I could never sit still either. I learned to knit and crochet. Now I can sit without feeling unproductive. It's also been very helpful mentally and emotionally. I can work through challenges while crocheting. It's a kind of moving meditation.
It's hard to relax when you are on a mission to complete projects. You're all doing great. Be careful in the heat. Your livestock guardian dog is so sweet.
Whomever got the shots of Ashley making salsa is an artist. The composition of all the cut veggies in the bowl before she started mixing them was just perfect. Also, Ashely, your definition of being a slob is a little loose! When you showed the "before" shot of cleaning up the shed, I thought, "Hmm. you can still see plenty of floor. What is she talking about?" (I have lived with real slobs, so I know of whence I speak.) Also, thanks for reminding folks who live in houses to be thankful for the little things in their lives like the ability to cook inside during hot summers. I love my off grid life, and I don't mind at all when sticks and bricks folks envy my freedom, but yeah, it's good to remind them and ourselves that there are some tradeoffs. Thanks for another video!
Hey Ashley! Chillin' with the pups & kitty is the BEST way to do something as you're "doing nothing"! Your food looks scrumptious! Love cilantro! Love the view of your beautiful raised garden beds & mother nature behind you! Will the cats help you find the crickets? My cat loves to say, "Hey mom, here's a bug!"
Ashley!!! Your drive to move is a superpower!! Think about changing how you regard it. And trust me, there are degrees of untidiness, what you showed us was nowhere near slobhood. Welcome to The sisterhood of the lethargic broom.
Ashley, you remind me of my mom. She was a big extravert, always physically active, either doing some sort of theater work or working on her small homestead with my stepfather, in their mid-to-late years. But she was also really hard on herself, wanting to do more, and more, and more. :-) I was glad that she had several homes where she could garden and otherwise work on her living space, and even in the last couple of years of her life, after she sold both of her homes, I was so happy that she got lucky enough to get a subsidized housing place for seniors where she had a whole small yard of her own that she could putter around, digging in the dirt, and being both amused by, and annoyed by, the wildlife who lived there too. I just wish she'd been able to be happier with what she was able to do, and didn't judge herself quite so harshly when she wasn't able to do everything she wanted to do.
I love the way your children's personality. They are happy with you on homestead. Good workers . Good manners. Loving family. Good to see in this day and age. I'm 70 years old and I see a lot of children that's not ajusted.. Good parents make a difference. Love your little family.❤❤❤.
Mmmmm, salsa! I noticed that relaxation happened a lot easier with the fur family. Two easy suggestions: audio book (a fun one, not an improving one), or knitting. Use non-fuzzy crochet thread rather than yarn in hot weather. You are all active most of the time. It's hard to slow down.
Cats are very good at catching crickets. Do you have an adult cat you can trust in the shed? If so, put the cat in the shed by itself for a few hours and let it do it’s thing. 😊
It’s always nice to get some time to relax so you can get charged for the next day. The small kitty is so adorable specially when he cuddles. Love and be safe!🤗😘🌼🇻🇪
I know the feeling . To be still when I was under 65 was hard. Now that I am 73 I can’t do like I did. But one thing has helped me. About 2 years ago I saw your dog. I got one given to me Last December 14, Jan 10 my 16 year old cocka poo died. So now I have Zeke a black Burma doodle he was 3 mon. When I got him. I love how is is coming along. He and I go walking fetch sit stay . Thank you for showing me this breed.
My neighbors cat loves crickets and when he catches them he takes them into the tub so he can play with them so it is easy for her to get them out of the house😅
I was diagnosed with ADHD later in life, because in girls, it's difficult to diagnose. The need to be productive and guilt when you're not, the mega-focus on things that bring you the most serotonin while the less rewarding tasks have to become a mountain for it to feel worth it. I sometimes feel like a hurricane, because I'll spend so much time organizing my kitchen and getting it tidy and clean... And I've simultaneously made my craft room a disaster and all the coping mechanisms I've created in systems so it doesn't get out of control prior to diagnosis. Oh boy.
We live in Perth Western Australia, and in summer it can be too hot to cook in the house, sometimes. That is what salads and sandwiches are for! The salsa looks great!
I love how the dogs love/hate the kittens❤❤❤ The opening shots were just magical...the waking up time of the day is my very favorite time💙💙💙 I can't sit still either!! My kids fuss at me ALL the time, telling me to "JUST STOP Mom"!!! Cain't do it.... Ocho and Mo can't do it either 😂😂😂😂
Oh Ashley this is what makes who you are! You are a driven person. A couple of days ago I received the beautiful cards I ordered drawn by your kids. I just love them so much. Your family is so talented! Thank you for sharing the TSH journey. I always look forward to your posts ❤️❤️
Really enjoying the "this is just what our day was" type videos! Love seeing the progress on the things you've built, but also enjoy knowing that your family is not just about the building and progress. Learning to relax is an art that takes practice! Maybe try 10 or 15 minutes to start. 😼
Dear Ashley I hope you and your family are doing well. Both you and Jonathan are doing awesome raising beautiful, healthy , children. I'm so happy you make videos. We lost our home to a forest fire and I look forward to rebuilding hand and hand with my family. I want to stay busy like you. Much respect 😊
My sister and her husband list their home to a huge bushfire too. I’m so sorry you went through that. Luckily, they were insured and were able to buy a property they are even happier on. Sometimes it still hits them- when thinking about a photograph or piece of jewellery that was lost, but for the most part, they have recovered. Hopefully you’ll have the same experience.
