In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why slowing down is essential for emotional and physical health
• How nature’s rhythms can guide our own
• Practical ways to simplify, declutter, and reconnect
• How to set boundaries heading into the holidays
• How this season nurtures renewal, rest, and spiritual grounding
• How slowing down now prepares you for a better spring

What’s ONE thing you can slow down this week?

Let us know via email at realsmallscalelife@gmail.com!

Whether your “hearth” is a wood stove, kitchen table, fire pit, or simply a calm moment at the end of a long day, this episode is about returning to what matters:

Slowing down. Giving thanks. Growing gratitude. Building connection.

Bring your coffee and coffee cake or donuts....let's chat as we learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!

As a note, we will be streaming Wednesdays at 7:00 PM Central Time on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel. Bring your floaties, river shoes, some snacks and drinky drinks. Let's go!

Grow Roots
Find Peace
Live Small
Love Big
Live Well

Remember to learn, do grow and be a little better everyday!

• Starting a new business called Tommy Cakes (Bird) Seed LLC
• Gardening,
• Improving the shoreline,
• Feeding the birds,
• Taking some shorter trips
• Connecting with neighbors and,
• Dealing with the Government Shutdown.

The government shutdown is concerning. 42 million Americans might lose access to funds to purchase food and put it on the table, and whiile we cannot change what happens in Washington DC, we can help people right where we live. A couple great ways to help are;

• Stock local little library pantries,
• Make monetary donations to local food shelves and pantries,
• Bring foo to local food shelves and pantries, and
• Volunteer at local food shelves and pantries.

Start where you are with what you have. We need to come together and help those in need in our community. It starts with us.

The Small Scale Life Podcast returns on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM starting 11/12/2025. I will be live-streaming on the YouTube Channel and creating a podcast from that video. Join us LIVE! Bring your floaties, river shoes, some snacks and drinky drinks. Let's go!

Grow Roots
Find Peace
Live Small
Love Big
Live Well

Remember to learn, do grow and be a little better everyday!

"No" is the most powerful and shortest sentence in the English language. Sometimes we need to just say this powerful and short sentence to friends, family, acquaintances, coworkers, bosses, customers, etc.

Adam and I are going to talk about setting boundaries and using the word no in business. We both have experiences from the house to the farmer's market to the corporate world, and as a recovering people pleaser, no can be a very uncomfortable word and sentence.

For links and show notes head to the Small Scale Life website at https://smallscalelife.com.

Catch ANT LIVE on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on Monday evenings. Adam and I talk about mindset, small business, wellness, gardening, homesteading and other topics that come up.

Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

Julie has been a world traveler this week as she has been on a much-needed vacation to the Dominican Republic. When she is away, Tommy Cakes will play! Tom has been focused on processing 2024 tomatoes and making salsa and tomato sauce, a 5"x5" mold for suet cakes, making some kombucha and completing some home improvement projects.

On Ant Live 14, Adam challenged Tom to do a 24-Hour fast. After thinking about it during the show, Tom agreed to run a fast from Wednesday to Thursday. Having just completed the fast, Tom describes how he was feeling and how he pushed through the headaches and hunger during the 24-hour period. To be honest, it wasn't that bad!

Tom completed a 36 hour fast on Friday to Sunday that week, but that was after he recorded this show.

For more information and links, head over to Small Scale Life. Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!

Several of us are planning to start new things in 2025. New workout plans, new diets, book clubs, neighborhood gatherings, garden plans, new businesses, new side hustles...the list is endless.

Some people decide to go "all in" on their new thing or endeavor. Is it an obsession or just intense focus over time? Some folks in the self-improvement world have coined the term "Monk Mode" to describe this process of going all in. There are benefits and drawbacks to Monk Mode, and Adam and I are talking about them in ANT Live 14.

Here are our show topics:

Catching Up
Definition of Monk Mode
Benefits of Monk Mode
Drawbacks to Monk Mode
Tips for Successfully going into and out of Monk Mode

It should be a great show!

