Holly Capelle started writing her book, "Preserving the Seasons: A Guide to Canned, Jammed, Frozen, Dehydrated, Freeze-Dried, Quick-Pickled, and Infused Produce, Herbs, and Flowers," two years ago. (Submitted by Holly Capelle)

Three boys, three girls — two sets of twins — and happily married high school sweethearts.

It’s the story of Holly Capelle’s family.

A Portland local, Capelle focuses on budget-friendly ways to keep the whole crew satisfied.

“I want to do special things for my family and show that anyone can do that, especially the mom at home who’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, my bank account is empty, and I’ve got all these kids.’ I have a million ideas for her,” Capelle said.

What she didn’t know is that somewhere down the line, between juggling a radio advertising career, mixing up homemade fruit syrups for snow cone parties with the kids, and putting on backyard cinema nights, she’d find fame online.

Capelle, who uses the Instagram name Big Family Living, transformed a hobby for homesteading into a lifestyle and shares it with hundreds of thousands of followers online, and has a cookbook coming out this month, sharing how to preserve the seasons.

Raised in southeast Portland, Capelle hasn’t gone far beyond a temporary stint in Wisconsin during high school, where she met her now husband, Kevin. When it was time for her to leave the cheesy state, he had one surprise in mind.

Shoving his BMX magazines in her items, she said she was confused — it’s an item she didn’t want — but it was for him.

“We got on the train and started a life. That was the beginning of our official journey,” Capelle said.

They got married in 1993 after living with her parents as teens for about eight months.

“I’ve had his last name longer than my own maiden name,” Capelle said.

Their first child was born when Capelle was 21 years old in 1996.

From corporate to canning

Capelle worked random jobs to survive and pay rent before “getting our act together.” She loved music and called Portland radio stations in hopes of work.

To her luck, a “fun girl” at the former KUFO station picked up the phone.

“I wound up getting that job, and the girl who answered the phone is still my best friend to this day, 25 years later,” Capelle said. “She’s my bestie in life.”

Capelle took a slight detour from her on-air radio appearances and began working in radio advertising from home so she could raise her babies.

“We were so broke. We couldn’t go anywhere. That’s when we learned how to make home magical,” Capelle explained.

Born out of necessity, Capelle started creating the joyous adventures of childhood in the home. It wasn’t just the fun of DIY movie tickets and popcorn bars, but the peace of mind of knowing her children were being fed fresh, organic foods.

Capelle said it fueled her desire for more garden beds and less grass.

At their home in southwest Portland, they now have about 16 raised beds, several vertical growing trellises and pots throughout the yard. Since buying their home in 2001, they’ve maintained a yard of edible and medicinal plants, ridding the landscape of anything else.

“It’s so much easier to focus and dwell on what we don’t have,” Capelle said.

From sowing seeds to growing a following

Capelle’s children continued to sprout as she worked from home for over 20 years.

They are the brains behind her Instagram account, though it provided a big benefit to the kiddos: Mom would be out of their business.

“They set me up to get me out of their hair,” Capelle said.

From profile pictures to usernames, her kids help with each step. The first week was filled with posting photos, followed by celebratory yelling down their hallway, “Guys, Mom has 25 new followers. Guys, Mom has another 18 new followers,” accompanied by cheering.

The account grew slowly at first, but in time, their yard was selected as a contender for America’s Best Front Yard in Better Homes & Gardens. Then came the millions of likes and multitude of opportunities.

And then suddenly, she loses her decades-long job.

Her husband told her, “Babe, we’ve been on the merry-go-round all our lives. We’ve just been on the merry-go-round and we’ve had the best time, but it’s time for us to get off the easy merry-go-round and go get on the rollercoaster.”

About two months prior, Capelle said the editor at Simon & Schuster contacted her regarding an opportunity and interest in starting an outline for a possible book.

She’d lost her job in November 2023, and by the first week of December, she was signing a book deal.

“It’s a whole new ride,” Capelle said of her career shift.

For two years, Capelle’s focus was writing her book, “Preserving the Seasons: A Guide to Canned, Jammed, Frozen, Dehydrated, Freeze-Dried, Quick-Pickled, and Infused Produce, Herbs, and Flowers,” which went to print this February.

Readers can find techniques on how to create seasoning blends, make freezer and shelf-stable jams and throw together quick-pickled peppers, a zingy addition to any burger or salad.

These preservation practices are a part of her family’s lives all year long, even their Christmas tree is adorned with dried grapevines, persimmon, orange slices, flowers and more.

“I  look forward to all the ways that I can craft and collect and stuff with the intention of making life special for people,” Capelle said.

How to get started?

One piece of advice Capelle shared: Start growing.

Pick items that will be used.

Not a fan of beets? Don’t plant them.

Love zucchini? Plant a lot.

Just as we humans need socialization, plants, too, need friends. Companion plants, such as herbs, help with natural pest control and will spruce up any meal — plus, they typically “do their own thing” in the garden.

“Start small, start with what you love, and each year, add a little bit more,” Capelle said. “Grow with your garden.”

Find Holly Capelle on Instagram @BigFamilyLiving.