Hi, I'm new

[Starfish]

Hi
Just wanted to say hello and introdce myself.

I am no where near self sufficient, but I am trying. I have 3 children who are all organically reared. I am breastfeeding my youngest still 14 months and we are big washable nappy fans. We are also vegetarian.

I got rid of my car a few months back although my husband needs his for work and we live 300 miles from family so don't see us going car free for a good while yet. We do what we can around the house, recycle everything possible, compost what we can, use freecycle lots but I know we have a long way to go there.

My hopes for the future (and my reason for joining here) are
1. To get an allotment and grow all my own veg (we currently get an organic box delivered every week). I may have the opportunity of half an allotment but have NEVER grown vegetables apart from tomatoes so some serious education needed!!!
2. Get a chicken or two for eggs (we used to keep them years ago, my husband not keen again but I am working on him)
3. I am hoping to only give 2nd hand, recycled or hand made xmas presents this year, and need ideas and tips please!
4. Get fit, allotment will help I hope and more walking/cycling with children
5. Get educated. I live on the coast and would love to know more about what there is around me I can use around the house. And I want to teach the children more about the earth/environment and ways we can help it, so I need to learn it first to pass it on!
6. Get rich. Well ok, that maybe a bit ambitious, but to be less poor would be nice! I really begrudge the money I give the supermarkets and I am going to try really hard to cut down on what I don't need so I can plough some of my weekly savings into paying off some debts (of which there are lots).
7. Stop wearing leather shoes. I have to be presently decently for work (I am a full time nurse) but I hate having leather shoes. However, I could never in a million years pay £100 for natural produce shoes (my max is £30 per pair) so this too needs some work.
8. Become a better cook - using all my home grown vegetables. I intend to make good use of the vegetarian recipes on this site, particularly the one pot stews etc

So that's me! my biggest hurdle is going to be the allotment, but it's also my biggest aim. I really am clueless so I need to go off and find out what (if any) vegetables I should be planting right now/next few months.

I will be on the look out for ideas around the home too and plan on coming on here every night. I am thinking of starting a blog (but again have no idea how). I am really hoping to make some friends and get some help with this bt please bear with me if I appear dim... it's only because I am!

Take Care

Star x

[Andy Hamilton]

Selfsufficientish is here to help out so ask away when you need to.

Present ideas? - there are some posts somewhere full of them, a quick search brought this one up but there are more, anyone else know where??

anyway welcome to the forum

[Starfish]

Thank you I will certainly make use of you!
Off to read present ideas.
This is the first forum I have ever joined so finding navigating a bit tricky but I am getting there. There is certainly a lot to read. How do you keep up with it all?!
Love your signature by the way

[Pilsbury]

Check 3 times a day and never never go on holiday
only joking its quite easy to see whats new with the view new posts button on the top right of the forum, then just work your way back through the back pages as you get time.
Oh yes welcome and have fun

[Christine]

Hello Star, what a long list you have! none of it is going to be easy, either but all worthwhile.
I've made some mincemeat and chutney this year and am currently handing it all out with a free hand. The ingredients weren't free (mincemeat is jolly expensive to make) but the chutneys are green tomato chutney (guess what happened to my tomatoes again this year - triumph of hope over experience as my back garden doesn't get enough sun to ripen them) and elderberry chutney - berries gathered from trees on the allotments. I plan to find/save prettier jars over the next year and dish out sets of the stuff to people next Christmas.
I've has an allotment for about 18 months now but the first year was spent chopping privet hedges, which were cutting out all the light, and much of this year was dedicated to eliminating brambles. I'll be changing my avatar any day now to celebrate a clear allotment, at last! Had runner beans and potatoes and a few carrots and loads of rocket this year. Leeks and onion sets are in the ground now and a kind dog walker who works at a stables has donated several bags of neat horse manure.
My favourite things about the allotment are just watching the birds and being out of reach of the phone!
Good luck with yours, I hope we'll hear about your progress on the site.

[neen]

Hello Star,
It seems we have a lot in common. I have four children and breast fed them all as well as using cloth nappies. I can tell you ,as my eldest is 17 and my youngest 10, that I have the healthiest children (thanks to natural living). I have been a vegetarian since I weaned my youngest and my teenage daughter is mostly vegetarian.
We are lucky enough to live on 2/3rds of an acre around 12 kms from town and we grow vegies, fruit and eggs with limited water. It is such fun to harvest our own food and we are dabbling in sustainable energy. I work on getting fit and am studying as I work part time although I aim to work from home one day soon. Take things one step at a time and soon you will reach your goal It is a big task with little ones, stay focused and stay happy!
Don't be too concerned about the leather, there are cheaper alternatives if you can find them. If you need vegetarian recipes, I have quite a collection that I am eager to share,
take care
neen

[the.fee.fairy]

Hello