Kelley General 75 ft Expandable Hose Review

So after years and years of dealing with crappy hoses for our homesteading use we decided expandable it the way to go. I was happy to get a chance to review this Kelley General Expandable Hose! 

I have to say, once again I am impressed! This hose is quality! Even at 75 ft it stores easily. When you are done using it, turn off the water, drain the hose, and it actually pulls back up itself. So really it is only 25 ft!!

The brass fittings are great, and the shut off switch on both ends is awesome! Especially when we are using the hose without the sprayer on it!

This expandable hose does not kink ever. We have had it in all sorts of spots and it has not kinked up once!

Kelley General Expandable Hose Specs

 Per Kelley General: 

• NEW GENERATION KRYPTONITE STRONG - Expandable hose has the highest rating of strength and pressure testing on the market today.
• LIGHTWEIGHT & INDESTRUCTIBLE - This 75 foot expandable garden water hose is ultra light weight and guaranteed not to kink or tangle. This is by far the strongest most durable expandable garden watering hose on the market today! Sprayer not included.
• SOLID BRASS CORROSION RESISTANT FITTINGS -Kelley General only produces products that are made tough! This 75 foot expandable flexible garden water hose is manufactured with solid brass fittings with easy pressure shut off valve for total control of your watering experience.
• DOUBLE LAYER LATEX CORE THREADING - This 75 foot expandable garden hose is the next generation in cutting edge technology of "no kink" indestructible high-pressure car wash garden hoses. It is protected by a alligator type thick nylon exterior skin. Kelley General-" Products Made Tough"!
• MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY - Kelley General stands behind our 12 month manufacturing defect warranty.

 

I've been using this hose now for about 2 week. I haven't had any problems. It is one of the best hoses I have ever owned. If you would like to get a Kelley General Expandable Hoe for yourself you can get one here!

EGOZ Micro Fleece Polar Neck Warmer/Face Mask/Hat Review

So when I got my EGOZ sleeping bag I got an add on product. It was a nice looking EGOZ Micro Fleece Polar Neck Warmer Face Mask. We are always looking for face coverage for when we go camping. Also I just generally hate being cold! Fleece is my go to product to stay warm.

My husband also works in a place that is not fully heated in the winter. So he is always looking for a way to keep his face warm.

So when this arrived, my husband immediately hijacked it from me. He said it would be awesome for camping, but that he wanted it for work. We really loved it, and for the price it can't be beat!

EGOZ Micro Fleece Polar Neck Warmer Face Mask Details

 

 

• High wind resistance
• Versatile snood scarf - Neck Warmer/Face Mask/Hat Snood/Scarf
• Ideal for Walking, Trekking and Hiking, motorcyclists & cyclists, and simply keeping warm outside on those cold winter days
• One Size approx 27cm x 26cm. High Quality 220gsm polar fleece/one layer. Adjustable with drawstring and toggle for opening.
• Can also be worn as a fleece hat with the cord tightened. Super soft and super comfortable, keeps face, head and ears beautifully warm!

With all this, and a price under $6 this product is a no brainer! If you want your own EGOZ face mask you can get it here. 

Peanut By EGOZ Sleeping Bag Review

I'm 33 years old now. At 18 years old I started backpacking. For many years I hiked the Appalachian Trail, hiked into camping spots that took 5 miles to get to, and camped every chance I got. By the time I had my 3rd child my camping trips slowed to a snails pace, but even with all the challenges that come with camping with children we still go when we can, but one thing is for sure I've had my share of sleeping bags!

I've owned many sleeping bags over the years. I've had sleeping bags for:

• Backpacking
• Long Camping Trips
• Kids
• 3 Season
• 4 Season
• Camping trips that don't exactly count as camping trips since we were sleeping 10 ft from the car

Did I say that sleeping bags are like toys to me? I enjoy shopping for them. We are a family of 5. We like to know that we have what we need for specific types of trips. I also never want to worry about the comfort of my children.