FYI, instead of the glass fermentation weights you can use a ziplock bag (single or doubled) filled with salt water to weigh down the solids in your salsa ferment
Ashley, you are not a slob! I've seen slob and you ain't one. But you do need to learn to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Blessings to you and your family 😊.
Ashley....one of the greatest lessons I learned from the year I retired - how to lie still for 12 minutes. When I worked, it was a stressful job that was from home - especially during the Pandemic. Every time I was given a break, I would put a small, electronic timer to 13 minutes. I would then lie down on my bed and repeat this to myself for 1 minute: 'I'm worth a nap.' 'Take a deep breath and let it go slow.......ly.' I'd then imagine every one of my muscles going on shut down through the exhale. After a few days, this became easier to do. I was able to sleep for 12 minutes! It was enough to recharge my batteries so I could return to work and be patient with my clients again. You've labeled yourself a slob but you aren't. You are an organized person who is extremely creative and needs lots of 'room' to express yourself. You might want to develop a new habit. Every time you leave a room (or building), look back. Is there anything that needs to go somewhere else? If so, pick it up and either return it to its rightful place or set it next to the door of the next room - in preparation - to bringing it back to it home. And be kind to yourself. No one is perfect and no one will judge you worse than you judge yourself. If you were truly "a slob", you'd be lying in bed all day and never pick up anything.
When I’ve fermented, I use a wide mouth jar and a small (Ball, 4 oz) jelly jar to set on top (just the jar - no lid or ring, of course!) It fits perfectly and it’s not something extra I have to keep around as I have all kinds of sizes of my mason jars. (The 4 oz jars can often be found at thrift stores.) And just for the record…you being a “slob” makes me look like a real super slob! 😂 Give yourself some grace… You all work so hard and are doing it all in such a confined space. The fact that you will never take your house for granted is so heartwarming. Many of us do just because we’ve never known anything else. Thank you for sharing your feelings! ❤
My friend lives out in Arizona. On her property she came in with topsoil. She has planters to grow her own food as well. Has a shade tent above them. Before she plants, she mix's Silicone beads. to her soil. When the silicone beads get wet, the expand with that water. Less water and its releases on its own when needed. FYI... Awesome Team !
Ashley and Jonathan...you two work so well together. When I watch it reminds me of the days my husband and I worked together (we had our own home renovation business). It brings back such good memories. We worked hard together, and it was fun and fulfilling. Now we are older and the bodies just can't work that hard every day without a day off for months and months at a stretch. We still putter and fix around our house, but we now have to go off to work each day and miss each other's company.
Your "unproductive" day beats out most of our productive days :-) I do hope you will get in the habit of enjoying a 30 minute R&R each day to put your feet up and enjoy viewing the fruits of your labor. BTW-Your garden fresh pico looked fantastic. I swear I could taste it!
We installed our evaporative cooler right by our oven. It works well to push out the heat when we are cooking. Our son's hyperadobe house is quite warm this summer, it's been up to 91° inside! He just uses a fan, and it might help to close up some of the vents during the day. It's still better than an RV though. Cooking still really heats it up. 🌞
Oh my word, I love your beautiful Annapolian Shephard Dog 🐕 I know he's there to protect your farm Animals, but I wouldn't be able to separate him or not interact with him. He is truly beautiful and has such a kind little face. ❤😊
Good morning you guys hope you guys have a great day keep up the good work home so won't the house is going to be done I guess so I don't know alright have a great day guys❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉❤
I heard creative people tend to be messy (Mel Robbins) I am going with that since it is my lane also and I am working on letting that self judgement go. Perhaps you too can let it go? Hugs!
I had three children go through orthodontic treatment for a total of fourteen consecutive years. My husband never took any of them to the orthodontist once. Jonathan is a good sport!
I love cilantro! ❤ It actually tastes like soap to some people? So weird, their loss, lol! 😂 I’m looking forward to our monsoons this year. Love you guys and your salsa looked amazing Ashley!! ❤
To rid the crickets, mix pine Sol with 1/2 water to full strength. It works and makes a good aroma. Lots of crickets shore do stank. Pine Sol remedies.🙂👍
I feel you when it comes to crickets. In my parents house in NJ, we had one get under the metal door seal in the family room. It just amplified the noise. My dad was close to taking the seal out just to get the crickets out. We were able finally get bug spray under it to kill them. In our last house my kitties were very helpful in keeping the cricket population down.
Ashley how about putting the plants on top of the wall between bedroom and office. I always wondered why you haven’t done that yet. I would do that if I had that wonderful ledge up there.
