Recently: March 2017

Welcome to another round of Recently. I’m happy you’re here. Even if it’s just for two seconds while you realize that there will be no food today and you move on. What we had was real. Any who, for those of you still interested in what’s been going on in the world of Olive and Artisan, basically in the world of me, get buckled up because we are going on a journey of last month.

Recently, I’ve been…

Time blocking! What does this exactly mean? This article should help you out! It’s kind of like the Pomodoro Technique or any other time-management strategy. Since Daniel has been gone for longer hours getting his baseball team into shape, I’ve been devoting that time in the afternoon to mastering my “craft.” My “craft” being recipe development, writing, blogging, running a website, building a business, and food photography. So, anything that helps develop my skills in any of those subjects fits into that nice little time between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.

There has been a lot of cooking, baking, photo shooting, reading, and watching in those hours. It’s been tough, but I’ve seen amazing results! I’m doing something every day (three hours exactly) that my future self will thank me for. Plus, I’m a firm believer of the 10,000 hour rule and anything that will help me build up that “hour savings account” is a must.

Here is a list of books I’ve read that are amazing and are great if you are an entrepreneur. The kind of books that aren’t “get rich quick” but they teach you how to work smarter not harder and encourage small growth over time add up!

Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job by Jon Acuf

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Recently, I’ve been asked…

What camera do you shoot with? Ooooh, let me take out a 1000-word ad about how much I love my Canon 6D . I love it so much! Mainly, because it’s a high grade, full frame, professional camera for a reasonable price. Reasonable for a professional that is… not if you’re just going to use it to shoot your kid’s soccer game. If you’re genuinely interested in a great investment towards building your portfolio, the Canon 6D is where it’s at.

I shoot with a 50mm fixed lens, which has been amazing for what I do. It’s also a great everyday lens beyond food photography since it sees the range in which the naked eye sees. My dream is to stash away enough money to purchase a higher grade 50mm f/1.2 L fixed lens and eventually a 100mm Macro Lens so I can get good and close to all the beautiful veins running through kale. DREAMING!

Recently, I’ve been using…

My Amazon Echo! Okay, lately, I’ve been super bored with all musical playlists. Billy Joel just isn’t getting it done. So, I’ve been listening to Harry Potter on Audible through my Echo. Yes, I’ve already read the series, but I am prepping for a Harry Potter Trivia night that will be coming back to town soon. All I do is win, win, win, no matter what.

The Echo has amazing sound and even controls some light switches throughout the house. So, when it’s 2:27 a.m. and I have low blood sugar, all I have to do is ask Alexa to turn on my kitchen light so I don’t trip on Daniel’s baseball bag on the way to the pantry. We also have an Echo Dot for the bedroom since we don’t need the full power of an Echo in such a small space. It’s so nice to roll out of bed and ask Dot the time, the traffic, the weather forecast, and to please turn on the coffee maker.

Recently, my Type 1 has been…

I mean, like, Whatever…..

That’s basically how I feel.

Recently, I’ve been thankful for…

This one is always the hardest because I’m thankful for so many things! I’m thankful for my job. I’m so thankful for the people I work with, thankful for what I’m able to do, thankful that I have a valuable skill, and thankful for work flexibility. When you have to leave for work, but you can’t drive until your blood sugar is normal, flexibility is key. But in all honesty, I don’t know what I would do without the people I work with. Top notch, amazing human beings. The lot of them.

Recently, I’ve been loving…

I’m not into expensive products. I don’t like to spend a lot of money on things like soap. No thanks. I’ve used Neutrogena® face wash for as long as I can remember, and I still love it. But, my skin is changing and needs a more gentle soap that won’t dry me out. After a very amazing recommendation by my Aunt Geri, I’ve switched to Aveeno Positively Radiant, and I am infatuated. I like the way it smells and the way it makes my skin feel. Add that on top of the low price of $5.99 and Karlee, you have yourself a face wash.

Recently I’ve been eating…

The most delicious Wallaby® Organic Greek yogurt ever. I’ve discovered it at a local grocery store and the moment I had a spoonful with blueberries, I was done. This is my breakfast from now on. All day, every day. Literally. I eat ½ cup of this yogurt with a half cup of blueberries every weekday for breakfast. It’s perfection. It’s routine. It’s what I’ve been eating.

Okay, that sums it up for March! Looking forward to seeing you again with some yummy food posts because food > talking about me. Love ya!

Note: This posts contains some affiliate links. I wasn’t paid by these products but I will receive a percentage of the sale if you decide to purchase. These are all products that I have purchased and genuinely LOVE. Thank you for keeping me in groceries!