Catch ANT LIVE on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel at 7:30 PM Central on Monday evenings. Adam and I talk about mindset, small business, wellness, gardening, homesteading and other topics that come up.

Remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

~ Tom

LINKS:

🌱A Modern Frontier Website: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4B...

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9Po...

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j...

DISCLAIMER

At Small Scale Life, we are not medical professionals, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, or therapists. We are not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice. Create and live your Small Scale Life as you choose, but do it carefully. Any actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about gardening, connecting with nature, wellness, mindset, and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

This podcast will be connected to a much more in-depth guide on Small Scale Life titled "How to Cook a Turkey for Thanksgiving." In that guide, I walk you through thawing a frozen turkey to brining the turkey (with three different brine recipes), spatchcocking the turkey, quartering the turkey, and cooking the turkey.

Check out the article on Small SCale Life, and let me know what you think at realsmallscalelife@gmail.com. If you have any tips or recipes, let me know!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

Gatherings and obligations wash over us like the raging gales of November, and if we are not careful and do not plan, we can be dragged down the dark and cold depths like the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior. The Gales of November and December are starting to pick up; can you feel them?

It doesn't have to be that way.

It shouldn't be that way.

How can we do better and be better to avoid these storms during the holidays?

The answer is found byy following the advice from my Assistant Scoutmaster days: "Planning and being prepared." As I look back on what was successful during the holidays (and especially at what wasn't), it really comes down to having a plan and executing. It also comes back to being able to laugh, go with flow and not getting wrapped around the axle of agendas, poor planning and endless guilt trips. You do that by not taking yourself too seriously and not having a plan.

We have 20 simple steps, but you never know, we might come up with a few more along the way. I am super excited to talk about Step 16: Establish New Traditions.

For links, show notes and support, check out more at https://smallscalelife.com. Please note: the article has a lot more of my commentary about each of the 20 Steps.

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

But we are meant for so much more than that.  The world is a big, amazing place that is full of opportunity if we are willing to work for it, but we tell ourselves we can't do better, we couldn't do better and we don't deserve better....so we don't ever try.

Let's try to break that pattern and stinking thinking, shall we?

This week on ANT Live, Tom and Adam are going to talk about Dreams, Goals and How to Manifest Your Future.

Manifesting your future is an exciting and empowering process that combines clarity, intention, action, and belief. While it’s often associated with visualization and the Law of Attraction, the underlying principles of manifesting your dreams and goals are more about aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions with the future you desire.

I am sure you are saying, "Sure, that sounds good and all, but how do you manifest your future?"

As I have gotten older, I realized from my own experience that it is possible to manifest your future.  You can achieve those dreams and goals, but the keys are aligning your thoughts, you actions and your focused intensity over time.  It is possible, especially when we understand the execute on the 9 steps for Manifesting Your Future.

I am sure Adam has a lot to say from his own experience. After all, he is manifesting his dream with each Farmer's Market and sale!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

Both Adam and I went away this weekend. One of us had a get-away with his spouse; the other had a get-away with his son and friends (and their sons) on a fishing trip.

There are a lot of benefits to getting away for the weekend. We’ll talk about those, and maybe we’ll have some funny stories along the way. We'll also talk about Adam's livestock, my garden, maybe pass a recipe and discuss new things, skills or efforts we are trying this week.

As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

~ Tom

LINKS:

This live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a doctor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. I am not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice.

Create and live your Small Scale Life at your own risk, but do it carefully and at your own risk. All actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about our wellness journey, gardens, homesteading adventures and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

Adam Rick is my brother from another mother and owner/creator of Modern Frontier Farms in Dousman, Wisconsin. Adam lost his HVAC job a couple years ago, and with the support of his lovely wife Lisa, Adam started Modern Frontier Farms, a grass fed, pasture fed small meat business. Adam works in conjunction with a local cooperative of Amish farmers, Wautoma Family of Farms, and along with other regional producers. Adam and is partners are producing animals that are raised the way nature intended.

