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This is one of my favorite photos. Michael took it in Aruba about 5 years ago. It is actually of a 3-inch space on within the volcanic rock of the Arikok National Park (which covers about 60% of the island). The white in this photo is sun dried sea salt that was left after the water that splashed up on the surface evaporated. And yes, I tried it and it was good. My current SaltWorks collection which includes Sea salt , Himalayan salt , Sel Gris , Flake , and Fleur de Sel Talking about salt feels a bit like a Goldilocks situation where sometimes you read about consuming too much salt, and other times you don't have enough. This story will not cover the health benefits (and negative effects) of salt but more about how picking the right salts can help enhance the flavor profile whatever you are cooking or the meals you are eating. Like most of you, growing up, there was one main store-bought table salt in the house. You know, the one that says, "this salt supplies iodine, a necessary nutrient". As a side note, while probably not required as much now, there was a part of the country in the US that had illnesses related to a lack of iodine back in the 1920's which is the reason why it was added. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "Start with a clean palate. Place a few salt crystals on your tongue, close your eyes, and let the flavors melt. Notice the texture profile and complex taste. Season throughout the cooking process, then finish with a flaky salt to add depth and texture, elevating your sensory experience." In addition to the table salt, some households like mine also had Kosher salt. That was it, just 2 salt varieties to add to your food. Himalayan salt  from SaltWorks For years, especially when we were first married, this was the only 2 salts we had in our kitchen. At some point in time, we either bought or received as a gift, salt and pepper grinders. Using these grinders made the food taste better so we started to incorporate it more and more into our daily cooking and meals. I think we started out with sea salt and over time also started using Himalayan pink salt as well. Nothing changed in our use of the grinders and the sea/Himalayan salts we were using for about 10-15 years. These salts became our standard way of cooking and eating but we never had a favorite or was brand loyal. The assumption was as long as we were not using the table salt, we were good. Review Of Specialty Salts and Cooking Blocks A few years ago, I started a quest to upgrade our salts. I started reading about finishing salts (salts that you sprinkle on your meal just before eating) which gives the food flavors an extra pop. SaltWorks  finishing salts- Sel Gris , Flake ,  and Fleur de Sel After doing lots of research, I landed on the company, SaltWorks , which when I went on their website was surprised to see that I had actually used their products once before buying a salt grinder from a local retail store year's prior. I started with buying their Sea salt and Himalayan salt and then extended my purchases to also include specialty salts, which are often called finishing salts, including Sel Gris (French grey sea salt) used for meats, Flake salt (which I use for eggs and guacamole; typically used as well for anything that calls for Kosher salt), and Fleur de Sel (which I use on caprese and cookies). Saltverk Lava salt (great on eggs) We have also been venturing into some other salts (it's like a whole new world of options and can be a full-time job in and of itself tasting all of the varieties and brands). However, two that have made an impact to us are Saltverk Lava salt which is hand harvested from Iceland and Maine sea salt from Slack Tide Maine (picture below). While I haven't tried it yet, I think my next purchase will be their Maine Blueberry Sea Salt as I also love Maine Blueberries (which are smaller and more flavorful than regular blueberries). This is Michael's salt block that he uses for his smoker. The other salt item I want to share is a salt block . This was a Christmas gift from last year that has been such a fan favorite in my household, I had to get a second one to fit all of the food we were cooking on it. If you haven't tried a salt block yet, you don't know what you are missing. It gives a great even profile and subtle flavor of salt across the entire meat or veggie you are cooking on. There is some care that needs to be taken when heating it up (slowly) and cleaning afterwards, but the food tastes incredible. We use it on our grill and cook it at the same length of time we would for anything on the grill itself. Slack Tide Maine Flake salt Just a point to note, when we use the salt block or the finishing salts, I use little to no sea or Himalayan salts when cooking. I don't know if there are any specific rules about using or not using it, I just find that if I use both, the salt taste is overpowering. I hope you try some of these salt options to elevate your sensory experience with your meals. What are some of your favorites? Start Your Own Salt Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your own salt sensory experience, I’ve listed my favorite flakes below. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

5:10 am sunrise on Cadillac Mountain on Acadia National Park, Maine (which is just outside of Bar Harbor). The air was crisp in the July morning. Following the sunrise, Mary Beth and I headed into town and had a delicious pancake breakfast with Maine maple syrup. Disclaimer: This post reflects my personal productivity routine and is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a professional before making significant changes to your diet or health routine. This story is a bit like building LEGO as every topic was a building block for the next. It started with many of the topics I shared from previous posts such as The Shift Away From Processed Sugar , Why Prioritizing Physical Health Is The Ultimate Long Term Strategy , and Blue Zone Inspired Smoothie with Black Beans and Garbanzo . From those building blocks, I shared my TEDx Talk, wrote some LinkedIn posts, and then created a Udemy course. This is the story of how I decided to create my Udemy course. A few years ago, I had two overlapping jobs at the company I was working for. I had just started a role in January and in June, I took on a different role, but I couldn't fully exit the first role until they hired my replacement. This lasted until the end of the year. It was the busiest I had ever been in my career. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "Reclaim your childhood sense of freedom when you leave your phone behind to jump into the water." As I had time to reflect following the turn of the next year, I realized I was highly productive, keeping the same pace and productivity all day long, regardless of if it was 8:00 am, 1:00 pm, or 6:00 pm. This pace and productivity didn't just last one day or one week, but for months. I wasn't tired nor was I burned out, two things I unfortunately had experienced in the past. At the same time of this reflection, my alma mater, Bryant University had just sent out applications for its TEDxBryantU program, with the theme being Reboot x Refresh. I always thought it would be great to share some of the building blocks that allowed me to reach this sustained productivity and participating as a TEDx speaker would be very cool to be a part of. After being accepted to speak, I spent months curating the right message and then working on my speech. The topics I cover include sleep, taking vacations, managing distractions, and confidence. You can watch the TEDx Talk below. Hopefully from watching the talk, you can see that I have a passion for helping people and educating where I can, with the balance of not being too preachy, which I get sometimes with my immediate family. Following the TEDx Talk, I created a series of blog posts on LinkedIn on the same topics, and as it turns out, I found a love of writing which ultimately turned into this lifestyle blog website. As well, a few years ago I was an adjunct professor at Bryant University. I taught for 3 years and loved it, only having to give it up due to my travel schedule at the time. Sometime in the future, I hope to go back to it but in the meantime, I just spent the last semester as a student advisory to an International Business capstone course. That was a great experience as I got to help students without having to grade papers! Putting all of these topics together, with my personal experience in maintaining a high level of productivity, my TEDx Talk, the LinkedIn blog posts, and then the teaching experience, I thought it was time to create a course on Udemy, which is now merging with Coursera. Building this course offered another set of new challenges for me, everything from putting myself on camera, to building a course that would actually be helpful to others for them to buy. As I learned with this site, along with a few other prior not so successful ventures, marketing the offering is just as important as the content itself. For this course, I honestly didn't do a great job promoting it but do have 5 stars across a small number of people who have taken the course. The basis of the course is the following: Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and stuck in a fog by 2 PM? Welcome to "Invest in Yourself," the practical guide to reclaiming your energy and elevating your performance. The goal is to Master Sleep, Hydration, and Focus to Eliminate Burnout and Achieve Peak Performance in Personal & Professional Life, to achieve high performance productivity. Here are some of my thoughts on each of the topics to achieve High Performance Productivity: How Quality Sleep Boosts Productivity and Performance We have all heard statements from experts as well as our parents, "you need 8 hours of sleep a night". I know some of you may require less but most of us need to be close to that 8-hour mark. However, as much as we hear the 8-hour target, do you invest in your sleep? You invest in other things like the stock market but what about investing in your sleep? Do you have a quality mattress, comfortable pillow and good sheets?   