Why is “Just Bee” the name of your blog?
My full name is Hannah Brittany, and my grandpa (who passed away when I was in 4th grade) used to call me “Hannah B.” It was a special nickname, only used by Grandpa. The “Hannah B” had a double meaning. He didn’t just mean the literal “Hannah B” – Mom later explained to me that he also meant, “Hannah, just be. Be you.” It reminds me of that quote, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” Just be! What a fresh, simple take on life and identity!
Years later, my boyfriend (now husband) Bjorn actually used “Hannah B” as his own nickname for me. He didn’t even know of Grandpa’s special name for me! I was “Hannah B” for a while and then it just got shortened to “Bee.” Now, he calls me “Bee” far more than my given name! Over time, these special nostalgic names from both Grandpa and Bjorn have been woven into my current nickname. I love being just “Bee” – and I hope that the name of my blog acts as a little special reminder to you too, whenever life seems to be just a bit too complicated. I am just “Bee” and I am joining you in the endeavor to “just be.”
When did you get married?
Bjorn and I met in college at Bethel University and got engaged at the end of our senior year. We then had a 10-month engagement and got married in March 2014. We were crazy enough to plan and get married during our first year of teaching! I lived alone in our current rental home for 7 months as we planned the wedding and as I worked on making it a space we would both love living in. It was a pretty stressful time but it was totally worth it.
More of our love story.
My wedding planning tips series.
What do you and your husband do job-wise?
I am a full-time Title I teacher at an elementary school. “Title I” means that I teach students in grades K-5 in a small group setting, bolstering their understanding of both reading and math. I love the tailored small group aspect of this position and I am passionate about teaching children to read.
My husband Bjorn is also a full-time teacher. He teaches 7th grade U.S. History in the same building as me (it’s a combo elementary-middle school). Bjorn is that history teacher we all wish we could’ve had: he’s energetic, passionate, hilarious, and forces you to think critically. He is well-loved amongst the middle schoolers and plays dodgeball with them over his lunch hour. (How you know you’re married to a history teacher.)
Bjorn also is an officer in the Army Reserves. He did ROTC while we were in college and absolutely loves Army. In addition to teaching and Army, Bjorn has begun to take on some farming with his father and his grandfather. We’re sharing 156 acres of soybeans with his grandfather this year.
“Bjorn” – that’s a unique name! How do you pronounce that?
Bee-yorn. To be honest, my nickname for him is “Bear” so I just call him Bear all the time. 🙂 I’m almost 100% German but I married into a Scandinavian family with many Scandinavian names! I love the rich heritage our families have.
Did you grow up in a rural setting? Do you live on a farm now?
No, I grew up in the suburbs of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Bjorn and I met at college and we planned to live in rural Minnesota when we got married. It’s a bit difficult to pick up and move the family’s farm fields, he always says. 🙂 Luckily, we both LOVE Minnesota! The rural life has always appealed to me, from gawking at the wide endless skies to snapping photos of country sunsets to the fact that I always wanted a red pickup truck! (Check!) The latest adventure: I’ve recently started taking horseback riding lessons!
We do not live on a farm currently. The farm pictures you see are most often taken at my in-laws’ farm place, where we frequently spend time hanging out or feeding the animals. We live in a rental home in a nearby tiny town surrounded by acres and acres of fields in every direction. 🙂 Bjorn and I do plan on living on our own farm place in the future. It’s the type of life we look forward to settling into, and the type of childhood we wholeheartedly want for our children.
What type of camera do you use?
I do use my iPhone camera a lot, but the camera I truly love working with is my Canon (I named him Pachelbel for any of you music lovers). I have a Canon EOS Rebel T5i.
Do you use an editing program for your pictures?
I use Lightroom for the majority of my DSLR photos. On my phone, I absolutely love using the VSCOcam app for my Instagram pics!
How do you manage your blog while working a full-time job?
With intention! 🙂 Working 40+ hours a week at a job not related to blogging means that I do not check my blog or do blog-related things (of course!) throughout the day. I rely heavily on programs that allow me to schedule posts and shout-outs in advance. I also utilize my time as best I can in the evenings and on weekends to write, photograph for, and schedule my posts!
Do you have any pets?
We have a 75-gallon fish tank as the focal point of our living room instead of owning a television. We love our African cichlids! And Bjorn’s entire table of cacti may as well count as pets, too. 😉 We did have 3 alpacas for a couple years that we housed over at my in-laws’ farm but eventually chose to sell them. I am a huge dog person (and grew up with the world’s best dog), although there are still some farm cats that will cheerfully follow me around. 🙂 We look forward to having a dog of our own in the future! And taking horseback riding lessons has gotten me day dreaming about even more future pets… 😉
Can I share content from your blog?
Yes, definitely! But I do ask that you directly link back to my blog so that credit is given where it’s due. Thanks!
Who designed your blog?
Just Bee is a self-hosted WordPress site with a Genesis Child Theme created by Restored 316 Designs.
Can I advertise with you?
Whether you’re a blogger or a business, there are certainly ways we can connect and collaborate! See the “Collaborate” tab at the top of this page. I hope to offer advertising options in the future, so keep checking back! I am also open to new ideas and seeing if we’re a good fit!
Any more questions for me? Head to the “Contact” tab at the top of this page!