The meat is fantastic, and I will have a chance to reintroduce Adam to the Small Scale Life Community, talk about this business and talk about what we are planning to do with a regular livestream on Small Scale Life.

As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

~ Tom

LIVE STREAM SPONSOR:

Brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from Adam at Modern Frontier Farms. Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!

LINKS:

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4B...

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9Po...

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j...

🌱Small Scale Life Telegram Chat Group
https://t.me/+X60kPSJ3bLY0YTUx

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a doctor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. I am not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice.

Create and live your Small Scale Life at your own risk, but do it carefully and at your own risk. All actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about our wellness journey, gardens, homesteading adventures and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

We are on Day 30 of our April 2024 Whole30 Challenge! We have arrived!  Congratulations on making it to Day 30. 

This is an amazing accomplishment (this is a hard challenge), and I am very proud of you. I am thrilled you made it this far.  Even if you had a day or two where you went off plan and the rails, you made it to this point.  Well done! Good job. You are AWESOME!

For the last 30 days, you have essentially been detoxing and resetting your body and metabolism.  You have taken the time and effort to focus on you and your health.  

Now it is time to reintroduce those foods that you removed from your diet, and this can seem overwhelming and scary. Why would you introduce those things when you feel THIS GOOD?

You are continuiing an experiment on yourself. You are PROJECT YOU. Whole30 Reintroduction will help you determine what are "ok" foods, what are "occasional" foods and what are "hell no" foods. To do this phase of the Whole30 Challenge, you need to go "low and slow." In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I give you 8 Tips for a Successfull Whole 30 Reintroduction based on our two completed challenges.

For notes and "almost" transcript of the show, head on over to Small Scale Life to read along and get links and other resources.

For show notes and links, head over to smallscalelife.com.

In this episode, your Host Tom introduces the Whole30 Challenge and summarizes the basic rules of this elimination diet. There are plenty of do's and don'ts, but do not let the rules stop you. By doing the Whole30 Challenge, you will come away understanding what your body reacts to (dairy, gluten, legumes, processed foods, sugar), and that will lead you to success as you focus on healing your mind, body and soul.

We have some links and resources for you at smallscalelife.com, so you’ll want to head over there to learn more. Also, to join the Small Scale Life Wellness Club on Facebook, please use the following link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallscalelifewellnessclub/

The Small Scale Life Podcast has been silent since April 26, 2023. At that point, we had just announced that we were selling Driftless Oaks Farm, which was our little 10-acre hobby farm in Western Wisconsin. We had a lot of discussions, a lot of soul searching and a lot of work leading up to that point, and what happened afterward was nothing short of a miracle. We had some great offers on the farm, selected an offer, found a new place, got our offer selected and then began the moving process (packing and loading up). At the same time, we kicked off a blitz of projects at the new house.

With real life kicking and a busy job calling, there was no capacity or bandwidth to record, edit, and keep the Small Scale Life Podcast and videos flowing to the audence. Something had to give, and I decided to put this project on a shelf and do the work.

It is a new year, and a new cycle is starting for all of us. Julie has a new business called Willow River Yoga, my son Ryan has things happening and I have charted a new course for Small Scale Life (which really is getting back to my roots of this show if you look back to the first couple blog posts).

For more information about us and links, please head over to the Small Scale Life website. You can sign up for free resources including the 24 Hour Plan, Seed Saving Guide and Budget Bundles on the FREE RESOURCES page.

Also, I discuss the Small Scale Life Wellness Club on Facebook, please head over there for the 24 Hour Plan and to join the conversation.

Pressing Forward!

This week's guest is Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer, and we are talking about How to Set Your 2023 Guiding Words and Mantras. We will discuss our Guiding Words from last year and how they served us and how things worked out. Then, we will dive into our 2023 Guiding Words and Mantras. Finally, Maria takes command of the show by telling us How to Set Your 2023 Guiding Words and providing some examples of Guiding Words. Maybe one of those words will resonate with you!

