Biscuits. Just writing about them is conjuring up the memory of Sunday morning breakfast at my grandmother’s. The delicious smell of them baking, the warmth of the bread, the distinguished tastes of them slathered in different jams, apple butter, or molasses (yes, while I would not consider myself particularly southern or country, my kin def is)…yum. When I added “Be a Biscuit” to my August Bucket List, I gave very little explanation of what that meant. To be a biscuit, one must take the best qualities of the southern favorite and apply it to everyday life. This means to: 

Essentially, to be a biscuit means to be confident, kind, accepting of others, and to know that the only way to rise taller is by standing together (like biscuits touching on a baking tray). When the team at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit reached out to me about their Be A Biscuit initiative (learn more here!), I immediately knew that it was something that I wanted to be a part of. As a challenge to myself and all of you to Be A Biscuit, I created Callie’s Hot Little Bucket List!

I challenged myself to complete this list in a single day, but use this as a guide to be a biscuit in your everyday life!

Send a Care Package

Show a loved one that you’re thinking about them by sending a surprise care package! A friend of mine has been going through a hard time and I have been brainstorming ways to help cheer her up. Food is definitely something that we bond over–from our love of veggies to the thrill of sweet treats. I thought that it would be a great idea to send her some cinnamon biscuits to enjoy with her roommates! The biscuits come with packets of cinnamon butter which completely convinced me that I made the correct decision. I hope that she enjoys the tasty surprise! If you would like to send some biscuits to a loved one (or order some of your own) Callie’s is offering 10% off of my Ambitious Fam’s shipment orders by using the code “CIERRA10”. 

Support a Small Business

One thing that I have become increasingly passionate about is intentionally supporting small businesses. I am especially supportive of small businesses that are Women and/or Black-owned. Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits falls into the women-owned small business category! Callie’s was founded in 2005 by Carrie Morey who wanted to share her mother’s hand-made biscuits beyond their South Carolina borders. Today’s “support a small business” bucket list item was completed by sending the care-package from Callie’s (and spreading awareness through this post), but if you are ever looking for more great small businesses to support, make sure to follow me over on Instagram where I often share more of my faves! 

Mail a Postcard

Everyone enjoys a little snail mail! How about snail mail for a cause? I used the Be a Biscuit Postcard + Sticker Set (purchase for just $1 here!) to share with my friends what “I rise tall for,” “I’m warm and buttery for,” and what “I am open for.” In addition to sending a fun note to a friend, these postcards are also great because 100% of the proceeds benefit Just Be You, the Loveland Foundation, and South Carolina Equality. Added bonus: if you or the recipient shares a picture of the postcard on Instagram and tag @callieshotlittlebiscuit, and additional donation will be made to those charities! Want to go the extra mile? In addition to sending them to friends, try sending a postcard to your local government officials to let them know which causes you rise tall for (and which they should too!). 

Have a Brunch Picnic

Looking for a fun activity that still follows social distancing protocols? Have a brunch picnic! A brunch picnic has been something that I have been wanting to do since the pandemic precautions went into place that I just haven’t gotten around to. This week I was able to go on TWO picnics! While I wish that I lived close enough to one of Callie’s restaurant locations to pick up a to-go order, I was still pleased to treat my siblings to a few brunch eats including Callie’s Cheese Crisps. I loved that they have a small kick to them (thanks to the black pepper) and they paired nicely with sweet green grapes! My brother and I had today’s brunch picnic at Gravelly Point Park which is known locally for its great view of the Potomac river, the Washington Monument, and landing airplanes. 

Rise Tall for a Cause

The world needs your help. Now, more than ever it is important to use your power for good by rising tall for a cause. Think of something that could use your support and take an actionable step to help. The cause that I decided to support today was the funding of the United States Postal Service by purchasing a book of stamps. While this item is placed on the list as something that can be checked off once, it is actually something that we should be intentional about checking off daily. Your support does not have to be monetary; it could mean signing petitions, educating yourself and others, donating your time, or speaking out against injustice. A few causes that I currently rise tall for are the Black Lives Matter movement, The Loveland Foundation (Callie’s does too!), protecting the environment (check out my sustainability journey), supporting Black-owned businesses, and the Chicago Birthworks Collective (the shirt I’m wearing from House of Shan actually donates $5 to the organization!). 

Thank you Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit for sharing some of your delicious products and phenomenal philanthropic causes with me! Don’t forget that my Ambitious Fam gets a 10% discount on their shipment order (not valid at restaurants) of Callie’s Hot Littles Biscuits using the code CIERRA10 (trust me, you want to try these for yourself!).