Podcasts about small scale life

In this 175th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to be talking about Escape Velocity: Blogging is Art with Atlantis Gazette. What is Atlantis Gazette? The Atlantis Gazette is an art, business and lifestyle blogging and podcast project started by my friend Cal Massey from California. As he describes in this episode, Atlantis is a mythical and fictional city that disappeared under the ocean. The Atlantis Gazette, however, is a newspaper dedicated to people doing cool things in the world. Cal Massey is just starting out and outlining his plans for this platform. What is Escape Velocity? This is part of a new project here on Small Scale Life called “Escape Velocity.” Many people have ideas, dreams or even goals for starting a side hustle or business; however, they never act and never start. Some launch and fail. Others launch and get enough momentum to escape the gravitational pull of an ordinary life, job or career and start a new side hustle and business. Through the Escape Velocity Podcasts, I am hoping to document lessons learned as people push forward on their side hustles or small businesses. For more information and links, please see the article and podcast episode posted on the article titled Escape Velocity: Blogging is Art with Atlantis Gazette on smallscalelife.com.

In this Small Scale Life Podcast episode, I am going to be talking about Gardening Tips and Advice with the Texas Tornadoes Drew Demler and Michael Bell. In case you don’t know who Drew Demler and Michael Bell are, here is a quick introduction: • Drew Demler is the Director of Horticulture at Big Tex Urban Farms at the State Fair of Texas. While Big Tex is a big hydroponic operation, Drew also grows vegetables at his house along his driveway. • Michael Bell is the owner and operator of Dallas Half Acre Farms. When not planting thousands of salad greens plugs at 5:00 in the morning, he enjoys scooping rabbit poop in his backyard. Both gentlemen give some great Gardening Tips and Advice that we can all use to improve our gardens and quality of our plants. To find out more, check out the post titled "Gardening Tips and Advice with Demler and Bell" on Small Scale Life by clicking on this text for a direct link. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/gardening-tips-and-advice-with-demler-and-bell/)

This is Tom from Small Scale Life. I am glad you are here today listening to this podcast episode or watching this YouTube video! This is another member appreciation video and podcast episode where I am going to do just a little talking at the start and let you relax or meditate to wonderfully calming Wind Chimes, wind and birds in Minnesota. For those of you who want these chimes (like I do), these are Woodstock Chimes' "Chimes of Neptune." Special thanks to Small Scale Life member Danielle for her video and her windchimes. They are a true blessing and mean a lot to her and her family. It is a special honor to share these with you, so thank you, Danielle. The world seems to be a crazy and upside down, and I know a lot of us are sheltering-in-place and hunkering down in the Time of Corona. To help with that, I believe we need to get back the land and nature to unwind and become more resilient. If you want to see other Running Water, Creek and River Videos and Podcasts, check out the following: Spring Birds and a Bubbling Stream Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMxpAnoLm6E&t=446s Stream of Meditation – Relax to a Bubbling Creek: https://www.smallscalelife.com/stream-of-meditation/ I hope you enjoy this video and podcast episode, and I hope that it helps you relax, and I will be creating more relaxing videos in the future.

Have you ever started a project, loved every minute of it, and then had to start over from scratch in less than optimal conditions? That is the exact challenge my friend Michael Bell faced with his Dallas Half Acre Farms. In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, we are going to discuss how Michael Bell is Starting an Urban Farm from Scratch. The last time we had Michael on the show, I talked with Michael about the Soup Gardening Concept that I used to plan my garden in 2019 (https://www.smallscalelife.com/soup-gardening/). My goal, at the time, was to grow vegetables and herbs needed that would make a hearty vegetable soup. Michael Bell and I came up with the concept, and it was a lot of fun growing those vegetables! My how times changed since the Spring of 2019! Since that episode, Michael Bell changed jobs, sold his old house, moved to a new house, sold his old half acre farm and found new farming properties. These new farming properties have provided new challenges and opportunities, and there are some clear take-aways from this conversation if you are starting your own garden or urban farm. Remember: it always comes back to the three basic elements to grow plants: light, nutrients and water. If you have the right balance of these three elements, you can grow plants anywhere! If you are out of balance, then you have to adapt, adjust and overcome to get back into balance. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/adapting-adjusting-and-overcoming-obstacles/) Get ready! It’s time for another exciting gardening podcast from Small Scale Life! *[For the show notes and links to articles and podcast episode, see the article titled "Starting an Urban Farm with Michael Bell" on smallscalelife.com. Click this text for a direct link to that article. *](https://www.smallscalelife.com/building-an-urban-farm-from-scratch-with-michael-bell)

