June 15, 2017

Loving Lately: Fresh Flowers, Podcasts, Fermentations & More

Hello, friends!
How are you doing? How is your summer coming along? Are you taking time to enjoy the season & soak up these gorgeous, long days?
I wanted to check in with you & share a handful of things/lifestyle changes/home routines I am currently loving. I personally love reading suggestions from others so I hope you enjoy this little update.

Loving Lately List…
– Harvesting fresh flowers from the garden… As a little girl, I dreamed of having my own secret garden brimming with blooms. Now every morning or evening that I harvest a fresh bouquet for our neighbors, friends & little shop, I am overcome with thankfulness for this life. 
I’ve been sharing my flower farming journey over on Instagram with the hashtag #freckledhenblooms if you’d like to follow along!
– Mornings & evenings on the patio… We’ve spent years cultivating this cozy little space on our patio & we love it so much. We spend many nights out here eating dinner & many mornings sipping our coffee.
– Finishing books… I finally finished The Underground Railroad. It was a difficult yet important read. I am so grateful to have space for reading in the evening once again. I’m trying out a new book club & excited to start digging deep into When Breath Becomes Air. I’ll let you know what I think!
– Podcasts… I may very well be the very last person to have heard about this specific podcast, Happier by Gretchen Rubin, but I am loving it! I have read all of her books & have thoroughly enjoyed them so it’s such a gift to listen in on her tips & thoughts regarding habits & our overall happiness.
On the topic of podcasts, I’m also giddy to share that there is a new season of Elise Gets Crafty & I am a guest once again! Elise interviewed me in 2014 so it’s exciting to be back on to share an update about our farm & the business! Click here to listen. 
– Dinners from the garden… Once the abundance of the garden has been harvested & washed, I often have a tough time finding creative ways to use it all within our weekly meal plan. This summer I am making an honest effort to use our farm fresh vegetables. Last night I made egg roll bowls with our homegrown cabbage & onions. I also plan to make broccoli & cheese soup later in the week. What creative ideas do you have for using up the abundance of vegetables from the garden during the summer months?
– Fermentations… Tis the season for fermenting! Luke is working on a batch of sauerkraut as I type this (using our amazing kraut lid – I’d highly recommend this tool if you’re a gardener or fermenter!) for adding to brats on buns with a garden salad for dinners. I’m giddy to also be taking a kombucha class this month, too! We’ve made kombucha in the past, but I’ve always struggled with bottling. I’m excited to glean some tips from the experts.

– Natural Deodorant… We had a bit of a scare within my family a couple of weeks ago, which left me re-evaluating all of the products I use in my body care routine. One product I have found & love is Schmidt’s natural deodorant stick (I like the lavender scent!). I’ve been telling all of my friends, but I thought I would tell you, too, ha! It doesn’t completely eliminate sweat like the other weird brands, but I still feel fresh hours later. So far I’ve gardened & went to the river with this deodorant on & I love it. You can find it at most stores now (I think I even saw it at Target!), but here’s a link to Grove Collaborative, which is where I buy mine. You get a whole bunch of freebies when you sign up so that’s fun!  YAY for making conscious decisions, y’all. 

– Hammock season… We hung the hammock & opened the pool for the season! I love spending so much time outside during the summer months. I see many naps in this cozy spot under the tree in my future!
What are you loving lately? Share in the comments!
love,
natalie