Writing a book is weird.
Look, I’m just gonna come right out and say it: writing a book is one of the strangest experiences I’ve ever put myself through, and that’s coming from someone who once tried to milk a goat while it was actively trying to escape through a fence.
It’s this multi-year project that completely consumes your brain, transforms how you think about everything, and sometimes makes you question your own sanity—but the people around you often have no clue it’s even happening. You’re sitting there having these massive internal revelations about life and humanity while your family’s just wondering why you’re staring at your laptop with that weird, intense look again.
For the past year and a half, I’ve been buried neck-deep in writing what will become my new book, and let me tell you, it’s been both the most beautiful and most brutal creative process I’ve ever experienced. There were days when the words flowed like water from a broken faucet, and other days when I sat there for hours producing exactly zero coherent sentences.
But we’re finally in the home stretch, people. The manuscript is done, the edits are happening, and I actually have the green light to share more details with you about what I’ve been cooking up in my writing cave.
Questions I’ve Been Pondering Lately…
This whole book started with a question that’s been rattling around my brain like a marble in a mason jar: What have we left behind in our race toward progress?
I know you’ve felt it too. That weird, nagging sense that something’s off. We’ve got more convenience and comfort than any generation in human history, and yet… something feels broken.
We have thousands of “friends” on Facebook but still feel completely isolated. The food we eat is supposed to be more advanced than ever, but it’s making us sicker by the day. We can buy anything we want with a few clicks, but the more we consume, the emptier we feel.
It’s like we traded away something essential without even realizing what we were giving up.
So I started digging deeper with questions that kept me up at night:
- Is there anything we can actually do about this cultural drift?
- Are we doomed to be victims of technology and “progress”?
- Can regular people like us push against this massive cultural tide?
- What if the answer isn’t in moving forward, but in remembering what we left behind?
After months of research, reading, and way too much late-night ruminating, my answers are YES, NO, and HELL YES.
For me personally, homesteading has been part of the solution. But here’s the thing I discovered while writing this book: it’s not really about the chickens, vegetable gardens, or sourdough starters. Those things aren’t magical in themselves.
There’s something much deeper happening with these old-fashioned pursuits that explains why we’re so drawn to them, even in our hyper-technological world. These traditional skills are pointing us toward something bigger, something we desperately need to reclaim.
The past holds the key to finding ourselves in the present.
But that doesn’t mean we need to start reenacting Little House on the Prairie or living without electricity. It’s way more nuanced than that.
What Does Old-Fashioned with Intention Mean?
An old-fashioned on purpose life is an awakening… a remembering… a returning to what matters.
And here’s the beautiful part: it’s available to everyone, regardless of where you live or what your circumstances are.
“Old-Fashioned on Purpose” is my rallying cry for a more intentional, less industrial way of living. It’s about making deliberate choices to reclaim the parts of human experience that industrial society has tried to eliminate or outsource.
When I really examined what had brought me the most peace, purpose, and grounding in my own life, it came down to eight core principles:
Growing my own ingredients – Even if it’s just herbs on a windowsill, there’s something powerful about participating in food production instead of being a passive consumer.
Cooking from scratch – Not because it’s trendy, but because the kitchen is where we transform raw materials into nourishment, and that process connects us to something essential about being human.
Working with my hands – Our brains and bodies are designed for physical creativity, not just digital consumption.
Escaping the human zoo – Getting outside, away from crowds and artificial environments, to remember we’re part of the natural world.
Unplugging from tech – Creating intentional boundaries with devices that are designed to capture and monetize our attention.
Treading the earth lightly – Living in a way that works with natural systems instead of against them.
Parenting the old-fashioned way – Raising kids who are capable, resilient, and connected to real life instead of virtual reality.
Cultivating community – Building genuine relationships with actual humans in our physical location.
These concepts form the backbone of my new book. They’re trendy to think of as “homesteading skills” these days, but in reality, they’re just human skills we can’t afford to abandon in the name of progress.
