the situation or issues we're dealing with, our home here always brings comfort and revival to our spirits. I can't explain it, but being here on the mountain is like being on vacation all the time. The peace and quiet, nature, wildlife and country living in itself are beyond wonderful. Bad moods don't last long as all I need to do is walk outside and look around me. I feel rejuvenated! Here is a picture of the view from my front porch... isn't that rainbow GORGEOUS??

The power of imagination, mixed with feelings are a SUPER powerful force in manifesting the desires of our hearts. Most people struggle with doubt, guilt, or just plain unbelief. It only takes ONE time to experience this powerful transformation and manifestation to begin making it a part of your life regularly and this is only ONE of MANY stories I will share with you. It's my favorite! Of all of the things I have manifested in my life through the power of my imagination, our country home is by far the greatest. It is a place of peace and it houses not only our favorite material things but our most precious treasure... our family. Since moving to English Mountain, our family has grown closer than ever.

In sharing one of my manifestation stories with you, it is my hope that you will start to tap into the INCREDIBLE power you have within to start creating a better life. My whole purpose in life is to help others learn how to tap into this power and utilize it regularly. ANYONE can do it and it doesn't matter what your beliefs... it can and will work for you if you're READY for it to work for you!

If you're ready to harness this power, please consider registering for my upcoming webcast - A Christmas Miracle. It is a 90-minute, live, interactive workshop that will change your life instantly. The first 25 registrants will receive a FREE copy of the latest book by Rhonda Byrne The Power. As a bonus you'll receive a free 60-minute coaching session with me via phone or in person if you're local, to help get you started!

You can learn more about the webcast or register here: http://bit.ly/sbxmas

The lessons I teach are designed to help you see results INSTANTLY.

I hope to see you there!

Until we meet again...Simply Believe!

When The Same Ole', Same Ole' Just Doesn't Cut it...

2010-10-17T12:46:00.000-04:00

You know... I've been coaching folks through life issues for over 11 years now. In 2001, I developed and launched one of the very first interactive, online universities, HeartbreakUniversity.org. HBU has gone from a family/relationship focused platform to focusing on many issues that effect our relationships, from infidelity to addiction, abuse and financial crisis. All of these issues effect our relationships in one way or another and the bottom line is, our relationships, specifically our family relationships, are the most valuable asset we have. Unfortunately, too many people put everything before this and then wonder why life is spinning out of control and disintegrating before their very eyes. If you're family isn't your priority, don't expect anything else to fall into place. It ALL starts at HOME!!

Typically, my email advice line receives about 500-700 emails each week. Over 97% of the emails I am receiving right now are financial related. Finances are the center of pretty much everything in our lives. The financial strain on people is PROFOUNDLY effecting all other areas of their lives. The looming holiday season has many people panicked and wondering how their going to make ends meet let alone joyfully celebrate the holidays. So, instead of this being a time of joy and excitement, it is quickly turning into a time of fear and anxiety. The good news is, it doesn't have to be that way and if you are one of the people facing a bleak holiday season, I'm here to tell you that it can be the best year EVER if you're ready to break habit and look at life through different lenses.

One thing I notice is that people are facing huge challenges in their lives and are attacking those challenges using old methods that produce absolutely NO results. Sometimes, they continue to use the same strategy out of habit but mostly they do it because they've been taught it's the only way. Fear of violating some rule or teaching that might or might not offend someone is a pretty stupid reason to continue suffering when you don't have too.

A while ago, I too found myself doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results (Didn't someone once say that's the definition of insanity?). Then one day I realized the method I was using wasn't right. I had been told repeatedly that it HAD to be that way or else. Or else I would go to hell, offend God, offend my church friends, etc. What I realized was that the methods I had been taught all along used the power of fear to keep me rooted to a spot of lack and need. NO WAY could this be the way it was intended!! I decided that I was going to step off the cliff, do what I knew deep down in my heart I needed to do and go another way.

I did. And life changed almost INSTANTLY and in a most spectacular and profound way!!

All of a sudden, I had more of everything! More time to spend with my precious family (if any of you REALLY know me, you know my family is my most treasured and loved asset), more energy to do more things around my home and with my business, more money to do things I wanted to do and also to help people I couldn't afford to help or do for when I was caught in that "fear" of wanting more.

I shared my new methods in my coaching and teaching and you know what? The people I was coaching and teaching began to see a profound change too! Little by little they too shed the guilt and fear of false teachings and beliefs and began living abundantly in ALL areas of their lives. Family, Career, Financial, Spiritually... ALL areas. Fear is a powerful, powerful tool and it'll cripple a person and prevent them from ever moving forward in life. Once you've overcome fear, you are truly capable of doing ANYTHING and I do mean ANYTHING you want to do.

For those who choose to stick to the old methods, well, the bottom line is...you're being left behind. Only you can step out of those chains that bound you to a spot of lack and need. Only YOU can choose to put to work all of the gifts and assets you've been blessed with and born with. Only YOU can choose to break free from a life of fear based habits that will NEVER, EVER amount to anything more than wishes and wanting.

Sure, Christmas is right around the corner and you may have a mountain of debt in front of you with no idea how your going to pay it. You might be facing a foreclosure or dealing with a job loss, health issue or even a divorce, but the fact is... EVERY single bit of that can change for the better if your ready to change it. Are you ready to stop worrying and ready to start LIVING?? Then stay tuned... over the next 8 weeks I'll be presenting bits and pieces of my Christmas Miracle workshop right here on my blog.