Drink Water to Boost Energy, Focus, and Productivity For me, here is my approach (and I am better in the work week than the weekend). I drink a glass of water when I get up, 1 after my walk, 1 after a 15-minute calisthenic type exercise, 1 while making my tea, maybe a 1/2 during the 4 hours of work in the morning, 1 at lunch, maybe the other 1/2 during the afternoon, 2 at dinner and 1 while watching TV. I have also started putting some lemon in my water at times during the day which I enjoy.   Finding Clarity Through Walking For as long as I can remember in my professional career, I would walk at least a few days a week before work. I do remember in my 30's though, there were some days when I just didn't feel like it and would wake up to a much longer hot shower than normal and bypass the walk. I thought it did the same thing, but I was wrong. When I walked, it was a brisk 15-minute pace around my neighborhood which consisted of a pretty big hill for half of the 3/4 mile (1.2 kilometer) trip providing me mental clarity and focus for the day.   How Lighting Boosts Productivity and Focus I would encourage you to do your research (and there is a lot of it out there) on what the best lighting is for you. To help you get started, I will share what I did. When I started working in my home office, I always tried to sit facing the window. Unfortunately, the way my basement is set up, my window is underneath my porch and doesn't provide a lot of natural light. Couple that with all the trees in my backyard, it is not as bright as I would like it to be. As a result, I have to augment my office with my own lighting. I outfitted my 4 lights (2 overhead and 2 behind me on the wall) with the brightest "daylight" light I could find at the store.   The Ten-Minute Phone Free Walk Practice How can we disconnect? First, you have to make the mental shift that the world is not going to come to an end if you are not connected to your phone. I know this is really, really, really hard but I am sure you already disconnect and don't even know it, maybe when you jumped in the pool or ocean this summer, or even the shower each day. We are all so protective of our phones, not just because of the need to be connected, but because they are so expensive and we don't want to get them ruined with water and thus, we willingly break the connection with the phone to go into the water. In the course, I teach you how to replicate that sense of freedom without needing a swimming pool! Start Your Own Personal Productivity Experience If you are ready to reclaim your focus, energy, and productivity, I would love for you to join me. Below are the details to get started. For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

This story isn't for everyone, especially if you live in a warm weather climate like my friend Bob. Actually, I may be wrong. If you live in a warm weather location but travel periodically to a cold weather destination, this story may actually be for you as well. Me with my Cotopaxi Fuego winter jacket For clarification, I am going to use the word coat and jacket interchangeably Cotopaxi Fuego review. I did research and there is a general difference (jackets are shorter and typically lighter weight), but it's not relevant to this story. When I was a kid, I probably had one or two jackets/coats at most. One was a lightweight jacket for the fall and then a heavy coat for the winter. Then everything changed when I got married. Mary Beth's family, specifically her mother, loved coats. That also meant Mary Beth loved coats too and my closet of two was just not going to cut it. Over the years, I think I have had every type of jacket and coat you can imagine. For purposes of this story, the focus will be on the winter coats. I had a trench coat and raincoat for work as that is what you did when you went into New York City for work in the winter. I also had a ski jacket which was big, puffy, and bulky. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "When the snow begins to fall, step outside and close your eyes. Listen to the silence, as each individual snowflake insulating the world around you. Breathe deep, letting the cold air and stillness ground you." As time went on, more and more jackets and coats filled our closets. I now have lightweight jackets for fall, rain, wind, and coats for cold, really cold, and really, really cold weather. A few years ago, I did donate my trench coat and raincoat as I just wasn't wearing them anymore (they also felt a bit old as felt like I was living in the 1960's on the show Mad Men). Last year, I wanted to update my outerwear a bit and find a jacket that was warm and lightweight. The technology has improved over the years where I don't need to have a big heavy ski jacket but a nice looking lightweight down jacket. Basically, I wanted to feel like I was a part of this century. Cotopaxi Fuego Review I went shopping to try a bunch of brands on. I think I tried them all and found that the Cotopaxi Fuego Down Hooded Jacket was the right one for me. Outside of the jacket itself, I found that Cotopaxi's core values of sustainability were impressive. As well, they make sure their clothing factories adhere to the UN Global Compact and Principles of Responsible Business . As a disclaimer, Cotopaxi is not a small business but is on the smaller side of some of the more popular outerwear brands. Me again with my Cotopaxi Fuego  jacket The jacket I picked is very comfortable, lightweight, and stylish. What more can you ask for. The thing I love most is its comfort and lightweight design and it is very warm for those cold Boston winter days. Lastly, if you didn't know, Cotopaxi (koh-toh-PAHK-see) is one of the world's highest active volcanoes, located in Ecuador. If you are interested in discovering what Cotopaxi has to offer, check out the link below. 2 Month Update During a recent trip to North Conway, New Hampshire, the temperature was negative 2 degrees with a windchill of negative 15 degrees. Mary Beth, Michael, and I took a trip up the Cog Railway, which is the only railroad in the world that goes straight up the mountain. During the winter, it only goes up part way Mount Washington (during the summer it goes to the summit). It was so cold that Michael’s hot chocolate froze. Mount Washington, NH, which is known as having the worst weather in the world. For example, around 100 days per year, the summit gets hurricane force winds and has a record wind chill of -108 degrees Fahrenheit. The amazing thing about this photo is the entire area got 2 feet of snow the week prior but the only real snow you can see is on Mount Washington. I learned two things during this trip, both being in town and on Mount Washington. First my Cotopaxi Fuego jacket was perfect. It kept me very warm and was very lightweight as I shared in my original writing above. Second, I realized the hat I was wearing was just not sufficient. Following the trip, we went to visit a few outdoor stores, and I went searching for a beanie. I looked at all of them across multiple stores. I felt them for thickness, material feel, and the band strength (basically is it going to stretch out). I was excited to find that the Cotopaxi Alto Beanie met all my criteria. I was really excited after trying it on that it actually kept my ears warm with a combination of the material and the band strength, giving a nice snug feeling. I wore it for the rest of the weekend, and it will now be my first choice for these cold New England days. Start Your Own Down Jacket (and Beanie) Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your own Cotopaxi Fuego Down Hooded Jacket and Beanie Sensory Experience, I’ve shared my current purchases below. Give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

Cover photo by Jess Bailey Holidays? Birthdays? Special Events? Corporate Gifting? Photo by Happy Films Are you struggling to find a special gift to share with a loved one, friend, colleague, or team? Do you remember when you were a kid and you loved rolling down the hill or at the beach jumping when the wave came to shore. Or when you were a teenager blasting your favorite song and even singing along? These were the sensory experiences we enjoyed as kids and lost as adults. I created Rooted & Refined Living to give you the opportunity to find those sensory experiences again. Each story and each featured product is designed to elevate your sensory experience and help bring you back to that feeling of excitement and enjoyment that might have been playing hide and seek since you were a kid. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   " In a world of mass-produced goods, I believe in the Rooted & Refined Living standard. Every product featured on this site is personally used by my family and me to create an elevated sensory experience. " For the last few years, I have purchased some of these items as gifts to my team members during the holiday season. With each gift, I try to offer a story that creates the same passion from my personal use to elevate their sensory experience. To help you with a sensory gift guide for your special someone, team, or event for any occasion, here is a list of my top suggestions for exceptional gift recommendations. For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself. Experience the Best Sensory Gift Guide for 2026 I will continue to add more products as I publish the stories. As well, I would love to hear about your gifting experience. Please share in the comment section below.