This is our 167th episode of the show, and for this one, I ask the question: What is Resilience? As we watch the country’s systems (financial systems, banking, supply chains, health care system, education and entire industries) grind to a halt with this global pandemic, it begs the question: how fragile is our system? The answer seems to be: very! Although I don’t act like it at times, I am an engineer. I look at problems and issues and look for solutions. Our country’s systems are impossibly complicated. It is almost too big for one person or a small group of people to impact one way or another. While we cannot take on and change these massive systems, we can take on and change how we live our lives. For those of you who have been following Small Scale Life for a few years have seen this platform change and shift. We have gone down some rabbit holes, and at times it might have seemed that we were flailing and blowing in the wind. I have to admit, I have felt the same way! Two recent events have changed the way I look at Small Scale Life: A visit by my friend Greg Burns and Contrary Farmstead Podcast about this platform and our story The global pandemic and complete train wreck of our systems I have been doing a lot of thinking and brainstorming. The result is this podcast episode. I was driving home and recorded this as I was driving in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. It was raining, and you will come along with me on this platform-defining journey where I answer the question: What is Resilience?

I completed the Whole30 Challenge on March 2, 2020. How did it go? In this post and podcast episode, I discuss Whole30 Challenge results a week after completing the challenge and answer the next question: "Whats next?" By the way, if you want to try the Whole30 Challenge, we are just starting Round 2! You can join Team Rhino and get this done! It is not too late. Nothing stands in the way of a rhino! To join Team Rhino, get the Small Scale Life 24 Hour Plan or see the show notes, please see the article titled "Whole30 Challenge Results and Thoughts" on smallscalelife.com! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/whole30-challenge-results-and-thoughts/)

What is Whole30? Julie and I have been talking a lot about it recently in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group and on Instgram.  For many of you, our focus on Whole30 came out of the blue, and you are scrambling to figure out what we are up to this month!  Don’t worry, friends!  In this post and podcast episode, I discuss developing a healthy lifestyle at Small Scale Life, what is Whole30, what we are doing here at Small Scale Life this month and provide resources for Whole30. You might feel that you have blown your health and fitness resolutions and goals for 2020, but we can always rise and start again.  It is what you have been waiting for: Welcome to the Health and Fitness Renew You Part 2! For show notes and important links, please click on this link to go to the article titled "What is Whole30? How to Reset Your Body and Mind" on smallscalelife.com! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/what-is-whole30)

Welcome to the Small Scale Gardening Podcast on the Small Scale Life Network! Why is Small Scale Gardening important? You might be new to gardening, a grizzled veteran of many summers or new to this Small Scale Gardening platform, and you might be asking that very question. After all, what can you really do with a small garden? Can you grow anything in a small garden? What is the point? After all, bigger is ALWAYS better! Au contraire, my friends! In this post and episode, I am defining Small Scale Gardening, and I discuss why it could be a game-changer for new gardeners; veteran gardeners; older or physically challenged gardeners; and renters. This post and podcast episode will serve as a framework for future gardening projects, articles, podcast episodes and videos. Let’s begin! For more on this topic and to see the show notes, please go to the corresponding article on Small Scale Life titled "Why Small Scale Gardening?" (https://www.smallscalelife.com/what-is-small-scale-gardening)

Happy New Year, Lifers! 2019 is now in the rearview mirror, and I have to say it was an interesting year here at Small Scale Life. I am writing this 2019 Year in Review to wrap up the year and close this chapter in the history of the blog and podcast. I have to say: what a year it was! In this post and podcast, I am going to talk about three major topics of Small Scale Life in 2019: Health and Fitness Renew You, Financial Freedom and Gardening. I will also share 2019 Year in Review: Top 10 Podcast Episodes and Top 10 Blog Posts of 2019. I will finish this post by talking about what is on tap for 2020. For more links to the podcast episodes and articles on Small Scale Life, check out the show notes on Small Scale Life by clicking this text! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/2019-year-in-review/)

There is nothing like putting together or receiving Do It Yourself (DIY) Christmas Gifts. This is a special gift that someone made with you in mind. At the same time, if you create a DIY gift, you are using your resources (time, skills and materials) to create something special for friends or family. It can be a great experience when it all turns out! Yes, I am not including Pinterest fails here! If you want to buy something from a company or vendor, time IS running out, friends! If you have been following Small Scale Life, you know I recently posted an article titled Holiday Gift Ideas from the Small Scale Life Community. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/holiday-gift-ideas-from-the-small-scale-life-community/) This was an opportunity to provide links to folks who we have met through Small Scale Life, and it felt good to give folks from our community the exposure. So what happens if you miss the shipping cutoff (which is around December 18th or so)? Well, wait no longer! It is time to pull out one or more of these 11 DIY Christmas Gifts for family and friends on your list! We also included 4 Bonus DIY Christmas Gifts that would be excellent, but they take some more time, planning and materials that might not be available with 8 days before the big day. For the show notes, please go to the article titled "11 DIY Christmas Gifts" at Small Scale Life. Please click the text to go to the show notes.

