Five Things I Reached For This Week
May 26, 2026
The things I reach for most are usually the things that support the life I am actually living. This week, that list is simple. Garden pruners. A favorite cast iron skillet.
My notebook. A current book. A Botanic cleanser bottle. I like lists like this because they tell the truth. Not what I imagine I use. Not what looks good in a styled photo. What I actually reach for in the middle of a real week. Garden pruners because something always needs cutting back, tending, or bringing in. Cast iron because it works hard and lasts. My notebook because ideas, business notes, garden plans, and reminders need somewhere to land besides the kitchen island.
A current book because I am usually reading several things at once, depending on what I am working through. A Botanic cleanser bottle because a used home needs to be cleaned, and I care about the products that live in the rooms where life happens. Useful things earn their place. That is becoming more and more important to me. I love beautiful things, but I do not want beauty that cannot participate in daily life. I want solid wood furniture, oversized plants, quality linens, cast iron cookware, a good record player, and tools that make the home work better.
The same standard applies to recommendations. If I share something inside Botanic Living, I want it to pass a real-life test. Does it support the way we live? Does it make a room, meal, garden, rhythm, or decision easier or better? Would I reach for it without needing to perform anything? That is the heart of this kind of curation. Not influencing. Trust. Not more things for the sake of more.
The right things, used well.
With love and intention,
Jennifer
