Splitting A Bee Hive & Bringing Home Bees!
I am not exactly sure when I decided I wanted to keep bees someday. I do remember when I first learned about how important bees are to our food system. Without bees, we would likely lose entire links to the food chain. Our precious earth would struggle even more to feed all of its inhabitants. As scary as that is, and even with as long as we've known it, we are still managing to kill off the bee population in droves. Between pesticides, pollution, and even construction - these busy beauties are having a hard time. If keeping a hive on my land could help keep up their population numbers and help pollinate my crops, then why not?
Butler County Farm to Fork Tour + Dinner
If you follow me on social media at all then you probably saw a series of posts from the Butler County Farm to Fork Tour and dinner that Dean and I recently went on. It was such a jam packed day that I have even more content I'd like to share with you! First, this was the 6th Annual Farm to Fork event. The event is a fundraiser for "Ag in the Classroom" in Butler County and hosted by the Butler County Farm Bureau Association. We were also joined by Kansas Farm Bureau board members and administrators. I learned on the tour that the KFB is a group that helps Kansas farm families through advocacy, education, and service.
Our Home & Farm Pallet Wood Designs!
If you're on Pinterest or follow home design trends at all, then you know that pallet wood projects are hugely popular. Pallets are just so versatile! You can simply leave them in their pallet form and paint them as a decor piece. Or you can disassemble them and use the wood for countless projects. This is typically what we do. My family and I happen to have a really good hook up with consistent, large pallets. If you're looking for the hook up, I suggest searching online on sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. You can also simply drive around your town looking for places that have pallets out by their dumpster. Many times you can approach that business about taking their pallets off their hands! If you're feeling really brave, you can ask that they call you going forward anytime they have pallets. Hook up secured!
All My Best Gardening Tips From A Non-Expert Gardener!
Every Spring I get at least a couple messages from friends or online acquaintances asking me their gardening or chickening questions. I love getting these messages, so keep them coming! I figured that more people probably have those same questions, so I thought I'd compile all my best gardening tips into one nice post. Maybe you're just curious, maybe you haven't gotten up the courage to message me your burning gardening question, or maybe you've always wanted a garden but have no idea where to start. Either way, I hope reading about what I am doing helps you in some way.
Book Teaser: Announcing "Crooked Paths Straight"
If you've been following me on social media then you may have caught that I am in the middle of trying to get a book published! I am holding out for a traditional publishing deal, but I am also considering other publishing options. For now, I wanted to share a little about my overall vision for "Crooked Paths Straight." The title is based on Isaiah 45:2 where God says, "I will go before you and make the crooked paths straight."
1 Year Later: What Quarantine Taught Me
Listen to podcast episode here!
For most people here in Kansas, sometime in March 2020 marked the beginning of all the lockdowns and restrictions. When I first started taking notes for this post, we were only about a month or so into quarantine. My notes kept growing as I kept thinking, "I don't want to post this while I'm still in quarantine, I want this piece to be a look back on my complete quarantine experience." Well, here we are one year later!
Bulletproof Diet: A Day In The Life
First, I want to preface this post by saying I am not a doctor or nutritional/fitness professional. I am merely sharing my results with the Bulletproof method and what that journey looked like for me.
Sponsored Post: Why I Love Fabletics ;-)
Note: This is a sponsored post meaning Fabletics will most likely compensate me for this review. Also, if you click through the links and make a purchase or sign up to be a VIP, I will get a small kickback. Thank you for your support!
The Filter Of No - What It Is & How I Use It
Listen to podcast episode here!
If you know me in real life then you know that I love all things "Real Housewives." One of the reality television franchise's biggest stars is Bethenny Frankel. The "Skinnygirl" brand CEO has a popular book called, "A Place of Yes." Considering my fandom of Housewives and Frankel, I know it must seem really weird that one of my biggest tools in helping me maintain balance in my life is something I call "the filter of no."
Life Lessons From My Favorite Christmas Movies!
Have you seen that post that says something along the lines of, "before you get married find out if your husband's family is the type to have movie marathons during the holidays or the type to run actual marathons"? It's a fair warning. I can totally see how the two categories of families might not be compatible. Funny enough, my husband's family plays a football game every Thanksgiving and my family has a few movies we just HAVE to watch every Christmas. It seems to work for us!
My Favorite Resale Shops!
My family and I have worked hard this year to produce less day-to-day waste. We have eliminated all paper products from our kitchen and use significantly less plastic whenever we can. With sustainability a goal in mind, I was appalled to find out that Americans throw out something like 15 million tons of textiles a year, with most of that being clothing. While 100% of clothing is recyclable, only 15% of clothing is actually recycled. At the same time, Americans are buying an average of 60% new clothing every year. Simply put, we're buying more but recycling less clothing than ever.
