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Something big has happened on the homestead 🐑✨

We finally brought home our first Icelandic sheep — and it feels like the start of something beautiful.

🎥 Full vlog on YouTube!
Me before sheep: normal hobbies, normal conversati Me before sheep: normal hobbies, normal conversations.
Me after sheep: would you like to see 437 photos of my sheep? ☕🐑
Our little homestead is growing 🐑✨ Meet Perse Our little homestead is growing 🐑✨ Meet Persephone (Penny) and Maple. Watching them graze feels like the sweetest start to this new chapter. 🏡🌿 #homesteadinthemaking
✨ Cozy reminder ✨ Your coffee doesn’t need a ✨ Cozy reminder ✨
Your coffee doesn’t need a perfectly curated mug to be special. That sip is still warm, still comforting, still a little moment of peace in your day. ☕💛

We don’t always need the “next new thing.” Sometimes the old crazed mug, the worn in sweater, the quiet morning—that’s where the sweetest contentment lives. 🌿

💬 Tell me — what’s your “crazed mug” in life? The simple, imperfect thing that still makes you smile?
When molting season hits and you’re just trying When molting season hits and you’re just trying to keep it together… 😅

My rude rooster is looking a whole lot less intimidating these days!
I didn’t want to go today.
I had so much to do—work waiting at home, house chores piling up, lessons we needed to get through for homeschool… the to-do list was loud and endless.

But we all needed a pause.
So I closed the laptop, left the laundry, packed the snacks, and we went.

And I’m so glad we did.

Sometimes the most important “work” we do isn’t what’s on our list—it’s the memories, the fresh air, the laughter, the reset our souls are craving.

Here’s your reminder, mama: you don’t have to earn rest, joy, or play. 
🌿 Sometimes saying yes to the pause is exactly what everyone needs.
We started Ambleside Online the day after Labor Da We started Ambleside Online the day after Labor Day, and now that we have two weeks under our belt, I'm sharing on my YouTube channel how that's going for us so far. 
Please check out the video! You can find my channel in my bio. 
Thanks so much!
#AmblesideOnline #amblesideonlineyear1 #HomeschoolingLife #curriculumreview #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolingjourney
I'm trying to learn to really love homemaking, and I'm trying to learn to really love homemaking, and sometimes a quick little DIY helps you to enjoy being in your space a little more, so I hit the light switch plate that's been in the junk drawer for 2 years with a little rub-n-buff magic. What small project can you do today to help you enjoy your home a little more?

Also, this is a snippet pulled from my newest (and first in some time!) YouTube video, so please feel free to check me out over there, too!

#homemakingmama #diyhomedecorideas
Proof that beauty still shows up when you’re tir Proof that beauty still shows up when you’re tired, barefoot, and just doing your best.

There was a beautiful rainbow over the homestead yesterday and I had to take a moment to stand in the rain to capture this beauty. Worth it.

I hope you remember to slow down today. Please follow for more slow & sleepy homebody moments.

#cozylifestyle #cozyhomemaking #cozyliving #homesteadinthemaking #findbeautyineveryday

The Sleepy Hollow Homestead

Homesteading, Homemaking, Homemade: The pursuit of good simple living.

I Asked for Help: What Happened When I Said “I Can’t Do It All”

June 19, 2025

Let me just say it plain: This week I asked for help.

And if you’re anything like me—a stay-at-home mom juggling homeschool, homemaking, garden work, and trying to keep your family healthy— you know how loaded that sentence can feel.

We’re the ones who hold it down. The figure-it-outers. The ones who hold the vision and carry the weight and keep the wheels turning even when no one notices how much it takes.

But this week?

I dropped the ball. I dropped like… all of them. The house was a mess. The garden was demanding attention. I was behind on homeschool prep, behind on meals, behind on pretty much everything. And I was exhausted.

So I did something that used to feel scary and shameful: I asked for help.


The Week Everything Felt Like Too Much

You know that feeling when the clutter is louder than your thoughts? That’s where I was.

Between:

Weeding the gardens (how do weeds grow faster than I can pull them??)

Keeping up with reading lessons

Planning next year’s homeschool curriculum (we’re diving into Ambleside Online and I’m so excited!)

Adopting a brand new food philosophy to help our family get healthier

Trying to revamp the kitchen and meal rhythms

And still keeping three kids fed, clothed, and emotionally supported…

…I was stretched thin. Like, translucent. And the house? An absolute disaster. Piles on piles. Laundry on laundry. Dishes in the sink that made me want to cry.