In this podcast, I am going to talk about my November travels, and then we are going to talk about the future of Small Scale Life. As a Life Alchemist, I am mixing together equal parts of my own content, content from people in our community, content I find interesting and some good old fashioned fun. For more information and the show notes, check out smallscalelife.com. SMALL SCALE LIFE SHOW NOTES: https://www.smallscalelife.com/giving-thanks SMALL SCALE LIFE COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallscalelifepodcast

As we close in on our 100,000th download of the Small Scale Life Podcast on our current host Fireside, I wanted to get some bonus material out to our Lifer Community. This is one of those pieces of content. I took a great kombucha class on Saturday from a gentleman who's great tasting kombucha got me interested in making the drink back in late October 2018. Taking the class highlighted the need and importance of mentoring. Often we start projects or efforts and get lost in the complexity and minutia. What if we got a mentor in our area that experienced some of these same challenges? What if we learned from and perhaps improve on that experience? We might save ourselves a lot of money, energy and time by connecting with a mentor, listening to their advice and executing on that advice. That mentor could be a young person or an old person. Whomever it is, they have been there and done that, and they probably know the right way to do it for your local conditions. They might know a shortcut or two and what pitfalls to avoid. As you make those connections in your area, make sure you stop talking and listen. The mentor with the knowledge and the experience is there to help you, but you need to be still and hear what they have to say. There is a lot of noise in this world, and chances are we have bumped into a mentor or two in our daily travels. Stop, look and listen means more than just being cautious around railroad tracks, Lifers! Also part of this podcast, I talk about the most current News from Around the Bend article (https://www.smallscalelife.com/happy-halloween-2019/) and some of our picks in that article. I also talk about the most recent posts on Small Scale Life (https://www.smallscalelife.com/happy-halloween-2019/), the Simply Canning School with Sharon Peterson (https://simplycanning.mykajabi.com/simply-canning-school?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fsimplycanning.mykajabi.com%2Fa%2F10455%2FBGATJCbF) and of course our FREE buget bundle (https://www.smallscalelife.com/free-budgeting-bundle/). Get them while they are hot at** smallscalelife.com** (smallscalelife.com)!

Successful events and failed events do not just happen.  The success or complete failure is set in motion long before the actual event.  This past weekend, my family, Julie and I experienced both.  I am going to tell a tale of those two events and give you 10 Tips to Successfully Plan and Host an Event.  By following these tips, I think you will be well equipped to successfully plan and host your own event! For show notes, links and the 10 Tips for How to Successfully Plan and Host an Event InfoGraphic, please go to the Small Scale Life article titled "10 Tips to Successfully Plan and Host an Event." (https://www.smallscalelife.com/how-to-successfully-plan-and-host-an-event)

In this episode, I discuss a great Fall Equinox weekend including: Danny and David's Toughest Mudder Race in Dallas, TX; Exploring River Falls, WI; Canning and preserving the harvest from my garden; A very special and powerful lantern lighting ceremony at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN; Celebrating the Fall Equinox with a "Domres Special" Dinner; Happy Half Hour - Being Positive and Inspiring you to Learn, Do, Grow and Be a Little Better Everyday; Canning and Preservation Links on Small Scale Life; What's coming next on Small Scale Life! For all the links and show notes for this podcast, please go to Small Scale Life and see the article posted Happy Fall Equinox 2019 posted there. (https://www.smallscalelife.com)

In this episode, I am trying something new! This is the pilot episode of the new Small Scale Gardening Podcast. In this podcast, I am focusing on gardening and food preservation, which are my passions. As I learned from my good friend Greg Burns, I need to "Start with the Why" as I begin this effort. I talk about the following topics in this podcast including: Why I started blogging, podcasting and vlogging in the first place Our elders and their knowledge and experience Important Questions: Why start this podcast? Why split it out from Small Scale Life? What do you hope to accomplish? Check yourself before you wreck yourself.... Goals and objectives The future: interviews and garden tours; livestreaming on YouTube Call to Action This podcast will be hosted on Small Scale Life, and I will also provide links on Small Scale Gardening. Let's learn, do, and grow together! Special thanks to Hyde Free Instrumentals for the Acoustic Folk Instrumental. For more information, please see the following: Acoustic/Folk Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals https://soundcloud.com/davidhydemusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/acoustic-folk-instrume... Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/YKdXVnaHfo8

July was a great month full of time spent with family and friends. We need to be part of our community and strengthening existing relationships while making new ones. It isn't always about the money; it's about building social capital! This is a Just Tom Show while I am on the road from Duluth, MN, to Minneapolis, MN. As I worked on the shores of the great Lake Giche Gume (Lake Superior for everyone not in Minnesota), I had time to reflect on July. We had a great time with family at our house and on the road in Stevens Point, Kimball and northern Wisconsin. It helped that we have a lot of July birthdays; that translates into family celebrations! Family can be hard to love at times, but as my dad said, "Blood is thicker than water." We have been working hard to build up those family relationships. At the same time, July has been a month of friendship. We are thankful to spend time with our good friends and make some new friends along the way! Friends have invited us over, and we have opened our house to them as well. A great example is this weekend: we are heading north (after I just got home) to our friends' cabin near Hayward, WI. It is going to be a weekend of fun and shenanigans, but that is what it is all about, right? We have to open ourselves up and take the time to connect with others, even those folks in our neighborhood. For more on this podcast (and the show notes), head over to this article on Small Scale Life!

