Five Simple Things (November 10)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This mug.

I purchased this mug this week at Starbuck's. I have been needing another larger tea mug and this one is perfect. I am loving the fact that it is recycled ceramic, too.

2. These boxes.

The Mighty Nest Mighty Fix this month and last month. October's box came a bit later than normal, but I am glad it came at the same time as this month's, because both were filled with some great items. The November box had reusable towels to help lessen the burden of paper towels. I have been using recycled paper, paper towels, but I would love to break away from them completely. And this shower lotion bar is amazing! I can't wait to use it all winter and through to summer. It is rich, creamy, and hydrating, which is always a plus.

I also want to point out that Mighty Nest sends their products in environmentally-friendly packaging and I love that I can reuse a lot of what they send for my own gifts, or packaging in boxes I ship to family and friends.

3. These tags.

This week Skylar and I went to have lunch with Jeff at his aerospace plant and there is an automated lobby "robot" that takes your picture and asks multiple questions about you before being allowed anywhere on the property. It is new to us, but seems necessary. Jeff has been with the aerospace industry for over 20 years and this plant was recently purchased by new investors. The changes are so different than before and we think it's a good precaution to keeping the workers safe while on the job. The only complaint we have is, the dates on the machine are way off. ☺

4. These subscriptions.

Kinder Beauty and Kiwi Eco Box came this week for the month of November. I absolutely love these boxes. I miss Yogi Surprise, and I feel these kind of make up for it a bit. My favorite product in the Kinder Beauty is the eyebrow wax from Jazmine Beauty and the eyebrow grooming brush from Laruce. My favorite products from the Kiwi Eco Box this month is the Lily's Hazelnut Milk Chocolate bar and the Morning Coffee Soap from Latika Beauty.

5. These "shoes."

I convinced Jeff to go to the store this week in his large monster house shoes. Jeff and Skylar both have the same house shoes and I think, when they wear them, it's hilarious. We are still laughing about him wearing them into the grocery store. ☺

One more thing:

These are called Birds' Nest Fungi. I found them on a piece of old wood from our Adirondack chairs we brought from Arkansas that didn't hold up to the Oregon rains. I kept the back of them to use in planters and these Birds' Nest Fungi found a home. These fungi aren't poisonous, but aren't edible.

Positive affirmations this week:

Drink you selfcare and stay hydrated. Here are ways to help you do that.

1. Add frozen berries-(blueberries, raspberries, squeeze of lemon, mint, etc.)

2. Eat water-rich foods-(cucumbers, watermelon, lettuce, zucchini, melon, strawberries, tomatoes, etc.)

3. Eat chilled soups and drink smoothies-(broths, blend veggies into soups, electrolytes, coconut water, etc.)

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (November 3)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This dinner.

We had a nice dinner this week at The Old Spaghetti Factory. We love that the building is an old train station. The interior is amazing, too. It was a good night.

2. These coppers.

We found these copper pots this week at an estate sale. We had plans to use them on the bus as we travel, but after looking them over, we aren't sure. They are going to get a good cleaning, but we are on the fence on whether to use them or not...

3. This costume.

Skylar dressed as Dr. Alan Grant from Jurassic Park this year. I helped bring his character to life with a small photoshoot. I even gave his flare a bit of "flame." Skylar loves paleontology and loves dressing up in costumes from 80s and 90s movies. Jeff and I just love it!

4. This achievement.

I finished another degree this term - 𝌭Prelaw/Human Resources𝌭. It's been a hard road to get to, but I am so proud of myself. Honestly, I'm lowkey ecstatic about it. I worked hard for this and this makes number three of my goals, so now it's time to relish in the accomplishment, take a breather, and onto the next goal.

5. These things.

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays, and we love to put on a good show. For several years we used to decorate our house from one corner to the next. Over the years though, we have toned it down and downsized a lot of our things for each holiday. We stick to the basic now, but of course, I can't pass on some Halloween flair for our costumes. These candy corn socks and knife hair clips were part of my costume this year.

One last thing:

Our poor pumpkins are not having the best week. The good thing about these little guys is they will end up in our garden next year to live on. We never throw our pumpkins away. We always sow them back into the pumpkin garden boxes. We have pumpkins growing in there each year from over the coarse of five years. We bury them deep enough so that they will make it through the hard winters here.

Positive affirmations this week:

A few tips to start new routines.

1. Daily 5-5-5-5-30-10 (five pushups, five squats, five lunges, five crunches, 30 second plank, 10 minute walk in place)

2. Work on your posture whenever you find yourself slouching.

3. Work up to drinking a gallon of water a day (128 ounces), or half your weight in ounces a day.

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (October 27)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These socks.

