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Living Electricity-free

Buy Nothing, Making Something

By Winter, Living Electricity-free
Homemade taper candles

Some of our newly made beeswax taper candles

The day after thanksgiving is Buy Nothing Day. While we didn’t specifically set out to Make Something on Buy Nothing Day, I do believe the “holiday” was made all the better by deciding to make some beeswax taper candles in preparation for winter.

Making hand-dipped candles is one of the most wholesome activities I can think of. Wholesome because of the amazing smells of the process, the time available to reflect on the incredible depth of bee energy necessary to create such an astounding natural product, the visitations of the bees themselves as we dip candle after candle, and the routine of it all. Needless to say, it’s an enjoyable process, and the satisfaction of a restocked cache of candles gives me such a glorious feeling of security, too.

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Natural Lighting in Your Natural Home

By Living Electricity-free, Straw Bale Building, Strawtron
Natural Lighting: Straw Bale Home Interior

The morning sun casts a warm glow on the bedroom ceiling on our straw bale home

Something I’ve become very aware of over the last number of years is my deep craving for natural lighting, and access to sunlight in general. This becomes especially apparent to me when I’m in a home that has poor solar orientation, or during the winter when sunlight is naturally less abundant. Unless I can see and feel the sun on me when I wake up, for example, I’m much more likely to feel drowsy and lethargic in the morning hours. Something I’m very happy about with our straw bale house that we built in Missouri is the abundance and quality of light in the home interior.

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This is What Security Looks Like

By Living Electricity-free
Homemade Beeswax Candles

Our very freshly made 100% beeswax candles

Security is… a freshly made batch of beeswax candles. Their smell is intoxicating, and they provide beautiful light for us year-round. We have been making them for about five years now, and 3 days of candlemaking work a year is all it takes to provide light for the other 362 days. Not bad.

We use way fewer in high summer, when the days are long, and when we can cook without them, but in winter, we use significantly more because it’s dark by 5:00 p.m. We also use more when we have guests, because they create such a great mood, ya know?

Non-Electric, Hand Crank KitchenAid Mixer

By Living Electricity-free
Hand Crank Mixer

An Amish-made hand crank KitchenAid mixer

I just have to share this, since I’m a big fan of non-electric and hand crank kitchen tools and equipment. We came across this hand crank KitchenAid mixer on a recent trip to Kentucky. Check out that cadillac. This is a customized KitchenAid, modified by the Amish — the electric guts have been removed and replaced.

I love that you can adjust the speed by simply shortening or lengthening the handle. Very slick and simple. This thing is definitely out of my own price range ($400+, yikes), but dang if it isn’t neat. I’m assuming you can make butter in it really nicely, too — much better than a small antique butter churn because the KitchenAid sits so rock solidly on your countertop.

Anyway, there ya have it. Dream on, off-grid folks.

Candelight in a Cob House

By Photos, Living Electricity-free
Agricola Board Game

Playing Agricola by candlelight

When there are a bunch of candles lit in the house, I can’t resist snapping a photo or two. (Partly to see if it’s enough light to actually do so, and partly because I just really like the way it looks.) Here’s a photo from a cool night a few days ago, when we lit a fire and played Agricola (an agriculture-themed board game — pretty neat) by candelight. Fun times!

Our new straw bale house will also be lit exclusively by candlelight, too. That meas more good excuses for me to snap photos at night in the future…

freshly cured earthen floor

Top Ten Reasons to Live Without Electricity

By Living Electricity-free

candle light

Here’s a post I wrote for sustainablog about top ten reasons to live without electricity in your home.

Of course, I don’t actually live completely without electricity (obviously I wouldn’t be writing this if I did), but my actual home does not include electricity. It’s been great and I adore candlelight. Anyway, read the post for more information about why I chose to keep the lights out of my home.

Photos of My Cob House GOBCOBATRON

By Photos, Living Electricity-free
Cob House Gobcobatron

The latest look of Gobocobatron

Here are some interior and exterior photos of my cob house, GOBCOBATRON at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. These are the latest photos since the cob house has gone through a few renovations and design changes since it was “completed” in 2009. The home is built entirely of cob, with a living reciprocal roof, and terracotta tile floor. The house does not have any electricity.

Enjoy!

(Updated with latest imags: February 2013)

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