This past winter was a battle of the mind and challenge for the heart. This past winter narrowed my focus solely to what’s important in life, which speaks to why I have been so aloof the past few months on this beloved little blog.

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Shortly before winter started, my mom started experiencing medical issues. By the time winter knocked at our door, she was knee-deep in multiple intensive surgeries while the rest of us pushed through hours of frustrations, tears over what could be lost, and hope for what may come.

As I tiptoed through these days, praying for the universe to align with all the wants of my heart, I said quiet thanks for small successes. Thank you for letting her feel the sunshine today. Thank you for having her laugh wholeheartedly today.

Days turned to weeks turned to months, and just as March began, I felt as though I was waking up from a cold, hard winter that left fog in my eyes and a rumbling in my heart. The dark skies were beginning to clear and the hope of a fresh start felt within reach.

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But just as the fog and rumbling began to clear, another strike came down with news of my grandfather passing away. A man of little words and big love; my grandfather was crucial in forming who I am today with the values I hold dear.

With blurry eyes and aching hearts, we laid my grandfather to rest and said thanks to a man who showed us all what life is really about: love, family, gratitude, and small moments that matter big.

My heart may still be heavy from the wicked ways of this winter, but my eyes are locked on the future. I’ll take the reminders to appreciate life and tuck them safely in my front pocket (a place where they can be felt with the heart and sit as a constant reminder to find gratitude).

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I’m entering this spring with hope for new growth…

To believe more wholeheartedly that light and love will always outweigh darkness and fear. To trust more wholeheartedly that patience and faith can conquer anything. To know more wholeheartedly that gratitude allows us to see good even in the bad.

And to accept more wholeheartedly that this life is waiting for us all to love it, good and bad, down to the very last drop.

The post This Little Light of Mine. appeared first on belong with wildflowers.

Winter is the one time of year I struggle with gratitude. Spring is filled with excitement for a new garden, leaving every day with a ‘to do’ that’s fun. Summer is filled with late nights of laughter, crickets singing, and don’t forget the fireworks! And we can’t forget Fall with its crisp, beautiful colors and temperatures to match.

Winter? Where I live, it brings buckets of snow topped with dangerous ice; months of frigid temperatures with long days in wet, cold clothing at work (it’s sometimes unavoidable, even in an office setting!) New England winters aren’t for the faint of heart.

But even during the coldest, darkest nights of winter, I push my heart to see the good in the season. And if there isn’t good I can see with my eye, I push my heart a bit further to make my own piece of good.

During the winter, making your own good sometimes means turning inward. Happiness comes through finding simple treasures indoors and learning to love your own entertainment.

{Baking}
I appreciate the triple goodness that comes from baking in the winter: make food from scratch more often, enjoy homemade and slow cooked meals, and heat your kitchen for free!

{Singing & Dancing}
When’s the last time you bellowed out a favorite song, or just let yourself fall into the silliest of dance moves? Best. feeling. ever.

Lately, my two favorite dance tracks have been “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars and “My Jam” by Mr. Vegas.

Even if the winter blues have you in their grip, throw on a song with a good beat and slip into the fun of it all. I promise that you’ll feel the freedom of summer, even if just for a few minutes! Don’t believe me? Just watch.

{Meditation}
It may sound silly if you’ve never tried it, but meditation is a beautiful thing when you can’t enjoy the beauty of nature (heck, it’s a beautiful thing all year ’round)!

Whether you listen to quiet soothing music, nature sounds, or practice a mantra meditation, it’s important for all of us to stop a few minutes each day and just be.

If you’ve never tried meditating before, I recommend trying out Calm (website or app). It’s a great starting point and you can take it from there!

{Writing}
I can’t help but cringe when I see how long I’ve been away from this little space of love, my blog. I too often forget how sacred this writing place is; from the connections with kindred free spirits, to gardeners, farmers, and homesteaders from all over the world.

It’s far too easy to put the things that make our hearts happy on the back burner. But then a day comes when it’s time to start again. To come back and start anew.

What season is it where you live?
How do you enjoy the indoors & turning inward?

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Despite steering clear of New Year’s resolutions, I always set yearly goals. The goals are positive experiences and are things I would normally claim to not have time for. Each year I push myself to set aside more time for joy.

Looking back to my notebook on January 1, 2014, I listed 7 goals for the new year. I’m pretty excited with how much time I set aside for joy, and hope to chase even more in 2015!

1. Learn how to can.

{ February } I dove head first into the world of canning. And I have to say… the first time was quite the adventure! Over the past year, I’ve learned how to can several things: apple slices, jams, tomatoes, pickles, pie filling, etc.