Family Vacation: Little Jerusalem State Park
Several months ago I saw a news story about a brand new state park opening in Kansas. It had these amazing chalk formations and great walking trails. I sent that article to my husband Dean and asked if we could go sometime. He replied yes and then we went about our regular business as usual.
Why I'm Still Obsessed With The 90s-00s!
Listen to podcast episode here!
Whenever someone asks, "what kind of music do you like?" I used to give the old line, "oh you know, all kinds!"
Well that's a total lie and I am here to admit the truth.
I pretty much exclusively listen to exactly two genres: 90s Boy Bands and Worship music.
10 Life Lessons I Learned From "The Hills"
Listen to podcast episode here!
If you are a girl in your early 30s like me, then you likely were at just the right age to watch "Laguna Beach" on MTV, which morphed into following Lauren Conrad on her coming of age journey to Los Angeles on "The Hills." I used to watch the show on cable religiously. One time my sister heard me yelling at one of the main characters Heidi on screen and later asked me who this Heidi person was I hated so much. It was that real to me! Also, it's no secret that Lauren Conrad is still a major inspiration to me. I recently re-watched "The Hills" on Hulu and wrote down all the life lessons that stuck with me and even some I didn't pick up on when I was younger. I hope you enjoy reminiscing on this sweet time in T.V. history with me or that you pick up a few helpful tips to be successful in life!
How To: Build Your Best Social Media Team Ever
Listen to podcast episode here!
It has been a while since I have shared any marketing or entrepreneur advice, so this month I am sharing with you how to build your best social media team EVER! I have combined professional advice that I have given to three different organizations into one master plan for you. We will go over content planning as well as the main roles that I believe are important to a well run social media team.
My Thoughts On Social Media & The Bible
Listen to podcast episode here!
I have to admit that one of my least favorite sermon topics is when the speaker talks about how inherently evil social media is. Reasons typically cited are how much social media distracts us from "real life," or the amount of negativity typically being posted. While those things can be true, I simply don't believe social media to be as evil as it is portrayed. I have been on Facebook since 2006 and have worked in social media since 2013. Since that time, I have seen just as many positive stories and outcomes because of social media as negative. I believe that social media is simply a communication tool that can be used for good or bad, depending on the user. I've seen social media work wonders as far as giving people a sense of community and connection. But I've also seen social media lend it's hand to making people feel divided and isolated. It's all in how you are using it. What are your posts cultivating?
Everyone Loves A Good Character Arc: Rachel vs. Monica
This may come as no big surprise to you, but I am big fan of the tv show "Friends." I remember waiting for and watching new episodes every Thursday night (back when weeknight tv show schedules were a big deal). When it was on Netflix, I watched all 10 seasons all the way through at least twice. I know it is the most basic millennial obsession, but it's both entertaining and comforting to me (and a lot of other fans). My husband and I often talk about how if "Friends" were on television for the first time right now - instead of back in the 90s - that we don't think it would be as widely accepted as it is. Certainly there are story lines, topics, catchphrases, and even whole characters that are problematic in our current society. That being said, I don't like the show any less! I appreciate it for what it was and for the timeframe in society that it represents.
Behind The Scenes Of My Former Life
One day over a cup of coffee my new friend asked, "So do you think this town is a good place to own a business?"
I took a long pause as I thought back over the past few years. I had opened and had been operating a small digital marketing firm in "the biggest small town" in South Central Texas. It was fairly successful, but it had come with costs."
On paper, I think this town has all the resources needed for a new business to be very successful. But in reality, it's not exactly a fair playing field." I replied."
Bible Study Review: Finding God Faithful by Kelly Minter
Every Wednesday for the past 8 weeks or so, a group of ladies from my church has been gathering to go through "Finding God Faithful: A Study On The Life Of Joseph" by Kelly Minter. I have to admit that when this study was first picked, I was not super excited to focus in on Joseph; a patriarch whose story I thought I was already very familiar with. However, I quickly learned there were so many subtle lessons packed away in Joseph's life that I had previously missed. These lessons I've found are not only extremely helpful in my daily life, but more importantly have brought me closer to Jesus. I was absolutely overwhelmed at all the parallels between Joseph's life and Jesus' life. I had simply never noticed it before. My poor women's group is probably so sick of hearing me nerd out about it, so I decided to write an extra blog post this month to share my notes with you!
Our Late Dog Wesley: A Cautionary Tale
Okay friends, between Vegas and wine tastings, my last few posts have been fairly fun. I am afraid I have to bring us down a little this month, but I promise I am only sharing to help spare another family from heartbreak. If you aren't one for sad stories, then I suggest you skip this post altogether or skip down to the pet health and safety tips. Also, please note that I am not a veterinarian or animal medical professional. I am simply sharing what we learned in an effort to spare you some mistakes.