https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog daily 0.75 2026-08-17 https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-baby-and-calf monthly 0.5 2026-08-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/fb8934ed-dc21-42de-8bc9-0222d0479b73/IMG_8214.jpeg Blog - HOW I AM PREPARING FOR BABY #7 AND A CALF! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/021513ab-c351-430c-842c-4e2e18f18a06/IMG_9963.jpg Blog - HOW I AM PREPARING FOR BABY #7 AND A CALF! - Dolly, our beautiful chocolate Brown Swiss/Jersey girl is also due! Like literally any day now! She is my most difficult one to tell when she is in heat. She gives me literally zero signs. No mucus on her rear, no funny business with me like her trying to mount me, no pacing the fence, no excess mooing…literally nothing! It wasn't until we moved our second cow back home (she was down at a neighbors house spending some time with their bull) that we finally started to see some signs! She let our Daisy mount her and I knew Dolly was in heat! Our AI guy once told me, “If you want to know when your dairy cow is in heat….get another cow!” It’s that simple! And it's worked like a charm! After we AI’d her, we found out that I was pregnant! I know…perfect timing right?! Well, I actually thought to myself that it actually might turn out to be perfect timing as she got pregnant before I did! Well, 9 months later with both of us due within weeks of each other, I am days away and yet so is she! Now, this is kind of a pickle. I like to be available for my girls when they go into labor in case there are any complications or signs of mastitis or milk fever. Though we haven't had any issues in the past with these 2 cows, our first cow got milk fever every time she calved and it was always a huge emergency! Thankfully both Dolly and Daisy have been very easy to manage postpartum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/d6e35b8f-e482-4cb4-84c3-d2ca9026d79f/blog+post+42.jpg Blog - HOW I AM PREPARING FOR BABY #7 AND A CALF! - I am intentionally keeping our schedule light. Knowing that either one of us could go literally at any time, I am trying to keep things simple in the home. We have freezer meals ready for the family and plenty of hay in the barn. I wanted to make sure that we didn't need any last minute feed for the cows so my husband could focus on any unexpected situations. I am also being intentional about the work load in the home. I am doing laundry almost every day, thanks to the sunshine for charging our batteries that allow me to accomplish this. Every day I am out there checking on her rear and getting a good look at her udders. Her bags are starting to fill up which means the calf should be here in a week or so. https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/feeding-a-large-family monthly 0.5 2026-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/4d8652f9-d283-4545-9c10-95aabe9649bf/IMG_5530-2.jpg Blog - What I Feed My 6 Kids Every Week (Simple, Repeatable Meals) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/b42edd99-86f1-4855-ad95-b167bc08a9bf/IMG_0206.jpg Blog - What I Feed My 6 Kids Every Week (Simple, Repeatable Meals) - Breakfast is always some version of: Yogurt and granola Eggs Banana muffins (that I always have on hand) Chicken sausages On slower mornings, or if I happen to wake up early enough, we’ll make a pancake bake, or oatmeal bake. I save the “fun” recipes for special occasions like birthdays or for when my husband has been gone for a work trip for some time and comes home. That’s always a celebration! If I am going to try a new recipe, I save those recipes for those special occasions. https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/our-off-grid-journey monthly 0.5 2026-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/252e1ea9-5132-4fb0-b302-f834fc421c9a/IMG_4676.jpg Blog - Our off-grid journey living in north idaho - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/f0a83413-a77c-47f0-99cf-f3afeaa4b666/IMG_3512.jpg Blog - Our off-grid journey living in north idaho - The Lord had something absolutely special in mind when He called us up north. So special that it really blew us off our heels and was quite possibly the hardest 3 years of our lives. The home that He provided was an off-grid home on the top of a mountain! Talk about an adventure! Not only did we not know how to do the off grid thing at all, but we also weren't use to the huge shift in weather. Going from sunny San Diego to all four seasons was quite the adjustment. And the house. The house was quite charming, yet the amount of learning that had to take place was way more than we were expecting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/dfcae1a1-15d4-40a7-ab71-d0edf28f7bdb/IMG_7266.jpg Blog - Our off-grid journey living in north idaho - It has been a slow process. We didn't have a bunch of money to just throw into a new system of batteries and solar panels, or to completely renovate our home that was extremely outdated. It took time. Just like everything else, we had to learn the longer and harder way sometimes, but those lessons have never been forgotten! Since then, we have been able to upgrade our system that actually supports a large home with many people in it. Sometimes