Five Simple Things (December 24)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This House.

We did simple, sustainable decorations this year. I enjoyed the fact that they were easy to clean up and didn't take much to make the house look cute and festive. Best part is, when the holidays are over I can throw them into the compost, or even into the duck house for bedding.

2. This Surf.

We took off this week for a surf trip, but only got a few waves in before a storm rolled in. The wind picked up so much it turned the seven foot swells into 13 foot swells. We tried to stick it out, but decided against it. Everyone else in the water followed us out, as well. It was good surfing otherwise, though and we are all three getting better at navigating in larger swells and especially ones that are unpredictable. 

3. These Pomanders.

Skylar and I spent the day making eco-friendly Christmas decorations this past week. These pomanders are super easy to make and the smell of them with the whole cloves is one of my favorite smells around the holidays. Along with these, we also made another decoration with oranges below. The best part of these decorations is that they can be composted after their time is done.

4. These Cutters.

I found these small cookie cutters at our local Walmart and used them to cut out small orange peel decorations for Christmas. These are super easy to make and smell amazing as they dry out. We will probably keep these hanging in the window even after the holidays. You can get the same set here.

5. These Samples.

I received these three items for testing purposes. The Dove deodorant was a great concept, I really like the fact that it can be refilled without throwing away the entire container. The downside to this product is the refills come in a plastic container and that ends up in the landfill just as a plastic deodorant case would. Although, the concept is great, it needs improvement still. And, the smell was a bit much for me. I plan on trying out the other scent, but the cucumber and green tea was not a scent I enjoyed. You can get this deodorant here. The second samples are from Influenster. It's from Almay and it's their Clear Complexion line that's formulated with salicylic acid, prebiotics, and aloe. It's formulated for acne-prone skin and is part of the #YourBreakoutMakeup campaign. I really enjoyed the Clear Complexion Concealer, but the Clear Complexion Makeup broke me out and dried my face out a lot. The concealer was a great coverage makeup to wear all day, and I highly recommend it. You can pick up the concealer here. The one pictured here is in the shade 100 Light. And, if you wanted to give the makeup a try, you can snag it here and try it yourself. The one pictured here is in shade 200 Buff.

Did you catch Uranus near the Moon this week (15), or the Full Oak Moon (18), and the Winter Solstice (21), and Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn lined up (23)...

            

 

Positive affirmations this week.

Have a nice weekend, and a nice holiday.

Sometimes Wants (Winter)

These are the winter time "Sometimes Wants" that have caught my eye lately.

1.  2. 

3.  4. 

5.  6. 

7.  8. 

9.  10. 

1. Rose Beauty Balm

2. Bee's Wrap Extra Large Roll of Reusable Food Wrap

3. Inesscents Salvation CBD Moontime Harmony Skin Salve

4. CBD Sheet Mask Set 

5. Copper Metal Refillable Floss Pick

6. Mouthwash Tab (Crème de Menthe)

7. Sweet Baby Orange Shampoo

8. CBD Gummies (Full-Spectrum)

9. Organic Stress & Fatigue Formula

10. Onyx Stainless Steel Ice Cube Tray

With the winter season my skin, as I age, gets a lot more dry. I have been using the Badger Balm Rose Beauty Balm and it has helped a great deal in combating a lot of dry skin. I also use this balm on my hands, elbows, and my knees. We have completely cut out plastic in our home. No matter what, a few things slip through the door from time to time, but as far as purposely bringing plastic in we have gotten into a routine of changing our habits. Along with those habit shifts we have cut out the use of plastic wrap and plastic bags completely. In place of it we have been using Bee's Wrap. Of course, there are a lot of other brands out there, but we stand strong with the original Bee's Wrap food wrap for most of our food wrap. Since Burt's Bees ended their BooBoo Stick, it took me awhile to find a proper replacement. I found it in this Inesscents Skin Salve. Perfect for booboos, cuts, and even dry skin. CBD has become a staple in our house from its healing properties to it's calming properties. These sheet masks are amazing and definitely something to add to your selfcare Sunday routine. Flossing is a necessity and this reusable pick is a hit in our house, as well as the mouthwash tablets. We have all been enjoying the Sweet Baby Orange Shampoo. It smells amazing and it's made with natural ingredients and plant based cleansers. More on the CBD additions, these gummies are great for aches, pains, and anxiety. I've been using them at night, especially this time of year, which is the hardest for me. The holidays brings on a lot of anxious thoughts, and panic issues, and I like to use these gummies at night to help relax my mind. I also have been using the Stress & Fatigue Formula to help with my seasonal depression, and PTSD. We also do not have an ice maker in our house, so this stainless steel ice cube tray has been a great substitute for an ice maker. During the holidays and even throughout the year it's nice to have a glass of iced something on hot days and even sitting in front of our fireplace relaxing. These are all of my favorite things right now and I hope some of them peek your interest and become your favorites, as well. Happy winter solstice! 

Five Simple Things (December 17)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Tree.