"Your goal is your destination; your budget is your roadmap." - Julie Domres Do you have dreams and goals? Are you making progress towards achieving those goals? For some people, it is difficult to dream. Others have big plans and goals, but they do not execute and take steps towards making those dreams a future reality. In this podcast, Julie and I discuss How to Dream Big, Set Goals and Take Steps to Achieve Them. Dreaming big and setting those goals are the "Secret Sauce" behind budgeting. You are developing powerful "whys" for those times when you are tempted to engage in retail therapy, splurge on meals or rack up massive credit card debt to impress people you don't particularly like! As we discuss in this podcast, you need to start with your powerful why. Before you begin budgeting, you need to do some deep thinking and dreaming about what you want your life to look like in 10 years, 3 years and 1 year. Once you have this vision set, you can focus on developing your budget that will set you up to achieve your dreams! We'll share with you how to dream big, set goals and take the steps to achieve them in this podcast. How do we know they work? Because we are using this to achieve our goals too! For more information on this post including getting the show notes, head to the article titled "How to Dream Big, Set Goals and Take Steps to Achieve Them" on Small Scale Life (https://smallscalelife.com)

In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I discuss taking the first steps towards Financial Freedom. To do this, you need to start by Taking Inventory and Tracking Expenses. In previous episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I have told our story about making mistakes and doing stupid with zeros on it. In order to break out of the box and go from Survive to Thrive, we needed to change our habits and our mindset. To start down this path, you need to get a clear picture of what your net worth looks like. Are you in the red or in the black? Do you know? Julie and I have prepared an inventory worksheet for you, and it is available on the Small Scale Life Resources Page. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/resources/) Once you complete this exercise, you can begin tracking ALL of your expenses. You can do this by writing it down in a notebook or using apps like mint.com (https://www.mint.com/). For show notes and more information, head on over to the article titled Financial Freedom: Start by Taking Inventory and Tracking Expenses at Small Scale Life.

When a day starts out wrong and poorly, you might need to call in the experts to help out! In this Bonus Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I talk about how my Friday started off wrong and went sideways in a hurry. When your YouTube University experience turns out to be a Pinterest Fail, you need to call in the experts to put it all back together again. It almost set the tone for the whole weekend, but I was able to recover while completing one of my favorite inspection tours on a gorgeous day! It's Western Wisconsin; it's sunny; it was awesome! At the same time, it was a great week at Small Scale Life. We got a great podcast posted, a newsletter (two actually) sent out and News from Around the Bend posted. What more could you want? Actually, it was even better than that....Julie and I are up to something good, and you will have to listen to find out what is happening! For more Small Scale Life, head over to the website for the following articles and links: **Sign up for the Small Scale Life Newsletter (https://www.smallscalelife.com/resources/) Our Journey Rowards Finacial Freedom - Small Scale Life Podcast (https://www.smallscalelife.com/our-journey-towards-financial-freedom/) News from Around the Bend - Earth Day Edition (https://www.smallscalelife.com/make-earth-day-everyday/)**

Julie and I are on vacation and podcasting on location! In this episode, Julie and I discuss our journey towards financial freedom. We talk about the good, the bad and the ugly, and we hope to inspire you as you begin or continue on your own journey! For show notes and more resources, check out the article titled Our Journey towards Financial Freedom on Small Scale Life!

Even with the snow falling and wind howling today, it is Gardening Season! What did the story at the start of the podcast have to do with today's topic? Well, in today's podcast, I am circling back around to a discussion I had with Michael Bell about a new garden planting concept that some of us are experimenting with this year. We call Soup Gardening! What is Soup Gardening? That is the topic of today's show, so stay tuned! For a lot more information on this podcast, check out the article titled "Soup Gardening with Michael Bell" on Small Scale Life! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/soup-gardening/)

For this 133rd Small Scale Life podcast, Julie and I talked about the Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart with Karen Mangieri. Karen is Julie's sister living in Georgia. For those of you not in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group, Karen was our most active member during the Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart. In fact, Karen had the title of "Uncrustable Queen" prior to the kickstart, and she has made considerable progress on planning her meals, prepping food and staying consistent using the 24 Hour Plans! We have talked about Karen on previous Small Scale Life Podcasts, so in this podcast, we decided to interview her. We talked about the Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart, what she learned, what she is doing and give us some feedback about the Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart. For more on this topic, go to the article titled "Health and Fitness Renew You with Karen Mangieri" at smallscalelife.com! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/health-and-fitness-renew-you/) To join the Small Scale Life Health and Fitness Renew You in 2019 Kickstart, head over to the dedicated page and sign up today! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/) The Kickstart is free!

