Five simple things

Hello.

Hope your week was a good one. The week before was rainy, cold, and at times windy. It was the perfect time to sit inside under a cozy blanket sipping hot cocoa and eat soup for dinner every night-And we did just that. When Friday rolled around the weather hadn't let up any and I decided to skip posting and The Mr. and I made a batch of beer instead. Seems like the perfect excuse really. The batch is currently bubbling its little heart out in the brew closet. For this week though, the weather completely made a turn-around and is/was sunny mostly. We did a few spring-type things outside, but really just sat and soaked in some sun. The winters here in Oregon are pretty hard on a sun lover, so anytime the sun peeks I am out and about in it. Currently, The Mr. and I are getting a quick Easter basket together for The Bean. Believe it or not, he is 14 and still believes in the bunny. I know, soon it will end, but for right now, we like to keep the magic going. So here are five simple things that made this week great!

1. These Mount Hood hops.

These are the hops we used with our batch of beer we cooked up. We also have this same variety growing in our hops garden and are hoping to get a few blooms from it this summer. They smell amazing! And I like to eat them while we brew because they are delicious.

2. This reminder...

Life is good isn't it? We all should slow down, enjoy the little things, and for God's sake, stop taking offense to everything that happens. This quote is a reminder to us that no matter what, keep life simple, be humble, enjoy the little things, and always take life at a Swell's pace.

3. Yogi Surprise boxes for March.

I really can't say enough about this company. Based in Portland, so it's local for me, and most of the items in the box come from small business in and around the United States. It's a great monthly box and I love each and every item that comes in it each month. Get on April's mailing list here. (enter code Springs25 and get 25% off your first box. This weekend only!) Grab a Spring Equinox box here, too!

4. Fab Fit Fun for Spring.

I have decided to give Fab Fit Fun another year of a subscription. Mainly because of the latest spring box. Everything in this season's box was perfect! It's a nice seasonal box to give you a jump-start on items you might otherwise overlook. The pampering products picked for this season were fantastic. Get on the list for the summer box here. You won't regret it!

One last thing about the Fab Fit Fun box, check out the box illustration. All women! How great is that! Power to the women!

5. This little recap of Saint Patrick's Day and Earth Hour

"Cassie" the bronze dog in Corvallis, Oregon, and our shamrock window.

We decorated the front window the week of St. Patrick's Day and enjoyed it all week. We decided the night of St. Patty's to spend it in Corvallis, Oregon. We took a walk through downtown and after we went to dinner. We pass "Cassie" a lot on our Corvallis walks and we just admire her so much. She reminds us a lot of our dog, Baz. And before his passing he touched noses with her, so to us it's as if our beloved Baz is sitting there waiting for us to walk by and say, "hi," and give a pat on the head.

Earth Hour was on March 24. If you didn't get a change to celebrate this worldwide event, you can mark it down for next year and get ready. It's a worldwide awareness movement to reduce climate change. For one hour you turn all the lights off in your home, office, or school, and help reduce energy use. It starts at 8:30 p.m. your local time. Try to get on board next year and help be part of a movement that really does reduce energy consumption in more ways than one.

-I don't want to go without mentioning: Today is Professor Stephen Hawking's funeral. What a wonderful addition to the Earth he was. I never met him in person, but I bet he was a great person to know. The picture below was on a billboard on Highway 34 between Corvallis, Oregon, and Lebanon, Oregon. It was a nice thing to see and a wonderful reminder. It was paid for by Oregon State University's science department.