Please head over to https://smallscalelife.com to see links to Maria's website and social media, as well as links to other times Maria has been a guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast.

As part of the New Year self inventory and goal setting exercise, I have 10 questions that I have asked myself (and one bonus question). As I thought about where I have been, where I am currently at and where I want to go, I developed the 2023 Project Me Initiative.

What is that?

Well, you'll have to go listen to the Small Scale Life Podcast to find out! Also, for more links and show notes, head to https://smallscalelife.com.

In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, your host Tom talks about the past three months including losing Danny and the long road since September 11, 2022. Tom reads a beautiful Christmas letter written by Julie. At the end of the episode, Tom discusses future episodes and closes with the Small Scale Life offering.

Remember, friends, during this Christmas season, put down the phone, be present, gather with your family and friends, remember those who crossed over the bridge ahead of us, and enjoy the moment.

We love you, and we thank you for your continued support, love, hugs and messages. We continue to be reminded of the love and goodness out there in this world.

As always, for the show notes including text of the letter and links, please head over to smallscalelife.com.

Who is Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer?

Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer has been practicing over 6 years and helps people heal naturally and coaches people to achieve their goals and live their best life. Julie and I have been meeting with Maria since the Fall of 2020, and she has helped us work through decisions and issues. In a way, Maria helped us see beyond Eagles Ridge and what was possible. Opening our eyes lead us to Driftless Oaks Farm...and we have been truly blessed for that decision.

For all of the links described in the show and show notes, please go to smallscalelife.com.

1. Take some time and think about what you are truly grateful about.
2. Make a list of people and things and challenges you are grateful for.
3. Keep those lists in a journal (brief bullet points only; don’t write a book – it isn’t sustainable).
4. Let someone on that list know you are grateful.

This week, I am revisiting gratitude and putting it into action. I completed Number 4 on that list. I let two people on my list know that I was very grateful for them: Theresa and Dale. I also had a chance to talk to a member of the Small Scale Life Community that is in a tough place and is finding it hard to find gratitude for that member's situation.

To join the Small Scale Life Community, please go to smallscalelife.com and joint the conversation on the Small Scale Life Newsletter. Sign up today!

What are you thankful for?

“What are you thankful for” is the usual question that people have and expect a response after grace.  How often were we caught of-guard by such a simple question when the piping hot feast is right in front of us?  We typically mumble something about “family and friends,” stop paying attention to other answers once we are done mumbling and dive into the turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing!  Am I right?

But did we really think about that question?  Did you pause for a minute and really think about your answer?  Seriously.

In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to talk about starting my gratitude practice a year after writing Practicing Gratitude for the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in October 2020.  I’ll finish this episode by discussing

1. How I am going adjust (improve) my daily gratitude practice
2. Describe a small gratitude offering that I recently did in a special place near our Driftless Oaks Farm
3. Giving you 4 Tips for Starting Your own Daily Gratitude Practice

REMEMBER: Snow, ice and subzereo temperatures can hurt you (ie, frostbite).  There are MANY ways to ground, develop a gratitude practice and get a dose of Nature. Get outside, be careful and be safe!

For show notes, links and more information, check out the article titled "Gratitude Practice: How to Start Expressing Gratitude" on smallscalelife.com!

For all of our knowledge and understanding, there are things in this world that humans don’t know or have forgotten during our evolution. The fact of the matter is that there are energies and vibrations at work all around us.

In our crazy Western Civilization, modern men and woman are on the go and don’t often stop to contemplate WHY things happen or WHAT they can do to change how they feel, think and act. Instead, they chalk it up to bad luck or blame someone else for their misfortune.

Feelings, thoughts and actions are all tied together. When we have stinking thinking, it is usually the result of problems with our internal energies, our chakras, conditioning and mindset. We have been programmed from a young age to be on the go and move through the normal, chaotic progression of birth, school, college, job, relationships, perhaps kids, rearing children, career, retirement and death. The only constants are death, taxes and never-ending consumption.

