Hi y’all, I’m Lauren! Alongside my husband Matt, we are working to live a more self-sufficient life on our five-acre homestead in Central Texas. We are both Native Texans and have been married for 12 years. We love to travel, enjoy great beer and wine, music, theatre, and art, and of course, working on projects around the house. Matt balances a full-time job “in the city” as a firefighter and I was recently promoted to being a stay at home mom with the birth of our daughter. We would love to grow to a point where we can earn an income from our endeavors here at Emerald Moon, but just aren’t there quite yet. We welcomed our baby girl to the homestead in May 2019.

I am old-fashioned at heart (part of me wishes I could go back 150-200 years, except with air conditioning and women’s rights) and my mom always called me an “old soul”. Slowing down, upholding eco-conscious values, and trying to learn the skills our ancestors practiced daily appeals to my spirit. Matt is super handy, uber-creative, and likes to stay busy and be outside, so living in the country with lots of projects is perfect for his active nature. Together we are a balanced team and I can’t wait to see how our little one fits into the mix. We are endlessly entertained by a grumpy old Maltipoo named Romeo, a rambunctious toy Aussie pup named Dublin, a rescue Quarter Horse gelding named Rio, a ladylike Quarter Horse mare named Bella, and a fluctuating flock of hens.

I hope our stories about our life and budding homestead offer inspiration, insight, and encouragement (along with a dash of humor). I want to open a dialogue with others who wish to live in a way that focuses on simplicity, sustainability, and a slower lifestyle that heals our Mother Earth and Her ecosystems, as well as our minds, bodies, and spirits in today’s modern world and hope to touch on topics like growing your own food, raising animals, household upkeep, parenting, fashion, and other phases of life.

For details on what inspires us or to find out more about our furry companions visit our Inspiration and Fuzzy Freeloaders pages.