I know that feeling about not having the ability to “chill out”. Over the years I taught myself to do a chore than sit down for 15-20 minutes and either read or catch up on my computer work or watch programs on utube such as yours… I do this all day and it seems to help… I love to garden and in Southern California it gets hot and the sun can be intense so I time my outdoor activities/gardening for 15-20 minutes than chill out indoors until I cool down…
Cilantro is awesome just about in anything... Some chilaquiles with Cilantro, Dice Onion, Sour Cream, Melted Shredded Cheese with sides of eggs, beans Lol....
Love your energy. We live in florida and it's hot humid and thus yr not the rain we usually get in our area. Love cooking on my porch on my black stone griddle. Cooking inside heats up our house to much, especially holidays were we don't get winter weather. You life is such a dream for me.
Crickets are good luck. You should be glad that you can go somewhere else and not hear them. Mine are with me all the time along with cicadas and different bird sounds. After a while you get use to it.
Just want to say thanks for all the great content yall put out! A friend told me about your channel and I can't stop watching! We are moving to our first offgrid property in just over a week excited, scared, and feeling like a kid the night before Christmas!
God bless you and yours. You are getting there it may seem overwhelming at times but, when it all done they will be Beautiful memories. love your videos
Sorry about the cricket pests - I’ve found the Eco-Lab mouse sticky traps to be amazing for catching creepy crawlies - spiders, ants and crickets - besides mice - just make sure to lay them where none of your fur babies can get into them ‘cuz getting them unstuck is not fun 😵💫 Take care and thanks for sharing your days with us! 🍀🌻😎
The RU-vid algorithm showed me your Greening the desert video. So happy it did, now I have hundreds of videos to watch. Well done on a great channel, great projects and a great family. It's so nice to take a break from work and watch one of your videos, that's my way of doing nothing 😊.
Hilarious how much you move around (compared to Jonathan, who is just standing there...) when you are side by side on the computers. I find that music is a necessary ingredient for me in slowing down. Without it, I just sit there thinking of all the things that need doing. With it, time vanishes. Thanks for another great vid.
A woman with four children, hubby, cats, dogs, goats , chickens, gardens trees, trees, pigs 🐷 building projects and cooking are not slobs they are busy. I can’t sit still either and I’m older. I can see you fidget at the computer, your always moving hahaha enjoyed the video. ❤
I cannot handle cilantro but our Guinea pig and lizards appreciate it. My granddaughters cry if they’re in the kitchen when I’m cutting it up! Evidently we do have that gene! Lol!
I find when I am busy doing stuff and try to relax, that it takes time to settle your mind. Then it becomes easier to relax and be still~~You are a hard working family with lots of projects in the making.....that makes it a challenge to sit still!!💗💚💜
My husband hated crickets. There was one in our basement that was absolutely driving him crazy! He told me he was going to find the thing and “get rid of it” if it took him all night . He was down there for a very long time moving things, mumbling and grumbling. He finally came up stairs and said,” I give up! I’ve looked everywhere, moved everything and no matter where I look I can hear it but I can’t find it.” I kept a straight face and told him the cricket was on his shoulder! We sure had a good laugh.
I, unfortunately have a strong dislike for cilantro because , to me, it tastes like soap. I do however grow a great deal of it in my garden right by my tomatoes. Cilantro is a terrific plant that deters bad pests and attracts good insects. And I give my fresh cilantro to the friends who enjoy it. Thank you for your wonderful videos. Have a great summer ❤
Mix powdered sugar and baking soda 50:50. Crickets can’t pass gas so they explode. Sounds gross but it has worked for me over the years here in the desert.
I’m like you in this way. Can’t sit still. Have to get things accomplished even if it’s only a few things in the day. Feel unproductive if nothing gets done. Gorgeous sky & sunset behind you. Love your salsa. And you did lots in the day. Don’t count yourself short. Good job Ashley.😘💖
If it is any consolation, in summer here it hits 32°c in my indoor kitchen, and it is impossible to cook. I just eat iceblocks and cereal for three months. I need a cute puppy to hang out with 😒
You have a hard time relaxing because you're a Moma with a large family & LOTS of things to do.... always! Try rewarding yourself some down-time after finishing a project. That way, as a reward that's been earned & you won't feel its lazy. And, while sitting & relaxing do it with a pen/pencil & paper. That way you can be making lists for projects and/or organizing a project. Or use the pad for drawing drawing. That way you're relaxing but it's not totally lot time. Good luck! Btw, it's the artist in you that's bringing out the messy... it's just the way our brains work, I have the same issue. I just try to focus on the pickup once I'm done.
Ashley, I know someone in my family who would put anyone to shame. You are clean, clean, clean compared to others I know. Chill a little on that. Also I see you do Yoga? So incorporate some meditation or simple sit. There is a book I've read with a title of "Don't just do something sit there." A thought or two to ponder. Peace and happy chill time.
I had never heard of Russian Sage until I saw at Walmart (So. Cal) a few days ago,,,,,,and now here you are talking about it! What I saw was beautifu💜l, now very tempted to go get a plant for my very tiny yard......💜
2 things: 1.What the heck was slobbish about the shed?? 2. I SO wish I liked cilantro! It's the only thing I just can't eat, and it can be embarrassing!
