What are your goals?

  • A more self-reliant lifestyle?

  • A home that will remain safe and comfortable - even without power?

  • A reliable source of clean water?

  • An independent energy source?

  • Growing your own food?

If you said "yes" to any of these, you've come to the right place. 

We can help.

Exploring Alternative’s Video About Our Self-Sustaining Home

Video Playlist: How to Heat & Cool Your Home for Free

How do you heat and cool a home without power?

Heating and cooling without a mechanical system is easier than you may imagine. 

This playlist will show you how to… 

  • Incorporate Passive Solar Design by using the power of the sun and how it interacts with your home.

  • Build with materials that store and regulate heat.

  • Create a building envelope with non-toxic materials that will keep either the warmth or the coolness inside.

  • Utilize the ambient temperature of the Earth to keep your home from ever freezing or overheating.

How do you secure a safe water source?

If you plan on collecting and storing water, your job will be much more manageable and affordable if you reduce your water usage and recycle the water you use.

This playlist will show you how…

  • Adding a composting toilet will drastically reduce the water you'll need to save.

  • Recycling water using a greywater garden will not only reduce water usage but will allow you to grow vegetables indoors and outdoors.

Video Playlist: Harvesting and Conserving Water at Home

The back cover of my book Twisted Oak
  • An inspiring and entertaining story

  • Full-color book with photographs, illustrations, and drawings.

  • Not-So-Technical Inserts on:

Passive Solar Design
Thermal Mass & Insulation
Greywater Gardens
Reusing Materials
Solar Power
Composting Toilets

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How We Built Our Home

Twisted Oak: A Journey to Create a Self-Sustaining Life and Home

Twisted Oak Book ~ Available in Paperback and Kindle

Peek Inside the Cover

What You’ll Find

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Video Playlist: Using Solar Power in Your Off-Grid Home

Are You Worried About Rising Electricity Costs and the Reliability of the Power Grid?

We find it's best to approach this from both ends of the issue. 

  • Eliminating the need for power to keep our home safe and comfortable.

  • Reducing unnecessary appliances requiring power. 

This will reduce the size and the expense of the solar, wind, or hydro system you will need to build in order to create an independent energy source.

Video Playlist: Gardening indoors and outdoors using water catchment and grey water.

Worried about food shortages and inflating food prices?

Although producing food was part of our initial dream when we built our home, the many challenges from deer, moles, and the high-altitude climate deterred us for many years. 

With recent events, growing at least some of our fresh food has become a priority. 

We're new to this but come along with us as we share what we're learning about organic, square-foot gardening both outdoors and in our indoor greywater garden.

Wanting More?

Watch Our Entire Off-Grid Home Playlist

Off-Grid Playlist with 38 Videos on what we've learned from building and living off the grid since 2010.