Five Simple Things (September 3)

Hello.

Last week was my birthday and it was such a great birthday. I turned 44 and had such a wonderful day; well, week actually. I always joke when August hits and say it's my birthday month. Which, I love birthdays, so it's fitting. We went surfing two days in a row and my goal was to get up 44 times and stay up for at least 44 seconds. The ocean was my friend both times and helped me celebrate and reach my personal goal. Skylar and I also have been working on a small hall closet this week to set it up for our podcasting. We are literally recording episodes either on a bed in a bedroom, or at a desk in a bedroom. We would love to have something a lot bigger and more setup for just our podcast, but we are working with what we have at the moment. When we finally get moved we are going to dedicate a room to just our podcasting and recording. It will be a great setup for us and we are anxious to do that. But, for now, we are working on the hall closet and I'll share pictures on my blog once it's done. We are also looking forward to the Labor Day weekend. 

1. This Surf.

Birthday surf trip for the books. I probably had more fun surfing this past weekend than I ever had since we started. Great time with great people and great surf! 

2. This Chocolate.

This chocolate mint is one of my favorites now. Since we changed our eating habits to more whole foods and organic, I have been missing my York Peppermint Patties. This Seattle Chocolate Brisk Mountain Mint is a very close match to the minty chocolate taste. But, to really get the York Peppermint Patty vibe that I truly crave, these are what I go for. They are available at Whole Foods, but you can also order them on the Seely's website, or on Amazon. You honestly haven't had a good peppermint patty until you've had one of those. 

3. These Items.

 

The Kiwi Eco Box this month is amazing. I can't wait to try the shampoo bars and the bamboo hairbrush. Also, the Mighty Fix this month was much-needed. The cleaning brushes are always a plus in our house. The bottom two items were an addon to my MightyFix. The lunchbox was a needed item and the reusable garbage bags complete our cans. We use one can for recycle and the other for trash and with the reusable trash bags we don't have to purchase trash bags anymore. It's something we've been working hard on cutting out of our everyday usage. Once these get dirty, you throw them in the wash and let them air dry and you're good to go. 

4. These Sponges.

Since the pandemic hit we've been using these BD sponges to clean our hands with. Sometimes we've even used them to clean our bodies when we feel we've been exposed to anyone infected with Coronavirus. We found these online here and have placed a few orders with them. The same company carries masks, alcohol wipes, cleaning liquids and wipes, and gloves, as well. They are the BD sponges with the 3% PCMX soap. The same sponges used by medical doctors before surgery. They have come in quite handy during these uncertain times, but we still wear a mask and distance ourselves from others, too.

5. This Day.

 

My birthday was August 28 and as always Twitter was on top of it with the balloons. It's one of the highlights of using Twitter and I do enjoy it every year. I also got my birthday tradition of chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting from our local food co-op. I love these cupcakes so much that we literally have to only buy them for special occasions. They are delicious! I also got a great birthday card from IKEA. Although, I get it every year, this year was more special to me. I've been wanting and waiting to go to IKEA to get a few things I've been wanting. When my birthday card came from them, I immediately took advantage of it. 

Because everyone deserves something special on their birthday, we've included treats just for you! Your birthday offers are valid from
August 1st - 31st, 2021.

$10 off your purchase

Scan this coupon and your IKEA 

Family card to get $10 off of 

your in-store purchase.

Free Frozen Yogurt

Scan this coupon and your IKEA 

Family card to enjoy a free frozen 

yogurt from the IKEA Bistro.

Did you catch the bright Aldebaran star near the moon this week (29)?

Positive affirmations this week:

Improving your balance helps with your life in more ways than one. Before we started surfing my balance was off and I honestly didn't trust myself. Since we've been surfing every chance we get, my balance has improved so much and in turn that confidence has improved my mental health a lot. If you don't, or can't surf there are other ways to help improve your balance. Here's an exercise you can do and actually improve upon as you do it.---

Stand with your legs shoulder-length apart and sideways beside a wall about as far as arm's length from the wall. Bending the leg closest to the wall at the knee bring your other leg in and raise your foot up to where your on your toes, but don't put pressure on that foot. All of your weight should be supported by the bend leg closest to the wall. With your other leg lifted and no weight on the leg, hold this position as long as you can. Once you feel like it's been a comfortable amount of time, switch to the other foot and do it again. Try to improve on your time each day and not only will your balance improve, but also your confidence and self esteem. Start small and work your way up. This exercise also improves the muscles in your legs, especially your calves. 

Have a nice weekend.