Self Sufficient Mom | Mother’s Day Wish List

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What does the self sufficient mom in your life really want for Mother’s Day? Check out these budget friendly options to make your self sufficient mom happy this Mother’s Day!

Self Sufficient Mom

There are so many categories of life that someone may pursue self sufficiency in. Maybe your mom is starting her first garden this year, or expanding one she’s already had. Maybe she’s trying to do all her cooking from scratch this year and wants to use tools and materials that limit waste and single use products. Or maybe she’s trying to go low-tox with products in her home to swap out. No matter what she’s pursuing, we have some ideas for budget friendly gifts that still make a big impact. Plus, a couple book recommendations for the woman who’s still in the research phase of how to be a self sufficient mom!

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The Self Sufficient Mom’s Garden Wish List

If Mom is starting her first garden, or if she’s trying to be more organic and frugal in her gardening attempts this year, she may really like some of these items to help with planning and executing the perfect self sufficient garden of any size or type.

1. Garden planner and log This will help with documenting garden layout, what seeds she has sourced, and details about weather conditions and harvests if she’s interested in keeping a log of that for future reference. Looking back on a successful endeavor is always a good motivator to continue!
2. Composter This is a huge step in living frugally and organically and will help future soil quality for that garden she’ll be nurturing in the years to come.
3. Garden harvest apron for harvesting fruits and vegetables without toting around a huge wheelbarrow or basket
4. Survival Garden heirloom seeds (to get started) if she isn’t sure what she wants to plant. It’s hard to go wrong with delicious and timeless heirloom varieties. Check out this post about what “heirloom” means and why they’re awesome!
5. Root Vegetable Grow Bags are the most space and soil efficient way to grow things like potatoes… and who doesn’t like potatoes?!

The Self Sufficient Mom’s From Scratch Kitchen Wish List

Not all Moms love to cook, but if from-scratch cooking is one of Mom’s goals this year, you can both help and encourage her by helping build her collection of kitchen tools to get those attempts started! Plus, Mom will know you see and appreciate what she’s working on behind the scenes!

1. Lodge Cast Iron Skillet and Dutch Oven These are a great way to begin cooking without using those horrible-for-you teflon pans that release toxins into every meal. They’re versatile too, and can go easily from stove top to oven and back again.
2. Sourdough Proofing Baskets and Kit If your mom has considered beginning to bake with sourdough instead of yeast, these will help with making those already delicious loaves even more beautiful!
3. Home Fermentation Kit This might be a step beyond her comfort level, but if she enjoys pickled and fermented foods, they’re also some of the easiest to make from scratch at home, and kits like this one can help you to do it so easily! 
4. Wooden Utensils for Cooking help to eliminate plastics being used with high heat and simultaneously eliminates a great amount of toxins being released into the air and your food. Plus they’re just so pretty on the counter!
5. Stainless Measuring Cups and Spoons are my favorite because not only are they useful but they look good while doing it. And it’s always nice to have aesthetic tools to use when starting a new project because it makes you want to keep coming back to it!

The Self Sufficient Mom’s Low Tox Swap Out Wish List

If your Mom is like me, she’s been thinking a bit more about the chemicals taking up space under the sink, and how to keep her family home safe from harmful products. These items may make it easier to swap out some of those high-chemical products for more natural homemade ones, while keeping her beautiful home looking as aesthetic as ever.

1. Amber Glass Containers for DIY Bath and Beauty Products like shampoos, hand soaps, and roller bottles for Essential Oils are a beautiful addition to any kitchen or bathroom. 
2. Reusable Paper Towels are one of the easiest swaps you can do to eliminate unnecessary waste and bring fewer processed paper products into your home.
3. Soap Making Kits may be a bit niche, but even if it isn’t something she’s considered doing, this sort of thing can make for an afternoon of fun activities and a lifetime of inspiration for making more of your own products just the way you like them.
4. Mortar and Pestle can be used both for cooking and for “processing” ingredients at home like dried herbs that do well in tinctures and balms.
5. Lotion, Lip Balm, and Body Butter Ingredients are fun just like soap making kits and can have endless uses from making your own products to having wonderful personalized gifts to give to friends and family.

Book Recommendations for the Aspiring Self Sufficient Mom

Sometimes the best place to start is with inspiration. Even the most self sufficient Mom needs good resources (and a break from looking at screens to read them)! These are some of our favorite book recommendations for an (almost) self sufficient mom – trying one project at a time.

1. The Prairie Homestead Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Heritage Cooking in Any Kitchen by Jill Winger
   This cook book is not only full of recipes but also contains so many valuable kitchen skills that our grandmothers and great grandmothers would be proud to see us adopting.
2. Preserving Everything cookbook
   This book will help with everything from pickling, fermenting, canning, freezing, drying, and storing those foods mom has started growing in her garden.
3. Journey to a Non-Toxic Home
   This has all the recipes you could want for replacing toxic and harmful chemicals in your home with wholesome, holistic alternatives that are easy to make for yourself.
4. Attainable Sustainable by National Geographic
   This is a good introductory source to pave the way into beginning to practice sustainability in your home and lifestyle.
5. The self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour
   This is an all inclusive book of skills, practices, and instructions for really turning your home, land, and lifestyle into an homage to self-sufficiency. I can’t help but to get more excited and motivated every time I peruse this book!

Posts and Ideas to Help Nurture Your Self Sufficient Mom

Here are a few resources from friends’ sites (and our own!) that can help you, or Mom, to dive into some of these important self sufficiency skills. Check out these posts for how-to instructions, recipes, and gorgeous inspiration pictures to help motivate and inspire!

1. Recipes for DIY homemade deodorant and toothpaste for a quick easy swap
2. Recipe and instructions for a non toxic all natural cleaning spray and degreaser
3. How to start and maintain a sourdough starter for beginners
4. How to use and maintain cast iron cookware
5. How to do water bath canning in the Instant Pot (plus apple sauce recipe!)
6. Join a program to learn self sustainable life skills year round with The Freedom Foundry and Jill Winger
7. Attend the annual Homesteaders of America conference (even if you’re still in the daydreaming phase!)