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Does anyone else find that they get super revved up about homesteading when it’s the middle of winter and you can’t actually plant anything? Just me?
When it’s cold as anything outside and you want to scratch that homestead itch, here are seven winter activities for the apartment homestead to try.
1. Learn something
Pick a skill or three off your homestead skills list and learn all about it. Cooking, crafting, handiwork, and money management are all great winter skills to learn since none of them require being outside! Make it your winter goal to bake your first loaf of bread or practice sewing some napkins.
2. Craft something
I think winter’s the perfect time for “warm” crafts like knitting/crocheting, sewing, and quilting. The idea of making a blanket in the summer is just 🥵 but when it’s cold outside making a sweater or blanket sounds wonderful.
If you’re not quite sure what to make, stockpiling wedding and baby blankets is never a bad idea. (Especially if you have a big family like I do — I’m one of more than twenty cousins on my dad’s side! There’s a wedding or a baby or both pretty much every year.)
3. Build something
Like with crafting, building things doesn’t require you to be outside and is therefore great for wintertime. Hang some shelves or build a bookcase. Make a “catio,” chicken coop, or garden shed so you’re ready for the warmer months. Get fancy and build yourself a custom wardrobe! The sky’s the limit.
Don’t have tools yet? I love the RYOBI ONE+ line (and so does my electrician)!
4. Plan something
Sure, you can’t actually start planting yet, but you can certainly figure out what you’ll put where. Look through seed catalogues and place orders. Map out your yard/community plot/apartment balcony to figure out how much space you have to work with. Figure out what method(s) of planting you want to use — container gardening, square foot gardening, permaculture food forests, and so on. You could even start building things for your plan, like raised containers or hugelkulture beds.
5. Fix something
Winter means spending more time indoors, which means you’re more likely to notice those little things that need fixing. Got a squeaky hinge? Scuffs on the walls? Knives that need sharpening? Holey pants? This is the perfect time to tackle these tasks. Just think how thrilled you’ll be once you’re done and the door doesn’t squeak anymore!
Note: if you’re renting, you might want to get your landlord’s okay before you fix some of your issues. For some other issues, they might be the landlord’s problem to fix, not yours. Either way, make sure to communicate!
6. Organize something
Just like with fixing things, spending more time inside means you’ll probably make more mess. Decluttering, tidying, and cleaning are great winter activities! In some cultures, like Japan, it’s traditional to clean at the end of the year so that you can enter the new year with your house in order. Take a page out of their book and use your time indoors to clean and declutter. Out with the old, in with the new, right?
Especially useful: organizing your food storage. Clearing out expired food from your pantry, fridge and freezer means you’ll have room for the bounty of the warmer months once they arrive!
7. Start something
More than anything, you can start building habits that will serve you during the warmer months and beyond. It might be something like composting. Or it might be a habit of knitting ten rows a day every day to help you become a better knitter. Maybe it’s an exercise plan, so you get or stay in shape for homestead heavy lifting. Or it could be a savings challenge. You might be literally starting seeds! Use winter to set yourself up for success during the warmer months. You’ll thank yourself later!
So there you go: seven simple winter activities for the apartment homestead!
I’ll be doing a little bit of everything this winter. What are your plans?
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