Everyone has their go-to products, books, music, food, etc. We thought it would be fun to share our current favorites in a monthly series. What we’re listening to, reading, eating, buying, and anything else we want to share that we think you would like!
So, let’s kick it off with our best of January!

Ellyn
The one artist I have been listening to on REPEAT this month is The Highwomen. They are a country music group composed of Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires. They formed in 2019 as a female supergroup creating homage to the legendary Highwaymen country supergroup that consisted of Johnny Cash, Waylon, Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson. The group has also advocated for more representation of women artists on country music radio, and I think that is just so neat. Their vibe is incredible, and I am obsessed with their sound! Two of my favorite songs of theirs are “Crowded Table” and “Redesigning Women”. I resonate with “Crowded Table” because it explains my goal and dreams for the future – creating a welcoming home that has a spot for everyone at the table. And “Redesigning Women” is a tribute to the women who embrace many roles – one I think a lot of us can relate to in this day and age. Check out their music through this link on Spotify now! 

I am an avid podcast fan and listen to a variety on the daily while I work or am in the car driving. My favorite probably has to be Crime Junkie, but a friend of mine on Instagram, Natalie Kovarik, shared a must-listen podcast episode on her blog a couple weeks ago. The Dirty Truth About Passion with Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs. Sadly, I think our world has forgotten about those dirty jobs that honestly keep the wheels turning in our society. Just because it’s dirty, does not mean it’s not an art. Find something that no one is doing or a direction no one is going, and go that direction. “Embrace the suck.” – Mike Rowe

One of my goals for 2022 was to read more (which to be honest, January was kind of a flop for me in working towards that goal) but there is one newsletter I always read twice a week called Magnetic Ag. It’s a curated news source focusing on hot topics in agribusiness, ag policy, and agtech insights sent out on Tuesdays and Fridays. Magnetic Ag is a short read that helps me stay in the know about current happenings in agriculture. If you’re interested in signing up to receive the newsletter yourself, use my referral link here to subscribe!

My last “best of” item for January is something that has become a pretty regular part of my morning routine and is quite delicious. My favorite breakfast lately has been a breakfast sandwich that consists of a lightly toasted skinny everything bagel, a light shmear of whipped cream cheese, a slice of deli ham, a fried egg, and a little shredded cheese. *Chef’s kiss* It is easy, but so yummy and helps me fix up (what can be) a bland egg! Click on the picture below to grab my favorite set of fry pans I use every single day!

Jess
Something Ben and I make sure we do each night with our kids is read. It’s the final moment in our bedtime routine to help calm down, unwind and connect with them. There is always one series that is a sure winner in our house: Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle. Savannah loved these books when she was three, and now Bryce is obsessed with them, too. If you have never read them, the main character is a sweet and trusty little blue truck. Other characters include his “good friend toad” and the most adorable farm animals. We have just about every book in the collection, except for Little Blue Truck’s Valentine book, but I’m fairly certain Bryce’s Mimi is giving it to him for Valentine’s Day. Don’t worry Mimi, I won’t tell him. 😉

This next favorite that I will list is a bit of an indulgence, but on the rare occasion that I pick up groceries on my own I like to swing through Mocha Monkey in our nearby town, Waconia, to grab their hot zebra mocha. As we’ve mentioned before, we live in Minnesota and it gets quite cold this time of year, but this definitely helps warm me up! 

My last recommendation is a new favorite of mine as I take it everywhere with me! It’s the H2O Capsule water bottle. A goal of mine this year has been to increase hydration. I think we all know that drinking water is good for you, but I tend to forget and when I’m at school I don’t always have extra time to fill up again (or use the restroom, but that’s a whole other problem.) I really like it because it is big, comes with a carrying strap (since I always have so many school bags), and it’s floral! 😍

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Hopefully you enjoyed our best of January! We look forward to sharing more of our “favorites” in the coming months. Make sure to enter your email below in order to subscribe and get our monthly favorites sent right to your inbox!

Rooted in ag and led by faith,

Ellyn & Jess