Here’s what I am allllll about right now:
1. I have been watching The Elliott Homestead a ton lately. I am fascinated, I mean REALLY fascinated by homesteaders, and these guys make it look like a dream world. They do a ton of hard work, but they make their lifestyle super appealing.
2. I have been loving Ylang Ylang in my diffuser. It’s peaceful, it’s floral, it’s very relaxing. It was one of the pricier oils I’ve bought, but I think it was well worth it.
3. My Instant Pot has been a huge blessing, and truly the best gift I’ve ever received. I’ve been using it a ton lately. I’ve been cooking whole chickens in the Instant Pot, and after three of them, I made bone broth for the first time. It’s definitely something I plan to do again.
4. My new car! I bought my dad’s car last month, and it honestly was a ridiculously complicated process. I got an auto loan for the first time, which I was nervous about. Luckily, I have a very doable monthly payment and the loan itself is not an extreme amount. It’s a Honda Civic, which means this is my third Honda Civic. I have exclusively owned Honda Civics, and I don’t have any plans to steer away from them in the future. I got a car around the same time that my fiancé got a new car, so we decided to go with naming them after a celebrity couple. We landed on George & Ursula from George of the Jungle. My cars always are boys (facts), so mine is George.
5. Google Calendar. Enough said. I keep a physical agenda as well, but the ease of Google Calendar, and syncing my calendar up with my fiancé’s is just wonderful. I make a note of all my monthly expenses in my personal calendar, my work calendar keeps my meetings in order, and I can remind myself annually of a birthday.
OKAY, now for those things I have ditched!
1. Making yogurt. Back in February, I bought a culture for yogurt making, which I did about every 12 days in my Instant Pot. The culture inoculated each new “batch” of yogurt and was a really frugal food to keep on hand. However, I just got tired of it and didn’t want it taking up space in the fridge when I had no plans to eat it. The culture costs $13.99 on Amazon, and should I want to take up yogurt making again in the future, I can get right back into it.
2. I have stopped drinking caffeine! I now drink exclusively decaf coffee. I don’t feel like I lack energy that I need. I have less issues with anxiety. Plus, decaf coffee at Aldi is super inexpensive. That’s all I needed to know.
3. This is kind of a weird one, but I haven’t listened to the radio since I got my new car. My car comes with the most brilliant invention – bluetooth capability. Honestly, I’ve arrived and I don’t care to have any more advanced technology in a car of mine…ever. I have bluetooth and backup cam, so I’m good. Bluetooth + YouTube Premium is a dream. Basically everything is a podcast, and it connects as soon as I get into the car.
4. I have also ditched all hope of starting a garden this year! Haha. It was a nice thought, and I’ve got some seeds I’m just hanging on to for the future. I have garden aspirations, but I don’t have garden work ethic in me. I don’t want to be a quitter, either.
5. I have decided to ditch store-bought milk. I pick up my first delivery of raw milk today from my local country store. I joined the Creambrook Farm herd share program this week and I am delighted to be supporting a family farm. Young parents Kristen and Ben Beichler run a 100% grass-fed farm with beautiful Jersey cows. I am excited to be a part of something with a family feel and to be buying milk with more nutrients. From what I hear, there’s nothing like it. I’ll keep you posted on what I observe when I taste it for the first time this evening!
SARAH HARPER 