These days seems like the word organic can be found everywhere you look so only makes sense that now we have organic soil added to the pile. So what is organic soil exactly? Great question!

Organic soil is simply soil that has not had any nutrients added or chemicals provided except for those that are naturally available. Most of us have used Miracle Gro on their garden. Once you have used Miracle Gro you no longer have organic soil since you have enriched the dirt with unnatural ingredient. In the summer as you see your crops growing you also see bugs coming. This means use of pesticides to control your pests in the garden. This use of pesticides in the garden also will make your soil no longer organic.

If you are looking to create and maintain organic soil, here are a few things you want to keep in mind.

• Use of chemicals in your soil can damage and make the soil less healthy for your plants over a period of time.
• Use of chemicals creates overtime a dependence upon chemicals within your soil as you no longer allow natural process to take place.
• Organic Soil has higher levels of nutrients than those that are treated with supplements.
• Organic Soil produces healthy fruits and veggies that are always editable and do not result in chemicals leaking into our water supply.

One of the benefits of using organic soil is also that it is free compared to spending money on chemicals or nutrients and supplements to add to your garden. Finding healthy alternatives and natural solutions to common gardening concerns in the long run will provide a much healthier and happier garden for you to enjoy.

One of the best advantages of solar outdoor lights is that you can place them most anywhere and not worry about a plug or extension cord. Solar outdoor lights also helps you remain a little less on the grid and work toward living self sufficiently. The solar lights give you the freedom to do some creative landscaping around your house which will make your home look attractive, provide safety and best of all since you are using solar outdoor lights, it will cost you nothing on a monthly basis.

The only cost you will face with solar outdoor lights is the upfront initial purchase but even this you can find many cheap options. The best time of the year of course is fall going into winter when most places are looking to dump their inventory for summer and moving into winter supplies. Usually you can find great deals on packages for solar lights. Last year I picked up six packages of four light sets for under fifteen dollars. Like I said, sometimes you can find really good deals.

Once you have the lights you are expense free with the only exception is that you might need to replace the battery that holds the solar charge now and again but this is not often. So now that you have your solar outdoor lights what do you do with them?

Walkways: I like to use my solar outdoor lights around walkways both in the front and backyard. They are easy to drop in the dirt and usually the walkways do not get a good deal of lighting from the driveway. Since they are cordless they can be run away from the house and even down the driveway to the road and create a nice looking well lit look for your home.

Gardens: Gardens always look well lit up at night and nothing makes it easier than solar outdoor lights. If you are like me you have small and large gardens scattered about your property to round out the corners of your yard and to add appeal here and there. It would be a nightmare to try and run traditional lighting to all of these gardens but as long as your gardens get some daylight it is easy enough to plant a solar outdoor light and walk away.

The idea of living free of restraint and within your own control appeals to many and drives people to the woods to live self sufficient. No neighbors, no nine to five cube to work in, healthier food options and more exercise. There is a great deal to like when you live self sufficient. However, there are some drawbacks that many need to think about before they rush out to homesteading.

There are many things people living in a city take for granted and when they move out to the self sufficient lifestyle they get a sense of culture shock. Always keep in mind these three things when you are considering your move to a more self sufficient lifestyle.

You are an island: The things you hate about the neighborhood like loud neighbors, cars driving by and not having any space because everything is on top of you also provides a blanket of safety. When it snows your roads are cleared. When you lose power the electric company comes and fixes it. If you need help you only need to make a noise and neighbors would come running. When you move out to the middle of nowhere you need to not only create an environment that allows you to live self sufficient but understand the mentality that goes along with it. You are an island and need to be able to do everything on your own.

Power: Energy makes the world go round. When you live self sufficient you need to ensure your power is protected and you have backups if needed. You may use solar to heat your house but ensure you have a fireplace and a stack of wood available. You might use wind to power your household electrical items but ensure you have a few solar panels or a generator available in case something happens. If you are off the grid you want to ensure you have planned for backups and emergencies especially in areas which get heavy snow or harsh weather conditions.

Finances: Money in addition to power lets us get by each day. If you plan to go completely self sufficient you need to ensure you have a source of steady income which is reliable and avoids you going back to the daily grind. Learn to cut all excess from your budget and try to work all debts to nothing before making the leap. You don’t want to go through the motion of creating a dream and then run out of funding to live it.