About Common Sense Home
Common Sense Home is a trusted online resource dedicated to empowering individuals and families to embrace self-reliant, sustainable lifestyles.
With its focus on practical advice and actionable solutions, the brand provides a wealth of knowledge in areas like gardening, food preservation, natural remedies, homesteading, and preparedness. It combines traditional wisdom with modern techniques, appealing to those who value resilience, independence, and a connection to the land.
Common Sense Home speaks like a trusted neighbor or mentor, offering guidance that’s both approachable and reliable. We’ve been at this for decades, and we know stuff, and share what we know.
Why we talk about Resilience and Abundance
We started the site simply to share our story, but it’s become more than that. We live in challenging times, and the “resilience and abundance” mindset is critical to prosperity.
Resilience
Resilience is the ability to adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of challenges, adversity, or change.
“Fall seven times, rise eight.” – Japanese Proverb
We empower individuals and families to adapt to challenges by building skills, creating food security through gardening and food preservation, and enhancing energy and resource efficiency.
We emphasize proactive measures to prepare for emergencies, while fostering a deeper connection with nature and a simpler, more intentional lifestyle.
Abundance
Abundance isn’t just about having more, but about appreciating and wisely utilizing what you have. It’s about becoming creators, innovators, and producers, instead of just consumers.
There’s enough “pie” for everyone if we learn how to make more “pie”. When we do well, we can share our surplus with others.
We encourage readers to cultivate abundance through practices like gardening, preserving food, and reducing waste. Be thankful, and build a life rich in skills and community. Live in harmony with nature, and enjoy meaningful experiences.
What’s the plant in the Common Sense Home logo?
Just in case you’re wondering about the plant in the Common Sense Home logo, it’s common plantain, Plantago major. My grandmother called it medicine leaf, and it was one of the first wild plants that I learned to use.
I chose as a reminder that the help you need might be found where you least expect it. It also teaches us to thrive in adverse conditions, as it grows in rough conditions, like sidewalk cracks and compacted soil.
Our Story
Common Sense Home started as a way to share our story as we moved out to the country to pursue a more self-reliant lifestyle. Over the years, we’ve helped millions learn about growing your own food and medicine, food storage and preservation, emergency preparedness, and more.
Our Homestead
We began our marriage staying with family while we built our first home in the suburbs of Green Bay, Wisconsin. We filled the yard with dwarf fruit trees and gardens, but we always dreamed of our own place in the country.
In 2004, we decided to take the plunge and move so our sons would grow up on the homestead. We found our land when Laurie spotted a “For Sale” sign tipped over in a ditch. The home was built in an old cow pasture after we swapped land with a neighbor for a driveway to get to the landlocked pasture.
Our family’s Green Built certified home includes an attached greenhouse, root cellar and canning pantry, which extend the growing season and allow us to store food for year round use. We also built a coop/greenhouse complex, for chickens, ducks, and growing more food. Eventually we added two ponds, solar panels and a workshop.
Learn More About Our Northeast Wisconsin Homestead
Our Homestead – Then and Now – How Things Have Changed
The Gardens
The raw land was rough, with compacted soil closer to the house and thick grass roots farther away. Our first garden was a sad, weedy mess, planted with a few leftover transplants from Laurie’s mother.
Over time, we added many garden beds, two orchards, nut trees and shrubs, and other edible and medicinal plants. We went from soil that the boys had to use a pick ax to break up to soil that looks like chocolate cake.
Overcoming Adversity
Things haven’t always been easy, but we’ve made it through as a family. In 2008, August lost his job during the economic downturn. After a year of freelancing, he found a full time position – an hour and a half away.
We debated selling the homestead and everything we’d worked for, but decided to hang on. August came home on weekends, and Laurie and the boys kept the homestead going. After five long years, August finally found a position back in the area and the family was back together full time again.
Then, in 2015, Laurie had a debilitating attack of psoriasis, with peeling, blistering skin over about a third of her body. When the “experts” told her to live with it, she took matters into her own hands, and figured out a way to clear her skin.
