Life at a "Swell's" pace: February 2016

Five simple things

Another week gone and it's Sunday evening with the Oscars on TV tonight; The Bean has his fingers crossed for a Star Wars win. At least we saw signs of the sun come out this week and we started in on cleaning up the yard from winter. The winters here really wreck havoc on things, especially when the rain and wind seem to play together. We also started tacking the garage. We ended up donating a lot of things we "thought" we needed, but haven't used in years. Lots of great gardening and planting ideas in the works here too, and I can't wait to share them. Here are the things that made this week great!

1. This Spur of the Moment Road Trip.

We took a spur of the moment road trip up the pass and into Sisters, Oregon two weekends ago. I am still sorting through photos, but I will have those soon to share. I spent all this past week going through so many of them. I tend to snap a lot of photos of places mainly because I don't want to miss a thing!

2. This Little Jumping Doggie.

Hardy (PITA) was determined to jump that puddle and it took him three attempts to clear the whole thing, but he did it! Good little doggie! With all of the rain here lately I was starting to think we might need to invest in a little boat to get around. It finally let up and we did see the sun trying to make a comeback. I hope it stays around more.

3. This Photo of The Bean.

Another one for a frame. I've been building up my framed photos on the wall and I feel like this one will fit right in with the arrangement.

4. These Wall Planters.

Because I am hoping to copy the layout soon. Fingers crossed!

5. This Tea.

I am such a huge Downton Abbey fan and with this being the last season, I am going out with a bang. Every Sunday night, while watching that week's episode, I have several cups of tea. You can get these teas here before they're gone.

Extras:

Let's meditate on it.
This bike with a red chain and red brake wires.
Yogaglo.
This Flickr photo stream.
These painted Oxfords.
Burt's Bees Outlet.
What's your Carbon Footprint?
Best wildflower hikes in the Northwest.
Setting your kids up for success.
Lynx fitness boards seem like a lot of fun.

What happened this time last year?

Five simple things

So much rain here and cold. I am looking so forward to spring. Oregon winters are so hard on someone from the south that still, after all of these years, isn't used to them. I wouldn't mind the cold so much if we could at least get a bit of snow flurries, but I am not sure we will this year. But then again, I can't say I am ready for spring and bring on the snow in the same breath.....or can I? ha! Here are the things that made this week great!

1. This Crockpot.

The Mr. surprised me with it and it was a great nontraditional gift from him. I love when he does small things for me like that. I was in need of an upgrade. I've had my other one for about 15 years and it was getting really well used. I will keep the old one for small dishes, but this one will be great for larger meals planned ahead. I cook so much with my crockpot-Check out my pin board. I didn't want one with so many crazy buttons that I wouldn't use, so this model was great-The basic Low/High/Warm setting is perfect for our lifestyle. If you're curious, this is where to find this exact model.

2. This Moment.

We've been having family night/meeting nights on Wednesdays now. Each member of the family gets a chance to voice their ideas, opinions, and plans for the coming week, or month. After the meeting time we all plan some board games, card games, or the like. This moment was too precious not to capture. The Bean had drawn up plans for his idea of a future home. We have been land/house hunting for the last year (seems like longer). We still haven't found "the one," but it will happen soon, I feel it.

3. February's SNS Reading Selection.

It's an older selection, but I just love Pride and Prejudice so much. I feel this is a good way to revisit the classic and enjoy the story so much. You can find out what each month's reading selection is from the top of the page under SNS Library.

4. This Jell-O Kit.

I try to push better eating habits in our house and I am not too fond of Jell-O, but when you have children sometimes you need to bend the rules a bit. The Bean loves Star Wars and he loves Jell-O, so I made an exception just this once.

5. This Camera.

I had mentioned my new camera in a post here, but I didn't get a chance to share it. The Mr.'s company Christmas parties are never a disappointment and with having an eye on a new camera for so long, he was able to snag one during their Christmas dinner celebration. He was able to go up on stage and chose from select gifts, or put his name in a pot for cash prizes. This Nikon D3300 was one of them and the Mr. didn't hesitate in snagging it. It's taking some time to get used to, but I am enjoying it. It means a lot to me that the Mr. thought of me when picking out a prize that he could have otherwise just used for himself.

