Five Simple Things (January 14)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Cardinals.

I've had these paper Cardinals for some time and came across them cleaning out homeschool papers. I think they fit just fine in the Cat Palm tree leaves, for now. The Cat Palm tree is looking forward to being able to go outside for the season, and we are looking forward to sunny days, too. 

2. This Kid.

This kid had his first job interview this week. He put out several resumes and applications and was losing a bit of his spirit from no one calling him back. Not sure why businesses post "help wanted," or "desperately seeking help," yet none of those businesses call back. The good thing is, this first job interview went well. He landed the job after five minutes into the interview, which I had zero doubt once a company interviewed Skylar they would hire him immediately. He starts on Monday and while those other companies "desperately seeking help" never called him back, they missed out on a great employee. As I told Skylar, "Not everyone gets the privilege to meet you. Those that do, don't regret it." 

3. This Camera.

After my car wreck this past June I have been still struggling with PTSD from the entire incident. I speak a bit about it here. Jeff and Skylar went in together and got me a dash camera for the front of my car and the back of my car to help me ease back into driving without getting overwhelmed with anxiety. They took the time this week to install it and we went for a drive to see how well it covered the surroundings outside the car. I like the fact that there is a second set of "eyes" on the road, but it will still take some time still to feel 100% comfortable behind the wheel again. Not sure the feeling will every go away given how most people drive, but we're looking for progress, not perfection, and I'm okay with that. One thing is for sure, these camera do help me feel like someone is always watching around me. Here are the models I have: Front and Back.

4. These Boxes.

I received a sample of Splenda and Splenda with stevia leave extract this week to try out. I enjoy the fact that the stevia leave extract sample was GMO-free, but the other isn't at all what my normal diet consists of. It's a great product if you're trying to cut back on your sugar-intake, but going with an organic, or even real sugar (in moderation) is a better option for overall health. I appreciate the opportunity to test these products and all views are mine when it comes to sharing my opinion. If you want to give these varieties a try, you can purchase the regular Splenda Zero Calorie Sweetener here and the Splenda Naturals with Stevia here.

And, this month's Mighty Fix was donut bag clips. I was a bit skeptical of these before receiving them, but they are amazing! I love the fact that they are solid wood and work for a variety of bags. I even used one on top of Eleven's cat treat bag. If you would like to sign up for this monthly subscription, you can sign up here.

5. This Moth.

This week Skylar's moth, Bear, emerged from her cocoon into a beautiful Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia Isabella). She went from a Wooly Bear Caterpillar to beautiful species. We watched her from the time of her cocoon starting to her emerging. Unfortunately, she won't live long inside or outside. Her emerging too soon means it's still way too cold to put her back outside. We rescued her from the highway and kept her secure and safe inside of Skylar's snail habitat. She apparently was safe and comfortable and went into transformation. After reading more about Wooly Bear Caterpillars, sadly they only live one to two weeks, three if they are lucky. We hope Bear is with us for a long time. We love how she trusted us enough to transform, but we are disheartened that it was too early for the season and she has to stay inside. It's unfortunate because she won't be able to breed and carry on her own unique traits. We hope she enjoys her stay with us, though. We plan on treating Bear like the moth queen that she is.

Positive affirmations this week:

Set your intentions each week/day. You can either do this the night before and have your intentions for the following day be lined out, or set your entire month's intentions at the beginning of the month. A few ideas of intentions to set could include: 

1. Hours of Sleep >8
2. Morning Habit>Gratitude practice, journaling, stretch, or write your to-do list
3. Hours of Working>********
4. Exercise, or Movement>Stretch, walk, HIIT, gym, yoga
5. Evening Habit>New hobby, read a book, call a loved one, have a bath/shower
6. Winddown at Night>1 Hour, 2 Hours, 3 Hours
7. Deep Work>1 Hour, 2 Hours
8. Selfcare Days>Mon, Tues, [Wed], Thurs, Fri, Sat, [Sun]
9. Electronics-free Day>Sat, Sun
10. Me Things>New shoes, chocolate, fresh flowers, pedicure, alone time, etc.

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (January 7)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Sunset.

Sometimes the sunsets here are on fire. I like to refer to the pink/red sky at night as the Meirezsky.

