Yesterday was a full day—not busy in a frantic way, but satisfying.

The morning started in the usual way: getting the kids ready for school. My husband was home for the day, which made everything run more smoothly. Our youngest was extra excited—she had a field trip! Once everyone was out the door, I took a few minutes to transfer the cooled white chicken chili into freezer bags and stash them away. There’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing a row of homemade meals tucked into the freezer.

After that, I got dinner going early in the Instant Pot on slow cooker mode. I messed it up a bit (I put the broccoli in at the beginning … oops!), but it was edible. More importantly, I learned something new for next time. I also fed my sourdough starter. It’s almost ready for baking!

Later in the morning, I had a dentist appointment and then came home and puttered around, knocking out a few chores. But the real joy came when I got to plant herb seeds in my new seed starting tray—basil, chives, oregano, and thyme. It felt like the first true step toward growing this season’s kitchen garden.

Later, I snuck in some sewing and called some family before joining the family for dinner. After the kids were settled and the kitchen was clean(ish), I dug into a project I’ve been thinking about for a while: turning a fake succulent display into a real one. Last night, I finally gutted the artificial arrangement and started planning how to give it new life with real soil and real plants. It’s a small thing, but it feels so symbolic—swapping the fake for something living.

I can’t wait to see what today has in store!