Little House Living: The Make-Your-Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self-Sufficient Life

by Merissa A. Alink

From the immensely popular blogger behind Little House Living comes a motivational homemaking book, inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder;s Little House on the Prairie, featuring creative, fun ways to live your life simply and frugally.

Shortly after getting married, Merissa Alink and her husband found themselves with nothing in their pantry but a package of spaghetti and some breadcrumbs. Their life had hit rock bottom, and it was only after a touching act of charity that they were able to get on their feet again.

Inspired by this gesture of kindness as well as the beloved Little House on the Prairie books, Merissa found that a life of self-sufficiency and simplicity could be charming and blissful. She set out to live an entirely made-from-scratch life, the “Little House” way, and as a result, she slashed her household budget by nearly half—saving thousands of dollars a year. She started to write about homesteading, homemaking, and cooking from scratch, and over the next few years developed the recipes and DIY projects that would one day become part of her now beloved website, LittleHouseLiving.com.

As whole foods became staples of the family diet, Merissa realized the dangers of putting overly processed ingredients not only into our bodies, but on or near them as well. In addition to countless delicious, home-cooked meals, she developed natural, easy-to-make recipes for everything from sunscreen to taco seasoning mix, lemon poppy hand scrub to furniture polish. With their simple ingredients, these recipes are allergen friendly and many are gluten-free.

With over 130 practical, simple DIY recipes, gorgeous full-color photographs, and Merissa's trademark charm in personal stories and tips, Little House Living is the epitome of heartland warmth and prairie inspiration.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Cooking, Self Help, Reference, Food, Lifestyle

306 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Merissa Alink loves living the simple life and blogging about it at www.LittleHouseLiving.com. Merissa and her family live on a small farm in South Dakota where she makes the most with what she has and believes she can show you how to do the same, no matter where you live or what your income level is.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little House Living: The Make Your Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, Self-Sufficient Life by Merissa Alink is a 2015 Gallery Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book as an XOXpert, the official street team of XOXO After Dark.


I admit I grew up in the era of quick and convenient. I bought pre- mixed cake mixes and scoffed at the idea of making anything from scratch. Instead of home remedies, I bought over the counter pain relievers and cold medicines, and never would have considered making my own soap, dish detergent, or other household products.

But, my daughter would tell me about making her own facial scrubs and using peppermint essential oils for various maladies, but I still never imagined myself doing any of these things myself.

First of all, you have to buy all the ingredients, and when I did the math, and figured in the amount of time it would take, I figured I was just as well off buying it from the store… until I got this book.


First of all, it should be noted that this is not just a recipe book for cooking or food. This book has a little bit of everything in it.

Body and Beauty 'do it yourself' recipes such as:

Bath Salts
Lip Balm
Hand Soap
Chest Rub

Household items such as:

Dish Soap
Floor Cleaner
Dusting Spray and furniture polish
Window Cleaner

Ideas for Children and Pets

Diaper Rash Cream
Play Doh
Pet treat mix
Pet Flea Wash

And of course food-

Make ahead mixes:
cake mix
Hamburger help mix
Onion soup
Hot chocolate
Bread
These are just a few examples of the items listed that you can make yourself at home.

Are you on a busy schedule and don't think you would have time to make your own products?


This book is packed with very easy recipes for those on a busy schedule, such as deodorizer disc made out of everyday baking soda and water with a drop or two of essential oils, placed in a muffin tin and left to dry for a day or two. The disc can be placed discretely in odor prone areas of your home. It took me all of five minutes to do this, and the essential oil is not necessary. Baking soda is a natural odor absorber.

The cost?

Well, for some of the projects, there would have to be some investment on your part, especially if you want to put the mixtures into cute containers and such. I made the chest rub, but I didn't have a glass jar to put it in, but I did have a very small Tupperware container that worked perfectly.
Most of the ingredients can be purchased at Amazon for less than buying them at a health food store, and I had no trouble finding the ingredients. A few items were a little pricey, but once I had everything I needed, I saw that I could make double, even triple, the amount of goods, which meant I saved money and time by making the items at home.


The Items I Made:

I made the chocolate cake mix and the cake turned out great, but it wasn't as moist I am accustomed to. But, the flavor was fantastic and there were some variants on the recipe that I may try in the future.

Bath Salts:

I made bath salts for colds:

This is super easy-

One half cup Epsom Salts

One half cup Sea Salt ( I bought bulk, because it was cheaper)

5 drops peppermint essential oil
5 drops eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil

Just mix together! That's it!


I also made the chest rub which was simply coconut oil and peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils. Just stir together, and store in a container. It took less than five minutes to make this and it smells like chest rub you buy at the store. I rubbed some on the soles of my feet one day when my allergies were bothering me, and it worked wonders.