2. Plant trial crops for the future farm.

{ February – August } Once I discovered myself and found my real passion is to be an organic farmer, I knew I had to start somewhere. Over the years, I’d grown herbs and plants, but had never ventured into the world of gardening.

If I chose to have a conventional garden, it would be more likely I’d have an amazing first year with chemical enhancers in the soil and endless harvests. But, despite warnings of the hardships of organic gardening from seasoned organic gardeners and farmers, my heart knew my first garden needed to mimic what my future life will be: organic farming.

Listening to my heart and rolling with the up’s and down’s ended up creating a beautiful garden season filled with cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, shallots, squash, peppers, bell peppers, and more. All organic, all heirloom, all natural, all GMO-free, all chemical-free… and just plain good for the soul.

3. Open Etsy shop.

{ September } The Golden Bee was launched late in the year, and I haven’t looked back since! I am in love with being a small shop owner and hope to help grow this little space throughout 2015. Psst: for paying attention, use code ‘highfive’ for free shipping through 2/28/15.

4. Self-host website.

{ June } I said goodbye to my old website The Siren’s Tale and rebranded to Belong With Wildflowers. This new little space brings kindred hearts from all over the world!

5. Attend an agricultural workshop / info session.

{ July } Spending an afternoon with a beekeeper and learning how this honey-filled magic works was amazing. Many daydreams are now spent thinking about how I’ll arrange an apiary near my future organic farm, and how each morning will start with a drizzle of honey.

6. Become certified in animal reiki.

I did a good deal of reading and practicing animal reiki over the past year, but I’m looking forward to finishing this goal and getting certified in 2015!

7. Keep up with blog to meet like-minded people.

{ January – December } The number of posts may flow back and forth depending on the month, but I’ve committed to this little blog over the past year and have found so much joy from meeting wonderful people ♥

What joy did you find in 2014?
What happiness are you chasing in 2015?

The post Looking Back Over A Life-Filled Year. appeared first on belong with wildflowers.

Christmas always reminds me to be grateful for the year that has passed, along with the year that’s coming. Ever since I was a small child, the magic of this month wraps around me leaving bits of gratitude, happiness, and nostalgia in its track. I simply can’t approach Christmas without a full heart and soul.

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This year has been another year for the books. As I look back over the past 365 days, it feels as if there should be a better way to describe all the learning, growing, and laughter that took place in the days. There should be an alternate Dictionary filled with words that can only be felt with the heart, and these words would be used loosely and fully around the holidays to describe the past year.

This year I feel like I finally began to discover myself. I’m not foolish enough (now) to say that I’ve found myself; we are ever-changing beings filled with wishes, hopes, dreams, and paths that constantly ebb and flow, changing our intentions, surroundings, and life. But this year was a year of discovery.

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A year of learning how to preserve my own foods. A year of learning to say, “I’m an aspiring farmer” with more ease and less fear. A year of walking away from commercial food sources and making my own from scratch. A year of learning organic gardening and crazy terms from ‘bolting’ to ‘compost tea’. A year of watching seeds turn to seedlings, turn to plants, turn to nutrition for my family’s bodies. A year of patience being tested, countless blisters, and learning how to DIY every known garden support ever created. A year of feeling my soul awaken to all the gifts that surround us just waiting to be explored with an eager heart.

Here’s to another year of eternal growth, holiday magic, and moments that change the path of your life. Wishing you all a truly wonderful, magical, memory-filled holiday season ♥

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Whether you’re looking for a gift for your favorite gardener, or a gift to fill the soul of a homebody… the Small Shops, Big Hearts shop owners are here to meet all of your holiday needs ♥

The perfect gift shop stop for artists and small shop lovers! Hannah creates gorgeous prints, posters, cards, and more from her home in Portland, Maine. Use code ‘WILDFLOWERHOLIDAY’ to save 10% on your order.

Look no further if your gift recipient is in need of a vacation! While we can’t all send our loved ones on vacations during the holidays, Lisa from Fresh Eggs Daily can send them on an aromatherapy journey. Use code ‘SLEEP’ to save 5% on your order.

Bring a smile to every curious heart in your life! Despina is a painter of imaginary worlds and curious characters that will warm everyone’s heart, from poets to babies. Use code ‘LITTLEFOX20′ to save 20% on your order.

We all have an eternal optimist in our lives who travels through their days with bursts of color in their steps! Kristen captures every color in the rainbow with her beautiful designs for the home and heart. Use code ‘bighearts’ to save 15% on your order.

Welcome to the perfect shop for every creature of comfort and homebody! Jenn makes adorable mug cozies and personalized hoop art to brighten any loved one’s home. Use code ‘INSPIRED2014′ to save 10% on your order.