At the end of 2023, August’s full time job ended. He started a consulting business, but things are different from the first time he lost his job. Now, we have other revenue streams. We also produce most of our food and electricity. No matter what happens, we can make it through together.
Laurie Neverman
From a small dairy farm in northwest Wisconsin, to catering, to working as an engineer at the world’s largest solar water heating system, and back out to the country again.
August Neverman IV
Broadband Champion, I/T and Cyber Security strategic coach, disaster preparedness and business continuity and business process consultant.
Duncan Neverman
Gardening guru, massage therapist in training, Mr. Fix It, kitchen whiz, energy healer, and duck whisperer.
August Neverman V
Tech troubleshooter, builder, repair guy, and chicken wrangler.
Contact Us
You can reach us via email at laurie@commonsensehome.com.
We do not accept unsolicited guest posts.
Most of the photos featured on the site are from our homestead, but we do use some stock photos from depositphotos.
I would like to purchase all your books – how much, etc.
The only one currently available is the Common Sense Health e-book. You can find more information on that here: https://commonsensehome.com/common-sense-health/
Working on another that I hope to have ready to pitch to a publisher by the end of the year, but I’m a slow writer.
Hi, Laurie! I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed this website and how much I have learned from it. Thanks!
I came across this site and thought of how you are all about frugal and do-it-yourself projects. Set the boys to making labels for your canned goods, etc with this:
http://www.realfood4realpeople.com/non.html
Look under Craft Recipes in case the link does not totally work.
Don’t work too hard!
Oh,
You have my dream house! Lol…I’ve been after hubby for a long time for an attatched greenhouse! I love the idea of fresh, homegrown all year long!
I am so considering homeschooling…sigh…
Love to garden, although I need to get better at it!
Love your website, it’s on my favorites list.
Thanks, De. I’m a little behind in the garden this year, but I’m gaining on it. I need a few more hours in the day.
Laurie:
I enjoy your comments and your exceptional reviews of products. Your education certainly gives you an edge on most preparedness-type reviewers and reviews–that makes your content more credible for both newbie and long-time preparedness folks.
I invite you to interview with me on the Doctor Prepper C.P.R. Talk Show on the Preparedness Radio Network. I think it would help our listeners gain an appreciation for some of the basics necessary for becoming prepared or getting better prepared for the uncertain future.
We’ve enjoyed more than 3.6 million downloads (not hits!) to date, have more than 2 dozen hosts, and broadcast more than 40 hours of original content each week day–and have two days of “Best Of…” shows on the weekends. We average more than 12,000 downloads daily, and that should help more people get to know you. We reach lots of preppers — that will certainly help introduce more people to you and your great information.
My contact information is below. Please contact me and we can arrange a convenient time for recording the interview. Heck, with your information and credentials, you should be one of our hosts!
Looking forward to speaking with you.
Thanks,
James Talmage Stevens / Doctor Prepper
“If you’re gonna do things ain’t never been done,
You gotta try a few things ain’t never been tried.”
Phone: (210) 695-4950
Fax: (210) 695-4200
Doc@DoctorPrepper.com
http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/DoctorPrepper
http://www.BePreparedRadio.com
http://www.MakingtheBestofBasics.com
Hi Laura
In depth organization! However; with financial/social chaos coming how will you keep your preps when the FE MA goons come to take your stuff under the existing executive order? Might consider some secure hiding places. Extend your root cellar and build a rock-walled circular raised garden over it? So much to learn and do that it interferes with my theoretical physics research.
John
John, not everything gets published on the site… I’ll leave it at that.
Laurie, most excellent site and value adding info. I’m adding your site to my Resources page, just followed you on Twitter and subscribed to your newsletter.
Saw your article on oil pulling. I’ve been doing some pulling for about two months now with coconut oil and have noticed great improvements in my skin and sensitivity in my teeth has gone. Just a little testimony on my part.