In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, we are talking about Tipping Points with Nicole Sauce. I had an opportunity to catch up with Nicole and talk about her journey from leaving the city in the Pacific Northwest to rural living. At the same time, we talk about breaking free of the corporate cube world to starting small businesses and becoming self-sufficient. What were the tipping points that triggered those journeys and what lessons were learned along the way? For more information, check out the article titled "Tipping Points with Nicole Sauce" on Small Scale Life.

Are you keeping your New Year's Resolutions? Remember those? How are you doing on them? If you are like many Americans that make New Year's Resolutions, the answer is probably a resounding "no." Statistically speaking, research has shown the following: By the end of January, approximately 64 percent of us have dropped our New Years Resolutions. By March 1st, more than 80 percent of us have dropped those New Year’s Resolutions and goals. Anecdotally, you know it's true because you can see this at the gyms: the crowds that created standing room only and long wait times for equipment have eased up or evaporated completely. The pool is empty, and there is room (once again) for you to roll out your yoga mat (don't worry, grunty-farty guy is still there with you). So, I'll ask you again: Are you keeping your New Year's Resolutions? Are you still following the steps outlined in our Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart? For more information, please go to the article titled "Four Tips for Keeping New Year's Resolutions" at Small Scale Life. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/four-tips-new-years-resolutions/) Sign up for the 2019 Health and Fitness Renew You at Small Scale Life as well! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)

Today's topic is one near and dear to my heart because I have struggled with it over and over and over again. One of our Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart participants asked the Small Scale Life Facebook Community how to overcome self-sabotage. I have to confess, I have blown up my "dieting" efforts time and time again due to self-sabotage. After all, I have started and failed with 14 different diet programs. You could say I am an expert with self-sabotage because I have done it so much! I had to do some digging on the interwebs to gather some information. I also talked with my son, Danny Domres, about this subject. Danny is a marathoner, ultra-marathoner and is going to school to become a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. He has done a lot of studying about addictions and self-sabotage, especially to overcome that inner voice that wants him to stop training or running. For more information, including 7 tips for overcoming self-sabotage and food addiction, head over to Small Scale Life for the show notes and more information! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/overcome-self-sabotage/)

What a week it's been! Julie and I have been so excited to bring you the Renew You Kickstart, and now that we are rolling down the tracks with the basics, it is time to talk about Leveling Up and Next Steps on this journey. Julie & I discuss tips and ways to continue to improve as you get stronger physically & mentally. For more information on this topic, please go to the article titled Leveling Up and Next Steps at Small Scale Life (https://www.smallscalelife.com/leveling-up-and-next-steps/). You can also join the free 7 day Health and Fitness Renew You Kickstart at Small Scale Life. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)

Hey, Lifers! Do you want to know a little secret Tom and I have figured out that is absolutely KEY to setting us up for success to meet our health and fitness goals??? Actually, beyond the 24 Hour Plan and sticking to the basics of drinking enough water, getting enough sleep and doing some kind of daily intentional movement, this is THE most important thing you can do. Yup, you guessed it (really smart of you, based on the title of the post!)....It's Meal Planning and Food Prepping! To get useful tips and information for your Health and Fitness Journey, check out the following articles on Small Scale Life: Day 6: Meal Planning for Success (https://www.smallscalelife.com/day-6-meal-planning-for-success/) Day 6: Food Prepping for Success (https://www.smallscalelife.com/food-prepping/) Feel free to join the Health and Fitness Renew You Campaign on Small Scale Life by clicking the link! Go get em, Lifers! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)

It's Day 3 of the Renew You Kickstart (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/), and today's topic is Basic Nutrition. Michael Bell returns to walk us through this topic, and he gives some great advice for folks starting on their journey with the Renew You Kickstart (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/). As Julie and I have been saying over and over in previous podcasts and articles: this is about starting where you are. Some of us have been medicating ourselves with cheeseburgers, fries and beer (or Diet Coke) for many, many years. As we start to pay closer attention to what we are eating, we will find that there are some benefits to eating "what God made," or in other words: "real food." This food is delicious, especially when it is not buried under three gallons of dressing and cheese! For more information, please see the show notes from the article titled "Basic Nutrition with Michael Bell" on Small Scale Life. For the more on the Renew You Kickstart, please see the page on Small Scale Life for this campaign. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)

It's Day 2 of the Renew You Kickstart, and today's topic is Basic Movement. As Julie and I have been saying over and over: this is about starting where you are. Some of us live in cube farms and are keyboard warriors; we are not ready for triathalons marathons or lifting heavy weights. To help discuss this topic, I brought in my friend Michael Bell to discuss Basic Movement. Michael is a husband, dad, urban farmer, PE teacher, competitive bodybuilder and a fitness coach. Michael has coached more than 300 people over 20 years, and he spent some time with us to discuss starting a fitness and exercise journey. For more information on Basic Fitness, please see the post at Small Scale Life titled Day 2: Basic Movement with Michael Bell. There is more information on smallscalelife.com In addition, if you would like to participate in the Renew You Kickstart, please click on this link! (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)

