I’ve been building a homestead in the British Columbia Kootenay Mountains and also still homeschooling three of our kids, writing up a storm of homeschool articles, continuing my second draft of my fiction novel, Robyn & Claudia, and my non-fiction offering, Homeschool Mama Self-Care, and not doing nearly as much traveling as we are doing everything else.
It’s spring and I’m outside (well except for RIGHT now).
Wanna know why I love the homesteading life? It’s a homestead life for us!
If you’d like to visit our homestead, I’m excited to offer that opportunity. Instead of traveling, I’m having travelers come to us.
We’ve started a bed n breakfast. Agritourism here we come.
- I’m a planner.
- An organizer.
- A designer.
- Decorator, baker, and cook.
- I’m eager to teach my kids the elements of a small business (I’m also eager to learn it).
- I’ve enjoyed making breakfasts for others since I was a young girl. (Just ask two of my uncles).
- I can talk to anyone, love hearing their stories, and am interested in their perspectives.
If there was a personality profile for a bed and breakfast owner, it would be me.
Here’s what I’ve had to learn:
To build a website. Seriously, not my forte. I have had to learn so much techie stuff in the last few months for podcast & tv interviews, sharing online seminars, and finally building an email newsletter, that my head nearly spins. But here it is: Giverny of the Mountains.
To sign up for travel websites: Airbnb, VRBO, trip advisor, booking.com. Learning yet another website and discovering there are so many more. But how am I going to have bed and breakfast bookings if I don’t advertise? I have yet to learn the real differences & advantages of VRBO, Booking.com, Home Away, and Trip Advisor.
To redecorate. Like seriously, this is just plain fun. (I’ve learned nothing here). My third daughter has a knack for colour combinations and style, so it has been just fun to do it with her. I found wrapped chocolates to put on the soft bamboo sheeted pillows and coffee from the local famous coffee grinder to spread the local business love. I’ve even ordered handmade soaps wrapped in pretty papers just for our bed and breakfast from Live Full Handmade.
Plan breakfasts and menu. Here’s where my second daughter comes in. Oh, all my homeschooled kids can cook, but this daughter has made a high school credit of it as she caters for a monthly gig, works a day a week in a local bakery, and is their prime tart marker (both for the bakery and at home). She is eager to cook if I pay her, so of course, she’ll get paid.
Plan concierge offerings. Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries for the room? I love the idea of special occasion visits. Apparently, we have to be licensed. How about sausages n smores for the rustic firepit? Or a picnic for the canoe trip? (Our riverside beach and canoe come in handy).
Hire help. But I might need to hire one of my kiddos to help clean. I hear that’s a thing, that though I have plenty of professional training, I hardly want more. We’ll see. I’m pretty good at laundering, making beds, vacuuming, and toilet cleaning. Since the kids have also been trained, I can definitely pay for one of them too.
Take a lot of photos. If you’re following my Instagram, you’ll know I’ve already been doing that. I’ve had a few questions: what is Giverny of the Mountains? It’s our homestead! Our homestead has a name. I’ve been sharing for months, maybe you could consider years since we bought the raw land, drilled a well, developed a septic field, and blasted for our home foundation. All those photos have come in handy. You can find our bed and breakfast on Instagram.
Ready, set, launch. Let the world know that our doors are open. Let the world visit us! Welcome to Giverny of the Mountains!
You rock! This sounds awesome!!!
Wendie and I have thought about opening our own B&B once the kids have moved out. We feel we have the business experience t make it work, and our location surely is desirable. Thank you for sharing on the Family Homesteading and Off the Grid blog hop!
Hi Teresa,
Is there a place to leave a review on your website? I will do one on TripAdvisor and Booking.com., but I thought, if there is a place on your website, I would do that as well. I couldn’t find one. Maybe not necessary, as people would find your website through one of the search companies.
Hope you and your family are doing well. We are back home after our 8-day road trip, and remembering fondly your warm hospitality, lovely suite, and delicious food.
Steve and Johnie Hall