A Quiet Blog, a Busy Life

It’s been quiet here on the blog, but life has been a whirlwind behind the scenes. I’ve missed writing, and though I started this post weeks ago, life kept pulling me in other directions—ones that needed my full heart. Between caring for my family, working on self-care, and stepping into something new and exciting, I just didn’t have the space to finish… until now.

The biggest reason for my absence, I started a farm stand. 

It’s still a little surreal to say that out loud, but it’s true. A dream that’s been in the back of my mind for years finally came to life through Bumble & Bloom. 

I made a sourdough starter two years ago and have played around with a sourdough discard sandwich bread recipe for a year and a half before finally perfecting and making it my own. I originally thought about selling a few loaves a week to some neighbors before we moved in 2024, but following through just never happened. After moving, the idea of a little farm stand at the end of our road was still a dream, but felt so intimidating. I’d always find a good excuse like a lack of time, space, or resources, but kept being drawn to the idea. Still the “maybe one day…” thoughts continued. 

After a conversation with my friend and neighbor Crecia—who shared the same dream and many of the same hesitations—we decided to jump in before we could talk ourselves out of it again. And just like that, Bumble & Bloom was born.

Baking Through the Years

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of being in the kitchen and loving everything made by my grandmothers. Their joy in cooking and baking left a lasting imprint on me. I want my kids—and one day, my grandkids—to grow up with those same memories: the smell of something delicious coming from the oven and the feeling of being loved through food.

I made my first cake for my sister when she turned 16, and I’ve been baking cakes for my family and friends ever since. I started out changing up boxed cake recipes and using store bought icing, and now everything is made from scratch. My ADHD comes with the “it can’t be that hard” personality trait, and it’s caused me to challenge myself when it comes to cake decorating. It’s also usually accompanied by the “what did I get myself into”, frustration, and ultimately ending up surprisingly happy with how it turns out. Cake decorating is a rollercoaster that I’ve limited to family birthday parties. I don’t mind doing cupcakes, or small cakes with simple designs, but cake decorating is not something I think I could do on a daily basis. 

My journey with sourdough hasn’t always been easy—some recipes have been uphill battles, and I’ve had to take breaks when things got too frustrating—but the process has taught me so much. I take pride in what I bake and will keep practicing until I get a consistent and delicious product. What started as making healthier choices and a way to feed my family has turned into a true passion. 

That foundation—built from family, memory, and a pinch of stubborn creativity—is what eventually brought Bumble & Bloom to life.

Bringing Bumble & Bloom to Life

We have so many ideas for Bumble & Bloom, but we started small and are working hard to keep it manageable. Creacia works full-time and my number one priority is still my kids. Trying to find the right routines and systems to make it all work, is a work in progress.

After our first pop-up, life threw us a curveball…Crecia got some unfortunate news that her granddaughter, who lives in Florida, had been diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. Being the amazing woman and grandmother she is, she took a pause on the farm stand and has been flying back and forth to Florida to help out as her granddaughter undergoes chemotherapy to fight her cancer diagnosis. This was an unfortunate start to our farm stand, but I’ve kept pushing to keep the dream alive, so Creacia has something to return to as she’s able. 

Life also forced a pause when my oven unexpectedly went out—but that’s a story for later.

We are keeping the menu small. We want to make sure we master each recipe and item we want to offer before selling it. It’s important to us that we are selling quality baked goods. We’re currently offering my sourdough discard sandwich bread, cookies, mini cakes, sourdough discard pretzel bites, and traditional sourdough as Crecia is available.

Wholehearted Living

I had some unexpected time-off due to some issues with my oven, but honestly I think it was God’s way of telling me to slow down a bit. I haven’t been prioritizing my self-care, so it became my goal to nail down some habits and routines while I waited on my oven to be repaired. I’ve been working out regularly, eating three meals a day, drinking enough water, and prioritizing sleep. It’s crazy how much better life feels when you simply take some time to care for yourself. I jumped into the farm stand full speed and loved it, but I was neglecting “me.” Now that these habits and routines are feeling like second nature, I’m ready to start baking again soon and get back into blogging as well. 

This venture has definitely changed my day-to-day life. I bake during nap times and do what I can while the kids are awake—which, as you can imagine, presents its own set of challenges. But after a few weeks I’m finally starting to find a rhythm, one that lets me chase this dream while still being present for my kids. It’s not perfect, but it’s working—and for that I’m grateful.

As for this blog… well, something had to give for a while, and this was it. At first, I felt guilty. Writing has always been a mentally creative escape for me in a way baking isn’t. But I knew I couldn’t stretch myself too thin, so I took a necessary pause. Now, I’m feeling ready to come back. I’ve missed writing. I’ve got a few drafts waiting in the wings, and my goal is to start publishing weekly again. I’m hoping with this routine of trying to stay ahead, I’ll give myself plenty of flexibility to keep up with the craziness. 

More than anything, I want to remind you: it’s okay to pause when life demands it. I recently listened to a podcast with Mel Robbins and Jay Shetty on finding your purpose, and it described exactly what I’ve been walking through. Their words helped shift my guilt into gratitude. How lucky am I to juggle all of this? I struggled at first to bring this dream to life, because I was a mom. A title I love more than anything, and I didn’t want a “job/hobby” to take time away from being a present and hands-on-mom. Their podcast episode reminded me I can be more than just a mom. Being a mom, wife, blogger, baker, farm stand owner, gardener (yes, it’s still alive and thriving—and I owe y’all an update), and bucking bull breeder (more on that soon, too!) are all crucial parts of my puzzle. It’s a lot. It’s overwhelming and stressful at times. But it’s also what makes me, me. Without one of these parts, something would feel missing.

So thank you for being here. Thank you for your patience as I find my new rhythm. I’m still figuring it out—but I’m doing it with a grateful heart, flour-dusted hands, and a whole lot of love.