Peanut By EGOZ Sleeping Bag

 

 

This EGOZ is a great sleeping bag for casual or occasional campers, but not a good bag for regular backpackers or campers. We hike the AT and backpack a good bit. We have sleeping bags that weigh about the same that are -20 bags, but they also cost a lot more.


Pros-
-The product is light weight.
-It goes back into it's sack easily.
-It provides 'some' comfort from the ground.
-Great for any season other than winter

Cons -
-A big thing I look for in a sleeping bag is a zipper that can be zipped from the inside. The zipper on the bag does not flip around to the inside.
-The sack is a basic drawstring sack, not a compression stuff sack. So you can't compress it much more.
-The sleeping bag is not nearly as fluffy as the picture makes it seem. It's enough to provide minimal comfort. As long as you have a sleeping pad this shouldn't be too big an issue.

Overall this is a decent bag that will get the job done as long as you don't plan on using it too much, in the winter, and don't have a need to compress it down more. For the price it is a good bag.

This isn't a high end sleeping bag. If you want something that doesn't have these cons you will be paying a good bit more. Which is why I think that for the price this is a pretty good bag.

It will get added to our son's Bug out Bag for sure! If you are looking for an inexpensive bag that will get you through find your EGOZ sleeping bag here.

Wonder Soil Super Seed ~ Wonder Soil Amazes Me Again!

So it has been a few weeks since I tried out the Wonder Soil. It was one of the best gardening things I have tried out before. So I was super excited about the opportunity to try out the Wonder Soil Super Seed. 

They use the same concept with their Wonder Soil Super Seed that they use with their soil. The bag is a mix of small pieces of Wonder Soil with grass seed mixed in. So when the seed is sprinkled down and watered the soil grows around the seed protecting it. This also helps keep the seed damp so that it doesn't dry out as easy.

On top of having the benefits of the Wonder Soil expanding around the seed you will also get all the benefits of the Wonder Soil itself.

Super Seed Before Watering

Super Seed After Watering

Wonder Soil Super Seed Ingredients 

Unlike the horrible fake versions of this product that I find at my local dollar store this soil has amazing ingredients! On top of a quality grass seed Wonder Soil Super Seed also has:

• Coconut Fiber - Not only is coconut fiber great for helping to retain water it is also great for deterring insects and disease. 
• Worm Castings - Natural plant food!
• Humus - Decaying plant material improves drainage and releases beneficial nutrients. 
• Mycorrhizae - Reduces transplant shock and helps aid root growth. 
• Kelp - Helps growth, root stimulation, and better seed germination.  
• Azomite - Increases yield and helps roots

These aren't the only ingredients, but they are certainly great!  Nothing is better than organic soil around the freshly planted seed to keep it happy!


My Wonder Soil Super Seed has just began germinating. After 3 days I can see the little tiny sprouts beginning. I can't wait to update you all with wonderful pictures as it gets tall enough to photograph! Until then you can get your Wonder Soil Super Seed Here!

Hand Held Seed Planter Dibbler ~ Gardening With Arthritis

Gardening With Arthritis ~ Hand Held Seed Planter

In case you don't know, I am a 33 year old mother of 3 with Rheumatoid Arthritis in my wrists, knees, shoulders, hips, and ankles. Unfortunately my arthritis bothers me on both sides. We are also homesteaders on a mission to grow as much of our own food as possible. I have no desire to fully depend on the grocery store where the food is expensive and half the time unhealthy. With all my aches and pains I don't need to add more health problems to my list of stresses! So when I got the opportunity to give this hand held seed planter dibbler a try I was very excited!

Trying Out My New Dibbler

I'll be honest, as much of a gardener I am, I still had never once heard the term Dibbler before! I'm glad i know now, because less than a minute in I realized this is going to save me hours of work each season. No more hunting down my tent anchors or using my fingers to make holes! Do any of you know how long it takes to make 300-500 seed holes? I'll tell you! It take a long time, a long time of leaning over or crouching down which results in arthritis in my knees, wrists, and hips hurting like crazy for days. 