In this episode, Julie and Tom are here to provide you with realistic and doable steps to kickstart your year and set you up to finally achieve your health and fitness goals this year. And it all starts with the 24 Hour Plan. The plan is a one-page document that allows you to plan out: What you are going to eat How you will exercise 3 mediation/prayers 3 things you are grateful for 3 things you want to get done during that day. We complete a sheet before the day begins (night before or morning of), and we will be intentional about all of these items. On the bottom of the plan, there is a section where you can review your day and write what worked, what didn't and what you can improve on tomorrow. Remember: don't beat yourself up! Learn from deviations from the plan and recognize patterns and trends. You will be surprised what you will find out the longer you plan and document deviations. To get the 24 Hour Plan, go to Small Scale Life and download it before listening to this podcast (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/). You can also follow along with the post titled "Day 1: The 24 Hour Plan - Part 1" on Small Scale Life. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/day-1-24-hour-daily-plan/)

Welcome to 2019! It's time to Renew You! In this 122nd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I discuss the holidays (including my birthday), the rebranding of Small Scale Life, rebuilding the website and the Renew You Kickstart (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/). Topics Discussed Julie and I discussed the following topics during this podcast: Holiday Update Rebranding and the Website Upgrade Renew You Kickstart (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/) More Information To get more in-depth information, please see the post titled "Welcome to 2019: Time to Renew You" on Small Scale Life. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/welcome-to-2019-time-to-renew-you/) Also, sign up for the Renew You in 2019 Kickstart on Small Scale Life. (https://www.smallscalelife.com/renew-you-in-2019/)

In this 120th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am had a great conversation with my friend Michael Bell about changes at Dallas Half Acre Farms. Michael has been very busy since our last interview, and we will discuss how he is changing his business from a CSA model (weekly box of a variety of products) to growing salanova salad empires in Dallas, Texas. As we discussed recently with Drew Sample, new opportunities and reality can force change, and you have to be ready to adjust accordingly! (http://www.smallscalelife.com/pivoting-business-strategies/) Are your ready to change? For TONS of more information and links, check out the show notes for this episode at Small Scale Life. Click the link for the post titled "Bellcast: Growing Salanova Salad Empire in Dallas, Texas." (http://www.smallscalelife.com/growing-salanova/)

This is the 119th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, and in this podcast, we are going to talk with Drew Sample about how he is pivoting business strategies at his urban farm Capital City Greens, the Sample Hour Podcast and his other interests/opportunities. Whether it’s your dreams, your business, your football team or your Army, you need to be ready to change and adapt as the “battlefield” changes in front of you. Some opportunities present themselves, others fade. Are you ready to take advantage of those opportunities? This is critical for our businesses. We have to start pivoting business strategies to make sure we take advantage of those opportunities. For more information, please see the post and podcast titled "Pivoting Business Strategies in 614" on Small Scale Life. (http://www.smallscalelife.com/?p=4022)

Happy Thanksgiving, Lifers! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving planned. If you have been to Small Scale Life this week, you know Julie and I have been busy trying to get recipes posted up on the website to help you with your Thanksgiving preparations. Check out the blog at smallscalelife.com for the following recipes: A super quick/super good cheesy au gratin potatoes recipe (http://www.smallscalelife.com/pressure-cooker-cheesy-au-gratin-potatoes/), How to cook a turkey (http://www.smallscalelife.com/how-to-cook-a-turkey/) and How to cook a ham Thanksgiving should be a lot of fun and bring people together, so we are helping you get ready and get the dinner on the table. It doesn't have to be overwhelming; we are here to help! As you finish up your prep and cooking, I also give a little advice on how to facilitate your family, friends and other guests who arrive at your house. It's life lessons we have learned from experience. I have been there, done that and gotten the t-shirt with some of this! For more tips and photos, check out the post titled "Happy Thanksgiving from Small Scale Life" using the link! Happy Thanksgiving, all! Bon appetit!

Do you feel stressed out? Does it seem that there is too much noise and information out there? How do you sort through what is important and what is not? In today’s fast paced world, there are incredible demands on our most precious resources: our time, our energy and our money. How do you prioritize your time commitments and focus on what is real and what is important? In this episode, Julie and I discuss how to minimize time commitments while maximizing life. We talk about the following topics: Move-Ember Upcoming Small Scale Life Health Challenge Reviewing the 5 Steps to Building a Simple and Intentional Life (http://www.smallscalelife.com/5-steps-developing-simple-and-intentional-life/) Time Committments - Introduction Dealing with Family Obligations 4 Steps to Minimizing Time Committments and Maximizing Life Slow down and enjoy the eagles; have your eagle moment The photo that is the cover for this episode was taken on County Highway A in Burnett County, Wisconsin. We rounded the curve and there they were: a dozen eagles taking flight right in front of us. If we had not taken the time and been in a hurry, we would have never appreciated the eagles and the moment. For more information and pictures associated with this podcast, go over to the the article titled "Minimizing Time Commitments while Maximizing Life" at Small Scale Life. (http://www.smallscalelife.com/minimizing-time-commitments/)

