What would Otto Kilcher do????

We were first 'introduced' so to speak to Otto Kilcher when we watched Alaska: The Last Frontier on Discovery channel.

Alaska: The Last Frontier is an American reality cable television series aired on the Discovery Channel. The show documents anextended family (the Kilchers) outside of Homer, Alaska.^[1] By "homesteading" without plumbing or modern heating, the clan must subsist by hunting and preparing for the long winters.^[2] The Kilcher family are relatives to the singer Jewel.^[1] Season 4 of the show is currently in production, and is set to be broadcast in October 2014.^[3]
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska:_The_Last_Frontier

Quickly it became something that we waited patiently (maybe!) for each week. We could relate to it and dreamed of living a life just like that.
We watched as Otto mended things, taught his family to do the same, collected or shot dinner and created what he needed out of what he had.
It began as a joke at first when one day I was working on something and Neil asked, 'What would Otto Kilcher do?' Quickly it became a motto. Neil even has it written on his to do board in the male...um...cavern? He doesn't like "man cave". And said board is made out of an old Land Rover bonnet covered in chalkboard paint suspended from the roof with bailer twine!

Anyway, with the Kilchers in mind and sooooooooo much to do we got going.

We needed a chicken house so as we could have chooks to lay us eggs for the family:

So we got some pallets and created this!

We collected more pallets today so as we can build another house for another chook and her husband so as we can rear some baby chooks to sell.

We wanted to grow our own vegetables. We have 4 apple trees at the top of the garden that gave us a great harvest last year. This year we upped the stakes. However with 3 children using the garden daily and no Alaskan homestead we didn't want to take any of their space, so...........we found more pallets!

And created this!

More on the way as.............

........... the seeds are growing!

Which is quite impressive given the up and down climate in "balmy" Northern Ireland recently!

And finally this week with Otto very much in mind. Neil mended our old faithful lawnmower after I broke it!

Whoops!

The grand spend to do all this was £3.75 for a box of screws. We haven't quite reached the stage of having old screws to reuse like Otto! Not enough old screws...or patience...hmm...
It has been a busy week here at Nice Life Hq but a great one. Finally we are starting to put the Otto Kilcher philosophy  into our everyday lives. And the great thing? We are passing it on to our kids. They will grow up learning how to feed themselves, mend what they have, create things from what is lying dormant around our yard or wherever they can beg, stea...beg or borrow just and hopefully see that money is not the be all and end all of existence. Sure, it plays a part but as the old cliché goes; the best things in life are free! We believe the sense of satisfaction from watching seed to plant to plate is one of those things you can't buy. Applying a bit of ingenuity (though we are not near Kilcher levels yet) for the purpose of saving money just adds to it.

So the next time you find yourself stuck when mending something, wanting to live a more self sufficient lifestyle.......just ask yourself........What would Otto Kilcher do?

Suzi xx

Day Of The Rhubarb!!!

Apologies for the lack of updates but its a busy time of year for us. Between raising 3 kidlets, sowing seeds and hatching chooks its been a manic and enjoyable time.
A brief lull in the mayhem has allowed us to have a relaxed, chilled out weekend but a productive one nonetheless.
Our neighbours were kind enough to give us loads of rhubarb this week. Its a firm favourite in here. The kids instantly demanded rhubarb crumble on seeing it arrive!
So yesterday was Day Of The Rhubarb! We made rhubarb, ginger and chilli chutney and of course crumble for after dinner. We then prepared the rhubarb in a large bowl ready for jam making today which we completed this morning and the husband is...I mean, the kids are anxiously awaiting it to cool!
I began to think about all the uses for the produce we had created and with the end of term looming (end of June here in Northern Ireland) I began thinking that the jam and chutney would make perfect gifts for teachers.
We like to give them homemade/grown gifts as they are more personal and cost effective to shop bought.
For Easter for example we gave all the female teachers bunches of flowers cut from our garden and male teachers tomato plants that the kids had grown.
So with this in mind, the jam jars needed jazzing up. Finn suggested making hats for the jars so my creative money saving head went into action. I went onto Google and found lots of ideas. We loved the crocheted ones the best so I sat down with my hook and yarn and came up with this:

