Common Sense Homesteading

Using sound judgment to be more self-reliant.

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Prairie Pin Pouch Handmade Clothespin Bag – Made for Heavy Use

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The Prairie Pin Pouch Handmade Clothespin Bag is sturdy enough for high winds and heavy use, resembling clothespin bags from the 1950's.The Return of the Classic Clothespin Bag

The Prairie Pin Pouch is a modern rendition of a classic clothespin bag. I found these handmade laundry helpers in a somewhat unusual fashion. Some friends were visiting from out of town one afternoon when the phone rang. On the  line was Julie Pruett, creator of the Prairie Pin Pouch.

As it turns out, Julie read a review I wrote several years ago on Amazon.com about a clothespin bag that didn't stand up well to our high winds. The flimsy thing kept blowing off the clothesline, which dumped my pins 12 feet below. (Our clothesline is on our raised deck.) It was very frustrating.

Julie saved that review, contacted me about her handmade clothespin bags, and sent me a sample. [Read more…]

Kevin’s Quality Clothespins -The Best Clothespins You’ve Ever Used

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The Best Clothespins You've Ever Used - Handcrafted from solid maple, these heirloom quality clothespins are super strong and built to last.

I love the smell of laundry fresh off the line – but I don't love having cheap, flimsy clothespins launch themselves off the line in pieces or finding heavy, wet items dropped on the ground below the line. Since our laundry line is on our elevated deck, when laundry drops, it really drops, falling over ten feet down. I was hanging clothes recently and thinking, “It sure would be nice if someone started making heavy duty clothespins again.”

Ask and ye shall receive, because the next time I checked my inbox, there was a message from Hilary of Kevin's Quality Clothespins, letting me know about their heavy duty, American made clothespins. I received a sample set of 10 for review. [Read more…]

LuminAID Solar Powered Lights – Compact, Waterproof & Long Lasting

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LuminAID solar powered lights are lightweight, durable, waterproof, inflatable lights. They hold a charge for 2 years, making them perfect for emergencies.

LuminAID solar powered lights are unique, lightweight, durable, IPX7 waterproof, inflatable lights. Ever since I saw them on Shark Tank back in 2015, I thought the company was on to a good idea. I received two great little LuminAID solar powered lights for review – the cube-shaped Packlite 12 and the pillow-shaped Packlite 16. [Read more…]

5 Creative Cutting Board Uses – In and Out of the Kitchen

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5 Creative Cutting Board Uses - Put your cutting board to work for more than just chopping in and out of the kitchen. Featuring Teakhaus by Proteak.

In the past I've talked about why wooden cutting boards are best, and 7 things you should never do to your cutting board, and done a review of Proteak  (Teakhaus) cutting boards, so when Madeline from Teakhaus by Proteak contacted me about sharing their beautiful cutting boards with you again, I thought, “What could I say that I haven't said already?” I decided to have a little fun with this one and offer some suggestions for cutting board uses other than cutting, since the Teakhaus boards are so beautiful you'll want to show them off. I'm also including some basic cutting board info, to familiarize you with different types of cutting boards.

Note: Proteak recently rebranded their cutting board division into Teakhaus by Proteak. New website, same quality product. This post originally featured a giveaway, which has ended. [Read more…]

The 4 Layers of Cold Weather Clothing Everyone Should Know

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The 4 Layers of Cold Weather Clothing - Learn how to chose the right type of cold weather clothing to layer for warmth and safety, including the importance of wicking layers and windshells.

Earlier this year I was contacted by Dale Lewis of Fortress Clothing, who introduced me to the best cold weather clothing I've encountered to date – Fortress Clothing. The boys and I did some testing at the tail end of last winter, but we decided to save the review for when folks started thinking more about winter preps.

Fortress winter clothing addresses a number of cold weather needs:

  • Staying warm when you get wet. Who hasn't gotten slopped by water or slush when out doing chores or even shoveling wet, heavy snow?
  • Staying comfortable in a range of temperatures. I hate it when you're going in and out of buildings and you work up a sweat inside and then get frozen clammy outside.
  • Having an extra layer of safety for power outages. When you're without heat for several days, your house may not freeze, but it sure isn't comfortable. This gear is light enough that you can wear it and still tackle day to day activities in comfort.

[Read more…]

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