As I noted earlier, I made the deodorizer disc, too. But, the disc dried out quickly and broke easily. I ended up putting some of the mix into small Dixie Cups instead.


I also made the dusting spray which consisted of white vinegar and oil ( I used EVOO) and a few drops of lemon essential oil.

Overall, this is a fun book and I loved how easy it was to make the products and the ingredients weren't some kind exotic stuff I could never find anywhere. I'm planning on making more of the food recipes and want to make up some of the body butter for Christmas gifts.

The only disclaimer I noticed was in regards to the use of essential oils, so be sure to read the directions carefully and do not allow children to use the oils unattended, or at all if they are very young.

This is a hardcover book with color pictures and illustrations on glossy paper. The sections are well organized and planned out, with step by step instructions and money saving tips.

Overall, I am a happy customer and will be referring to this book often for many household items and beauty aids.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of recipes for everyday living from bath salts to bug spray. Recipes for jar cookies, brownies etc. Alink's story was heartfelt and I love her practical approach.

[Gabie Peacock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this as an ebook on Libby, read all of the wonderful stories intertwined with the recipes/ideas and immediately purchased a hard copy! If you get this book, I highly recommend reading all of the wonderful personal stories and the "why" of each particular homemaking section. Merissa makes frugality and self-sufficiency beautiful and simple. I feel like I made a new friend because she included many personal touches in each recipe. I am so excited to begin incorporating all of the recipes and ideas in my home!

[Jordan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't relate to this book at all. I was expecting more decluttering and efficient house hold chapters. Instead I got chapters on how to make things.

Sure, making your own lip balm is cheaper, but in what world does anyone need 26 tubes of lip balm?! Not to mention there are no preservatives so they would go bad before they were used.... which is what I think the author wanted to avoid.

There is also misinformation here about raspberry (or carrot?) oil having SPF and somehow putting lemons and baking soda on your face will do wonders for your skin.

She advocates small living but in the same breath states that one should save jars, mason jars and various containers for the things she makes. That just takes up room if you aren't continually going through things.

Finally, if you live in the middle of nowhere and have no money, this book will work for you. If you genuinely enjoy making things and this is a hobby, this book is for you. However, sometimes the "price" to pay for buying the store bought detergent is worth it to avoid spending 1-2 hours grating, blending and heating to make laundry detergent that will be needed to be made again soon. Sometimes, just buy the damn thing off the shelf.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 40-60% of the book is excellent containing recipes for beauty and cleaning products that are easy, useful and straightforward.

The rest of the book is dedicated to pet recipes and cooking recipes. The beginning part of the book may be worth the cost of admission alone. There layout here is beautifully done, but less than optimal. I have read a similar book that packs in much more content by wasting less space on pictures.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read so many of these books and this one just didn't grab me. I saw it on the new book shelf at the library and the cover attracted me but once I delved inside I was less than impressed. Had I read the subtitle, "the make-your-own guide to frugal, simple, and self-sufficient life" I probably would have paged through it and left it on the shelf.

The food recipes in this book are mainly based on make-ahead mixes the author created. I've never eaten Hamburger helper but the mix with ingredients like sugar, onion and garlic powder doesn't sound appealing and when combined with 1 pound ground beef, 2 cups milk and a cup of shredded cheddar-- too rich for me! Other mixes include baking mix, rice side mix, faux bouillon, chicken noodle soup mix, cake mix and powdered creamer. One recipe for instant refried beans should come with a warning to cook the ground dried beans thoroughly because undercooked beans can be toxic! http://wildoats.com/blog-posts/underc...

The other recipes are for body and beauty, household and children and pets. We have several people at our farmers market who make lotions and potions, I'm happy to pay them for their expertise and spend my time doing things I love but if you're inclined recipes include: lip balm, gardener's healing hand scrub, deodorant, furniture polish, cleaner wipes, rainbow sidewalk chalk and pet flea shampoo. Some of the recipes are pretty straightforward and only require 3 ingredients. Some like deodorizer disks seem overly complicated even though there are only 3 ingredients. Rather then mixing baking soda with filtered water and essential oils, pouring this mixture into greased muffin tins, letting them dry and popping them out and storing them in ziplock bags I think I'll just put a box of baking soda with a few drops of lavender oil in my basement. And as to making a note in my daily planner to remind me to replace my disk......not happening!

Okay, least you think I'm anti-self sufficient, I'm going to hang out my laundry, fill our raised beds with leaves and well-aged horse manure and pick the last of the carrots and beets, parsley, sage and mint because it's supposed to get damn cold here shortly!