Chain 3, work 12 double crochet into the 3rd chain from hook, join with a slipped stitch to the top of your chain 3.
Chain 2, work 1 double crochet into the first stitch, 2 double crochet into the second stitch and continue this pattern around, join with a slipped stitch.
Do this for another 2 rounds.
Chain2, work 1 double crochet into each stitch around, join.
Chain 2, work 2 double crochet into each stitch around, join.
Chain2, work 1 double crochet into each stitch around, join and finish off.
Thread some ribbon or yarn around the 5th round (1 double crochet in each stitch round)

Alternate your colours as you please, to match your kitchen, a friends favourite colours etc. Whatever takes your fancy.
Once you have completed your first 4 rounds try it out for size on your jam jar, you may need to include another increase round if your jar is bigger.
And here you have it,

The finished product!

I love it and think it has changed an ordinary jar into something original, beautiful and perfect for a gift. What do you think?

If you love these but cant crochet then don't panic, we have sets of three for sale on our website www.nice-life.co.uk

Keep an eye on our blog post over the coming days as I will begin to fill you in on all the nutty goings ons at Nice Life HQ, from baby chicks to upcycling wooden pallets.

If you would like to keep up with us on a daily basis then why not head over and give us a like on Facebook, www.facebook.com/NiceLifeUK

Suzi xxxx

It has worked!!

We have done lots of seed sowing over the last few weeks with plenty more to do. The kids have been very involved and are very enthusiastic.
They help bring the seedlings outside every morning and bring them back in come evening as we start to harden them off and get them ready for a life outdoors.
I love teaching them and watching their interest grow. Finley has a book that he religiously reads and can tell us what space each veg needs and when we will be able to harvest it.

We had a melon for after dinner a couple of weeks ago, the kids got really excited about the number of seeds inside it, they wanted to plant them. So while I was doing the dishes the three of them scurried of getting pots,  filling with compost and then planting them.

Madison who is four, asks every seed she plants to grow strong for us, she is convinced it makes a difference!
Well, it has certainly worked this time as this week we have seen the first signs of growth.
The kids are very excited, there was much screaming and shouting when they saw it, bless them.

Keeping our fingers crossed that they keep growing.
Get your kids involved, its so good for them on so many levels.

Project decrease the food bill!

Summer is on its way!
We have had a beautiful day here at Nice Life Hq. I took my jumper off for the first time this year and as an added bonus I got 4 loads of washing done, hung out and dried. That means the wash basket was empty for a good hour! Quite an achievement with 3 littlies!
We took advantage of the good weather today and started making our large vegetable planters. We have plenty of seedlings growing indoors at the minute getting ready for the big step into the world.
I used to grow vegetables, on a large scale in a previous pre children lifetime. It was something that I really enjoyed, I was happy whiling away the hours in the polytunnels or collecting raspberrys and I was fortunate to have a great teacher in my farm manager. I have very fond memories of potato harvest.
Since I left farming to have my kiddies I have dabbled with growing veg but have never made it beyond the odd tomato or chilli plant!
There is 3 years from start to finish between my 3 kiddies so for a couple of years growing veg was the very last thing on my mind.
Last year we grew peas and corn as well as our faithful tomatoes but a house move and alot of disorganisation meant nothing else got planted.
Roll on a year later and with growing season well under way, 3 littlies very keen to help and our food bill continually on the increase. ........bring on the veg!
We have sweetcorn, tomatoes, lettuce,  spring onions, broad beans and melon (dont ask! The kids took it upon themselves to plant the seeds out of the melon and they are growing so watch this space!) all well underway and another delivery of seeds yesterday means there is plenty more to come.
I will keep you informed of our progress, project decrease the food bill has begun!