Blog

Essays, local stories, recipes, and the writing from Home & Heart, Family & Flourish, and Business & Balance — collected in one place.

Two hands reaching across a wooden table — The Long Game essay

Relationships

May 14, 2026

The Long Game

On building things that last — relationships, businesses, communities — and why patience is the one skill nobody wants to teach but everyone needs.

Continue Reading →
Vanilla layer cake on a cooling rack

Family & Flourish

March 31, 2026

In Defense of Cake

A love letter to the humble layer cake — and why gathering around something made by hand still matters more than we admit.

Continue Reading →
Local shop display window with handmade goods

Family & Flourish

March 31, 2026

Shop With Purpose — How Kickstart is Changing Lives

How one Birmingham program is turning everyday shopping into real impact — and the local businesses leading the way.

Continue Reading →
Slow cooker beef stew with carrots and potatoes

Home & Heart

March 31, 2026

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

The weeknight stew our editor keeps coming back to — tender, rich, and gloriously forgiving. The recipe that won our family over.

Continue Reading →
Fresh herbs on a kitchen counter

Home & Heart

February 20, 2026

Finding a Contractor You Can Actually Trust

Three questions to ask before you hire anyone to touch your house — from the pros who get called in to fix other people's mistakes.

Continue Reading →
Birmingham-area small business owners meeting around a wooden table

Business & Balance

February 5, 2026

Why Referrals Still Beat Ads in Birmingham

The local business owners who built waiting lists without spending a dime on paid traffic — and what they did instead.

Continue Reading →