Stop, breathe and think for a minute. Turn the lense on yourself and your path. Ask yourself:

• What if you could understand the deeper meaning of our pain, stinking thinking and relationship problems?

• What if we could tap into that energy power deep inside us and begin to work with it rather than against it?

• Do you work with Source, Nature and deep energy to heal your mind, body and soul?
• Do you know how to do that?
• Do you even know what I am talking about?

If you are like me six months ago, I wouldn’t have known what this is all about. I would have thought this was woo woo voodoo and looked at you funny as I hit “block” on my phone. Oh have times, and I, changed!

Our guest this week is a Reike Master and Intuitive Energy Healer Maria Voorhees-Reincke. Julie and I discuss the following topics:

• What is Energy Healing?
• What is the Difference between Healing Touch and Reike?
• Is this just woo-woo or voodoo?
• What is grounding?
• What are sessions like?

We talk about these and a host of other topics on this 186th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast! For liinks and show notes, head over to smallscalelife.com!

How is it going? How are you feeling? Are you making it through these tough times and cold weather?

It can be hard this time of year. It feels like Spring is never going to get here, and we have a long stretch of sea before us before we get to a warmer seas and safe ports.

On our course, there a rocks, reefs and sandbars that can snag our sailing ship. We can get stuck and hung up there, and that can be dangerous in foggy or stormy seas.

You didn’t know you tuned in to a sailing podcast, did you?

This is all a metaphor for life right now. Many of us are struggling with issues and problems, and sometimes we get stuck. We stop moving and get bashed and battered, much like a ship stuck on a rock, reef, or sandbar. Captains use charts, buoys and Lighthouses to safely navigate rivers, seas and oceans. We need the same in our lives as we deal with problems, issues and hang-ups.

On this 185th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, let’s put on our Captain’s hat, hoist the sails and grab the charts and a glass. After all, its time to discuss When the Struggle is Real, Find Your Lighthouse to skirt the rocks and find better seas or a safe harbor. We can even say “Yarrrrrr” as we do it, maties! Now bring me that horizon…Yo ho!

For show notes and links, head over to smallscalelife.com!

What is Grounding?

For those who may not know what “grounding” is, grounding is a practice where you walk barefoot, sit, or work outside to contact with the Earth's surface. By grounding, you are actually connecting your body to the earth’s energy, and at the same time, you are transferring the earth’s energy from the ground into your body. It really helps you to feel connected to the earth and more at peace. If you don’t believe it, you should give grounding a try!

Why am I talking about this? Well, you’ll see really soon in this podcast episode, and this is part of our Wellness practice on Small Scale Life where we are healing and strengthening our bodies, minds and spirit. We will be talking more about this in future episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast.

Now, without further adieu, here is Wellness and Grounding with Hannah from The Wisconsin Homestead Podcast. For show notes, check out the post titled "Grounding with Hannah from The Wisconsin Homestead Podcast" on smallscalelife.com.

• What you are going to eat
• How you will exercise
• 3 mediation/prayers
• 3 things you are grateful for
• 3 things you want to get done during that day.
  

We complete a sheet before the day begins (night before or morning of), and we will be intentional about all of these items.

On the bottom of the plan, there is a section where you can review your day and write what worked, what didn't and what you can improve on tomorrow. Remember: don't beat yourself up! Learn from deviations from the plan and recognize patterns and trends. You will be surprised what you will find out the longer you plan and document deviations.

To get the 24 Hour Plan, go to Small Scale Life and download it before listening to this podcast. You can also follow along with the post titled "Day 1: The 24 Hour Plan - Part 1" on Small Scale Life.

Julie and I want want you, the Small Scale Life Community and others, to join us in starting 2019 off on the right foot. With this Kickstart, we are developing a foundation for success to be the best you (and the best us) in 2019.

We are really focusing being intentional for three key aspects of our lives:

• Mindset
• Movement
• Nutrition

Julie and I will be rolling out a way to join and get access to these tools and tips in the near future. We will have more information soon! Stay tuned to smallscalelife.com for more information!!!