It felt like I was doing a hundred things—badly—and nothing well. And honestly? I started resenting everything I actually love. That’s when I knew I couldn’t keep white-knuckling it.


So I Asked My Husband for Help

Not in a meltdown. Not in a dramatic moment. Just… calmly. Honestly. With a deep sigh and tired eyes.

“I need help. I’m not doing okay. I’m behind on everything, and I can’t catch up alone.”

And you know what he said?

“Okay. Where do we start?”

Not judgment. Not guilt. Not a lecture. Just love.

Together, we kicked some serious housework butt. We cleared counters, reset rooms, caught up on laundry. He took the kids into the garden to get some bonding in while tackling weeds. He swept while I sat down to plan our homeschool year. He gave me the gift of margin again.

I could breathe.


Why Asking for Help Doesn’t Mean You’re Failing

We carry so much as mothers—especially stay-at-home and homeschooling moms. There’s no clocking out. No shift change. No “handing it off.”

But the truth is:

Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re wise enough to know your limits.

It means you’re willing to stay in the game without burning out.
It means you trust your people enough to let them in.
It means you value your family enough to want to show up whole—not as a shell of yourself.


L I’m Finding My Bearings Again

Since asking for help, I’ve been able to:

Catch up on homeschool planning (and get super excited about Ambleside Online!)

Clear enough mental clutter to recommit to our new food journey

Actually enjoy our home again

Sit down and breathe without guilt

Feel like me again

The plates are still spinning—but now my husband is helping me carry the tray.


If You feel Like You’re Drowning

Friend, maybe your week has looked a lot like mine.
Maybe you’re managing so much that you’ve stopped managing yourself.
Maybe your house looks like a hurricane came through, and your thoughts are even messier.
Maybe you haven’t asked for help because you’re afraid that means you’re failing.

Let me tell you:
You are not failing. You are full.
And it’s okay to need a hand.


A Little Encouragement for You (and Me)

🧺 It’s okay if your house is a mess.
📚 It’s okay if your lesson plans are behind.
🌿 It’s okay if your garden has weeds.
🍳 It’s okay if your food philosophy is still a work in progress.
🫶 It’s okay to not be okay—but it’s also okay to ask for help.

And maybe you won’t get the help you need right away. But maybe you can ask your spouse. Your friend. Your mom. Your church. Your kids. God.

Ask for the support you need. You deserve to feel supported in the life you’re building.


Let’s Be Women Who Ask

Let’s normalize moms saying:

“Can you help me today?”

“I need a break.”

“I can’t do this alone.”

“I’m overwhelmed and I need support.”

Let’s be women who let our homes and families see our humanity, not just our hustle.
Because we’re building beautiful things here—homeschools, homes, families, and futures.
But we don’t have to build it alone.


You’re doing beautiful work—even if you had to ask for help this week. Especially because you did. 💛


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Welcome to The Sleepy Hollow Homestead : a home centered lifestyle blog

Welcome to The Sleepy Hollow Homestead : a home centered lifestyle blog

I'm Heather - a wife and stay at home mama of 3. I'm on a journey to thrive at home & cultivate a home-centered life. Join our young homesteading family of four as we start a Zone 6 garden in Indiana, turn our aging 80 acre farm into a sustainable homestead using permaculture and regenerative agricultural practices, and DIY our 1865 Colonial revival Farmhouse into the home of our dreams. Along the way we're going to DIY, garden, cook from scratch, learn to be frugal, homeschool, thrift, eat healthier, and learn to really enjoy this thing called life.
I'm thriving after a rectovaginal fistula and am passionate about physiological childbirth.
Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and get cozy: I'm so glad you're here! Thanks for visiting!

Recent Posts

  • Making Space in Homemaking: How to Thrive at Home
  • How to Get Your House Under Control When You’re Overwhelmed by the Mess
  • Slow Decorating: How I’m Creating a Cozy, Beautiful Home Over Time
  • How to Savor Summer: Embracing Beauty Even When It’s Uncomfortable
  • How We’re Living Without AC in the Midwest | No-AC Summer Survival Tips

Recent Comments

  1. theheatherski on Harvesting and Creating Stunning DIY Floral Arrangements from your Garden
  2. Kristy on Harvesting and Creating Stunning DIY Floral Arrangements from your Garden
  3. Our first Carrot Harvest! Harvest carrots with us - The Sleepy Hollow Homestead on Super Simple Ginger Fermented Carrots Recipe

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