Do you feel stressed out? Does it seem that there is too much noise and information out there? How do you sort through what is important and what is not? In today’s fast paced world, there are incredible demands on our most precious resources: our time, our energy and our money. As we go through life, we seem to collect more and more stuff. We have closets, basements, garages and storage lockers full of stuff! Do we need it all? How can you decide what to keep and what to give away? In this episode of Small Scale Life, Julie and I work through a number of Decluttering Questions and Answers from our own experience in the trenches of our garage, basement, kitchens and utility drawers. Got junk? Well, its time to embrace that chaos and make some decisions! This podcast will help you on your own path to living a simple and intentional life. For more information and tips on HOW to declutter, please see the corresponding article on Small Scale Life titled "Minimalism: Decluttering Questions and Answers."

Happy Halloween 2018! There is nothing like Halloween: the cool weather, the decorations, the pumpkins, the costumes and all the fun associated with this holiday. We have had a lot of fun on Halloween over the years, especially when the boys were younger and when we participated in some haunted houses in Illinois. For the 115th episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to talk about some favorite memories from years gone by and give some tips to creating a cool Halloween scene or haunted house. For more on this episode and some pictures from this year's pumpkin carving and some pictures of us in haunted house costumes, check out the post titled "Happy Halloween 2018: Memories and Stories" on Small Scale Life!

Welcome to Fall 2018 where the snow flies and water freezes before the leaves drop! Such is life here in the north country this year. Last week was a tough week: I was physically and mentally exhausted. Adding to the exhaustion was disappointment after my plans to head to Hogtoberfest 2018 fell apart on Tuesday. I needed a change or pace and a change of environment. In this podcast, I talk about my October doldrums, how I spent the week recuperating and retooling on a number of fronts and overcoming October blues. For more on this story and to see pictures from this podcast, check out the article titles Overcoming October Blues on Small Scale Life! (http://www.smallscalelife.com/overcoming-october-blues/)

Fall is here! October is here! Where did the time go? While I love this time of year, it is time to say goodbye to my plants and old, tired garden beds. Like summer hitting early before Memorial Day this year, winter seems to be bearing down on Minnesota and Wisconsin (some areas of Minnesota got a snow already)! In this podcast, I am going to talk about how the First Frost was the End of My 2018 Garden Season. For more about the first frost, pictures and a video, check out the blog post on Small Scale Life titled "First Frost: End of My 2018 Garden Season." (http://www.smallscalelife.com/first-frost-end-of-my-2018-garden-season/)

Have you ever had a Hell Week where everything just was a disaster? You are under pressure with deadlines looming and little time to regroup and attack the next project or issue. How did you handle it? Last week was my own version of Hell Week. I can summarize last week with one simple word: Exhausting Last week, a lot happened at work and in the basement that took me away from Small Scale Life. I simply did not have the time or energy to post podcasts, videos or blog posts. Now that I have put some distance between today and Hell Week, I can develop some thoughts about how I will deal with future projects, obligations and events. In retrospect, it was a good reminder that I need to continue to focus on develop methods and systems to help me live a simple life. For more on my Hell Week and some suggestions to deal with deadlines and obligations, check out the article posted on Small Scale Life! (http://www.smallscalelife.com/hell-week/)

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. In this episode, Tommy discusses Going Full Throttle on life, projects and major efforts.  It is up to you: if you want to have success, you have to go full throttle! Who is Tommy Cakes? Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes. Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it! What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business. I import knowledge I export that information at premium prices! I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life. Catching Up and Being Social with Tommy Cakes My sincere apologies that I have been noticeably absent from the series of Small Scale Life Podcasts of late.  Believe it or not, it has been since July 26th since my last Midweek Motivation Podcast, and that is a long time.  I have been a busy boy doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that, traveling around the country taking care of business.  In my own life, I have been roaring and going at full throttle, and I need to budget more time for these kind of podcast, because I do like being social with you. Speaking of social, it’s time for a little drinky drink!  It is time for a social.  Are you ready for our first sip?  Count it down with me and raise a glass….3….2….1…Social! Delicious!  That is really good! For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Midweek Motivation: Go Full Throttle on Small Scale Life! (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-Ve)

As I have stated on several occasions on the Small Scale Life Podcast, there are a whole universe of other platforms, media and social media out there for us.  Occasionally when you speak to the vast universe, it speaks back to you!  In this case, that part of the universe was Terrance Layhew from The Intellectual Agrarian. In January, Terrance interviewed Scott Hebert, and somehow he found me.  He reached out to me, and after working out our schedules in a busy July, we found a way to connect and complete the interview.  In our interview, Terrance and I discussed what lead me to start my small scale life journey, gardening tips and ideas, how and why communities are important and so much more. For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Starting Small Scale Life - The Intellectual Agrarian Podcast on Small Scale Life! (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-V0)