when I think of off-grid, I do think of the little house in the big woods. A little house is much easier to run off grid. It's easier to heat, easier to charge, and of course the obvious one easier to clean! Being a larger family, we simply can't live that way. We need more space. We have more dishes, more laundry, more energy, more of everything that it takes to run a home. And because of that fact, our off-grid life may look different than a lot of other off-griders. Many off-grid families do laundry in town at the laundry mat. That was a non-negotionable for me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/52647553-ba24-4ab7-9949-5b2f77d7999f/IMG_2859-2.jpg Blog - Our off-grid journey living in north idaho - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/cloth-diapers monthly 0.5 2026-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/1c2f56fc-855c-40e1-86d4-5f714de573e0/DSC_0373-2.jpg Blog - Cloth Diapers 101: How to get started - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/5acc4a20-8835-4477-9946-37a8c5d56035/DSC_0369-2.jpg Blog - Cloth Diapers 101: How to get started - The best solution I have found With that said, I have found the cloth diapers that I love the best. I have found that these are the easiest to put together, easiest to clean, and less blow outs! I found Nora's Nursery with my 5th baby and it was truly such a blessing as it made my daily routine run much smoother! In fact, I cloth diapered with our 5th when we were full time living in an RV! You can read all about that adventure here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/18f33c9c-b87f-4a41-b640-7b5a551eea9a/DSC_0375-2.jpg Blog - Cloth Diapers 101: How to get started - I have used every type of cloth diaper...All in ones, pockets, pre-folds with covers, fitted with covers, you name it! The type of cloth diapers that I prefer are the Pocket diapers. I prefer this method for a few reasons. Number 1, I find that my babies are less likely to get a rash with these. The Fleece cover is soft, and the bamboo liners that I stuff the cover with keeps baby's skin drier for longer. That way I don't feel like I need to change every time baby urinates. Number 2, I find that the elastic on the pocket diapers have a stronger hold which gives me less leakage. Number 3, in my opinion, they are just easier to clean. All I have to do when prepping them for the wash is pull out the liners, spray the yucky contents in the toilet and pop it in the wet bag until my next wash! Some people say that the all in ones are the easiest for beginners. I agree with that to some degree, but I haven't found an all in one that holds for a longer period of time without leaking. Remember, I am a mama of many, so I don't have the time to be constantly changing diapers, I need a diaper that will hold for a bit longer so I can get through a math lesson or finish my muffins that are in the oven. https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/rv-living-full-time-with-5-kids monthly 0.5 2026-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/0710c31d-458c-455c-a6fe-46872c5e3828/IMG_1622.JPG Blog - Rv living full time with 5 kids - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/f4736ce5-7fd5-4a4b-8447-a2f1a6aa4ebe/IMG_1404.JPG Blog - Rv living full time with 5 kids - The first day at the RV camp was a trying one as I woke up with more morning sickness than I would like to admit, and as I was in the bathroom getting rid of the breakfast I tried so hard to keep down, the older couple parked just a few feet away from me was trying to enjoy theirs. I remember thinking..."oh dear, we made a mistake!" How could we give up our very private quiet life of 20 acres in the mountains to now be this close to "neighbors" that were constantly changing. Doubt definitely entered my mind those first few weeks being out of our beloved home, but the Lord, as He ALWAYS does, knew exactly what He was doing and knew that we needed this adventure more than I could have ever imagined! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/dd40766b-711a-4e9c-8108-c8ebf4fca965/IMG_1458.JPG Blog - Rv living full time with 5 kids - HOW WE MANAGED TO RUN A HOME IN AN RV One of our biggest questions that we would get from people was "how do you all fit in there, and how do you make it work?!" This question always made me laugh because to me it was common sense. The kids dressed minimally, sleeping arrangements were shared which was easy because of their ages, meals were simple, and we spent lots of time outside! Being stationed in San Diego, California, this was an easy task. The sun was always shining and the beach was always calling. There was one week during Christmas where it dumped rain nonstop for about a week and a half, which was rare for San Diego, and that week was quite cabin feverish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/acbb4bb0-40e6-4c88-990f-db2a00872550/IMG_1661.JPG Blog - Rv living full time with 5 kids - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/daily-homeschool-rhythm monthly 0.5 2026-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/b4fb4812-5747-4491-a3db-4c262020e918/IMG_2263.jpg Blog - Our daily homeschool rhythm (with multiple