What’s Inside the Old-Fashioned with Intention Book
My new book, Old-Fashioned on Purpose: Cultivating a Slower, More Joyful Life, is designed to be a deep dive into intentional living that will inspire everyone, whether you have 100 acres or live in a studio apartment.
Since I was a little girl, I’ve sensed something was missing in our modern way of life, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. It wasn’t until we moved to our tumbledown farmstead in the middle of Wyoming that I found it. Rediscovering time-honored skills and principles changed my life forever.
But here’s what I want to be crystal clear about: you absolutely do not have to move to a farm to experience this same transformation.
This book covers a ton of ground, but here are some of the key topics you’ll find inside:
The 8 pillars of an old-fashioned life that are attainable to everyone, regardless of living situation or budget.
Proven strategies for growing your own groceries even if you don’t have a backyard. We’re talking about creative solutions for apartment dwellers and suburban folks.
How to find joy in the kitchen even if you currently hate cooking. I used to be one of those people who lived on frozen dinners, so trust me, this is possible.
The surprising stress-relievers hiding in your backyard that cost nothing but provide more mental health benefits than expensive therapy.
Proven tricks for resisting screen addiction without becoming a complete hermit or throwing your phone in a river.
Six vintage parenting strategies for raising more resilient kids who can handle whatever life throws at them.
How to craft a more grounded routine that saves money in the process and makes daily life feel meaningful instead of chaotic.
Why letting your kids do “dangerous” things actually makes them safer and more confident.
How to create a simpler, slower life without moving to a farm or drastically changing your current circumstances.
The secret ingredients for cultivating local community in an age when most people don’t even know their neighbors’ names.
Creative tips and DIY projects to help you start your old-fashioned journey right where you are.
This book isn’t a “how-to” manual—it’s a “why-to” manifesto. I want to inspire you to see that another way is possible, and then give you practical steps to start implementing these principles in your own life.
Preorder my book and I’ll send you special bonuses!
Here’s where I get a little excited because I’ve been working on some incredible bonuses for folks who preorder the book.
Old-Fashioned on Purpose hits shelves on September 26th, 2023, but preordering is open right now, and I’ve created a whole pile of goodies to thank early supporters.
Here’s how to get the special bonuses:
Step 1: Preorder from wherever books are sold—your local bookstore (please support them if you can!), Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, wherever you prefer to buy books.
Step 2: After you preorder, head over to www.oldfashionedbook.com and submit a photo or screenshot of your receipt. Just scroll halfway down the page to find the upload section.
Step 3: I’ll send you an exclusive bundle of preorder bonuses that I’ve been working on for months.
Your preorder bonus package includes:
- A comprehensive sourdough guide that takes you from complete beginner to confident bread baker
- Printable Old-Fashioned on Purpose wall art to inspire your daily choices
- A complete home dairy recipe book with everything from butter to cheese
- A mini canning course that covers the basics of food preservation
- A ticket to a virtual Meet & Greet where we can hang out and talk about old-fashioned living
- And several other surprises I’m still putting finishing touches on
The reason I’m so excited about these bonuses is that they’re practical extensions of the book’s principles. They give you hands-on ways to start implementing old-fashioned skills immediately.
This book represents everything I’ve learned about creating a meaningful life in our modern world. It’s the culmination of years of questioning mainstream culture, experimenting with traditional skills, and figuring out what actually matters.
No matter where you are in your old-fashioned journey—whether you’re just starting to question modern life or you’ve been homesteading for decades—I hope this book encourages you to keep going.
Because it’s worth it, friend. This intentional way of living, this reconnection with traditional skills and values, this choice to live old-fashioned on purpose—it’s absolutely worth the effort.
We’re swimming against a powerful cultural current that wants us to be passive consumers rather than active creators. Choosing the old-fashioned path isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the most rewarding decisions you can make.
The world needs more people who remember how to make things, grow things, and create things with their own hands. The world needs more people who prioritize relationships over entertainment, nourishment over convenience, and meaning over efficiency.
And that’s exactly what this book is about—remembering who we are and what we’re capable of when we stop letting modern culture define our choices for us.