This was by far the best tour I have ever been on. Me standing next to a cacao pod at Lydgate Farms in Kauai, Hawaii Let me start from the beginning. Every year since Mary Beth and I have been married; we took a vacation. The year before we decided to have kids, we decided to take a trip to Aruba, in part because I wanted to have the Caribbean experience, which we didn't get in Hawaii on our honeymoon. I was hoping for the crystal blue water where you can walk out for what feels like miles and you are only up to your knees. That trip, we bought a Marriott timeshare in Aruba, and as it turns out, as I was prepping Mary Beth not to get too excited when we went on the timeshare tour, I was the first one jumping out of my seat to buy in. Maybe I will post about Aruba and our Marriott timeshares on another post, but this story will ultimately land on a Cacao tour in Kauai, Hawaii. For 20 (and soon to be 21 years) we have been going to Aruba on our Marriott timeshare and built so many memories from it. Outside of Aruba, we stayed local during the pandemic heading to Rhode Island and twice we made it to Hawaii, trading our Aruba weeks. The first trip was to Oahu and the Big Island, which officially is called Hawaii but is often referred to as the Big Island to differentiate it from the state itself and the collection of other islands. We loved the Big Island and got to try white pineapples for the first time (which will be another post at some point). The second time around, we wanted to give the kids a different Hawaiian experience which was in Kauai. This was one of the islands Mary Beth and I went to on our honeymoon, now 27 years ago. Kauai is an amazing island full of waterfalls, lush tropical rainforests, and the world-famous Nā Pali Coast. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "Immerse yourself in the sensory experience by touring local farms to understand the history and terroir behind the harvest. There is a greater appreciation gained when you witness the love and care taken of a local farmer firsthand." Kauai Chocolate Farm Tour As we started to do our research, which as it turns out we didn't act quick enough to book the tube ride down the mountain, we did book some amazing tours, including Nā Pali Coast Sea Caves Raft Expedition from Nā Pali Riders, which was amazing, and a very close second to my favorite tour of all time, Lydgate Farms Chocolate Farm Tour. From my first story I shared 6 months ago, Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate Review: The Intersection of Art and Flavor , you know I love craft dark chocolate. When I saw that Kauai had a cacao farm and they offered tours, I figured this might be my only time when I get to visit an actual farm and see how they grow the cacao pods due to the location that cacao pods grow (which is known as the Cacao Belt or Cocoa Belt, which is 20 degrees north and south of the equator). We asked all of our kids who wanted to join us on this Kauai chocolate farm tour, especially now as they are older and can decide which activities they want to join us for or not. Not surprising, Michael, who is our foodie kid, jumped at the chance to join us. We booked the tour and now we had to wait for the summer to come (roughly 6 months from the time we booked). From start to finish, this tour was incredible. Not only was I genuinely excited about the opportunity to experience what I loved most, craft dark chocolate, this tour went above and beyond. Initial flowers budding that will develop into a cacao pod. As soon as we got there, they offered us to sit in a small area where they did their first introductions. While we were waiting, they had us crack Macadamia nuts and drink some Cacao chocolate. When we sat down, they offered us Apple bananas (sometimes referred to as a candy apple banana), which are native to the area and smaller than a traditional banana by about half the size and sweeter. Mind you, we tasted three amazing foods, and we didn't even start the tour! Cacao pod in mid development After the introduction about the tour and overview of the farm, they brought us down to the Cacao trees. They talked about how they are grown, offering us the ability to look at the pods when they are in their infancy all the way to full grown. The interesting thing was that Cacao trees have been hit recently with some disease around the world but their farm was relatively insulated as they also grow many other fruits (for fun as they don't sell them) and this splits the attention of a potential disease not to affect their Cacao trees (that is my non-technical description of what happened). Peppercorns from a pepper plant. Then we ventured off to another part of the farm where they walked us down past dragon fruit plants and peppercorns on the pepper plant. They offered that we could taste the peppercorns right from the plant. I took advantage of that opportunity as well as I wasn't sure I would ever get to taste peppercorns right from the plant. Yup, it was as good as you can imagine. After tasting the peppercorns, they led us into the chocolate tasting area. We didn't start with the chocolate but tasting some of the other fruit they grow on the farm but don't sell. This included dragon fruit, apple bananas, and soursop (yup, I never heard of it either as it doesn't travel well) and my personal favorite, white pineapples, which are sweeter and juicier than regular pineapples (and about 4x more expensive). We started with the guide taking a mature cacao pod and splitting it in two. After pulling it apart and seeing the beans strung together in their original form, the guide had us try one. We first sucked on the fruit which was the white fleshy part but had to then wait. From there, we broke apart our beans with our teeth to see the inside of the bean. We ate the outer edge of the bean and were left with the nibs, which I started adding to my smoothies, acai bowls, and ice cream. The guide shared the entire process of how they go from pod to bean to craft dark chocolate. Mary Beth, Michael, and me (left) on our Chocolate tour at Lydgate Farms. Wait, you thought we were done. Nope. We then tasted 10 different chocolates to get a feel for what each would taste like. Five where from Lydgate Farms and 5 were from other manufactures including one popular store brand. I was fascinated to learn that the popular store brand dark chocolate has less cacao (45% or so) then the milk chocolate version of a craft chocolate maker (usually 55% or so). So even milk chocolate from a craft chocolate maker gives you a better sensory based experience in taste than the popular store brands. Time to wrap it up. Nope. We then moved to the honey tasting area. They also offer a honey tour which we didn't do where you get to interact with the bees wearing the protective suits and all. Maybe on my next trip, we can experience that tour. Lydgate Farms offers three different types of honey we which were able to taste as well. We loved the Lehua Blossom Honey and bought some for the trip home. I also plan on writing a story on their honey as well at some point. Our last stop was to a small popup stand on their farm where they were offering their farm grown products for sale. Of course, we had to buy some. Start Your Own Chocolate Sensory Experience If you have a passion for chocolate, honey, maybe consider yourself a foodie, or just want an amazing tour, this is the place to elevate your sensory experience. Book today and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself. Enjoy!

This post is for anyone looking to start their own side hustle, or specifically, looking to help their kids start their own side hustles. Michael standing at the top of some rocks after a hike in Acadia National Park A few years ago, I started my first blog site, Bringing Hobbes To Life. It was a play on words from my favorite comic strip growing up, Calvin and Hobbes, and the word hobbies, which both my boys, Matthew and Michael, created businesses from. I documented the process we went through to start the businesses. While the website is no longer active, I printed out each of the blogs before I shut it down and had saved them in a filing cabinet. With the help of AI, I scanned them into a file and then had pulled the text out. I made a few grammatical updates, but these two posts (Part 1 and Part 2) are all in their original form. As a disclaimer, these posts were accurate at the time of publish, about 5 years ago. The costs and fees from sites like eBay are now meant to be directional and educational, not factually accurate today. About Almost 30 years ago when I was I high school, I had my first interest in starting my own business but could never figure out what I wanted to sell. As high school passed, and then college and work and family, the idea of a business just never materialized. Then a few years ago, my oldest son Matthew wanted to make extra money (at the time he was 14) and started selling LEGO mini figures on eBay. Then my middle son Michael started selling his photography at local craft fairs when he turned 14.  Both were very successful and as of this initial post, have sold over $36,000 with a net profit of over $12,000. In both cases, I shared as much knowledge as I could to help them be successful, all of which I will share in the following post chapters. (Update- Total sales were $60,000+). The posts will share my lessons learned, both the good and the bad of how to start and grow your side hustle. What this is not going to be is a site to start your own business to go public but how to leverage your passion, sell something profitably, and just have fun. The name of my blog, Bringing Hobbes to Life, has a dual purpose. The phrase is both the idea of taking your hobby and doing something with it and it is in honor of one of my favorite comic strips as a kid, Calvin and Hobbes, where 6-year-old Calvin has many real-life adventures with his stuffed animal tiger, Hobbes. My hope is you find the site helpful. Chapter 1) Finding Your Passion- Start a Side Hustle Your passion is something you probably like doing already. For example, do you like to cook, organize, build, fix, write, create, draw, shop, design, or have a specific style that is unique? Picking a side hustle can be a product you create (baking cupcakes) or buying and reselling (clothes) or a service you offer (resume writing). Engage the advice of family and friends. The people closest to you may have ideas for you to get started, and they may even be willing to help out! Matthew getting his first shipment of LEGO sets to break apart and resell. As early as I can remember, my dad was sharing tips with me on business related items such as learning about income statements, making decisions and strategic planning. I took those lessons and have enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) a career in sales and now sales management helping others succeed. I will focus my posts based on what I learned helping my two boys start their own businesses. They started from scratch and built profitable and successful businesses for them to earn money. Now it can be your turn. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "Follow the lead of your child." About My Family I have been happily married to my wife Mary Beth for 21 years and have three kids. Our oldest Matthew has three passions in life- Star Wars, Marvel and LEGO. Our middle son, Michael, took an early interest in nature photography and also loves WWII history. Emma doesn't have an interest in starting her own business (yet) but loves interior design. Passion Matthew started selling post cards on eBay after getting a few lessons from his Uncle Mike who gave him a box of post cards to get started. Matthew spent hours on my eBay account posting one card after the next selling them for $.50 to $1.00. After getting a few sales Mike moved him up to selling books and he also made a few sales doing that. As he was selling both post cards and books, This is what Matthew's LEGO area typically looks like. Matthew started to list and sell some of his LEGO mini figures. It turns out they sold pretty quick, but he also quickly ran out of mini figures of his own he wanted to sell.  One day we were driving to a Salvation Army store looking for used books for him to sell, and as we were leaving the store he complained about how much trouble it was selling books, with issues around having to box them up and go to the post office (which became my job) as they sometimes didn't fit in the mailbox. He sat in the car and said "I just want to sell LEGO mini figures. You don't need to worry about them breaking in the mail and I can leave them for the mail carrier to pick up in our mailbox at our house". So from that point forward he started selling LEGO and ultimately creating his own blog site, Summerfields Toys (which is no longer active). Michael had a different business trajectory. He always had a creative eye for taking photos, usually at the point of view of very low to the ground and would go around taking pictures with my camera (and his own). At the age of 11, He got a small point and shoot camera and joined the photography club in middle school. He would also take some pictures during family vacations.  Mary Beth and I picked out a few of his pictures and made coasters out of them for our family room table and a friend of Mary Beth's commented on the photos and how unique they were. She suggested we go and sell at this large local craft fair called stART of the Street in Worcester, MA. So we took some time to pick out about 30 photos, went to a local store, Westboro Art and Frame, and they helped us narrow down to about 10 pictures we printed for sale. We did some research on selling photography at craft fairs and 3 years ago, he sold his first pictures to non-family members validating to him that his eye for taking pictures was a talent to develop. Michael's photos are on display at Slice of Heaven cafe in Jamestown, RI As for me, I always wanted to start my own business growing up but could never find the right product to sell. As it turns out, helping our boys start their own business helped me satisfy that itch, and had the great benefit of spending great time with them. I also am leveraging the editing skills of my dad so this has become a full circle family side hustle. Chapter 2) Start Small with Little to No Monetary Investment Test your idea by starting small. Can you sell or create something from the contents in your home? Big ideas can start small. Even if your plans are grand, think how you can sell a few items to start and see how it goes. Borrow from your parents (if you are a kid looking to start out). Parents, make sure you pay your kids the profit right away to keep their interest. After Matthew decided that he wanted to sell LEGO mini figures, we sat down and tried to figure out what to sell. He shared with me that the mini figures can sell, specifically the Star Wars Storm Troopers, which people need to build an army of them. Unfortunately, when you buy a set, it may only come with 2 or 3 storm troopers and to build an army, one would have to buy lots of sets and get other parts they weren't interested in as much. As a result, we bought 5 sets of LEGO 75165, Imperial Trooper Battle Pack. It came with two stormtroopers and two Imperial Death Troopers. He opened all 5 sets and sold the troopers initially in lots of 5, meaning a person would have to buy 3 sets to get 5 troopers. His offer wasn't unique to those who sold LEGO as we would periodically see similar offers on eBay but his was the cheapest. His goal was not to maximize profit but just to make some money and have fun doing it. As the mini figures sold, we started buying more and offering larger lot sizes of 10 and 20. We had a great formula for success until the product was discontinued and he had to look at other ways to sell LEGO. Matthew's initial investment was less than $100 and based on what was selling he was making about 30% profit. Michael getting read for his first craft fair the night before Michael's photography start up costs were a bit more financially expensive. It was recommended that for his initial craft fair, which attracts 30,000-50,000 people he should get two of each picture, with matting and 3 of the photos we framed as 11x14. As we learned pictures are a challenge to sell as the buyer has to have an idea of where they are going to hang it and of course the buyer has to like the photo before buying it. The are now hanging in our house as after 2 years we couldn't sell those at the price worth making any money. We spent about $400 initially to fund his pictures and he sold about $700 worth his first showing, some from family and friends but many from strangers which helped validate that he had a talent that was just starting to materialize. In both cases, we made sure we captured all the costs, including all eBay and PayPal fees for Matthew and the craft fair fees and PayPal fees for Michael. After all costs were documented on a spreadsheet, we paid the boys the profit on each product they sold, not waiting until they sold enough to break even. This was a big motivator for both kids to continue to sell as they were seeing immediate satisfaction. Depending on what you want to sell, your initial investment may vary.  For example, if you are making cupcakes, it may only cost you a few dollars for ingredients. If you are creating a blog site like this one, the costs can range from $50-$500 depending on the option you choose to set up the site. My recommendation is to start as cheap as possible to keep costs as low as you can. Regardless of what you choose to start, make sure you document your costs by item such as cost of flour and to get as granular as possible such as a bag of flour will make 10 dozen cupcakes. Then, take the cost and divide by 10 and that's how much the cost of flour is for you to make 1 dozen cupcakes. This will help greatly in the future to make sure you are selling at a profit. Chapter 3) Setting Up An Online Marketplace Pick the marketplace that fits your product. Selling art and handmade items sell best on Etsy while eBay is great for selling just about anything else. For more advanced users Amazon and Walmart offer marketplaces for general items. Specialty items such as LEGO also sell really well on sites like BrickLink and Brickset. Check to see if there is a specialty marketplace for your product. Pick one marketplace to start and learn as much as you can about it. Each site has its own unique features, benefits, and rules. Understand the costs to sell. Is there a listing fee, how much is the site taking per sale/transaction, etc? Online marketplaces are great as they connect the seller (you) with millions of potential customers. Sites like eBay have close to 200 million registered users on its site with 10's of millions active every day. Michael at his second craft fair in Worcester, MA, stART at the Station (help at the Union Train Station) The key is how do you get started. This section will not review the sign up details but things we experienced as we were starting out on eBay and Etsy. Details matter and making sure each section of your product is filled out is critical. The algorithms (just a fancy word for how the software makes decisions) are based on many factors one of which is did you complete the entire product section with things like color, shipping dimensions, and pictures- don't forget pictures. The better the picture the better your selling experience will be. If you can include more than one picture, it will help your chances of getting higher in the search and give the prospective buyer a better understanding of what you are selling.  The other major thing we have learned, especially pertaining to eBay (but I am sure for the other sites as well) is that engagement matters. It is not the type of platform where you set it up once and just watch the orders come flowing in. You have to be on it constantly, and in my opinion at least once a day in some form to have the algorithm see you are engaged (most social media platforms work in a similar way also). First, I will cover what did not work for us, mainly using the experience of my son Michael in setting up and maintaining his online Etsy store. Michael is the true definition of an artist who only wants to take pictures and has no interest in any other side of the business. The business part is what I enjoy and with my help, I set him up on Etsy. Etsy charges $.20 per listing per quarter or $.80 per year. In all, not that much if you are selling a bunch of items.  