Common Sense Woman indeed 🙂
Hey Todd! Thanks for stopping by and taking time to leave a comment. I’ve seen your content around the survival boards. One of the things we’re planning to focus more on the year is preparedness, so I’m sure we’ll be running into each other again. Thanks for your words of support.
Made your sandwich bread. It is wonderful! It has gone inside my cabinet door (where I hang all the best recipes, I may need more doors). 🙂 I live in a rural area where gardens and canning are common for us “country folk”. I love the taste of homegrown food, I won’t even buy tomatoes at the store. I wait for my garden. 🙂
Store tomatoes taste so bland compared to homegrown. Glad you enjoyed the bread!
We have a large garden and I planted enough potatoes from last year’s crop to feed an army. Now we have a large root celler buried six feet underground. Unfortunately the root celler has been open all summer and only recently closed up, so the surrounding concrete and soil is too warm. Currently I have a small 6″ fan to draw in cold air every night. Problem is, our stored potatoes think its time to start growing, so the sprouting is not good for them. Does anyone know of a way to slow down the sprouting process until the temperature can be brought down into the thirties?
My grandmother used to break off unwanted sprouts as they formed, and I follow the same practice. Anything you might treat them with could inhibit sprouting at planting time. Other them temporary colder storage somewhere else while the root cellar cools down, I haven’t heard of other good suggestions.
Just started looking at being more self sustainable, though I’ve raised my own vegetables for many years. With the government and economy in such turmoil, we have begun stocking up and getting ready for unexpected emergencies.
I found you on Pinterest and was pleased to find someone from Wisconsin. I’m near Oshkosh. I’ve been up your way many times.
I keep my carrots in the garden all winter by covering with a 2-3ft layer of leaves. We dig 6-8# at a time and bring them in and cover the rest over again. Many years ago, when I planted too many, I had to give away many buckets of them so I could plant my spring garden. I don’t have that much space at this house, but still raise much of the veggies we eat. Being close to the earth is very rewarding. I’m a nurse and believe we have lost the ability to heal ourselves due to all the medications that people take at the drop of a hat. Give you body a chance to fight it off by eating a balanced diet and staying hydrated.
I’ll be researching your earlier posts and watching for new ones!
Debbie
Welcome, Debbie. At our site here we’re pretty exposed, and everything not nailed down tends to blow away, but maybe one our windbreak trees are taller I could try the deep leaves.
I agree that we’ve lost touch with our own healing capacity in this crazy world we live in, and I’m working to reconnect with that in my own family and share what we learn with others.
Hi, Laurie,
I haven’t visited in a while (just read your Facebook updates). Just wanted to tell you that your updated blog looks SO fantastic! Hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving.
Hi Danielle! Nice to hear from you! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Glad you like the new format. It’s still a work in progress, but I found a Wordpress angel to help me do a makeover. The goal is to make everything easier to find. (I knew I needed help when I couldn’t find posts that I knew were on the site.) She runs her main sites over at http://www.lassgroup.com/, but also provides help to wayward bloggers. 🙂
We had family over yesterday and will be hosting friends today, so I’d best go get the ham in the oven. It’s windy as can be outside, but otherwise good weather, so that makes traveling easier in the area, which is a blessing.
Hi! I’ve just stumbled over your site and am really excited to work my way through it. I live in South Africa where our economy and future is best described as seriously unstable, and though I haven’t been a dedicated homesteader (mainly because we’ve moved about 22 times in the past 14 years) – I have always had a keen interest in it. Having moved last week for (hopefully) the last time in a long while, I am really determined to start something properly now and, just from looking through your site, I can see I will get a LOT of wonderful ideas. Thanks so much for sharing your life with the rest of the world! 🙂
Kathleen, thank you for your kind words. We don’t get much news about South Africa here, but I have seen snippets about unusually cold weather, which tends to add stress to already difficult times. The US is in a lot of turmoil now, too, with no end in site. Hopefully we can all work together to come up with real solutions.
