Happy Anniversary Havenstead!

Yesterday was Havenstead’s one-year anniversary, which means we’ve officially kept a blog alive for 365 days... no small feat in a world where most things are designed to distract us into forgetting what we care about.

So today is a gratitude.

Thank you for…

Reading. Even when posts were long. Even when I got nerdy. Even when I openly admitted I was rebuilding the site for the 47th time.

Ordering. Every loaf, cookie, jar, and “I’ll try it!” was a vote of confidence. You made this real.

Being patient. With seasonal pauses, learning curves, and the fact that small businesses are basically three raccoons in an apron trying their best.

Caring about the why. Havenstead isn’t just about what we make—it’s about why we make it: family, sustainability, learning, healing, community, and the kind of slow living that still pays the bills (eventually, amen).

Year one highlights

This year included:

• Baking that grew into something steady and meaningful (and yes, a few loaves that tried to humble me)

• Writing that became a record of what we’re building—not just what we’re selling

• The completion of the Nutrient Series—a whole body of work I’m genuinely proud of

• Phoenix showing up consistently with his library volunteering, which somehow became one of the sweetest little “we’re doing this for real” anchors in our week

• Moses building a chicken tunnel and run, which will likely lead to more egg days and a fuller garden yield

• And a big family milestone we’re keeping mostly private, but let’s just say: year one included real growth for our smallest human, and we’re grateful

There were nights I fed starter half-asleep, days the schedule blew up, weeks where “progress” looked like simply keeping everyone alive and fed. And still… we kept building.

What’s next for year two

I’m keeping it simple and realistic. Year two is about:

• Seasonal rhythm (content + life)

• More practical kitchen + garden posts you can actually use

• More Roots + Rise consistency (without pretending I’m a content machine)

• Better systems for orders, planning, and sanity preservation

• More “come sit at the table” moments—sharing what we love with our community

Havenstead is still becoming. But it’s alive. And it’s ours.

Thank you for being here for year one.

Now let’s go build year two.

Have the day you deserve,

Cimmy

P.S. If you’ve supported us—read, ordered, shared, or even just quietly lurked—drop a comment and say hi. I see you. (no, seriously, the website offers near excessive analytics)