The nice thing about Etsy and eBay is you can increase your quantity and still only pay the one listing fee. With handmade or art based items, descriptions are key as the user has to search on a key word that describes your item. For Michael, his business was called touch of nature photography and he had photos and a few we turned into notecards. I played around with the search engine optimization (SEO) words on the Etsy site, but he wasn't getting very many hits. Except one day he got his first and only sale online and it turned out to be a great one.  The sale itself was only $10 for a digital print of a dam in our hometown. However, the person who bought it worked for the Massachusetts State House Library, and it was featured in 2019 in their summer display about Waterways of Massachusetts in the State House in Boston. It will also be archived in the State House library forever. It was a pretty cool and unexpected result from just a $10 sale. However, with that being his only sale, and trying multiple approaches to get his product sold, we opted to pull the listing after a year and focus solely on craft fairs which have turned out to be very successful for him. Michael's photos on display at the Massachusetts State House Library in 2019 Conversely, Matthew has had a tremendous amount of success selling on eBay and the LEGO specific site of BrickLink. Selling LEGO, or any defined product, is a bit easier as there is already a set name and number that people search. Plus there are ways eBay makes it easier to list similar products which copies over all of the relevant data. Another key factor for success is listing the product on eBay as they recommend.  For example, if eBay states the product is best sold at $7.50, if you sell for more than that, it may not sell as well because eBay will put it further down in the search listing. Conversely if you offer it for a lower price, you may get a better chance at selling but may also lose out on potential revenue. My recommendation is to always use what eBay states, at least in the beginning so you can build up your site and customer credibility until you gain the knowledge of what works and what does not. The last thing you absolutely need to understand is the platform fees. eBay recently moved to Managed Payments which ultimately cuts out their partnership with PayPal. In doing so, it costs 12.5% plus $.30 per transaction. The 12.5% is on most products but each selling category (ie toys may be different than books) is different. You may also get charged a listing fee of $.30. I have not seen it recently but when Matthew first started he had to pay listing fees.  As an example, if you sell something for $10.00, it will cost you $1.25 (which is 12.5% of $10.00) plus $.30 for a total of $1.55 just to get started. However, if you sell something for $1.00, it will cost you $.125 plus $.30 for a total of $.425 just to get started plus you have to factor in the cost of the item and if there are any shipping costs and listing fees. This is just a quick overview as I wanted to give you something to think about as you start to plan your selling strategy.  Chapter 4) Understanding Marketplace Costs Understanding selling costs from the marketplaces like eBay and Etsy can be confusing but it is possible to figure out. This blog post will help. We are going to cover just one tip because it is so important to understand and get right. If you miscalculate, you could be losing money on every sale and not know it. My goal is to prevent you from getting into that situation. In this example, I will explain the selling structure of eBay and their new Managed Payments program. The costs that will be outlined are for most products, but you will need to check the actual costs for each item category you are selling.  For example, selling books and toys are in two different categories and as such, the selling costs are different. In most categories including toys which is where Matthew's LEGO sets fall under, the cost of the category is 12.5% plus $.30 per transaction. So if you sell a product for $10.00 it will cost you $1.25 ($10.00 x .125) right? Not quite . eBay charges 12.5% on the total of the sale of the product, the shipping that the buyer paid and the tax that was collected, which varies by state (some states do not charge tax). At the time of this article being written eBay collects tax from 44 states in the US. For us to get the complete picture of how much your sale will cost, let us use the following example costs. For simplicity, we are going to say you are selling something you already own and as a result, the cost of the product is zero. You list and sell the product on eBay for $10.00 and you charge $2.76 for shipping. The buyer also lives in a state where they charge tax of 6% or $.60 ($10.00 x $.06). The total costs can be summarized as follows: Item Cost Product sale $10.00 Shipping cost $2.76 Sales tax $.60 Total cost $13.36 Based on this chart the buyer will pay eBay $13.36. One nice thing about eBay, and I assume all of these marketplace sites, is they collect the tax and pay the government tax on your behalf. This saves the seller a lot of time not having to process and pay sales tax. However, while they take care of the sales tax, they still put it in the calculation when they charge you for the sale of your product. Adding one more column to the chart above, the costs eBay will charge you in their Managed Payments program is as follows: Item eBay fee at 12.5% Cost Product sale $1.25 Buyer's shipping cost $.345 Sales tax $.075 Total cost $1.67 Transaction fee $.30 eBay's fee $1.97 In this specific example, the eBay fee is $1.97 ($13.36 x .125 plus $.30) on a product sale of $10.00 or 19.7% of the product sale. The 19.7% is much different from the 12.5% you might have been expecting and why it's so important to understand the marketplace costs so you don't lose money on the sale. When Matthew first started selling on eBay, we really did not pay attention to the costs. We knew there was a listing fee at the time of $.30 per item when he was selling the post cards but that was about it. Since he was under 18 at the time, the account was in my name and I let him list and sell.  All was going great up until I got a monthly invoice from eBay. It came as a shock to me that I owed eBay $42 and it was automatically deducted from my PayPal account at the time. I quickly started to learn about the costs eBay (and PayPal at the time) charges on each sale and built a spreadsheet to track our progress. I also helped him by building out a second tab that he could input some sample data to identify how much profit he was making on each sale. To continue how to start your own side hustle, or help a child get started, please read chapters 5-9 at Start a Side Hustle: The Family Business Method- Part 2 .

Picture from the Stowe, VT bike path on our 25th Anniversary weekend. Cover photo by Luke Tokaryk I don't think there was a kid growing up that didn't have pancakes with the breakfast syrup's that they sold in the grocery store (unless you lived in Northern New England or Canada where maple trees are abundant). Having pancakes, waffles, or French toast with syrup was a just a way of being a kid. We all had our tradition of where we would put the syrup. Some it would be on a separate plate, others poured right on top. For me, it was on the same dish but off to the side and I would dip into the syrup to get the perfect amount. Box Opening and initial tasting of Smugglers' Notch Maple Works Single Forest Wood Fired Maple Syrup  and Rum Barrel Aged Maple Syrup . Please note, I reference Rye in the video. It was actually Rum. When we moved up to Massachusetts, we started going to the local wholesale club that sold real maple syrup. This became the standard in our household for years. It did get to the point where shortly after transitioning to real maple syrup, I couldn't go back to the breakfast syrup I grew up as a kid (by the way, it's called breakfast syrup because store brands contain little to no maple syrup). I even became a bit of a food snob where when we would go out to breakfast and they didn't have real maple syrup, I would eat my French toast plain vs having to go back to using the breakfast syrups. For years using the wholesale club maple syrup, we never really tried anything else. Sure, we would go to restaurants that offered maple syrup, but we never ventured to try maple syrups from local producers, which is a shame I didn't start this earlier given we live in New England, home to some of the best maple syrups in the world. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "Start with pouring a small amount of maple syrup on a spoon. Notice the rich color and viscosity of the pour. Next, lean in and inhale the aroma of being transported to a maple forest. Slowly taste the syrup, allowing it to rest on your tongue highlighting the notes the Sugarmaker intended." Over the years, we did start to sample the small variety packs of maple syrup and came to really like the Amber flavor, in which the sap is collected in the middle of the harvest season vs. that dark and very dark, which are harvested towards the end. The darker varieties are used more for baking, but some people like it just the same for their pancakes. As we started to learn about the variety differences, we realized our wholesale club syrup was on the dark side and when taste tested against some of the other maple syrups we started to buy, we realized Amber was our preference. This then started us looking for maple syrups in our travels across New England, especially Vermont and New Hampshire. At any given time, we would have 2-3 bottles of maple syrup from different producers, but they all tasted the same to me. I never actually took the time to do a taste test. Forest Mill Farm Maple Syrup This past weekend when Michael was home for Thanksgiving (yes, I am posting this long after writing it), I decided to do a taste test. We had a few bottles from various Vermont and New Hampshire based travels, plus one from Forest Mill Farm in Coventry, CT. This is owned by Kelly Barber and Brian Murray. Me and Brian Murray (right), co-founder of Forest Mill Farm in Coventry, CT Brian used to be a customer of mine when I used to sell to Travelers Insurance. I stopped by his house, and he showed me around as they owned the farm for a few years now and have been doing upgrades ever since. He was nice enough to give me a small bottle which was one of the bottles we used for tasting. It was the Forest Mill maple syrup that prompted me to do the taste test as to me, it had a bit of a woodsy taste to it which I