Old Fashioned On Purpose

When I started my first homestead in 2008, I had plenty of enthusiasm and absolutely no patience. Nearly two decades later, I’m beginning again on a new piece of ground, but this time I’m not starting from scratch; I’m starting from experience.
In this episode, I’m sharing the biggest lessons shaping how I approach my new home and 20 acres, from making slower decisions and resisting the urge to do more, to building for real life instead of the fantasy version of homesteading. We’ll also talk about comparison, asking better questions, and why starting over can look very different when you know yourself better.
Podcast Episode Highlights:
What I've learned about my life lately 
Starting over vs. starting from experience
Point #1: Making slower decisions
Point #2: More isn't always better
Point #3: Real life and not fantasy homestead
Point #4: Don't compare 
Point #5: Asking different questions
Final thoughts
Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode:
Learn more about Azure Standard and their non-GMO, wholesome food options (especially bulk food) here: https://www.azurestandard.com/?a_aid=ANnu0O8ySU
–> Join Azure Standard for FREE and enjoy 15% off your first order of $100 or more. Simply use promo code OLDFASHIONED15 at checkout.
Check out my Substack essays here: https://jillwinger.substack.com/
Previous Podcast Episodes & Blog Articles on Life Knowledge:
Embarrassment is the Cost of Entry (podcast episode)
The Incredible Gift of Failure (podcast episode)
It Takes Guts to be Bad at Something (podcast episode)
When Everything Feels Out of Control, I Do This (blog article)
OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD:
Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: https://jillwinger.substack.com/
Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.com
Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger
Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead
Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!

If you’ve ever wondered how a book goes from a half-formed idea in your head to something sitting on a bookstore shelf, I’m pulling back the curtain on exactly how it happened for me.
In this episode, I’m walking through my experience with agents, book proposals, pitching publishers, advances and royalties, writing, photography, and the surprisingly long road to publication. I’ll also explain the different publishing paths available and what authors actually need to know about marketing once the book is finished. This isn’t an exhaustive guide to publishing—it’s the real story of how my books came together and what I’ve learned along the way.
Podcast Episode Highlights:
Why I'm talking about my experience on writing and selling books
Most common types of ways to publish your book
How you get paid from publishing companies
The process of turning a book idea into a book
Details on having an agent
Details on writing a book proposal
Pitching to publishers
The long process to actually getting the book published
How I do my writing process and photography for the book
What you need to know about marketing your book
Final Thoughts
Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode:
Learn more about Toups and Co. here: https://toupsandco.com/pages/prairie25
First time buyers can use the code Prairie25 to get you 25% off your first Toups order.
Find my cookbook here: http://homesteadcookbook.com/
Find my Old-Fashioned on Purpose book here: http://oldfashionedbook.com/
If you're interested in joining my small group business coach/mentorship program, email me at: [email protected]
OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD:
Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: https://jillwinger.substack.com/
Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.com
Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger
Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead
Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!

Grocery prices keep climbing, but most of the advice I’ve heard for spending less still seems to boil down to “use coupons” and “don’t grocery shop while you’re hungry.” After years of running a restaurant, I’ve started thinking about my household food economy very differently.
In this episode, I’m sharing the practical strategies I’ve picked up from the restaurant world and how they’ve changed the way I shop, cook, stock my pantry and freezer, and even think about the garden. Because spending less on groceries isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about building a food system that actually works for your life.
Podcast Episode Highlights:
High grocery prices, lame advice, food economy thoughts, etc.
Strategy: focus on price per meal
Strategy: don't forget the waste-adjusted price
Strategy: buy ingredients, not intentions
Strategy: build an anti-takeout pantry
Frugality doesn't need to mean purity
Strategy: buy in bulk BUT keep these things in mind
Strategy: be careful about how much you shop
Learn the 'clean out the fridge' formats
Stop making everything from scratch
Careful about using your freezer
Thinking about the garden for your grocery bill
Let's talk about protein
Final thoughts
Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode:
Learn more about Toups and Co. here: https://toupsandco.com/pages/prairie25
First time buyers can use the code Prairie25 to get you 25% off your first Toups order.
Find my cookbook here: http://homesteadcookbook.com/
Check out Azure Standard here: https://www.azurestandard.com/?a_aid=ANnu0O8ySU
Learn more about Meal Craft here: https://mealcraftmethod.com/
Previous Podcast Episodes & Blog Articles on Food:
How I’m Cooking These Days (podcast episode): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-18-episode-13-how-im-cooking-these-days
Why Meal Planning Doesn’t Work for You (and what to do instead!) (podcast episode): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-14-episode-21-why-meal-planning-doesnt-work-for-you-and-what-to-do-instead
How to Find Nourishing Food WITHOUT a Farm (podcast episode): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-11-episode-11-how-to-find-nourishing-food-without-a-farm-with-liz-haselmayer
How to Store a Year’s Worth of Food for Your Family (Without Waste and Overwhelm) (blog article): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2021/09/how-to-store-a-years-worth-of-food-for-your-family-without-waste-and-overwhelm.html
How to Store and Use Bulk Pantry Goods (blog article): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2021/10/how-to-store-and-use-bulk-pantry-goods.html
OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD:
Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: https://jillwinger.substack.com/
Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.com
Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger
Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead
Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!