This is a [late] podcast and post about Minnesota Traditions on Labor Day 2018. These traditions include the Exodus to Lake County and the Minnesota State Fair. I had the opportunity to spend four days at the State Fair in a booth, so I had a different experience than many who went as spectators. I will also talk about my Weekend 3 Things and give you an update on Operation Outreach as well. Stay tuned, there is a lot to talk about as I head south in the Mobil Small Scale Life Podcast Studio! For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Minnesota Traditions - Labor Day 2018 on Small Scale Life! (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-UD) Special Note: I have to apologize to all the listeners out there: I did not intend to publish this podcast and post without any content! Yikes! As an aside, it is interesting that some folks shared this without any content….hmmm….Anyway, thank you for your patience!

As we roll into September, I have to ask: how is your garden doing? It has been a while since our last tour of the Small Scale Life Garden, so I figured it was time to post a Late August Garden Update and discuss my Fall Planting strategy. With cooler temperatures this week, it is a constant reminder that winter is coming, and I need to get my rear end moving to take advantage of the remaining garden season. For more information, pictures, links and a whole lot more on the Weekend Three Things, Garden Update, and Fall Planting Strategy, please see the article at Small Scale Life (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-Ue)!

This week, Greg Burns, my friend Jay and I finish Homesteading for Beginners by discussing the Definition of Homesteading.  This is the last part of a 2-1/2 hour conversation that focused on the start of our own individual homesteading journeys.  This is a philosophical discussion about the definition of homesteading, how to build experiences and how to cultivate people while building community. If you are new to Small Scale Life or missed Part 1 of the Homesteading for Beginners podcast (http://www.smallscalelife.com/homesteading-for-beginners/), I recommend that you take a listen.  In that podcast, Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns, my friend Jay and I discuss starting our own Homesteading journeys by asking why. For more links, photos and extensive show notes, please go to Small Scale Life to get more information (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-TY)!

This truly is a verbal potpourri episode, so grab a cocktail or your coffee, settle in and enjoy the ride.  This is a comfy little podcast full of stories and tales.  The point of this podcast is to stay grounded using the Weekend Three Things threads, have some adventures on the weekend and of course learn, do and grow! In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am discussing the new weekly post in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group called my "weekend three things."  I also include a summary of the Zac Brown Band Concert in Minneapolis,  Julie's first triathlon and much, much more!  For more information, pictures and the awesome show notes, head over to Small Scale Life for more on this podcast! (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-TC)

As I drove through southern Minnesota this week, I saw a lot of great farms and homesteads on my journey.  Some of these folks lived on Century Farms (100-year old family farms) while others were just starting to homestead. My friend Jay and I can relate to those new homesteaders: we both purchased properties in 2018.  We want to create new homesteads on our respective properties, and we figured it would be great to talk with someone who actually had a homestead and was further down the rabbit hole on this journey. Fortunately, I know a few people who do some great things due to this little podcast and blog!  I called on my friend Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns, and he agreed to bring his contrarian perspective (and jar full of fermented goodness) to the discussion. For more information, show notes and links to other podcasts and information, check out the post on Small Scale Life! (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-Tm)

In this episode, I am on the road and talking about building community.  Humans are social creatures.  We are not meant to live in this world alone.  Sometimes we do need to “have a little help from our friends.” My questions to you are: Do you have some friends that have your back? Have you spent some time building community around you? Unfortunately in modern Western Civilization, the answer is probably no.  I have to admit: I need to work on this as well.  We are going to make some changes to Small Scale Life to help you build community around you, where ever you are.  For more on that, please head over to Small Scale Life (https://wp.me/p6NX1f-T0) to read the post that has more thoughts, information and links.

Canning is a method of saving that nutritious food for later seasons. You fill your own jars and know what exactly you are eating. That is so critical these days where we seem to have a food advisory, recall notice or flat out parasite infestation (hello McDonald's, Trader Joe’s, Krogers and Walgreens) almost daily. By growing and preserving your own food, you will have the satisfaction of knowing just what hands have handled your food and what is in your jars. To learn more about canning, go to Small Scale Life (www.smallscalelife.com) for more.

Today’s podcast, post and YouTube videos are particularly timely.  In the Small Scale Life Facebook Group, our friend and new gardener Alex has a great question: “My tomatoes are so out of control and are completely shading my peppers. I have at least 10 peppers that have stopped growing and those are my favorite.  Can I cut back the tomatoes? Can I attempt transplanting the peppers? At this rate the peppers are not going to grow so these are my only two options besides just pulling them.” – Alex from Illinois. There is no need to pull the peppers!  I think we can figure out a way to aggressively prune tomatoes and get more sunlight to those peppers. Be advised: by aggressively pruning, you will get more tomatoes from your plants!  I think you can handle it though. For more information about How to Prune Tomatoes, head over to Small Scale Life (smallscalelife.com (www.smallscalelife.com)) for the post, videos, pictures and more!