Welcome
Hi! I’m Elise and welcome to Backyard Thriving! Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog. I hope you find value here, as I show you how to grow, prepare, preserve, cook from scratch, improve your self-sufficiency, and thrive in your own backyard.
My family
I am the wife of the best, most amazing man in the world. Three girls and one outnumbered boy make up our four beautiful children. Each of them have their own strong, vibrant personalities and the crowd always makes life interesting.
My mission
Like many others, I have always dreamt of living the homesteading life. However, life has led me down a different path, and I truly believe that you don’t need to live on a farm to experience the joy that can be found in growing and preserving your own food, getting out into nature, eating good from-scratch meals, and rediscovering the old ways. You can experience all of that right in your own backyard, no matter where you live or how much land you own.
Where We Call home
I grew up an Army brat as the middle child of three. We moved around a ton but eventually the army moved us to Utah. My family settled there permanently when I was a teenager and I have claimed it as my own. It is where I currently reside and intend on staying for the rest of my life.
I love it here. We live in a typical suburban neighborhood nestled near the mountains at the southern edge of Utah’s most populated areas. We live where the housing developments end and the orchards and wide open spaces begin. The beginning of a National Scenic Byway is minutes from our house and Utah’s five national parks are always only a couple hours’ drive. Whenever I feel that urge to get out of the hustle and bustle, we generally head out for a long drive in the desert or the mountains near our home.
In addition to my suburban homesteading lifestyle, I love to read, learn new things, travel, and discover new places.
FUN FACTS ABOUT ME
- Yes, I am a natural redhead, but have been known to enhance that. I have one brother that shares that trait with me. None of my children, nor my parents, are redheads.
- I was a dog groomer for seven years and even ran my own successful home dog grooming business for a time.
- In college, I majored in Integrated Studies in Literary Studies and Music.
- As an avid sports fan, I never miss a BYU football game or a Utah Jazz basketball game.
- I am a musician and sing, play piano, and am an accomplished clarinetist. I have previously played for multiple orchestras and bands including the Salt Lake Pops Orchestra, the Nebo Philharmonic Orchestra, and I currently play clarinet for the Payson City Band.