Olden Oasis

Saving money one flush at time with a compostable toilet Make sure that you have a compostable toilet when, or if, the crap hits the fan! Yes, that was an intentional pun! But in all seriousness, compostable toilets have come a long way since the olden times of stinky outhouses that were placed outside in the back forty from yesterday-years. While numerous states are in heavy droughts and in desperate need of a fix, water is literally going down the drain as waste in homes. On the average, a human being uses about eighty to one-hundred and seventy-five gallons of water a day and close to half of that percent is from flushing the commode. What is a compostable toilet? A compostable toilet is a toilet system that collects human excrements then turns it into a natural rich compost. It can reduce a single household's water waste up to sixty percent or more. So, in the long haul, compostable toilets save a lot of money on utility bills and save on how much water is used in communities ...

Distilling water If you're concerned about the PFAS that's in or may be in your tap water and want to learn a preventive way to truly clarify it, today I will walk you through how I distill water at home in my kitchen. I know it's extra work, but it's worth it. Of course, if you don't want to go through the process of distilling your own water, you can purchase it at grocery stores. Why should you distill water? Water distillation is an effective method of removing PFAS. In general, just boiling water will remove most bacteria and make the water safer to drink, but it will not remove PFAS. Distilling water removes a host of bacteria, chemicals, and other impurities, but be aware that when you distill water, it removes more than 99.9 percent of the minerals from your water. Instructions for distilling water at home: To begin, fill a large stockpot halfway with water. Then tie a coffee cup to the pan's lid with some string. The cup will hang right side up inside t...

Long-term water storage and water purifying Why should we store water for long-term use? If the energy grid should ever go down, the municipal water will also shut down, unless the location where you live has some type of backup system.  Unfortunately, at one time or another, we all have power outages, often due to related weather occurrences. Usually the electricity is only off for a few hours, before power lines, transformers, etc. are repaired. However, sometimes freakish ice storms, tornadoes, or hurricanes happen and the power gets interrupted for days, weeks, and sometimes, unfortunately, for months.  Storing water for the long-term and treating potable water Water should be stored in thoroughly clean glass jars, or dark plastic containers (#1, #2, and #4). Glass bottles or jars are the absolute best choice, because glass isn't made with chemicals, therefore no chemicals can leach out into your stored water. Water stored in glass containers will last indefinitely as long...

Image by Pexels/Pixabay Purifying water with the sun's rays Recently, I have gotten on a healthy water kick because, quite frankly, I have been extremely scared to drink our tap water. Plus, I believe that it's important to know survival skills, and knowledge is the key to surviving. So today I'd like to share a free and all-natural way of purifying water. Yup, if you haven't guessed it already, I am referring to sunlight. Sunlight is an old-fashioned water-purifying practice that's considered to be the most natural way to purify water. It's genius because you can purify your drinking water at zero cost. This water-purifying method requires no special equipment or expensive filters. How do you purify water using the sun's rays? You'll want to fill a clean container with clear water and place it in direct sunlight. I suggest using a clear PET one-or two-liter bottle and nothing much larger than that. A quick note of caution here: Water that's thick an...

Why You Should Prune Flowers on Your Potato Plants Potato plant flowers pop up towards the end of the plant's life cycle to attract pollinators that help with reproduction. This is super important for the plant's survival. Sometimes, flowers can show up early if the plant has too much fertilizer or if the weather is really extreme. Why pruning is important Reason 1: Safety First It's a good idea to snip off those flowers for a couple of reasons. First, it can prevent curious kids or pets from eating parts of the plant that could make them sick. Reason 2: Better Potatoes Cutting off the flowers can actually help you get more potatoes in the end. When a plant gets energy into making flowers and seeds, it takes away from making those yummy tubers underground. By snipping off the flowers, you're telling the plant to focus on growing those potatoes instead. How to Prune To prune the flowers, grab some scissors or gardening shears and snip them off at the base of the stem. Th...

Homesteading skills that you should know There's not any specific law that prevents anybody from homesteading and making their own way in "The Natural State." In the grand scheme of things, self-sustaining practices such as growing your own food, harvesting rainwater, having a compostable toilet, using solar power, etc. in Arkansas is in fact considered a self-sustaining right. However, there are a few loopholes out there that you'll have to go through in order to do some of these things legally, which in turn may seem like a hard slap in the face, to some, if you're wanting to be completely self-reliant. This unfortunately is also the case for living completely off-grid in "The Natural State." Since Arkansas is known as being "The Natural State," most people would assume that you would be able to buy some land, set up a modern-day homestead, and run it in the ways that you see fit. However, this isn't entirely the case in our state. What...

All natural facial mask and facial scrub Are you looking for a better, cheaper way to cleanse and exfoliate your skin? If so, today, I will tell you how I make an all-natural cleansing mask and all-natural facial scrub. These are two DIY'S that I personally make and use. They are inexpensive to create. Plus, there are no harmful ingredients added to either. Coffee and almond milk face mask Ingredients:  3 tablespoons of ground coffee 1 tablespoon of almond milk Instructions: To create the facial mask, add three tablespoons of ground coffee with one tablespoon of almond milk in a bowl; combine well to form a gritty paste. Add additional almond milk if it's needed. Using your fingertips, apply the facial mask to your face. Allowing it to stay on your face for at least fifteen minutes. Wash the facial mask off with warm water, then splash your face with refreshing cold water; blot your skin dry with a clean towel. All natural facial scrub Ingredients: 1-½ cups of sugar ¼ cup of ca...