really liked. Unfortunately, they currently don't ship so you have to go to the Coventry farmers market to try it for yourself. We also tried a few others and one that had a similar woodsy profile that Michael and I both liked was from Ben's Sugar Shack in New Hampshire. Ben's was an interesting story as he started his tapping maple trees as a kid (under 10 from what I recall from him being previewed on a local TV program). He then grew it to a point where he know runs a retail store selling a variety of products and made to order food in Tempeh, NH. I then started to find it ironic that I didn't choose any of my maple syrup options that were from Vermont. It was then that I actually did some research to find what others said is the best around. One that struck me was Smugglers' Notch Maple Works , which is based in the Stowe, VT area. Stowe is one of our favorite places to visit and while my family is not into skiing, we just love the area. It has a great bike path with amazing views along a river and of Mount Mansfield. It also has some amazing restaurants including a cafe in a bike shop, Ranch Camp Stowe . Smugglers' Notch itself is breathtaking. It is a windy road up to the top where many cars get stuck because of the massive boulders next to the road. During the summer, it is near impossible to park in the area due to the extremely limited parking. We went last fall just after peak leaf peeping for our anniversary and had no problems parking, walking around, and hiking. It's also called Smugglers' Notch because people used to illegally transport goods like liquor and livestock in its caves and forests during the Embargo Act in the early 1800's and the Prohibition era of the 1920's. Smugglers' Notch is also home to some amazing waterfalls. Quick side story. We went up with friends many years ago and we did a small hike to a Moss Glen Falls (a waterfall). Michael and I went up the path to a section where you could take pictures. We sat on a log and as I was taking our selfie, the phone slipped out of my hand and slid down the hill (it was very dry out for the last few weeks prior) and over the side to a 100-foot drop. After going around, I could see that it landed on a jagged area not far from the top but nowhere near safe to get it myself. I assumed it was gone for good. Then the friend I was with was a PhD in Engineering and said we can get it. I assumed he was crazy but he thought, we are in Stowe and people like to rappel down mountains for fun. So, we went on a quest to 3 different shops (bike, fishing, and other bike shop) to find Tag, a person that was willing to do it. The next day, it took Tag about 10 minutes to rappel down over the cliff and secured my phone. I did pay him for his time, which was much cheaper than having to buy a new one. Smugglers' Notch Maple Works Rum Barrel Aged Maple Syrup Ok, back to the maple syrup. I just had two varieties of the Smugglers' Notch Maple Works shipped to my house to try (video unboxing and taste test at the end of the story). The first was Single Forest Wood Fired Maple Syrup and the second was the Rum Barrel Aged Maple Syrup . The things that I loved was the complex, woody taste of the syrup as it made me feel like I was back in Stowe. The Smugglers' Notch syrups are a bit more expensive than traditional maple syrup so I plan to use it when I have something where I can really take advantage of the taste. The first thing that comes to mind is some candied walnuts (which I am getting better at making) as well as some homemade French Toast. Smugglers' Notch Maple Works Single Forest Wood Fired Maple Syrup   I think the Single Forest Wood Fired Maple Syrup  is going to be one of my new favorite products and I am excited to go back to Stowe for a visit to their tasting room. The father and son owners, Ron and Jeremy Elliott, primarily own a distillery and then partnered with longtime maple producer Craig Walker of Underhill, VT. Ron and Jeremy took their maple syrup a step further to barrel age it in their own distillery barrels. I am now a huge fan of Smugglers' Notch Maple Works. It is definitely worth the upgraded sensory experience. Start Your Own Vermont Maple Syrup Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your Vermont maple syrup sensory experience, I’ve listed a few of my favorite products and one that I haven't tried yet but I am sure will be a fan favorite. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

Cover photo by Nik Owens Game changing! That is the only way to describe the pizza when it’s made with the Ooni pizza oven. Michael and I checking out the new pizza oven on our first day cooking. As you can see, we were both curious. You can also see the table Michael built in High School Wood Shop class. I will get back to the Ooni in a bit as I first need to help set some context.   A Pizza Snob from New Jersey When my wife first met me, she called me a pizza snob, and I have to agree. You see, I grew up in New Jersey and became accustomed to the New York style pizza. For the people who live in the New York/New Jersey area, you may have your favorite place to get your pizza from but in general, you will defend the New York style until the day you die. People from the New York area will scoff at the idea that someone likes pizza from Chicago, Detroit, or even New Haven, CT. To New York and New Jersey residents, there is no comparison, period. Emma practicing her pizza throwing I lived in New Jersey for almost 25 years and still visit on a regular basis as my mom and family are still there. Growing up, I used to have pizza a few times a week, especially as I got into middle school and high school where I could ride my bike down to the local pizza shop, Tony's Pizza. My friends and I would get a few slices each and every Friday was pizza night at our house. I still go to Tony's when I am home visiting my mom. However, I moved to New England and my struggle to find good pizza was bewildering (especially because I really wasn't that far away- it's not like I moved across country). My first experience of non-New York style pizza was when I was in college in Rhode Island. Mary Beth, who was my girlfriend at the time (now wife) and I went out for pizza and I asked for a slice. The guy looked at me and stated, “no slides, we only sell a whole pizza”. It was at this time when I started to realize things were different and finding good pizza was going to be a lifelong challenge if I lived outside of the New York/New Jersey area. As they say, the struggle is real.   The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "Transform the prep into a social workshop. Provide individual doughs for guests to curate their own culinary masterpieces, making the creative process just as memorable as the pizza itself." The Struggle to Find Great Pizza For years, I went on a search for good pizza trying to find something that was at least comparable to what I grew up with. I was like a wondering nomad continuing to be disappointed in my efforts to find a place I would stack up, especially living 40 miles west of Boston. Over time, I started to find some restaurants that started offering Neapolitan style pizza, with my first experience in New York City and then a restaurant opened up near me in Worcester, MA called Volturno . Volturno was the first restaurant in Massachusetts to get certified in associazione verace pizza napoletana (apn) to guarantee the style of preparation and cooking that originated from Napoli, Italia. My family and I frequent Volturno often, not only for the great pizza and pasta, but the open-air atmosphere that it offers. However, when we are not going out for pizza, we now cook on our Ooni, which does a great job in replicating my experience going to Volturno with a Neapolitan style pizza.   My pizza going into the Ooni Pizza Oven. The metal launch peel is a requirement to slide the pizza in. A turning peel is also required to move it around so it doesn't burn in one spot. Ooni Pizza Oven Review Now, here is where I can say with 100% certainty that the pizza cooking in Ooni is Game Changing. For over 25 years, we have been using the same bread maker to make pizza dough (I know, I still haven’t ventured into making my dough by hand). The bread maker for us has been a great way to make multiple doughs with little effort. The bread maker and same recipe is our constant in this comparison.   As a gift when we were first married, someone gave us a really nice pizza stone which we used to cook our pizzas for many years. At some point about 10-15 years ago, we started cooking our pizzas on the grill. Same recipe from the same bread maker and the grilled pizza was 10 times better than the pizza stone. Cooking on the grill became our go to for pizza making for quite some time. Finished product, about 90 seconds later. Even the slightly crispy/burnt parts of the crust taste really good. To dive into my Ooni Pizza Oven review, A few years ago, Mary Beth gave me an Ooni pizza oven for my birthday and I was entering into a world I never knew existed. She solved the pizza problem I was trying to solve for 30 years. I started to read and watch YouTube videos about the Ooni experience with the oven that gets up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit (482 degrees Celsius). I was impressed and couldn’t wait to get started. The problem was I didn’t have the proper tools and putting in dough into an oven that cooks in 60-90 seconds is unforgiving if you can’t get it out in time or can’t turn it quickly enough. My first day cooking on the Ooni wasn’t a success and most of the burned to a crisp pizza went into the garbage.   It wasn’t until I got the Ooni Pizza Peel and Ooni Pizza Turning Peel that I was able to control the cooking process. While I don’t consider myself an expert by any means, 9 out of every 10 pizzas I cook are impressive.   I wasn't kidding when I said it gets hot . This is pointed to the middle part of the stone inside the oven. As a result, I now have the ability to compare the same bread maker dough recipe cooked on the pizza stone, grill, and now the Ooni. I can say with 100% certainty that the Ooni is hands down, the best option for cooking a restaurant quality Neapolitan pizza in the comfort of your own home.   