Start shopping for your favorite free spirit, gypsy heart, or bohemian soul! My little shop can delight anyone’s heart with bohemian, gypsy, and hippie designs; the only limitation for designs is your imagination. Use code ‘HOLIDAYHELP’ to save 20% on your order.

Know an aspiring herbalist or an all natural mama? Christine’s handmade products are perfect for anyone who loves the natural world and treating their body and souls with pure ingredients. Use code ‘WILDFLOWERS’ to save 15% on your order.

The post Small Shops, Big Hearts {Holiday Gift Guide}. appeared first on belong with wildflowers.

One of the few areas in our lives that we have some control over is our free time. For the past few months since I started a new job, I’ve been spending my free time (the weekends) rushing through errands and spending 8-12 hours of time to catch up on blogging.

After another hectic weekend like this, my boyfriend asked if I enjoyed spending my weekends this way. “Well, no… not at all. I just have to do it,” I explained.

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His raised eyebrow told me he wasn’t buying the line, and it forced me to take a step back and really look at how I was spending my free time.

Don’t get me wrong, I love blogging. I have made some connections through blogging that mean more to me than I can say. I’ve met kindred hearts and like-minded people from around the globe… people who I might not ever have had the chance to meet otherwise.

With that said, since starting a new job and opening up a small shop, I’ve quickly realized my plate is overflowing and my happiness is suffering because of it. (Also, you should see my poor pets – holy moly, do they act up while I’m staring mindlessly at a computer screen all day instead of outside enjoying time with them!)

And in honor of keeping life simple, if it doesn’t make you happy… stop.

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By stopping, I don’t mean I’m ending my blog or my shop, it just means it’s time for change. I’ve seen the numbers dwindling here over the past few months with fewer returned visits, fewer comments, and less interaction; I honestly believe this is because I am forcing myself to make a presence on my blog even when I have nothing to say / add to someone’s day.

I don’t want to write forced content as much as y’all don’t want to read it. And even if change can be frightening (Will I lose the readers/connections I have left? Will my blog become a ghost town?), it’s so necessary at times for happiness.

A few of the changes I’ll be making:
♥ I am not going to promise 3 posts a week anymore. What I will promise is a post at least once a week filled with real words, emotions, and something to connect with.

♥ I’m cancelling Passion Fruit Ads; in other words, I will not be offering sponsorship on my blog anymore. I will always be open to ad swaps, though!

♥ This week I’ll be sharing a Small Shops, Big Hearts holiday gift guide and I have the (overdue) November post to publish, but after that I’m ending the feature. It’s been an amazing ride over the past 6 months and I’ll miss it!

Now after I’ve typed far too many words all about a few small changes, I hope you’re still reading. The most important message has yet to be said: Thank you. Thank you for sticking around while this blog went from career girl rants to aspiring farmer posts. Thank you for supporting me through two different blogs and continuing to show up with friendly words and comfort that warms my heart.

And most importantly, thank you for sticking around through long-winded posts like this that really could have been summed up with a paragraph. You get an A for dedication and determination.

How do you handle changes?
How have you changed your blogging over the years?

The post If It Doesn’t Make You Happy… Stop. appeared first on belong with wildflowers.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with heartwarming family moments and delicious harvest goods. I’ll be back to regular blogging this weekend, but I wanted to share with you all that I’ll be hosting flash sales on my Instagram today! I’ve never been a Black Friday shopper, but I wanted to offer some incredible deals to all of you that love shopping on this day!

Feel free to check out my shop, The Golden Bee. And make sure to stop by my Instagram to check out the amazing Black Friday deals!

The post Black Friday Flash Sales. appeared first on belong with wildflowers.

Long before I owned a DSLR and became a vegetarian, I shared a mini-set of Thanksgiving recipes on my little blog. Back then, I was always the first in line for turkey, and double helpings of stuffing and gravy were my favorite.

I’m here to share these Thanksgiving recipes once again, but this share comes with one warning: I knew nothing about photography or staging back in these days. Please don’t cower away from the mess of photos that join these delicious recipes!

Apple Lemon Rosemary Turkey

Holiday Stuffing

Scallion Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Broccoli Casserole

Personal Apple Pies

What do you look forward to on Thanksgiving?
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving recipe?

