Five years ago, beekeeping was just a random hobby we decided to try because I came home to Luke watching beekeeping videos on YouTube and I said “why not” 😂 Now it’s something we do with family, something that has taught us how much we love learning new skills and doing things ourselves, and somehow even part of the reason this page is called Our Hidden Hive. The bees didn’t make us want to move to the country. That dream was already there long ago. But I do think they helped us understand what we loved about this kind of life. The satisfaction of starting with no idea what you’re doing, learning as you go, and eventually getting to hold something in your hands that exists because you stuck with it. And it really doesn’t matter what “it” is. Honey. Chickens. Ducks. DIY projects. A whole collection of random side quests. The point isn’t that every hobby needs to become something bigger. It’s just that following the things that make you curious can teach you a lot about the life you actually want. TRY. THE. WEIRD. THING. 👏🫶

I cannot believe how fast these little buggers have grown! We’re getting ready to move them to the coop here soon, and I think it’s safe to say that they’re going to be thrilled to have access to their pool daily!!

Four things that save us money every month as a frugal millennial couple working towards being work optional while still enjoying our everyday lives. What are some of the things you do to save money monthly?

I’m not sure when “making it special” started to mean doing more. More decorations. More gifts. More things to buy. More pressure to somehow make every milestone feel like a holiday. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing the beautiful things other moms create for their kids. But, I’ve also had to learn that appreciating something doesn’t mean I need to recreate it in my own life. For us, the first day of school is cinnamon rolls, the same little banner we reuse every year, pictures with the letter board, and me driving them to school. And that’s what feels special to me than trying to create something bigger just because I feel like I should. Which I held guilt around for a loooooong time. At the end of the day, I want my kids to remember that their special days felt special, but I don’t want them to associate special days with the accumulation or consumption of stuff. Maybe they’ll just remember that Mom always made cinnamon rolls, and that’s enough for me. 🤍

Happy honey harvest to all who celebrate!!! 🐝🍯

I am truly amazed at what curtains can do for a space. People talk about paint, wall treatments, and styling decor, but these curtains from @threegirlscurtains are what really pulled this space together! We’ve been slowly designing our dining room over the past few months, it started with our table, then our chairs, after a bit we added a rug. It was coming together, but it still felt unfinished. The moment these custom drapes from @threegirlscurtains went up, that changed. The room instantly felt warmer, softer, and more like the home we’re trying to create.  It’s funny how one detail can completely change the feeling of a space. Thank you, @threegirlscurtains , for helping bring this room to life. 🤍

Curtain Style: Lucy
Color: Light Khaki
Unlined, Memory Trained, pre-washed  You’ll find a link for a discount on your own in my bio 🫶

The best way to live below your means is to make staying home an enjoyable experience, romanticizing the ordinary moments of the day, and making things you normally do feel special. typical Saturday morning in our family looks like this: We usually try to lay in bed until the kids come “wake” us up. We wake up with the sun, but we’ll try to milk being able to lay in bed for as long as possible 😂 Once we’re up and moving, we move on to making a more “special” breakfast on at least one of our weekend mornings. Breakfast burritos, breakfast pizza, cinny rolls, French toast,etc. we love starting a weekend morning in the kitchen, our gathering place, making breakfast (sometimes together, sometimes while the kids play). We find time to sit on the porch and have a cup of coffee and chat with one another. Then we do cleanup and move on with the rest of the days plans which more times than not include doing chores around the house or the property. Luke is mowing lawn and I’m about to tidy the house as I type this 😅 While this honestly seems like a “boring” morning in our life we also wouldn’t have it any other way. Being able to slow down and see the little parts of the day that make our lives feel full is a skill we had to master, but now comes so easy. 🫶

Spend and evening with me as a working mom just trying to build her dream life one day at a time 🥹

I used to dream of slow mornings like this 🥹