I am really enjoying the 200mm zoom lens that came with it. I've had a lot of fun focusing on Canadian Geese flying over our house and the like.

It was a great week and I have so much more to share, so stay tuned for that. Don't forget to grab that latest clipart and printables too!

Have a great weekend!

What happened this time last year?

A year of Walmart Beauty Box #WalmartBeautyBox

The Walmart Beauty Box is yet another subscription box to introduce new products carried in the store. This beauty box comes once a season-spring, summer, fall, winter-and is only $5 per shipment. It's $20 a year and after a year of subscribing I have to say it's a pretty sweet deal. Here's what came in my boxes each season.

Spring Box (2015):

The summer box came around June and contained a lot of really great samples.

What came in the Spring box:

1. L’Oreal Total Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

2. Dial 7 Day Moisturizing Lotion

3. Lady Gaga Fame Perfume Sample

4. Caress Adore Forever Shower Gel

5. Burt’s Bees Renewal Serum

6. L'Oreal Age Perfect Glow Renewal Facial Oil

7. Garnier Ultra Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream

8. Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream Moisturizer

9. Coupons for products sold at Walmart.

Favorite Product: Dial 7 Day Moisturizing Lotion.

Summer Box (2015):

The Summer box was packed full of cool things, including a full-sized sample of lipstick.

Here's what came in the Summer box:

1. Garnier Ultra Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream

2. Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream Moisturizer

3. Aveeno Protect+Hydrate Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30 (With $2.00 coupon)

4. Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick shade number 875 Gladiolus

5. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

6. Loreal Total Repair 5 Shampoo/Conditioner/Ceramide

7. Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara

8. Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Complete Care Shampoo

9. Dove Go Fresh Revitalize Body Wash

Favorite Product: Definitely the Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick shade of Gladiolus.

Fall Box (2015):

What came in the Fall box:

1. Schick Hydro Silk Jetables Razor. (With $4.00 coupon)

2. Crest 3D Brilliance Professional Polish Deep Cleansing Toothpaste and Whitening Finisher. (With $2.00 coupon) -My sample was missing the Deep Cleansing Toothpaste Sample.

3. ROC Retinal Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum a 1 ounce (30 ml) glass bottle.

4. Dove Advanced Care 48-hr protection deodorant. (With $1.00 coupon)

5. Nivea Extended Moisture Hand Cream 48 Hr Effects.

6. John Frieda 7 Day Volume Luxurious Volume in-shower treatment.

7. ACT Advanced Care Clean Mint

8. Curel Rough Skin rescue lotion

Favorite Product: Curel Rough Skin rescue lotion

Winter Box (2015-2016):

This beauty box was loaded this season. So many things packed inside this tiny box.

What came in the Winter Box:

1. Centrum Vitamints: Refreshingly Minty Multivitamin. (With $1.00 coupon)

2. Clairol Root Touch-Up Flip Book. (With $2.00 coupon)

3. L'ORéal Paris True Match Shade Foundation Card. (With $1.00 coupon)

4. Jennifer Aniston the Fragrance card with a fragrance pouch sample. (With $3.00 coupon)

5. Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream Moisturizer. (With $3.00 coupon)

6. Covergirl Star Wars the Force Awakens flip book of new Star Wars colors and how to get the look of: Resistance Pilot featuring Janelle Monaé in colors of peach, Droid inspired by C3P0 in colors of gold, Stormtrooper in colors of purples and blacks, Chrome Captain inspired by Captain Phasma of the Dark Side in colors of white and silver. (With $3.00 coupon)

7. Women's Rogaine flip card on the root of the problem. (With $5.00 coupon)

8. nspa by Nirvana Spa Rich Body Butter in the scent of Exotically Creamy Coconut. It also comes in scents of Sweet and Tropical Mango, Smooth Sweet Pods of Vanilla, and Fresh Sweet Raspberry and are only found at Walmart.

9. Pure Silk Rich and Luxurious Shave Cream in Raspberry scent.

10. Swisspers 100% cotton swabs in leopard print.

11. Pantene Air Spray Alcohol-Free Hairspray.

Favorite Product: nspa by Nirvana Spa Rich Body Butter in the coconut scent.

