Simple Farmhouse Life Podcast Episode 266 Summary
Title: Homemaker Q&A: Grocery Budget, Breastfeeding and Fertility, My Best Marriage Advice, and More!
Host: Lisa Bass
Release Date: December 3, 2024
In Episode 266 of the Simple Farmhouse Life podcast, host Lisa Bass delves into a multitude of questions from her listeners, covering essential topics such as budgeting for groceries, breastfeeding's impact on fertility, marriage advice, and practical tips for managing a large household. Drawing from her extensive experience as a homemaker, blogger, and mother of eight, Lisa provides insightful and actionable advice to help listeners simplify their daily lives.
1. Budgeting and Grocery Shopping
Lisa opens the episode by discussing effective strategies for feeding a large family healthily on a budget. She emphasizes the importance of value per dollar and per ounce, encouraging listeners to assess how each grocery item fills their family most cost-effectively.
Lisa [00:00]: "How much is this filling up my family per dollar, per ounce and kind of making all those calculations? I think you could find some ways to cut there."
She advises staying within the perimeter of the grocery store to access fresh produce and essential items, suggesting that purchasing organic may not always be necessary when working within a tight budget.
Lisa [00:00]: "If all you can buy is grocery store stuff, stay in the perimeter and don't worry about it being organic."
2. Moving to a Farm
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Lisa's personal experience with moving from their Boone Street home to a newly purchased farm. She shares the challenges and excitement of overseeing a building project while managing a large family.
Lisa [00:55]: "We are going to be building there, but we are living in a house in between. So it's a lovely little historic house in town."
Lisa underscores the necessity of being hands-on with construction to ensure the project aligns with her family's vision, highlighting the unpredictable nature of building a home.
Lisa [00:55]: "If you don't watch it, there'll be miscommunications. There will be things that you had a vision for where if you weren't there, they'll quickly make a decision which not any fault to builders."
3. Bone Broth and Kitchen Practices
Addressing a question about her bone broth-making process, Lisa explains her method of keeping a stock pot simmering continuously, even overnight, leveraging her experience with traditional stoves that have standing pilots.
Lisa [05:30]: "I've been comfortable with that for many, many years... I don’t have to have them refrigerated when it's hot."
She reassures listeners about the safety and efficiency of her method, emphasizing the importance of maintaining consistent heat for prolonged cooking.
4. Raw Dairy and Milk Quality
When questioned about raw dairy, Lisa discusses the feeding practices of cows and the challenges of sourcing truly grass-fed raw milk. She acknowledges the complexities involved in dairy farming and underscores her preference for raw milk over pasteurized options.
Lisa [10:15]: "I have all these standards and then once I have a dairy cow, it's like, okay, well this week I can't get to that store, that feed store that has the high quality organic dairy ration that I want."
Lisa advocates for prioritizing clean, raw milk and offers practical insights into balancing quality with availability.
5. Child Safety: Putting Objects in Mouths
Addressing concerns about toddlers putting objects like grass sticks or sand in their mouths, Lisa emphasizes the importance of supervision to prevent choking hazards.
Lisa [12:45]: "I would not want My baby put grass sticks, any sand in their mouth. Just because I have seen babies choke."
She shares her own experiences, noting that her children outgrew the mouth-exploration phase earlier than others, and provides practical tips for ensuring child safety outdoors.
6. Breastfeeding and Fertility
Lisa discusses the relationship between extended breastfeeding and delayed fertility, sharing her personal journey of waiting six months post-weaning to conceive again.
Lisa [15:08]: "For me, that's the way my body works. I'm glad that's the way my body works."
She highlights the variability among women, noting that while some can conceive immediately after weaning, others may experience significant delays despite efforts to regulate.
7. Nursing Practices and Challenges
Responding to a question about nursing multiple children, Lisa outlines her experiences with extended nursing periods, tandem nursing, and dealing with nursing aversions during pregnancy.
Lisa [18:11]: "All of my kids nursed until about anywhere from 15 to 18 months... I've also never tandem nursed because my milk always does dry up whenever I'm pregnant."
She offers encouragement and practical advice for mothers navigating similar challenges, emphasizing the natural variability of breastfeeding experiences.
8. Nutrition on a Tight Budget
A listener inquires about maintaining high-quality nutrition on a limited budget. Lisa recommends prioritizing staples like raw milk from local farms, whole grains, and less expensive protein sources such as whole chickens and ground beef.
Lisa [22:30]: "Focus on getting the less expensive, more in season, cheaper fruits, and avoiding anything where you're paying for the packaging."