kids) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/6f6cde11-706f-42d2-a8e0-75a59d73b6be/IMG_3492.jpg Blog - Our daily homeschool rhythm (with multiple kids) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/pregnancy-and-motherhood monthly 0.5 2026-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/d2c15de5-96d8-40f0-b2b2-082cbce0965f/Christmas+2016-9.jpg Blog - Pregnancy and Motherhood with a large family - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/b770d489-a7e9-4b1d-a446-7494a82ab00a/69C4D3A4-7F8E-436B-A11E-AD1317C5845B.jpg Blog - Pregnancy and Motherhood with a large family - One of the wisest mamas I know once told me that the Lord isn't surprised by the fact that I got 2 hours of sleep because I was up all night battling nausea, or was struggling with uncomfortable pregnancy positions, or trying to comfort a newborn. He knew exactly how much rest I needed and gave it to me...even if it was just 2 hours. He knew I only needed those 2 hours, because He was going to sustain me all through the next day. He would either provide a nap for me, or a helping hand from a neighbor or family member, or none of those things would be provided, yet He would provide me with the strength, mental clarity, and stamina that I needed to get through the day. Only a powerful God can do that! So, the next time you are feeling overwhelmed, defeated and discouraged because yes, motherhood is HARD....remember, we serve a great God who is the sustainer of our days. Be encouraged mama, you are not alone! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/a910e695-c0c0-47ea-8e85-7acc61e5fe33/IMG_7031.jpg Blog - Pregnancy and Motherhood with a large family - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/about-me-meet-the-blogger monthly 0.5 2026-08-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/a36061cc-96ee-49f0-99c3-e097975b2c25/IMG_2328.JPG Blog - About me: meet the blogger - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/3c5e6d51-1ab6-4c41-85a3-3c269ec0ab0f/blog+post+1.jpg Blog - About me: meet the blogger - Homesteading and being a mother to many children has always been a dream of mine, but it wasn’t something I grew up with. I’ve had to learn everything along the way. Growing up, it was just my sister and I—latchkey kids in the city. So the fact that I’m now raising a large family, homeschooling, homesteading, and living off-grid still makes me laugh sometimes. I love to talk about motherhood, being the best help meet to my husband that I can be, homeschooling, raising little warriors for Christ, healthy living, and of course dairy cows! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/23ce415a-30c9-498a-a469-429d90b72b97/blog+phto5.jpg Blog - About me: meet the blogger - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/f9e46371-56df-47d7-a39d-9b4ced6d6e5c/blog+photo+15.jpg Blog - About me: meet the blogger - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/category/Homeschooling monthly 0.5 https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/category/Homemaking monthly 0.5 https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/category/Recipes monthly 0.5 https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/category/Off-grid+Homestead monthly 0.5 https://www.handsofthehome.com/blog/category/Motherhood monthly 0.5 https://www.handsofthehome.com/contact daily 0.75 2026-04-23 https://www.handsofthehome.com/home daily 1.0 2026-04-23 https://www.handsofthehome.com/about daily 0.75 2026-04-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/cc925bf6-eec9-4746-890f-a45d97ba1ecb/Hands+of+the+Home+-+Danisa+Dyer.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/15ec25ff-bd01-4905-908c-64fa89b7f821/IMG_1428.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/60fc9d45-2b22-4912-a71f-21511b1a9c6c/IMG_3454.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/fc3c7961-8803-455b-99f4-ab39462d0af9/Danisa+with+Cheese+Wheels.jpeg https://www.handsofthehome.com/favorite-things daily 0.75 2026-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/1776896396209-AQL52Q9DIRM1074LGHCZ/1.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/1776896396218-7XBO5TFZJ1C7TMR8OLRP/2.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/3a3c387d-d478-49b6-9207-20815d6b4ed5/Fresh+Raw+Milk+in+bed+of+hay.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/19a51025-5284-477a-89bd-9bae9186f01b/7.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/6cf27861-ad3d-4fac-9ad8-135e2dcef826/Cut+Cheese+Wheel.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/1776896372492-X2RJ1ARCDP2E3L76SZJ4/3.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/1776896372501-R3CZ5B2Y15JKVZXYQARI/4.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/b770d489-a7e9-4b1d-a446-7494a82ab00a/69C4D3A4-7F8E-436B-A11E-AD1317C5845B.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/96613255-6825-4349-99a2-1e2695ccb076/5.png https://www.handsofthehome.com/coming-soon daily 0.75 2026-05-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/63547070-c41c-4322-96f8-6ac81580b304/Hands+of+the+Home+-+Primary+Logo.webp https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69e8cf191dcd5628239980a6/1776866119455-NPTVNPAVEERGMO5V91S6/Hands+of+the+Home+-+Danisa+Dyer.jpeg https://www.handsofthehome.com/shop daily 0.75 2026-08-10