Oh, another thought I was irritated not to see one picture of the little house!!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of the basics of sustainable and DIY living; lots of things she writes about I already knew or do myself but there were certainly some things I didn't know or have recipes for. Worth a one-time read at the least if you are interested in this type of lifestyle; I don't know that I need to own a copy of the book, but it was worth getting from the library and copying down the couple recipes for home and body care that I did want. I found her food section to be the weakest part of the book, not that it was bad, but that it was more brief and basic than any of the others, and I simply didn't find any recipes or tips to be anything new that I will be adding to my meal-planning or cooking (I already have my own favorite recipes that I've adapted to make into mixes, etc., so I didn't find a use for hers--and I prefer a lot more ethnic flavor and spice than Merissa does in her cooking! Like I said, VERY basic recipes there, not that it's a bad thing, but not up my alley). Nonetheless, this is a great book for those who are foraying into this topic for the first time, and for those with a lot of experience, there are doubtless still going to be a few recipes worth adding to their collection, whether it be for a new natural shampoo or deodorant, or playdough for the kids. If you're on Pinterest a lot, you will have seen a lot of this type of DIY projects and recipes, but it is handy to have it all in one well-organized place. I know a few people I will be recommending this book to who are just delving into this sort of lifestyle--like I said, I think it's particularly well-suited for "dabblers" or beginners.

[Sarah Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

“After she left our house, I promised myself that when we were in a better place, I wanted to be that person to help others get back on their feet and try to live the life they really want.”

I enjoy learning more about homesteading and making things from scratch. I discovered a treasure trove of recipes and tips in Little House Living: The Make-Your-Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self-Sufficient Life by Merissa Alink. She explains how she grew up living off the land and eating real food. When she started eating food from the grocery store, she started getting sick and developing allergies. As she and her husband struggled to start out in life and have a family, she starting learning how to make things from scratch so she knew what was included in the product.

I’ve been following Merissa Alink on Facebook on Twitter and have wanted to read her book for a while. I borrowed it as an e-book from the library, but plan on buying a copy soon. I want to have the recipes on hand.

Read more here: http://sarahannecarter.com/little-hou...

[Juli Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, this was lackluster. The whole book felt somewhat half-baked. Most of the body- and home-care recipe were pretty pedestrian, and the food recipes were almost all just homemade versions of store-bought mixes like Hamburger Helper and Rice-A-Roni. Also, IF I SEE ANOTHER BLOGGER TALK ABOUT CARROT SEED OIL HAVING AN SPF I'M GOING TO SPIT. Do your research people! Just because all the bloggers say something, that doesn't make it true. The ONLY ingredients you can add to homemade body products for sun protection are zinc oxide and titanium oxide. Anything else is misinformation.

[Wendi Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't follow the Little House Living blog, but I will after reading this book. There are a lot of helpful tips and recipes for DIY household products and recipes. I'm definitely going to try making beeswax candles and lip balm. This book also serves a lot of my family's needs with gluten free recipes and make-ahead mixes. Brownie mixes that aren't store bought and cost $$$? Yes, please! Simplifying is a personal goal of mine, and this book makes it seem easy and accessible.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting recipes for make at home products, especially bath salts, deodorizing disks, and vegetable wash, but probably not anything I couldn't find on Pinterest. I thought it was strange that her baking mix "make-aheads" were for only one batch. I also feel she crossed the line from simple living to austere.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the recipes are pretty simple and easy to follow, and most of the ingredients can be easily purchased either in a store or online, unless a person has a STRONG desire to live this simple life, lives very far from civilization or has health issues (such as the author), I can't imagine spending the time to make most of these items. Some of the recipes are very similar to one another with only an added or removed ingredient -- usually just a fragrance. I liked reading the story of Ms. Alink and how she started to live this "simple life" and the book as a whole made for interesting reading. There are a few recipes that I may keep around, especially some in the make-ahead mix chapter.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love diy’ing my own products so this is my kind of book. That being said, I have a lot of recipes for things that are in this book. I give it four stars, because how convenient for others to have all in one book instead of the years of collecting that I had to do, and because I agree with the author’s premise of a simpler lifestyle with less processed things. But also I only gave it four stars because of the author’s dependence on snake oil, pardon me I meant essential oils. Don’t make claims in print that don’t have scientific proof, and no your MLM company’s word is not good enough.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suppose you can't say that I read this book. I went through it carefully picking out the bits and pieces that I wanted... and that turned out to be a lot of bits and pieces. If someone wants to buy this book for me, I'll say "Thank you!" I think the information in it is going to be very useful. So far, it's probably the most useful of the books of its sort that I've found.

[Barb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Little House Living has nothing to do with little house living. It was a compendium of "recipes" to make your own cleaners and food mixes, anything you could google on the web AND nothing to do with small house life. Title most likely chosen to capitalize on the tiny/small house movement.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you on the road to self-sufficiency? Do you want to make your own natural products to use in your home? Then this book is for you. Lots of useful, practical recipes and good ways to use essential oils which is something I am interested in knowing more about.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love the ideas and tips in this book! It's full of healthy, cost-effective recipes for food as well as the home. I love the substitution tips for allergies (or if you're missing certain ingredients).