She advises against spending on luxury items like bacon, instead suggesting bulk purchases of affordable, nutritious ingredients to maximize both health benefits and budget efficiency.
9. Managing Dishes in a Large Family
Handling a perpetual flow of dishes is a common concern among large families. Lisa shares her strategy of washing dishes as they go and involving all family members in the process to prevent overwhelm.
Lisa [28:40]: "We just wash them as we go. We have lots of hands helping. And I'm also not very particular about dishes. If they look and feel clean, I'm good."
Her approach emphasizes efficiency and teamwork, ensuring that the sink remains manageable despite the high volume of daily use.
10. Furniture and Home Decor on a Budget
When asked about updating furniture in a home that no longer reflects one's personal style, Lisa offers practical tips for budget-friendly transformations. She recounts her own experience of reupholstering cushions and sourcing thrifted pieces.
Lisa [33:10]: "If you can do that, that's great, but I think for a lot of young moms, that's not something that's really possible. So be patient and try to keep your eye out."
Lisa advocates for gradual changes and DIY projects to refresh home decor without significant financial strain, highlighting the charm of a collected and evolving aesthetic.
11. Making Milk Kefir with Limited Milk Supply
Addressing a question about fermenting milk kefir without daily access to fresh milk, Lisa advises preparing large batches ahead of time and storing kefir to prevent milk from spoiling.
Lisa [35:20]: "Just make a lot of it either right up front or when it's starting to go sour. That's really going to be a great asset if you're only getting biweekly milk pickups."
She offers practical solutions to maintain a consistent supply of milk kefir, ensuring that limited milk runs do not disrupt the fermentation process.
12. Handling Organ Meat
Lisa candidly discusses her experiences with incorporating organ meats into her family's diet, admitting to her challenges with certain types like beef liver.
Lisa [37:45]: "I do not like beef liver. I have not found a way to disguise it... I've gotten pretty lazy about it."
She shares her honest struggles and alternatives, emphasizing that while organ meats are nutritious, personal preferences play a significant role in their inclusion in meals.
13. Marriage Advice
In response to a heartfelt question about maintaining a strong marriage amidst the chaos of family life, Lisa offers wisdom gleaned from her 17-year marriage.
Lisa [43:20]: "Do not expect your spouse to be the same person as you. The reason you married them is because they compliment you in some way... communicate and understand that their way isn't wrong, it's just different from yours."
She underscores the importance of communication, mutual respect, and regular date nights to cultivate a joyful and enduring partnership.
14. Prenatal Appointments with Multiple Children
Lisa shares her approach to managing prenatal appointments while caring for several young children, highlighting the reduction in appointments with experience and support from her spouse.
Lisa [44:36]: "The more kids I have, the less prenatal appointments I do."
She discusses alternative strategies, such as minimizing disruptions by relying on her husband and older children, and offers practical tips like using strollers or wagons to keep younger children engaged during appointments.
15. Encouraging Kids to Play Outside
Finally, Lisa provides strategies for encouraging outdoor play among young children, especially as winter approaches. She emphasizes creating safe play environments and fostering children's independence.
Lisa [40:10]: "Don't feel horrible if you find it a stretch to play with your kids because it is hard... they find it to be a challenge."
She suggests activities like kite flying, bubble blowing, and pumpkin carving to keep children engaged outdoors while allowing parents to manage their own tasks.
Conclusion
Episode 266 of the Simple Farmhouse Life podcast is a treasure trove of practical advice and heartfelt insights from Lisa Bass. Whether you're navigating the complexities of budgeting for a large family, managing breastfeeding and fertility, or seeking ways to strengthen your marriage, Lisa's experiences and recommendations offer valuable guidance. Her authentic and relatable approach makes this episode a must-listen for homemakers seeking to enhance their daily lives with simplicity and intentionality.
Notable Quotes:
-
Budgeting:
"How much is this filling up my family per dollar, per ounce and kind of making all those calculations? I think you could find some ways to cut there."
— Lisa [00:00] -
Marriage Advice:
"Do not expect your spouse to be the same person as you... communicate and understand that their way isn't wrong, it's just different from yours."
— Lisa [43:20] -
Outdoor Play:
"Don't feel horrible if you find it a stretch to play with your kids because it is hard... they find it to be a challenge."
— Lisa [40:10]
Resources Mentioned:
- Blog: farmosomboon.com
- Courses:
- Simple Sourdough
- Simple Sewing Series
- Create Your Blog Dream
- YouTube Success Academy
For more detailed insights and additional episodes, visit Lisa Bass's Farmhouse on Boom blog and YouTube channel.