I have the Ooni Pro 16 which has since been discontinued. It is a multi-fuel oven that has an optional gas attachment. I have opted not to get the attachment and use a combination of wood and lump charcoal to cook my pizzas. They have so many great ovens now including electric ones if you live in an apartment. I was fortunate to have my son make me a pizza table that we use but Ooni also offers tables. To my surprise, I learned that Ooni pizza ovens can sit on top of a wood surface (in addition to metal and stone).   Since we have been using our Ooni pizza oven, we cook 9-12 pizzas at a time as we typically only bring it out when we have a crowd. To support 9-12 pizzas, we now have 3 individual wood pizza peels and just recently, a stacked pizza rack with 4 additional peels from Slyced . I also recommend getting an infrared thermometer to check the temperature of the stone. Slyced Wooded Pizza Peel Rack  holds 4 doughs ready for toppings to be added.   Lastly, for my birthday, I just received a cast iron Dual-Sided Grizzler Plate which similar to my experience cooking my first pizza. I am still getting used this new toy. In my first try, I cooked potatoes that cooked so fast, when I took them out, they were still cooking on the Grizzler. They were a bit crispier than I had hoped!   As you can tell I am passionate about my pizza. I hope you can elevate your sensory experience just the same.   Have you tried cooking your own pizza? What was your experience? P.S. I had a few people ask me about Gluten Free flour so I asked the Ooni Facebook group. By a wide margin, they recommended Caputo Pizza Flour, Gluten Free flour . Start Your Own Home-Made Pizza Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your own home-made pizza sensory experience, I’ve listed my favorite products below. Please note the Ooni pizza oven I use is discontinued so I shared a link to their store for the new products. Give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

Cover photo by Declan Sun My mom is still in the same house she bought over 55 years ago. This was my childhood desk and chair that I spent hours at growing up. Most of the furniture has been updated including the 1970's style couches that had the plastic covering on them (I know that was the style and it was used to protect the couch, but I never understood the concept as a kid- or as an adult). One piece of furniture that is original (or mostly original as I was born a few years after they moved into the house) is my bedroom set and the matching desk and chair that came with it. I remember as a kid, I spent hours at my desk doing homework, creating games I would play, and organizing my baseball cards. All of this was done sitting in my wooden desk chair. As a kid, I didn't think of comfort. It was just a chair and had its purpose for me to sit in. Back then (in the 70's and 80's), chairs were built for function, not comfort. Even if you worked in an office, if you wanted a comfortable chair, it was this big, clunky leather chair. It probably wasn't until the 1990's and 2000's where chair design switched from function to comfort. New technologies created new innovations in chair comfort. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "At the start of work each day, take a moment to sit in your chair, plant your feet flat on the ground, rest your hands loosely in your lap or on your thighs, and close your eyes. Drop your shoulders away from your ears, take a few deep breaths, and sit quietly for a minute." I can remember 20 years ago, the company I was working for moved locations and the new office got all new furniture. Everyone had a desk chair with the mesh back and bottom, which were very comfortable. I think I recall the facilities person telling me they were about $700 or so per chair and it was worth it. We also had conference room chairs and when I sat in it for the first time, it was hard, but then all of a sudden, I started to sink into the chair. It was like I just melted into it. These turned out to be really comfortable as well and I found out they were about $1,000 a piece. Following that job, I started to work in my home office and had a chair that I used from the original office closing. It was marginally comfortable but with a growing family, the free chair worked just fine. Over time, I started to work in my home office more and more. And thus, the search for a new office chair was upon me. Turns out, I actually found an office chair at one of the office supply stores that was one of the more expensive ones at the time, probably around $350 but I remember it being on sale for $250. It was a Temper-Pedic. I always heard great things about Temper-Pedic beds, but I didn't know they make chairs. This was one of the best purchases I have ever made, and the chair has been with me for about 10 years. I love my home office chair. This is the worn seat cover after ~10 years of use. The elevated sensory experience of this chair started for me during the set up. I remember vividly that when I had to put it together (and I am the least handy person you will meet), I found the directions to be so simple and clear. The company even had the tool I needed as a part of the set up in the box. I didn't have to go hunt for the right tool, it was already there for me with picture perfect directions. For 10 years now, I just melt when I sit in my Tempur-Pedic chair. The chair molds to my body and provides the ultimate comfort. I often brag about it when I have been on calls as people complain about their office chairs and I share that I absolutely love mine. My Tempur-Pedic  chair with the new seat cover. It feels good as new. Recently however, as with any material, the chair started to have some peeling issues on the outer covering (I don't think it's leather, but it gives the leather feel). I reached out to Tempur-Pedic and they put me in touch with the company, Raynor Group that licenses the manufacturing of their chairs (Tempur-Pedic focuses on beds which will be another post at a future date). Working with the Raynor Group was just phenomenal. It's took us awhile for them to help me as I had pulled the tags off and didn't have any documentation. They asked for pictures and then a few days later, I got a message that even though the product was out of warranty, they were going to replace the bottom portion of the chair for me at no charge. Sometimes it's the product that makes the sensory experience. In this case, it was both the product and the company behind it that elevated the sensory experience. They earned a customer for life...and an advocate that wrote about their Tempur-Pedic Office Chair too! Start Your Own Home Office Chair Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your home office chair sensory experience, I’ve listed my the most similar product from mine (as mine is about 10 years old). Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

First week of the kitchen flood after they took out the bottom cabinets, and the floor. Notice they also took out a big piece of plywood due to mold we had. You could see directly into our basement. Cover photo by Fred Kleber It was about 5:00 am one morning about 10 years ago. Our son Michael at the time liked to get up really early for school. He started to head downstairs and heard something. He came in and thought he heard a gas leak. It was loud and constant. Mary Beth and I walked downstairs fortunately to find out it wasn't a gas leak, but it was a dishwasher pipe that burst and flooded our kitchen. The water was gushing from the pipe. I immediately went downstairs to the basement and shut off the main water supply. We quickly assessed the damage and started to try to move things in the main floor and our basement that were going to be or had been affected. My office was directly below the kitchen but honestly, we didn't have too many physical possessions that were going to be damaged. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "Wrap the towel around you and close your eyes. Feel the ultra-soft cotton lock in warmth, providing instant peace. Take a deep breath, letting the sensation transport your mind and body to a luxury spa elevating your sensory experience." We then called the insurance company who called a water remediation company. They sent over 11 people the first day and had 24 dehumidifiers going. Then next day they sent 10 people, tearing up our house piece by piece. Each day for the next 7 days, we had people at our house pulling things up like rugs, floors, kitchen cabinets, and walls. They were also removing some items like my office desk and chair that got ruined in the flood. Emma testing out our new kitchen cabinets During the process, we started to clean out our front hall closet as we were going to get our floor replaced. During that time, we noticed water in the outside wall. This had nothing to do with the original water issue, but it was current and we filed a second claim with the insurance company. This second claim was from water damage originating from Matthew's bedroom. As they started to pull out the walls, they tore up the rugs too. Because our rugs were the same across the upstairs, we were able to get all new rugs across the entire upstairs. But that meant one thing, every room in our house, with the exception of the 2 upstairs bathrooms and a 3-season porch we had was torn apart. We had boxes of stuff everywhere we could find an available spot. It was organized chaos everywhere. The biggest challenge we had was we didn't have a kitchen for 4 months as we had to file and settle on the insurance claim, find a contractor, wait for the contractor to start, wait for the new kitchen cabinets to come in, etc. This definitely tested the patience we had as a family but we made it through. At the end of the 5 months when everything was done, we had a new kitchen, new floors, and new rugs in every room in our house, except for the 3 rooms mentioned earlier. The few months of paid basically gave us a brand-new house. Photo of our shower with a hanging towel However, with this brand-new house, we had the two bathrooms that were old and we never liked to begin with. So a few years later, and after a few larger commission checks, we saved up some money and decided to redo both bathrooms. This is actually the point of the story. After redoing our bathrooms, where we focused on going a bit upscale, we needed bath towels to match. Basically, we were looking for the feeling of a bath towel you would get at a high-end hotel. After much research, we upgraded. As with many of you, we didn't start out with upgraded towels. We are on our 4th iteration of towels in 26 years, and these are by far the best. Boll & Branch Towels We now use towels from Boll & Branch. We ordered bath towels, a hand towels, and washcloths. It has been about 4 years since we have been using our towels, and they still feel as soft as they did when we first bought them. Also, for complete honesty, we only ordered the towels for Mary Beth and me. The kids got their towels from Target. Photo of our Boll & Branch towels To give you an idea on how these towels have held up, I always fill the washcloth with water and wash my face with it each morning. By cupping my hands, the towel can hold the water for about 10 seconds. Compare that to the ultra-thin washcloths you sometimes get at a hotel that don't hold any water at all, it is a night and day difference. If you are ready to wrap yourself in a soft, ultra comfortable towel that will last for years, and use it to dry your face with a spa like sensory experience, I highly recommend Boll & Branch. They also have bedding, pillows, and other items that we have yet to explore but I am positive it will give you the same luxury experience. Are you ready to upgrade to a spa like experience in your own home? Start Your Own Luxury Towel Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your own Boll & Branch Luxury Towel Sensory Experience, I’ve listed my specific towel set below. Give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