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]]> http://www.belongwithwildflowers.com/thanksgiving-recipes/feed/ 6 http://www.belongwithwildflowers.com/gratitude-lately-11/ http://www.belongwithwildflowers.com/gratitude-lately-11/#comments Wed, 19 Nov 2014 11:00:51 +0000 http://www.belongwithwildflowers.com/?p=5771 “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – G. K. Chesterton Lately I’ve been grateful for… Mr. Moon who seems present in our skies all day long during the colder months of the year. Fall leaves that are determined to hold on until the …

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]]> “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
– G. K. Chesterton

Lately I’ve been grateful for…

Mr. Moon who seems present in our skies all day long during the colder months of the year.

Fall leaves that are determined to hold on until the last seconds of the season, reminding me that perseverance is beautiful.

The return of warm fires, deliciously enjoyed both indoors and outdoors.

The onset of squash season and the amazing varieties local farms supply us with.

Old-fashioned games that don’t require power sources, touch screens, or sharing on social media.

Winter’s gentle arrival and autumn’s long lasting colors.

What have you been grateful for lately?

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]]> http://www.belongwithwildflowers.com/gratitude-lately-11/feed/ 10 http://www.belongwithwildflowers.com/farming-lifes-for-me/ http://www.belongwithwildflowers.com/farming-lifes-for-me/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2014 14:34:13 +0000 http://www.belongwithwildflowers.com/?p=5296 It’s only human to question what we do. Take blogging for instance: I’m willing to bet that we all, at one point or another, have questioned why we do what we do. Does it make a difference? Are people really reading? Are connections truly being made? But then, one moment can change your entire outlook. …

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]]> It’s only human to question what we do. Take blogging for instance: I’m willing to bet that we all, at one point or another, have questioned why we do what we do. Does it make a difference? Are people really reading? Are connections truly being made?

But then, one moment can change your entire outlook. Since I rebranded my blog this past summer, I’ve felt as if I’m standing on uneasy ground while I try to combine a mingling of writing and sharing my love for agriculture, nature, and simple living. Loyal readers fell away as new readers popped up: nature lovers, farmers, agvocates, and outdoor enthusiasts of all types.

One of these new, sweet friends, Kelly, tagged me in a tweet over the summer. After watching the video for a few seconds, my eyes welled with tears — at the message of the video, and at the realization that yes, what we do does make a difference. People do read. And connections are truly being made.

This video is a short ad from Chipotle which can feel off-putting at first. A large corporation making a video about supporting small farming dreams? Sounds a bit off.

But the video is so much more than an advertisement or short film. Every time I watch it, I am covered in chills and my soul feels the similar churning that the world is calling and I must go. This video shows the message of my heart.

When I sheepishly share my dreams of being a farmer, most people act perplexed. “Farming?! But you have a master’s degree.” “Yuck, all the hard work for barely any pay?”

For awhile I’ve struggled with finding the words to really explain why the farming life’s for me. I’ve tip-toed between explaining the realities behind our food system, and trying to encourage people to embrace life more mindfully and simply.

In the end, it’s not about the title of ‘farmer’. It’s not about what degrees are needed or unnecessary to perform the tasks and embed yourself in the lifestyle. It’s not about a paycheck or a monetary goal that can be reached.

The farming life’s for me because it’s desperately needed. As I commute to work each day, I take in sights of people rushing through life, mindlessly running from one ‘to do’ to the next. Family and mindful, small moments are secondary thoughts placed on the back-burner as people rush through their work days, throw dinner on the table, and hurry into bed just to start it all over again in the morning.

In all this rush, we’ve forgotten the essential purpose of life: to serve in one way or another, and make this world a better place. To take care of each other, the animals, and the beautiful environment that we’ve been gifted. To bring smiles to others and to live in a humble way that doesn’t take away from the pure joy that can be found in life.

I want to be a farmer because I want to make a difference. I want to wake up before sunrise, feel my hands in the cold dirt, and support nature from seedlings. I want to supply organic and safe foods to my community members, knowing that every nutrient they ingest was made from a place of love, consideration, and care.

I want to thank honeybees after a season’s harvest for supplying my family and community with clean, pure honey for a touch of sweetness in our days. I want to invite farm animals, from near or far, who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected, and offer them a peaceful home to live out the rest of their lives.

I want to be a farmer because people need real, nutritious food free from chemicals and corporate greed. I want to educate others about slow living, and how life doesn’t have to fly by in a frenzied pass.

I want to be a farmer to feed the bellies and souls of small communities struggling to make ends meet. I want to foster childhood memories of hayrides, pumpkin picking, and being kissed by a farm animal for the first time (not only for my future children, but for the children of the community).

I want to be a farmer because it’s real. It makes a difference in people’s daily lives. And it offers the gift of living off the land and in connection with nature… a blessing that can never be counted enough.

What motivates you for the work you do?
Are you drawn to a slower life or a fast-paced life?

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