You can also join us for the 4th Annual Christmas Miracle Live, Interactive workshop where you'll learn, in depth, the methods for manifesting instant change and miracles in your life... This workshop is my most attended each year. As a special treat, you'll get to hear the testimonies of others who have applied my methods and enjoyed incredible results, you'll also receive a FREE copy of the Simply Believe Workbook to use during the workshop and a FREE 60-minute coaching session with me to help you get started!

As a bonus, the first 25 registrants will receive a free copy of The Power by Rhonda Byrne (author of The Secret).

Here is the link to learn more: http://www.requestamiracle.com/SimplyBelieve/interactive/ChristmasWebcast2010/christmas2010webcast.htm

I hope you'll come back and visit and I hope you'll invest in the workshop. I GUARANTEE (really, I do!) it'll change your life FOREVER!

Until we meet again...Simply Believe!

2010-09-27T18:09:00.000-04:00

Warm jeans -check-, light sweaters -check-, pink fuzzy bunny slippers -check-, flannel Sponge Bob jammies -check-. I am SO ready for Fall and this weekend it arrived with a vengeance! My birthday was Saturday and it was the first day of true Fall weather. We went from mid eighties on Friday to 72 on Saturday and only 67 on Sunday! I was LOVING it! To make it even better, it rained all day yesterday. We haven't had a good rain like that in months. When I woke up, the sky was all gray and it was pouring, perfect weather to lull you back to sleep which is exactly what I did... well, maybe not back to sleep, but I laid in bed just a little bit longer listening to the pitter, patter of the rain drops and the rustling of the leaves on the trees outside our bedroom window. I was FINALLY able to open all the windows and let the fresh air in! There really couldn't have been a more perfect weekend to celebrate my birthday!

There's something about Autumn that inspires me to start fresh. I know some folks reserve that for Spring, but not me. I love Autumn. Living at the top of a mountain, surrounded by the incredible splendor of the Smokey Mountains at their most glorious time makes it all the better. There is something about looking out my writing window and seeing the spectacular bursts of orange, red, gold and sienna surrounding me that lights my creative fires and brings forth my most creative ideas.

This past year has been tough on a lot of us, but you know what? We're different. We're of the breed of people who are realizing that we don't have to participate in the world recession. Slowly but surely, we're discovering our assets i.e. talents and are being inspired to put them to work for us! THAT is how it's supposed to be! Why should we continue to work like dogs for companies who really don't give a damn about us when we have everything it takes to be all we need to be and then some!

I began coaching back in 1999 before coaching was the industry it has become. With the soon to be released Simply Believe book I have seen a tremendous increase in requests for coaching that involves self-inspiration, motivation and empowerment. I am finding that I love this coaching the best of all because I am able to help people REALLY see what they are made of. I am amazed at how many people really don't realize their self-worth and their talents, but I love being part of the process of discovery and it's a wonderful feeling to be there when it finally dawns on them!

Several years ago, I became a devout follower of the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes. Even after all of my religious friend warned me it was "evil", although none of them had ever read it, they just judged it based on what they "heard". It was in May of this year that I realized how I was letting all of the things around me - the people, church (I left mainstream Christianity in May of this year), friends, and even family members hold me back. I made some pretty drastic changes and REALLY applied the lessons found in The Secret and the results have been nothing short of AMAZING!!! It was through the attitude of gratitude that I was able to truly appreciate the assets I have been blessed with, from web design talents to graphic artistry and even writing. All of these things are assets that can be used to better myself and the world around me should I choose to use them in the way they are meant to be used. How can that be evil?

The key to this process is really what you put into it. You're going to get out of it, what you put into it and what you put into it is really contingent about what you believe you are capable of. In my opinion, you are capable of ANYTHING! You can be whatever you want to be, you need only go after your dreams. I have lived this belief and it works.

With Autumn at my doorstep, I am feeling SO incredibly creative! There are some amazing ideas and visions brewing in my mind and the feeling of expected blessings are enough to make me want to explode with the feeling of being grateful for everything and everyone in my life!!

What are your assets? Are you using them to their fullest potential? If you're reaching the end of your rope with the world around you, let this change of season be a time of change in your life and the way you look at yourself. You are equipped with everything you need to be prosperous in ALL area of your life!

Until we meet again...Simply Believe!

Starting Over...

2010-09-12T00:44:00.000-04:00

After 3 years of blogging about my personal life I've decided it;s time to move on to bigger and better things. Not only that, I accidentally deleted my old blog and instead of going through the hassle of trying to get Go Daddy to reactivate it at a cost of over $120, I decided to just start fresh.

A lot has happened since I began blogging back in 2006. I've launched not one but THREE Internet television portals! I am loving the development work and the technology. In May of this year I left main stream Christianity and became a "free-thinker. My last blog took the brunt of that transition and the reasons that led up to it. I'm leaving all that behind.

Two years ago I read the book The Secret, by Rhonda Byrnes and my life was transformed! I began applying the principles of the Law of Attraction and watched the most amazing things come about in my life. Part of the reason I left the mainstream religion was because of the intolerance many of my "friends" had for my new belief. It didn't line up with what the believed and as a result, I was constantly criticized and condemned. I am really glad I broke away and started living life to its fullest.

I'll be sharing the victories I've experienced and keep experiencing since then too.

Currently, I am working on my 3rd book with my very good friend Rocco Morelli. The title of the book is Simply Believe. The book is written for people who want more in their life but because of false teachings or false beliefs have never been able to achieve more. Stay tuned for more details about that as well.

So, welcome to my new blog! I am glad you're here! I look forward to getting to know you!

Shell