If you’ve never gardened before, that’s totally okay. Gardening doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The key is to take tiny steps—micro baby steps—that help you learn and grow without stress.

Here’s what I’d do if I were starting from scratch:

First, start right in your kitchen with something simple like growing sprouts. You can buy sprouting seeds or even little sprout kits at the store. They grow fast, require almost no space, and give you a little win to build your confidence.

Next, try getting a baby plant—a small potted herb or veggie—and care for it. This step helps you get familiar with watering and watching a plant grow without too much effort or risk.

Another great step is to offer to help someone who already has a garden. Watching and learning from a seasoned gardener can teach you a lot and make gardening feel more approachable.

The most important thing is not to bite off more than you can chew. Take your time, be gentle with yourself, and enjoy these micro baby steps. Gardening is a journey, and every little step counts.

Connect with Neva: https://www.thehappyhomesteadmaker.com

Neva has been thinking about something that doesn’t get talked about much—assets. Not the dreamy, polished version often seen online, but the real kind. The kind that requires getting hands in the dirt and figuring things out along the way.

She didn’t inherit assets. No land handed down, no safety net built in. Every piece of what’s been created has come through slow, steady work—one decision at a time.

Getting dirty is part of it.

Building anything—whether it’s a homestead, a short-term rental, or a business—means starting from the ground up. It’s not always clean. It’s not always pretty. Even after years of work, there are still hard decisions, unknown outcomes, and messy days.

That doesn’t mean something’s wrong. It just means it’s real.

Neva shares more than just the good parts of homesteading, because she believes the beauty is in the whole picture. The mud, the sweat, the growth, and the hard-won lessons.

For anyone in the middle of building—slowly, imperfectly—this is the encouragement: keep going. And getting dirty? That’s where the real work happens.

Connect with Neva: https://www.thehappyhomesteadmaker.com

Homeschooling can feel overwhelming—choosing curriculum, juggling schedules, keeping up with state rules.

In today’s episode, Neva (mom of seven!) shares her very first step: joining HSLDA. She walks you through the top benefits of membership—instant curriculum resources, expert legal support, and real-world case reviews—so you can start your homeschool journey with confidence and peace of mind.

Top 3 Reasons to Join HSLDA

1. It’s an ever-growing library of homeschool resources ready when you are.
2. You get expert legal representation any time questions arise.
3. You can read and review real families’ cases to learn from their successes and missteps.

You’re not alone in this journey.

Join HSLDA today: https://www.hslda.org/join

Connect with Neva: https://www.thehappyhomesteadmaker.com