I'm always cold, and these socks were just what I needed to find this week.

2. This kitty.

Always cuddly.

3. This swag.

Stickers and magnets we found this week at Halloween Town.

4. This progress.

Slow, but steady progress.

5. This game.

Hardy definitely wasn't afraid at summoning the skeletons from his past. ☺

One last thing:

It's been storming all week this week and we decided to spend it constructively and do some painting in the house. We painted another room and fixed some small dings and bangs along the baseboard. As we were painting thunder was clapping in the background. Skylar and I both thought it was a moment to remember.

Positive affirmations this week:

12 things to remember:

1. The past can not be changed.

2. Opinions do not define your reality.

3. Everyone's journey is different.

4. Nearly all things get better with time.

5. Judgements are a confession of character.

6. Overthinking will lead to sadness.

7. Happiness is found within.

8. Positive thoughts create positive things.

9. Smiles are contagious.

10. Kindness is free.

11. You only fail if you quit.

12. What goes around comes around.

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (October 20)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These posters.

My dad sent me these this week. They were a nice surprise and it gets us excited even more for our trip coming up in April to see the total solar eclipse in Arkansas.

2. These drinks.

Skylar and I rode the city transit bus to Starbuck's to get drinks for us all. My go-to drink is always a vanilla chai latte, Skylar's is white hot chocolate, and Jeff's is a café mocha.

3. This doggy.

The best boy.

4. These decorations.

From this point forward, my new favorite Halloween decorations are of skeletons doing regular house and yard work. Check out the one on the left head down in the flower garden.

5. This sign.

As the winter weather changes, be sure to stay hydrated. This sign was at Target and I definitely agree with it.

One last thing:

Anxiety comes in different forms. Sometimes it's subtle and creeps up on you and other times it comes in a full on panic attack. This week it hit me hard on the way home. I don't know what triggered it, but it came in the form of hives on my neck and chest. It only lasted about an hour, but writing down any triggers from the day that could have caused it has helped me identify certain things that could be the cause. I keep a journal of these moments, symptoms, and triggers and talk to my therapist about them. It helps to be able to have some control over my mental health issues.

Positive affirmations this week:

Mental health care is an important part of taking care of yourself, no matter who you are. Some tips to help you take care of your mental health:

1. Heat of the sun.🌞

2. Self appreciation.💗

3. Gratitude.📍

4. A cool drink.🧉

5. Warm bath.🛀

6. Self care.💚

7. Airplane mode.🛧

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (October 13)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This thread.

I found this vintage string holder at a local antique dealer and I absolutely love it. It's practical and made of cast iron. I hung it from the underside of a shelf in our mud room. I've already used some of the twine and it was as easy as pulling the string from the bottom. I love it! Here's one similar if you're seeking something similar.

2. This bones.

With Skylar loving dinosaurs, I found these cool dinosaur bone puzzles. They are a complete set of six different dinosaur skeletons. Each dinosaur comes with its own stand once the puzzle is put together. We love putting them together and learning about each dinosaur. 

3. This flowers.

With summer coming to a close and autumn here, I have a hard time saying goodbye to my sunflowers. This year we grew some Mammoth Sunflowers and seeing them fade always makes me sad. Their heads droop and it always means it's a close to the summer season. I like to cut them and bring them inside to finish out their growing. Once they are dead I stick them in our foraging wreath that I have been collecting for years.

4. This ladybug.

Skylar and I spent sometime on the bus this week doing some odds and ends, and finishing up some small tasks. While we were there a ladybug flew in through one of the windows and landing on one of the bunks. Every time we tried to set it free it flew back in. We finally got it to fly out of one of the back windows, but it was such a friendly ladybug that we were sad to see it go. Hopefully, it will make it bad to where it came from safely. 

5. This paper.

We recently switched to Reel Toilet Paper. We made the switch for two reasons. One, the paper is made from sustainable bamboo, and two, it comes wrapped in a paper wrapper instead of plastic. We have been slowly breaking our dependency on plastic anything, and although it's hard to break it completely, every little bit counts.

One last thing:

Our neighbors made us some deep-friend Oreos this week. Although we eat an all organic diet, I thought the gesture was so nice. Our neighbors aren't the typical neighbors and a lot of times we butt heads with them, but them even considering us was kind.

Positive affirmations this week:

Hey, whatever helps make you feel better is what's needed. This statement may not apply to everyone, but it definitely applies to some of us. Love, sunshine, dancing, sex, kindness, self love, and self respect are important for a health mindset and health life. Be sure to gather us all of the things that make you happy this week. You deserve it,

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.