Jill Winger

When I published my “I don’t know what’s next” post a couple weeks ago, a lot of you responded. You didn’t ask for another list of productivity hacks or a 1-2-3 list of tips—you want the messy middle. And you're speaking my language, friends. One of the big questions that kept showing up in my inbox was: "But how do you really do it all??" So… let’s talk about that today. Because the honest answer is: I don’t. From the outside, I ...Continue Reading

Her Instagram profile was beautiful. The vintage barn of my dreams.The classic white clapboard farmhouse.Shot after shot of kids romping through tall grass, pulling wagons, playing with chickens. Captions like “unplugging on purpose,” “never going to town,” and “not participating in civilization.” I scrolled and scrolled. Then came that feeling—you know the one. A lump in my stomach. Maybe even an ache. When I get those feelings, ...Continue Reading

It’s been a minute. Thanks for sticking around while I caught my breath. I'm back-ish. I won't promise weekly blog posts, but I'll be around more than I have been.  You see... I haven't had a lot to say, because I've been asking myself a lot of questions lately... the biggest one being: What’s next? Because I have no idea. And that’s strange for me, because I’ve always known. But for the first time in my life, it feels like ...Continue Reading

  I know I looked rough standing in the back room of the soda fountain yesterday. Glistening with sweat. Shirt half-tucked. Dishwater-soaked sleeves. Hair stuck to my face. It hadn’t been a good day. When she asked how I was doing, I teared up. I always do that when someone looks me in the eyes and asks something like that. I can’t help it. She offered a hug, and I took it. I needed it. “Can you take a day off?” she asked. ...Continue Reading

    Once upon a time I could speak my goals into existence... Or at least that’s what it felt like. I’d lock onto a target, take decisive action, and everything would fall into place. Then things changed. The past 12 months have been some of the most unexpected of my life. I’ve hit targets, but not the ones I expected. My shaky aim this year has caused me to reevaluate the delicate balance of flexibility and ...Continue Reading

The paperback edition of Old-Fashioned on Purpose launches this week! It has a new cover and we added a sourdough guide & garden planner, too. To celebrate, I'm sharing a few paragraphs from the conclusion of the book. Enjoy this sneak peak and grab your copy here if you don't have one already! A turn-of-the-century church and cemetery can be seen nestling in the fields east of our town. They stand as a remnant from Iowa Flats, one ...Continue Reading