My Shun bread knife with Italian Olive Oil and local bread from Bread Guy Breads on the Boos Block cutting board Cover photo by Rodolfo Marques Now, before you say that I am crazy for recommending a bread knife that retails for more than you would expect to pay but let me tell you that it is amazing. I love bread. That should be the end of the story but there is more. I have always loved bread, and I assume most people are like me. You grew up on bread and now that you are an adult, you are always in search of a great loaf of bread. Whether it is for bread dipping, your favorite sandwich, or an accompaniment to your favorite pasta dish, a good loaf of bread makes everything better. This is a bread knife review based on my personal use. Here was my problem. Up until recently, I had a few bread knives in my butcher block, purchased from somewhere, sometime ago. Honestly, I never gave it much thought and just accepted the fact that when I cut into my bread, it would smush and make a big mess. My family would make comments that they had big hand divots in their bread, and it sometimes would lose its desirability. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "Less is more when using a high-end bread knife. Focus on a slow gliding motion. Feeling the steel cut the bread like warm butter will elevate your sensory experience, just like the baker intended." I also recently purchased a chef’s knife after years of not liking the one I had but the new one I bought is just ok and not one that I would recommend (full disclosure, it was not a Shun Cutlery knife). Mary Beth and the kids encouraged me to start researching for a new bread knife, so I dug a little deeper into my search trying to find the best one out there. After cross referencing a few bread knife product recommendation sites, Shun kept coming up and specifically, this high-end version. I was initially impressed by their website and craftsmanship but as with any knife, it’s a very personal experience. I took a big chance on buying a bread knife knowing that it may fall flat just like my chef’s knife. After the unboxing, I had to jump in the car and drive to my local baker, Bread Guy Breads  to purchase a loaf of bread so we could try it out. Bread Guy Breads is a success story all by itself as the founder and owner, Chuck Brown, is a retired school principal. During the pandemic, he started making bread out of his house and delivering it to a few people. It started to quickly take off, and he opened up a retail store in town and is the biggest hit each week during the local farmer’s market. Best Bread Knife Review: Is the expense really worth it? Drum roll…..It cut the bread like I was cutting through melted butter. The effortlessness of each stroke gave me goose bumps. I then started to play around with the knife to see how thin I could cut the bread, similar to those in those fancy chef videos you see on YouTube. I was so impressed. Shun Premier 9" Bread Knife with Italian Bread on a Boos Block Cutting Board The other thing that I found fascinating is the knife itself doesn't look sharp. You can run your finger lightly across the blade and not get cut. Well, not get cut if you don't continually do it for a few minutes. I finally said ouch and got what was the equivalent to a small paper cut. I learned my lesson just like my parents taught me as a kid... don't play with knives! At some point, I will be passing my chef’s knife onto my kids as they move out and will be looking to buy another Shun product to add to my collection. Happy cutting and don't forget to pair your favorite bread with the olive oil and vinegar from Madge and Louie's with your new cutting board from Boos Block . Start Your Own Bread Knife Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your own bread knife Sensory Experience, I’ve listed my favorite Bread Knife below. Give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

One of my favorite Burlap & Barrel Spices, Smoked Chipotle Cover photo by Jarek Jordan I decided to rewrite this entire post based on my original version. The first draft was more like an advertisement vs. a personal story of my journey. So... here is the new and hopefully improved version of the story.   My Early Spice Memories Years ago, when I first started working, I was commuting into New York City by train from Stamford, CT. As with most commuters in and out of NYC, you have one goal… get to your destination as fast as possible.   For this commute, I used the Grand Central Terminal, which is as magnificent as it sounds. The architecture and history are remarkable and probably one for another post, but I will leave that to someone else. One of the things that I remember vividly was a spice vendor who was connected to the train station. I recall walking through the store a few different times as I was waiting to board my train. Our spice drawer continues to bust out at the seams as we add more and more spices.  I also remember that I thought buying expensive spices was crazy. First, everything in New York is more expensive and second, I already had my store-bought spices like pepper, table salt, and probably just a few others like dried basil, oregano and parsley. There were probably a few others but not many more. Our spice cabinet was also not too far from the basics of what you would expect two young married 24-year-olds to be using.   Needless to say, I never bought them. Discovering Better Spices About 15 years later, I was talking to a few people at work, and they had recommended a popular online and retail store brand. We started to experiment with their spices, and it was a major upgrade to what we were using from the store brand. We still use a few of them today based on what the kids became accustomed to for some of their foods as well as they have a few spices we just can’t get from our new vendor. However, we were ready for another sensory experience upgrade for our spices. Enter Burlap & Barrel. The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:   "Begin by reading the farm origin story and tasting notes, treating the harvest with the care the local farmer intended. Once you open the jar, notice the vibrant colors, a visual promise of the flavor profile you will experience. Lean in deeply to engage the complex aromas and then finally taste, choosing to season during the cooking process to build a savory foundation, or sprinkle over the plate as a bright, textural finishing touch." Four of my favorite Burlap & Barrel spices: Flowering Hyssop Thyme, Smoked Chipotle, New Harvest Turmeric, and Royal Cinnamon It was a few years ago when I wanted to uplevel our spice cabinet. Similar to the single origin dark chocolate I was buying, I thought that single origin spices could have the same impact. As with all the other stories I am sharing, I did my research and Burlap & Barrel continued to come up in the searches. Every review I read raved about the flavor that was bursting out of every bite. I decided to make an initial purchase with their Royal Cinnamon. Not doing anything different to the French Toast I would make, I tried it with their Cinnamon, and it was impressive. That taste test got us hooked and our cabinet started to quickly change over to Burlap & Barrel spices.   As you can see, I keep buying more of the spices in these 16 oz bulk containers. My Burlap & Barrel Favorites To start my Burlap & Barrel review, I started experimenting with peppercorns and purchased all of them, using a combination of the Robusta and Zanzibar for my everyday use. For specialty items that have limited ingredients like eggs, I use the Purple Peppercorns to taste the subtly of the flavor of this limited-edition spice. Of course, eggs also taste better when they are local.   Burlap & Barrel's peppercorn lineup. The Wild Timur Pepper gives a nice tingle to your tongue. I mix the Robusta Black Peppercorns and Zanzibar Black Peppercorns together in my pepper grinder for everyday use. The last one I will highlight is my new favorite spice, Smoked Chipotle Chili Flakes. I had ordered a small jar and loved it. I started to put it on everything from corn on the cob to meats to nachos only to run out pretty quickly. I then had to wait for a few months as it was on back order. As soon as it was back in stock, I ordered two large 16 oz containers just to make sure I wouldn’t run out. The flavor of this spice and so many others just make a huge difference in the food you are cooking.   I could go on and on about the specific spices. I would encourage you to try a few and then go from there. I am confident it will bring your meals to a whole new level.   What is your favorite spice or recipe you absolutely love? Start Your Own Spice Sensory Experience If you’re curious to start your own spice sensory experience, I’ve listed my favorite spices below. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments! For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.