For People who Like to Grow, Make, and Figure Things Out
Gardening, food, preparedness, recipes, quiet reflections, and old-fashioned know-how — shared weekly from our Wisconsin homestead. To subscribe, just enter your email in the sign-up form below.
Can’t see the sign-up form?
Some browsers and privacy settings block embedded forms. If that happens, you can comment below and I’ll add you manually.
What you’ll receive
- A weekend newsletter with new and seasonal posts
- Practical gardening, food, and preservation guidance
- Calm, realistic preparedness ideas
- Recipes, home remedies, and wild food knowledge
- Occasional updates on free classes, guides, or trusted partner offers
Free Subscriber Bonuses
- Common Sense Homesteading 101 Printable Guide
- Printable Garden Planner
- Bread Baking Troubleshooting Guide and Q&A
- and more
This newsletter is for you if you…
- Enjoy learning practical skills at your own pace
- Prefer real-world experience over quick fixes
- Want to be more capable without being extreme
- Like a calm, thoughtful approach to preparedness
- Appreciate occasional reflections from life on a working homestead
You don’t need land, livestock, or a perfect plan — just curiosity and a willingness to learn.
A Note about Common Sense Home
I’m Laurie Neverman, creator of Common Sense Home. Common Sense Home is run by our family from a small homestead in northeast Wisconsin. We grow and preserve much of our food, experiment with practical resilience projects, and share what works (and what doesn’t) along the way.
We’re not perfect, and we don’t do everything ourselves — but we believe in learning, adapting, and using sound judgment to build steadier lives. Along the way we’ve gone through job losses, economic upheaval, and the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020. (More about us here.)
What Readers Say
“You make us readers feel like family, and you have solid advice because you and your family have paved the way for us to follow however it best fits our lives. I also love your recipes! ❤ Thank you for all you do.” – Krystal C.
“Your newsletters always feel like a note from a friend.” – Heather N.
“I like the sense of home and family and down to earth real living. You’re like my country cousin who teaches me the good ways.” – Roxyann B.
“I love the free guides. They are such a big help for me. All of the ones I have down loaded I have saved in my I-books. My husband and I have been slowly working on homesteading for the past four years and are planning a big move during this year. All of the information you share is awesome and I love it!!” – Nikki D.
If this sounds like a good fit, we’d be glad to have you along.
To subscribe, enter your email in the sign-up form above, or leave a comment below if you can’t see the form.
We send one main newsletter most weekends, with occasional extra emails when something feels especially useful. You can unsubscribe anytime.
— Laurie, Common Sense Home
I am just getting started, but I try to do things from scratch whenever possible!
I have been canning and growing a lot of my own stuff, one allergies, have books on all kinds of stuff we can gather from out side weeds as some would say,but home remedy’s and tea’s I have made from stuff I grow, Still learning, and growing food and herbs, I find it a lot of fun and some thing I get excited about, every year, this new year is growing ginger in a pot, drives my other half a little crazy but …I love it
Learning keeps you young. 🙂
I, like the others, am unable to subscribe to your site because there is no “subscribe box”. I was raised in the country and we gardened and canned vegetables and meats too. Both sets of my grandparents were farmers too. I learned so much from my grandmother and have many of her recipes for special items to bake and preserve. My father was a big hunter and we always had canned venison in the “can cupboard”. Fresh is Best!!! Please subscribe me. Thank you for your assistance. I appreciate it.
Hi Nita, and welcome to the site. Check your inbox for a confirmation email for your subscription.
Loving this site! Homesteading is a passion burning in my heart, I long for a simple life with my family 🙂 looking forward to this journey. But, I am unable to download the free E book. Could you please send me a copy? Thank you so much.
Hey subscribed but will not let me download your ebook. Can you hook a farm girl up. Thanks
Hi Laurie, I love your website and how informative everything is for those of us who are just starting out. I can’t wait to try out another recipe …. but I can’t find that link to your E-book on my sign-up newsletter and would so love to read it . . . where in the welcome e-mail is the link supposed to be? Thanks for all that you do : )
The link is on the Successful Subscription page, but lots of people have been missing it so I just added another link to the welcome email. Check your inbox for a copy of the pdf.
Welcome!
I’ve subscribed, and been reading your posts (love them!!) and I want to read the ebook but I can’t seem to get to it now. Can you help me?
Just sent a copy to your inbox.
Hi, I subscribe because I really love your page and also wanted to read your e-book, but can’t seem to find it! Thank you! And did I mention I love your page?!
Hi Nadia. I emailed a copy to you directly. The download link is on the Successful Subscription page.
Hej Laurie
I have also subscribed but it seams that I have the same problem like the others. I cannot see the download link to your book. I am very interested to read it.
Best regards
The download link is on the successful subscription page, and I think sometimes people just miss it as they are clicking through. Check your inbox shortly. 🙂
Thank You…so much GREAT! info..!!!
I do not have the availablity to subscribe – no box Please assist
Thank you
Hi Sharon. Check your email for a confirmation link and the link for your book download.
Have tried to get to the book link several different ways, but have not been able. Confirmed subscription and even subscribed again. Help, please?
Chris, the download is available on the successful subscription page. Check your inbox. I’ve mailed you a copy directly.
Please subscribe me
You should be receiving a confirmation email shortly.
I asked to be subscribed at the end of October, but you never replied to me. This is my second attempt, please sign me up! I love this site. 🙂
I would love to subscribe and get your e-book. My husband andI are acively pursuing this lifestyle and I would love to connect with you and others for support and ideas. Using Firefox, thank you.
Mary – check your inbox for a confirmation email, and welcome.
I would also like to subscribe and recieve your free ebook
would like to subscribe please…. Thank You
Teresa, you’re already on our email list, so please check your spam folder to see if you’ve been missing emails. I just sent you an email with a link to the download page for the free e-book.
I can not get to the link to down load the free “Common Sense Homesteading 101: 7 Steps to Become more Self-Reliant Now” I have signed for it.
Michelle, I’m emailing you a copy directly.
I’m currently making a transition from working to doing what I am passionate about. Although I don’t have all the necessary skills to be the Homesteader that I want to be. I will be loyal to this wesite in order to discover more of what I need.
Welcome, Ethel, and I hope you find the website helpful on your journey.
Didn’t see a popup to fill in. Please put me on your list. Thank you!
Subscribed, but unsure what I need to go to get your book.
The link to the e-book is on the Successful Subscription page.