So I tried this out today in a neglected section of our garden where we started letting some of the plants die out, and already pulled the corn up at. In less than a minute I made over 20 holes, and that was with me stopping to take pictures! 

So if next season I have to plant 500 seeds again, the seed holes will only take 25 minutes!! I'm amazed. Making and tending to an edible garden is a good bit of work, but this is going to take hours out of the work I expect to do in the spring and fall each year! Gardening with arthritis will become a good bit easier for me! 

This hand held seed planter dibbler has a stainless steel tip. So if I get distracted by the kids and leave it out in the garden I don't have to worry about it rusting. It comes with a small leather strap to hang it up with for when I actually remember to put it back in the shed. 

On top of that this product is backed with a THREE year manufacturing warranty! That is a great warranty! If you want to get your own hand held seed planter dibbler you can find it here!

Aging Alcohol At Home With American Oak Wood Barrel

So a couple of posts ago I talked about my favorite thing my husband and I do to stay connected. Every night right after we get the kids to bed we go out to the garden, water the plants, sip a glass of whiskey and coke, and we vent or talk about anything on our minds. Kids been extra stressful? Hard day at work? Have one of us done something to bother the other? Great, have a glass of whiskey and talk about it!

No we are not drunks. We aren't alcoholics. We simply both enjoy the taste of a good whiskey and this gives us "together time". This makes us a better couple, not because of the alcohol, but because of the communication. However we both really like the alcohol part! So we started what is getting called the 'Whiskey collection'. I started buying things for my husband related to whiskey. It started with a decanter, then some special whiskey glasses. The collection has grown, and now I have added this Oak Wood Barrel.

Curing and Using Your Oak Barrel

When we first got the barrel we cured it. Curing helps prevent leaks, but it also keeps the wood from drinking your liquor! Yes I said the wood would drink your alcohol! If not cured, the alcohol will absorb into the wood.

So rinse the barrel well. Then fill it with hot water. Let it sit for 2-4 days. This will seal it, and make sure that the wood expands with water instead of absorbing your alcohol.

Once you have cured your barrel get yourself a funnel. Use the funnel to fill with any liquor. You can use this just to store your liquor in, or you can use it to age your alcohol.

My husband filled his Oak Barrel with a bottle of Bullet Bourbon and we agreed that it will stay there until next year on my birthday in June.

We love it!

Get one for yourself here!

Wonder Soil Review~ Dirt That Grows ~ Gardening With Arthritis

Center Photo Credit: https://wonder-soil.myshopify.com/

 

 Gardening With Arthritis 

There is a lot about me that I don't put out on here, but as I write more I realize for people to truly understand how my homesteading is going maybe I need to enlighten you all a bit more on our situation.

See 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Lupus and Fibromyalgia. This is part of why we began homesteading. We realized my health was never going to be good enough to go back to a normal job. So I do what I can here to not only save us money, but make some money at home so that my husband doesn't have to get a second job.

I am fortunate. He has a great job with great benefits. Is he paid his worth? No, but who is these days? So here I am trying to deal with our horrible soil. I've been bringing in bags of soil and shoveling dirt from the back of the woods.

The lupus has impacted my joints horribly. I'm 33 and have been told I need bilateral knee replacements. I have refused, but that gives you an idea how bad my knees are. On top of that my shoulders and wrists are miserable on a regular basis.

Wonder Soil Makes Gardening With Arthritis Easy

I admit, when I got this product I was a bit unsure what to expect. The only experience I have with soil that grows are those awful small things that come in dollar general plants. They are dreadful, don't hold water, and have zero nutrition in them. 

So I was pleasantly surprised when I tried this out. My Wonder Soil was delivered in 5 or 6 inch by 12 inch sections. Each of these sections expand to 7 times their volume!

