Author Archives: Steph VonAhnen, LRMT, CLC

After months of heavy blankets, cold bones, and snoozing our way through snow days, spring has finally cracked open the door like a beautiful farm fresh egg, and we’re walking through it barefoot and blooming.  (That actually sounds kinda gross… Nobody wants to walk through egg…) There’s something magical about this moment.  The air shifts. Continue reading “Spring Is Here, And So Are We!”

Apparently, I’m fluent in passive-aggressive domestic shouting!  The following are examples from the past week: 1. The Printer“You had ONE job!”All I wanted was a simple printout of our new reflection page!  Instead, I got a flashing red light, an error code about cartridges, and paper jammed in a way that defies physics.  I’m 87%Continue reading “10 Things That I Yelled at Inanimate Objects This Week”

As the world becomes rapidly urban, many of us find ourselves yearning for a connection to nature and a sustainable way to enrich our lives.  That’s where Yard 2 Yield steps in.  Our mission is to empower individuals to transform their backyards into thriving gardens, where they can cultivate their own food and, in turn,Continue reading “Cultivating Growth and Prosperity with Yard 2 Yield!”

Sometimes, the past doesn’t stay where we left it.  It taps softly at the edges of our dreams, whispers through an old song, or appears suddenly in a text from someone we haven’t thought about in years.  When the past knocks, it’s rarely convenient, and it’s almost always meaningful. Lately, I’ve found myself face toContinue reading “When the Past Comes Knocking: A Dive Into Reconnecting”

I wasn’t always a gardener.Truth is, by the time I found my way to the soil, one of my kids had already left the nest, and another was well on their way.  It wasn’t some long-held family tradition or early childhood memory that drew me in (except memories of getting my hands dirty in theContinue reading “From Highchairs to Harvest: How I Taught My Kids Where Dinner Comes From”

Sometimes life feels like an endless obstacle course built by someone with a twisted sense of humor.  One minute you’re finally standing tall, and the next, someone’s yelling, “Now jump through this one!” It’s too high.  It’s on fire.  It’s moving.  And you’re tired. And yet, you jump.  Or climb.  Or crawl under it whileContinue reading “Jumping Through Hoops and Growing Anyway”

When we talk about homesteading today, it’s easy to get swept away by the latest gadgets and gizmos promising quicker harvests and easier chores.  There’s also something beautifully grounding, and brilliantly clever, in the forgotten wisdom of our ancestors.  These long-lost hacks from the 1700-1800s aren’t just charming throwbacks; they’re timeless treasures that our modern-dayContinue reading “Forgotten Wisdom: Homestead Secrets Our Ancestors Swore By”

Every gardener knows, plants have personalities.  They don’t speak in words, but oh, they communicate.  Some beg for attention.  Some thrive in silence.  Some are absolute chaos with leaves. And if they could talk?  Oh honey, they’d have plenty to say! Let’s take a stroll through the garden and hear what the real stars ofContinue reading “The Garden Oracle: If My Plants Could Talk”

There are things in life that don’t go the way we planned.  Dreams that fell flat.  Friendships that soured.  Mistakes that haunt us in the quiet hours.  It piles up, doesn’t it?  The heartbreaks, the burned bridges, the should’ve, could’ve, would’ve cycle. And just like the garden, life starts to stink if we don’t doContinue reading “Compost Happens: Let the Rot Work for You”

There comes a point when the roots start circling. You’ve seen it before, in a pot that’s too small, where the plant can’t grow another inch.  The leaves start to yellow, the flowers don’t bloom, and you wonder what went wrong, until you pull it from the pot and see the truth: it’s not broken,Continue reading “Rootbound: When You’ve Outgrown the Container You’re In”