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Lots of great ideas that are not complicated and have easy to find ingredients.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will have to come back to this someday when I have more time to make things.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alink has a recipe for homemade everything and I love it! She's very down to earth and has a straightforward writing style.

[hannah cottrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

|| 4 ⭐️ ||

Not every book that claims to be “simple and frugal” actually lives up to that—it’s all relative, I guess—but this one certainly did meet my expectations. She had dozens upon dozens of recipes for household, body and food items that used a lot of similar, affordable ingredients. Not only that, but she concluded the book with a long list of potential substitutions if you don’t have a certain ingredient on hand, as well as lists of other uses for ingredients you have excess of or need to use up. It was very thorough and inspiring.

The body/household recipes will probably be the most useful to me, but perusing the recipes did give me some inspiration too.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book--there are so many recipes I want to try. I think I'll end up getting my own copy (this was a library book so I could see if I liked it) so I can play with them. That said, the whole "Little House" conceit doesn't really work--the book has nothing to do with the Little House series, and the few times the LH books are mentioned, it feels really forced, as though the author was told to throw them in there to justify the title, which in turn feels more like a marketing device (because with the publication of Pioneer Girl, LIW has become trendy, apparently) than an actual descriptive title (the subtitle, on the other hand, is quite accurate).

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book does not refer to little or small house living in relation to size; although, the author does say they live in a small home. The title refers to the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder which helped inspire the authors from scratch, more self sufficient lifestyle.
The book is filled with recipes and information for making almost everything we use by scratch. I did not particularly enjoy the actual writing, but am eager to try many of the recipes.
The book is beautifully but together and filled with lovely full color photographes. It would make a nice gift for someone just embarking on the from scratch or self sufficient lifestyle.

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to try and live in a more natural, safer manner....this book is for you. Its topics range from Body and beauty, household cleaners, outdoor spray necessities, children and pets, make-ahead mixes, and meal planning. A wonderfully rounded out book to get anyone started. With so many people suffering from environmental and artificial ingredient allergies, this book is a must to help you get a handle on healing yourself, and living a safer, healthier better life. It takes time and effort, but it is worth it. There are 63 recipes in just those areas, alone, to help everyone. My favorites...the bath salts, bug repellant, burn salve, healing salve, body butters.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was less cookbook and more how to make homemade house/body products. Based on the cover you would think it was more food and cooking and even that is more creating "mixes" that can then be used to make staples. While in theory I like the idea of homemade detergent and body lotion, I just don't have time for that. Most of that kind of stuff I can save money on with coupons and sales, so that more of my budget can go to quality food. Overall, I wasn't really impressed with this one mainly because food was only about 1/3 of the book.

[Kristine Scarrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read for me as a home cook who prepares almost everything from scratch. Although I don't see myself packing jars for all of the mixes the author presents (I think most are pretty quick to make on the spot for immediate use and who has the time or space for all of that?), I enjoy the practical, simple recipes and substitutions all presented in one easy-to-reference volume. This book has also inspired me to switch to a natural skin care routine, and with the finicky skin I have, I've been delighted with the results.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merissa Alink is a another blogger who has gotten a book published. This one is pretty good. Lots of recipes for homemade cleaning products, beauty products, homemade mixes and recipes. But you need to keep a lot of different ingredients around the house. And some are difficult to get unless you order everything from Amazon or Rose Mountain Herbs which she does.
A nice book for someone who wants to make everything from scratch.

[Irene Baron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always being on the look out for ways to save in a difficult economy, LITTLE HOUSE LIVING solved that quest. Throughout the book were multiple recipes for compounds used in Body and Beauty, Household, Children and Pets, Make Ahead Mixes, and Meal Planning with Mixes. Shortly after beginning the book, I had note cards and pen handy to write down ingredients and recipes of all types. This is truly a reference book about how to live a "frugal, simple, and self-sufficient life."

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister had raved about this book since she purchased it, so I finally followed her advice and bought a copy. I wish I had done it sooner! I appreciate the down to earth writing style, the easy to follow recipes, and the message that it isn't really that hard to cut down both on waste and unnecessary spending. I'm looking forward to getting my hands dirty (and then clean) making my own soap, and filling my pantry with her easy to make mixes.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little House Living is an excellent resource for anyone interested in a natural and frugal lifestyle. The book includes a wide range of recipes including shave cream, ant spray, and fabric softener. The book is well thought out and beautifully photographed. I especially love Merissa's story and her money saving tips throughout the book. You can tell she is truly passionate about homemaking and this type of lifestyle. I'll definitely be adding this book to my collection!