It breaks down into smaller sections pretty easily. I was using mine to plant into some grow bags so I broke it down into 3-4 inch sections.I inserted this into my grow bags, added water, and it really did exactly what we were hoping! It grew! It didn't only grow, but it turned into beautiful soil. Yes, I just called soil beautiful! It really is!

Wonder Soil Ingredients 

So the ability to grow makes my life much easier! It helps my arthritis greatly. I no longer have to lug around giant bags of soil. It's convenience is not the only benefit though. Unlike the horrible fake versions of this product that I find at my local dollar store this soil has amazing ingredients! 

• Coconut Fiber - Not only is coconut fiber great for helping to retain water it is also great for deterring insects and disease. 
• Worm Castings - Natural plant food!
• Humus - Decaying plant material improves drainage and releases beneficial nutrients. 
• Mycorrhizae - Reduces transplant shock and helps aid root growth. 
• Kelp - Helps growth, root stimulation, and better seed germination.  
• Azomite - Increases yield and helps roots

These aren't the only ingredients, but they are certainly great!  Nothing is better than organic soil.

All around this is a great product. It is not only good for helping those with arthritis. It is also good for those in drought impacted areas. Since Wonder Soil holds water so well it reduces the need for watering or rain. Wonder Soil can be used to grow your lawn, and helps keep it green during the rough summer months.

Where to Get Wonder Soil

If you want to get yourself some wonder soil just click here! You won't be disappointed. This is an amazing product! 

A Great Hammock with a Built in Stuff Sack

I've been with my husband now for 9 years. The last time we had a hammock, he and I had just met a month or 2 before. One night we were having a nice evening sitting outside. We both went to sit on his hammock to finish our drinks. As we sat down the awful happened. The hammock was dry rotted and as we sat, our butts went straight through and we landed on the ground below.

Since then we have not owned a hammock. Not that we suddenly hated hammocks, but more like we hated the idea of the same thing happening again. So I was so excited when I got the opportunity to review a new hammock.

The Nortwill Portable Hammock is going to be a great addition to our back yard and our backpack! I'm looking forward to having a hammock to take with me when we go camping again.

Installing Our Nortwill Hammock

In the middle of our yard we have 3 trees in the shape of a triangle. Since we moved here I had been telling my husband the spot was perfect to hang 3 hammocks from. Now in all honesty I hate these trees. They pretty much make it impossible to use that entire section of the yard. Because the property was so poorly kept over the years the 'baby' trees keep reappearing below these. We are constantly having to cut them out. 

So we thought this spot would be ideal for testing out my 3 hammock theory. If I could get one to work then we would get more. My 5 year old likes to lay in the hammock at her grandma's house. So when I installed this I installed it so we would be just above the ground. 

This Nortwill Hammock came with nice tree straps. However my trees are an awkward size, too big to wrap more than once, too small to wrap only once without hanging us very close to the ground. I want to be close to the ground, but I don't want to be touching the ground. 

So I wrapped the tree strap just once around the tree, but I wrapped it a little higher than we needed it accounting for the sag that we would cause once laying in it. In the pic above you will see how we wrapped it. We then hooked the Nortwill Hammock onto the tree straps. 

Enjoying Our New Great Nortwill Hammock

Since installing the hammock, my youngest and I have been going outside every morning and laying in it for a few minutes. It really is a great addition to our yard. It gives us another thing to enjoy here at home. 

I can't wait for my husband to have another fire going so that I can lay in the hammock and watch the fire. 

When we go camping I will easily be able to stuff it in it's stuff sack because the sack is actually attached to the bottom of the hammock. I won't have to worry about losing it! Which is awesome, since I lose everything! Overall even though I got this hammock at a discount in exchange for my honest opinion on the product, I think that we will be buying the other 2 we need to complete our hammock triangle at full price. 

If you want to get yourself a great backpacking, camping, or just backyard hammock click here.