Four Favorites in June

I know, I know. I completely skipped over my four favorites for May.

That’s not the worst of it, though. I also missed this blog’s anniversary.

Again.

I haven’t remembered one year, in fact.

Mid-summer rolls around and I think — Oh, that’s right. I started this blog in May of 2008. I forget. Every time. 

I’m back on track now, though. And so far this summer I have encountered some really great stuff. A coffee subscription service, a book I know you know about but that you should still read, a blog that inspires me and a lavender ranch. 

In case, you are new around here, my monthly (or sort of monthly) Four Favorites is where I share my favorite finds in the form of a brand, a book, a blog and a (travel) break.

Brand

I have to be honest. I’ve not been all that into subscription food and drink services. It’s not because I don’t like them. It’s more because we have moved around so much the past few years that having something delivered regularly to our home would be a headache. I feel like I update our address with enough places as it is!

That being said, I may have found one that has changed my mind — White Tale Coffee. 

I don’t consider myself a coffee snob, but I know a good cup. Traveling to Jamaica several times and living in Brazil will do that to a person. I like high quality coffee. And considering it is a global product, I want those beans to trace back to good farmer support and farming practices. 

White Tale Coffee’s website says they bring people closer to their coffee. They tell the story from behind the perfect cup. If you go to their blog, you can read about some of the farmers and then buy that farm’s coffee right there on the site. 

They have several subscription options. Some you can choose your coffee and others are pre-selected. They sent me a sample box to try and we have loved it around here. You can see the varieties in the image above. Each has unique characteristics and I have really enjoyed working my way through them. 

If interesting coffees with a story are your thing (and it should be), this is such a great option. 

Book

I am way late to the party on this book, but I have to mention it because if you haven’t read it, it’s time to. Wild was a huge hit in the movie theater, but you know how movies and books go. 

Actually I am the opposite of most people. Every one I know says read the book, then see the movie.

No way. 

When I do that I spend the entire movie saying — wait, that’s not how it happened! It makes the movie completely unenjoyable. But if I watch the movie first, I can enjoy it for what it is. Then I read the book and get the real story. 

I know I relate to this book, Wild:  From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed, because we now live 30 miles from Sequoia National Park. Our interests in hiking and camping have drastically increased. We have plans to hike the John Muir Trail. Eventually. It’s been postponed a bit due to the recent move and house purchase. There are too many plans to mention them all here. 

But despite where you are coming from, if you have the tiniest bit of interest in nature, if you have had any sort of bumpy road that has been made better by lingering in the forest, you will enjoy this. On top of that, it’s just really great writing. 

So if you have not made your way through a copy yet, I highly recommend it. 

Blog

I have been the worst at keeping up with my favorite blogs for the past few months. I do manage to hop into feedly about once a week to do a quick catch up. I have to admit it is affecting my creativity and inspiration. I need to witness others being creative to spark my own new ideas.

I read all the blogs on my list these days mostly for the photography. I am so inspired by beautiful photos. 

A month or so ago, I started asking around to see if folks on my social channels had some favorite blogs outside of the U.S. I’ve really been lacking in international inspiration since we haven’t been traveling abroad much lately. 

That led me to Berlin-based blogger, Marta Greber, and the blog What Should I Eat For Breakfast Today? I have been loving the original recipes and the stunning food photos interwoven with lifestyle shots. There are also some really great travel guides for Berlin and Barcelona. It is one to follow for sure. 

Break

Back in May we took a road trip that we’d put off for far too long. We hopped in the car and did a bit of a NorCal brewery tour with the prime destination being Sierra Nevada in Chico. I’ll have a recap of that trip up on my travel blog soon, but I wanted to tell you about an unexpected stop. 

As we were driving just a few miles outside of Chico, some beautiful purple landscape caught our attention. It turns out, it was the Lavender Ranch. We managed to drive by during the few weeks that the lavender is bloom. 

Much of the lavender here goes to essential oils, but they do have a shop with lots of products.  I made sure to bring home all of those of the food variety – culinary lavender, lavender sugar, lavender salt and lavender honey. 

They offer tours, but having found the place by accident we weren’t prepared and showed up about a half hour before the tour of the day with no option of sticking around until it started. 

They were nice enough to let me sneak back to the lavender to snap a few photos. Seriously breathtaking.  Such a beautiful place. It is definitely worth a stop if you happen to find yourself outside of Chico, Calif.