This Month’s Favorite Things
So It’s finally starting to warm up around here and summer might actually show its face. And with that, it’s another month of my favorite things. This month let’s talk about saving money on organic groceries, budgeting, learning how to live a more traditional life-like the pioneers, one of my favorite yarns, and some retro style.
As is usual this post will contain affiliate links. That just means if you purchase something we may receive a small commission at no extra cost for you. It’s a great way to help us cut the costs of bringing great content to you! You can find the items listed by clicking on their images or titles.
You can check out last month’s 5 Faves here.
Azure Standard
Are you looking for a way to stock your pantry with healthy organic foods for a reasonable price? Then Azure Standard is for you! Located in Oregon, Azure Standard prides themselves on delivering low-cost organic foods and products to their customers. They provide delivery nationwide, even to Alaska and Hawaii.
To get started you just go to their website register and join a drop location that’s convenient for you. There is no extra fee to join a drop. Shop all the great products on the website, place your order, and wait to go pick it up on delivery day. When you get to your drop location your order will be waiting with your name on it. You can also have your order delivered directly to your home through economy parcel shipping.
The variety of products they have is truly astonishing. I like to stock up on pantry supplies through Azure; things like oats, flour, and rice. They also sell kitchen and bath products, canning supplies, meat, produce, dairy products, and even plant starts and seed.
Their website is also a great resource for recipes, gardening, and living a more sustainable life. I have been very happy with every order I’ve placed with them and think they are a great resource for purchasing organic food. Azure is also a great option for people who live in the country and don’t like to shop at the big box stores. All in all, I highly recommend Azure Standard!
YNAB
You Need A Budget or YNAB is an amazing budgeting app! It’s basically the envelope method of budgeting in electronic form. You follow four simple rules to budget the YNAB way. Figuring out how to get out of debt and build up your savings has never been easier. If you’re unsure if you can follow it, they offer free classes on all the basics. You don’t even have to have the app to take the classes, just pick a time that’s convenient and register for the webinar!
Once you’ve decided YNAB is for you, you register and automatically get 34 days for free. Then, once your trial is up you pay a yearly fee of $83.99. I know that seems like a lot, but if you break it down it’s $6.99 a month and that honestly is not very much money. They have a great money back guarantee if you decide for any reason YNAB is not for you they will give you a refund, no questions asked.
YNAB really helped Aaron and I understand how to make our money work for us and it really ended a lot of fights and frustration. Come bill time we actually get excited to put all our info in the app and watch our bills get paid and still have money left over. We have really seen the light at the end of the debt tunnel thanks to YNAB.
Hand Made by Melissa K. Norris
Melissa K. Norris is one of my favorite bloggers. She actually is one of my inspirations that helped me get the courage to start my own blog. That being said she also is an amazing writer, knowledgeable homesteader, and teacher of traditional living skills.
Melissa lives on a homestead in the Pacific Northwest, near where her family settled over 100 years ago. She and her family raise cattle, pigs, and chickens. She has a large garden where she grows a variety of produce for her family. And on top of that, she successfully manages a blog, records a weekly podcast called Pioneering Today, writes great books, runs Pioneering Today Academy, and spends time with her family. That’s pretty dang amazing!
Her book Hand Made is part memoir, cookbook, and herbal. Melissa has a way of writing where you can really visualize the stories she tells of growing up in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. There are some really wonderful recipes she shares that were passed down to her by her grandmother and mother. This book helps you return to a simpler way of life where you’ll be able to turn your home into a refuge from the chaos of the modern world.
Mandala Yarn By Lion Brand Yarns
When I discovered Mandala yarn by Lion Brand, it was love at first crochet. It is a well-made yarn in cake form that is lightweight (3), 100% acrylic, 590 yds, and has many colorways to choose from.
I was thrilled when I discovered that it didn’t have all the color bleed a lot of other cake yarns tend to have. It is surprisingly soft. I have used it on many different projects; such as hats, blankets, and shawls. I love that it is a great multi-purpose yarn. Mandala is a definite staple in my yarn stash!
Flirty Aprons
Aprons are back y’all! Honestly, I don’t know why they ever left. I remember my mother wore aprons whenever she cooked and then somewhere after the third child she stopped. I actually went the majority of my housewife life without using one. Then, last year I noticed a lot of my favorite shirts had oil stains on them from cooking. That was when I found Flirty Aprons cause dang it if I was gonna wear an apron, it better be pretty!
Flirty Apron is a great company that sells beautiful retro-style women’s aprons as well as men’s and children’s styles. Their prices can’t be beat. And the shipping on my order was super fast!
Their website is full of great products and they sell tons of other amazing home goods besides aprons. Overall I really love the aprons I’ve purchased from Flirty Aprons and can’t wait to try some of their other items.
What Discoveries Await Us Next?
I hope you enjoyed this month’s edition of Barb’s 5 faves. If you’ve tried anything from my 5 faves email us and let us know what you thought. We’d love to hear from you! I look forward to bringing you more of my findings in the future. And I hope to continue helping you live a life less complicated. God Bless!
lynne rogers says
June 21 at 8:44 amGood information enjoyed reading your blog. went to the blog you followed and am interested in reading her books. Keep up the good work
Amy says
July 2 at 4:10 amNice post. I have always had an apron in my kitchen. Once a guest said he thought it was unlike me since he saw me as a feminist. My answer was – that’s silly, what does having a clean shirt have to do with being a feminist?
Barb says
July 2 at 11:51 amI find it weird that my generation and the new generations don’t use them. They are an absolute lifesaver! Let’s bring em back! 🙂
Jeri says
July 11 at 7:33 pmMy Mom and I still wear Aprons! I have made several through the years. I make them for seasons, holidays, special occasions and I even make garden aprons. I feel naked without it on, especially if I am cooking or cleaning. I love to wear my garden apron when I mow the lawn, so as I pick up obstacles I can just put them in my pockets. I just found your blog and love what I have read so far!
Aaron & Barb says
July 11 at 7:58 pmThank you so much Jeri! We love new readers! I hope to pass on the value of a good apron to my daughter. Like I said in the post, I really don’t know why my mom stopped wearing them. But I’m so glad I found them again, I have saved so many shirts by wearing them. Great idea about the garden apron! Of course, I could use one to collect eggs as well. We’re still a semi-new blog, but have big plans to help our readers with great freebies and tips on all things traditional living! Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up on all the future info. 🙂