In this episode, I’m talking with Emilie Toups of Toups & Co. about what actually happens to our skin as we age and why so many mainstream skincare products may not be helping.
We dig into a simple, natural skincare routine that anyone can start doing at home plus how these options compare to mainstream ingredients like retinol. Emilie also shares how to make the switch to natural skincare without getting overwhelmed and what we can do beyond topical products to nourish our skin from the inside out. And of course, we get into the bigger question underneath it all: how do we care for aging skin without making aging itself the enemy?
Podcast Episode Highlights:
How and why our skin changes over time
Why aren't mainstream skincare products working?
What actually works for our skin
Step #1: Oil cleansing
Step #2: Gentle serums
Step #3: Tallow
Oil cleansing issues to keep in mind
Natural products vs. retinol
Addressing the critics of tallow
Facial toner details
How to switch from mainstream skincare to natural products without overwhelm
What to do (besides skincare) to nourish your skin
Deep thoughts on aging
Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode:
Learn more about Toups and Co. here: https://toupsandco.com/pages/prairie25
First time buyers can use the code Prairie25 to get you 25% off your first Toups order.
Previous Podcast Episodes & Blog Articles on Natural Skincare:
How to Opt-Out of Toxic Mainstream Skincare with Emilie Toups (podcast episode): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-7-episode-10-how-to-opt-out-of-toxic-mainstream-skincare
When the Old Ways Make More Sense (blog article on using tallow on your skin): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2023/03/when-the-old-ways-make-more-sense.html
How to Make Tallow Body Butter (blog recipe for making your own tallow skincare): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2022/04/how-to-make-tallow-body-butter.html
OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD:
Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: https://jillwinger.substack.com/
Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.com
Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger
Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead
Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!

I’ve had some epic garden failures over the years, but nothing quite like this one. And judging by what I’m hearing, I know I’m not the only person whose garden has struggled this year.
In this episode, I’m sharing the three main problems that seem to have created the worst garden of my life and also what I’m learning as I try to unravel them. No polished success story here, just real-time troubleshooting in hopes it helps someone else who is currently wallowing in their own gardening woes.
Podcast Episode Highlights:
A quick glance at my gardening history
What I noticed about my new place before I started planting
What happened in my garden so far this year
Problem #1: Herbicide contamination
Problem #2: Soil Fertility issues
Problem #3: Critters
Final thoughts
Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode:
Learn more about Toups and Co. here: https://toupsandco.com/pages/prairie25
First time buyers can use the code Prairie25 to get you 25% off your first Toups order.
Find Redmond's Soil Test Kit here: http://theprairiehomestead.com/soiltest
Previous Podcast Episodes & Blog Articles on Soil:
The Worst Garden of My Entire Life (recent blog article with garden/house pictures about my current garden problems): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2026/08/the-worst-garden-of-my-entire-life.html
I Think I Poisoned My Garden (blog article about my previous hay mulch problem): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2016/08/curled-tomato-leaves.html
The Mystery of the Poisonous Potting Soil (podcast episode about my previous potting soil problem): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-10-episode-12-the-mystery-of-the-poisonous-potting-soil
How Fall in Love with Your Soil (podcast episode about soil problems): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-12-episode-10-how-fall-in-love-with-your-soil
How to Feed Your Soil a Whole Food Diet (podcast episode for healing bad soil): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-12-episode-12-how-to-feed-your-soil-a-whole-food-diet
Weeds, Pests, & Herbicides: Overcoming Your Worst Organic Gardening Woes (podcast episode with tips for bad garden years): https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/tph_podcasts/season-13-episode-4-weeds-pests-herbicides-overcoming-your-worst-organic-gardening-woes
OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD:
Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: https://jillwinger.substack.com/
Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.com
Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger
Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead
Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!