Five simple things

It's Valentine's Day weekend and it's more than just a day filled with hearts for us, it's also our 13-year anniversary. We are here at Pacific City, Oregon at Cape Kiwanda. Unfortunately, leave it to Oregon weather to bring on some love-rain. It's supposed to be 100% chance the entire time we are here, but fortunately for us, it has only rained during the time we have been sleeping. That's okay though, sort of getting used to all of the rain here lately. I have my fingers crossed for a thunderstorm though. I will have lots of pictures to share on the blog soon. So with that said, here are the things that made this week pretty groovy.

1. This Sweater.

This sweater used to be worn by my dad back in the late 70s and early 80s. I remember my dad "maybe" wearing it to a Christmas party once, or twice. Some how it ended up in my clothing-I think I swiped it to wear to school one day-when I moved out and then made its way all the way into the Bean's closet here in Oregon. The Bean loves it and I even sent a picture to my dad asking if he recognized it, and HE DID! Love how it's made a full circle.

2. This Bathing Robin.

She returned again in the pouring rain. I feel maybe it's the only time she feel safe to take a bath? Or maybe it's the fact that it's a bird that just loves the rain.

3. This Adventurers Kit.

This kit idea is from The Merrythought. It's such a great idea on ways to encourage kids to get out of the house and explore more. The Bean and I have been looking into ways to create our own and this one is just what we are looking for.

4. This Homemade Butter.

The Bean and I have been playing around with making our own butter lately. We've been experimenting with different herbs and flavorings with it too. To make it, just purchase some Heavy Whipping Cream and pour into an airtight container and shake for about 10-20 minutes. You can add marbles to the container to speed up the process. We have created a Rosemary Butter that tastes amazing on potatoes.

5. This Cleansing.

I've really been enjoying burning my sage smudge-stick lately. I tend to lean more toward burning them on Sundays when it's more of a relaxed atmosphere. I start the burn during breakfast and let it go until its burned itself out. It seems to help clean the air and I really do think it's helped us get over being ill the last few weeks. Added benefit, it helps start the week off with a clean, positive aura to take on the next week's tasks.

Extras:

This chair.
"Forever readjusting, some of us catching, some of us launching........"
Modern Love: Cliché-free Valentine's Day ideas.
College Football Fight Songs. GO HOGS! GO DUCKS!
Alice in Wonderland, never gets old.
A camping life is the life for me. Hmmm.....Which one?
These T-shirts put the Mr. and me into laughing tears. And these.
I've been on a hunt for some shirts to run in. These are fun.
This interesting highchair lift.
Kirtsy.

What happened this time last year?

Five simple things

1. This Moment....

Actually this didn't make the week awesome, it made the week miserable. We don't think it was the flu, but it put us down for at least six days. I was able to get a lot of work done on my laptop, so there's a positive. PITA is a snuggle-er, so he and Baz took turns keeping company with everyone laid up until this morning. We are all finally feeling better, but wow, what a miserable week.

2. This Rain.

These images are from last week, but we still haven't had a break in the rain here. I like the rain, but days of it is getting a bit exhausting. Hopefully we will have a change-up soon....possibly some snow?

3. These Tickets/Shirts/and Z-Scale Trains.

Can you see the hikers?

I went to my first train show with the Mr. and the Bean. This train show was pretty interesting with all of the different setups and scales of train sizes. My favorite was the Z-Scale size. How delicate that pieces were and how detailed the landscapes are. The boys are at a train show today too, but I decided to stay home for this one. I can't wait until they return and tell me all about what they saw.

4. This Robin.

Even though it's been raining a ton here the birds are clearly enjoying it. This little Robin has been splashing about in the birdbath every morning without fail. I placed some birdseed in the bath to encourage her to return. She seemed to have loved the treat and I enjoyed watching her play.

5. This Moment with The Mr.

The Mr. enjoyed a year with his Fantasy Football Trophy for 2014, but this year he wasn't so lucky and lost it to another team. He got his name engraved on the trophy though, so that was a pretty cool recognition for him. (Even if it was all in "fantasy")