The tree in our city and the park that gets a slash of color this time of year was shining bright, even through the rain. I always admire it from a distance due to the cluster of lights everywhere. It's kind of a sensory overload with how many lights they put up each year. Plus, I think it looks better from a distance anyway.

2. These Boys.

The boys agreed to do a No Shave November this year and we donated to prostate health, as well. We try to pick a charity each year around December and this was the first time we participated in the NSN. You can help us, too by donated through the No Shave November page here, or creating your own page to participate. Once December came, though, the boys were happy to be able to shave once again, but we were able to raise $200 towards this great cause. 

3. This Lights.

Skylar and me are huge Stranger Things fans and I've been looking out for some lights similar to the ones Joyce Byers hung up in her living room to communicate with Will. I found these for now. They are close, but not quite the same. I will continue to hunt for them, but for now, these are pretty close. 

4. These Sandwiches.

Skylar and Jeff went to pick up lunch at our local food co-op and the deli worker, that we all know, made our sandwiches. She is always so kind to us and her sweet messages made our day.

5. This Box.

This week's Misfits Market box was full of great things. Trail mix, vegetables, fruits, sparkling water, and snacks. We are loving our subscription to this box. Everything that comes in the boxes are things we would buy ourselves. Most things are USDA Organic, but everything that comes is nongmo. After switching to 100% nongmo, we are pleased to find a food box that respects those values. You can sign up here to start your own subscription and to get $10 off your first box. 

Did you catch the Geminids Meteor Shower on December 13?

Positive affirmations this week:

Keeping your surroundings clutter-free actually helps your mental health more than you think. I find myself getting scatter-brained, irritable, and edgy when I don't have my house, rooms, car, or even yard in tidy order. If you aren't sure where to start, start in one room and organize it for a week. Stay in that one room and don't venture away from it until that room is where you want it, as far as being tidy. Once that room is done, more to another room. I started small and now am where I want to be. Every day is a day to declutter more. I take note of what I bring through my door and make sure it earns its place in my house, or yard. Keeping things tidy will help keep your mental health in check over time. You can do this! For more tips check out my minimalism posts 

here.

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (December 10)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Flowers.

We used these for our Thanksgiving table spread, but they are still going strong even two weeks later. I've been changing the water every day and cutting away any spots that aren't doing well. I'm not sure what the key is to keeping flowers long-lasting, but I must have gotten a good bunch, or doing something right.

2. These Boxes.

This week I received a lot of the subscription boxes I've been waiting for. The one above is the monthly "Fix" from Mightnest. I love the lavender soap and the Soap Lifts are amazing! You can sign up for this monthly box here.

This is a new one. I will post about it for the next three months. It's called Yogi Secret and this was the first box I received. I like a few of the items, but not all of them. I will see how I like the next two months on whether I keep it going, or not. You can sign up for this box here.

And, the diehard, Fab Fit Fun for this month. Again, this is another one that I do love, but will be ending at the end of this year. It was a good run for the year I had it, but I would like to check out other boxes, too. As always, you can sign up for this box here.

3. These Tickets.

This week we went to the Pix Theatre in Albany, Oregon, and watched Dune. Although the movie was long, it was a good movie. We will definitely be watching the next movies that follow this book series.

4. These "Glasses."

I picked these 3D glasses up at a local toy store in Corvallis, Oregon, and they make lights look like little snowflakes. They are even better to look through when I got high a few nights in a row and looked through them. I love these kind of 3D glasses, but the snowflake ones are the best. Here are ones that are similar. 

5. This Kitty.

She woke my up promptly at 5:00 a.m. to let me know she was out of water in her dish. I normally get up around 5:30 a.m., so it was perfect timing. She also wanted some treats, so can't fault her on that.

Did you see the moon between Jupiter and Saturn this week (6,7,8,and 9), or Earthquake warnings this week on the eighth? It was a bit alarming for the earthquake notification on my phone to go off, and there was a tsunami warning, but it was mild here with the waves and thankfully nothing came from it. Still, even after living here for over 15 years, it's still a starling warning to see and several back to back. We have go-bags already prepared, so if anything did happen we would be able to take off quickly. That goes for any weather, or emergency situation. We have since revamped our go-bags and our emergency preparedness since the wildfires. Hopefully, we will never have to use them, but if we did, we are ready.

Positive affirmations this week:

I am not a morning person at all, but lately I have found small joys in getting up before the sun is up. The early mornings feels like the rest of the world is still asleep and you're pretty much the only one that's up for the day and the only one that's awake. It feels like it isn't really a real day and you're still sound asleep and dreaming. The best part of that moment and that time of day is that all your problems seem to be nothing and it almost, just for that moment, feels like you can conquer everything and there's no stress in the world for you. It feels like everything is doable and all the stress, problems, worries, mental health struggles, and/or issues that face you daily are gone. Because, it's just you, the world, and the sunrise. I've slipped up a bit lately getting up at a good time that works for me, but by January 2022 I will be right back on that schedule and keeping track of myself and what works for me. 

Have a nice weekend.