Hello, I saw a link to your post over on Frugally Sustainable, My husband and I live in the city where we’ve had a tiny “urban homestead” but we’re growing out of our back yard and our neighborhood has changed so we’re moving to ten acres in the country. I’m adding you to my Google reader and look forward to reading your blog.
Welcome, Jenny. We had a similar motivation for when we moved away from our urban homestead. The neighborhood had changed so much!
Since you’re moving to more land, you may find this new/old book I just rediscovered helpful. It’s called Weeds- Guardians of the Soil.
Oh that’s wonderful!! Thank you so much. For the time being we just mow the front of our property to make it look nice and have let everything else grow. It is cut for hay twice a year (maybe just once this year because of the drought). I’ve started to take notice of the “weeds” though, have identified several and am anxious to start foraging.
Well done on the move from Blogger! I still have a blog or two lurking over there that I haven’t figured out how to transfer.
Now that you’re on WordPress, if you do have questions or crises, please feel free to join our new WordPress Help group on Facebook. It’s manned by friendlies – and no promotion allowed. If we can help, we will be honored to do so – and if not, we are a nice safe place to chat over coffee 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/groups/249373261832924/
Best,
Casey
Thanks, Casey. I just joined. 🙂
Hi
I see we are ‘Lake Neighbors’ I live in Michigan in Manistee County which is directly across from you. :o) I love this blog you have so much useful information. We are trying to live more sustainably on our small city lot. Eventually we’d like to move out of town a little onto a few acres.
Hi Karen! That’s some pretty country over there. Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words.
Stumbled upon your site from a post on Pinterest. WOW, you are just what I’m looking for.
I’m diabetic and need to find healthy ways to keep my blood sugar in control, I need to lose weight-the prescribed medications has caused me to gain weight-I’m not real comfortable with the prescribed medication. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I already appreciate you.
Yvonne – are you familiar with cinnamon for regulating blood sugar? A friend of mine has been using it with good results. Also, you may wish to check out the post “Switching on a Healthier You” https://commonsensehome.com/switching-on-a-healthier-you/ In the comments, Matt Stone references a post of about insulin resistance and carbohydrate consumption that may be of help to you. Good luck to you on your journey, and thanks for stopping by.
whoa, so inspired to find your site today — a friend posted on facebook an article about putting up food. my bf and i are just learning how to make kimchee…. loving that, realizing how much i want to learn ‘old ways’….. thanks for sharing all your learning!!! <3
Welcome! I hope you find the site useful. Let me know if there’s something you’re looking for that you can’t find. I’m always looking for new ides to post about.
It is so awesome reading all of these interesting subjects, etc. here, I would like to know if you have a magazine or something on paper I could subscribe to? my mother likes these things too, but at 82 years doesn’t have computer.
Hi Lou! Glad that you are enjoying the site.
Right now, it’s just me (Laurie) for the most part, squeezing in time between “real life”, so I haven’t given much thought to a print option. As we move forward, it might be something I would be able to do. (I just need a clone!) You are welcome to print out the articles for personal use.
Hi Annette! Thanks. Lots done, lots more to do. 🙂
Nice job on the new blog! Looking forward to learning more from you in 2012. xo, Annette
LaLonnie – I think I’ve got the rss feed transferred and updated. Hopefully this will work! So much to learn on WordPress. just switched over from blogger this week.
Just purchased a little over a quarter section out here in Canada. Getting ready to retire after many years of saving for our little ranch. Chickens are the first on our list so really enjoyed your chicken information. Next is trying to get something in around our barns to get the knee deep grass down. Any suggestions?
Deb
How thick/tall is it? Heavy duty weed whacker or possibly rent a brush hog may be a good fit to take it down initially. My brother lays down tarp for a year to smother patches for starting garden beds. Flame weeders are sometimes useful, but not so good close to buildings.
was wondering if you have a newsletter I can sign up for? or if there was some way I could stay connected to your website…etc…so enjoyed looking around….Thank-you…