2. These Beans.

Wouldn't be the New Year without a bowl of black-eyed-peas.

3. This Kitty.

Eleven helped me most of the time cleaning up from the holidays. She followed me from room to room watching and supervising. Even though she's not a kitten anymore, she still loves to play until she crashes out. 

4. This Wrap-up.

January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 wrapped up with 1 Second Every Day. This app has helped me a great deal with remembering all the good throughout the month or year. It's such a good reminder to see at the end of each month all the good things that happened. You can get this app here and start this year with recording one second of your day all year.

5. These Gifts.

On December 25 Skylar opened his last advent calendar bag contents. We have been doing an advent calendar for the last three years, and it's become a big part of the Christmas countdown for him.

 

Along with the advent calendar for Skylar we also like to use the new year to purchase new shoes for us all. We also do a few scratch-its just for fun. The shoes here are Adidas Cloudfoam and you can snag them here.

Positive affirmations this week:

It's a new year and a new chance to set the year off right with positive intentions and things to create a better you. It is not selfish to think of yourself ahead of others when it comes to taking care of yourself mentally and physically. Here is a calendar from Action for Happiness for January 2022 to help get your started on a great month and a happier and kinder to yourself year. You can download the month-to-month calendars from their site here.

Have a nice weekend.

New Year's Day Walk

We decided to start the 2022 year off right with a brisk walk around Salem's Waterfront Park. There were a lot of other people that had the same idea and with the sun out, it was a great day, and a great way to bring in the New Year with a fresh start. It's such a wonderful thing to know that, even on your hardest days you're here, already. It's a new year and you did it, you made it through. Even the hardest days that you, well we, had in 2021, we made it through. And to me, that's worth every second of happiness on January 1 each year. Happy New Year and here's to another year of making it through the hardest days and celebrating every step of the way~

End of December 2021 (1 Second Every Day)

Five Simple Things (December 31)

Hello. Happy New Year!

1. These Resolutions.

These were Woody Guthrie's New Year's Resolutions in 1943. They were found in the center section of a journal he kept and it gives a bit of insight into what he was thinking at the time. There's 33 resolutions to this list in which he names "New Years Rulins."

2. These Boxes.

This is my first box with Kinder Beauty. I've been searching for a replacement for Yogi Surprise ever since they dropped their subscription boxes. I look forward to this box because it's vegan, cruelty-free, and clean ingredients. You can try this box here.

Kiwi Eco Box this month had some great holiday items in it. From the mulling spices, to the plant(able) seed card, it was a great box. You can get this box here.

Also, Yogi Secret box. I found this one to replace Yogi Surprise, but it isn't quite what I am looking for. It's a great box, but doesn't have a lot of yoga-type items in it that Yogi Surprise had. I will be canceling the subscription after this box. If you're interesting in this box, you can get it here.

3. These Gloves.

We had been on a mad hunt for some wetsuit gloves to use during the colder months here in Oregon. We searched for the same brand as our wetsuit, which are Xcel, and we found the perfect ones at Seaside Surf Shop. These are great, 3mm, and work great on even the coldest days. 

4. This Morning.

Christmas this year was a cool one. I was able to get a few gifts I've been wanting to get for Skylar and Jeff. It always gives me a lot of joy making other people happy, especially the ones that deserve it.

Side Note:

Find out more here.

5. These Reminders.

If you've added "Be more sustainable" to your New Year's Resolutions, here's some tips to help keep you on task with those plans.

1. Lower Your Expectations: 

Focus on the things that you can still do "right", rather than focusing on what you're doing "wrong" during this time.

2. Assess Your Routine:

Use this time to assess the plastic you're using, and set a fame plan to work towards plastic-free alternatives. 

3. Focus On Foods:

Use what you have. Focus on buying low-impact, plant-based foods. Keep using your reusables, if you're able to (wash them with soap after use). Buy larger quantities of things you will use (less packaging waste). 

4. Clean Sustainably: 

Look for products with natural ingredients. Use bar soap. Use rags over paper towels. Be sure to wash rags after each use.

5. Vote With Your Dollar:

Use this time to repair or repurpose items that you already one, or support ethical, sustainable, small businesses-Not fast fashion. Also, buy from better companies with your food choices, clothing, appliances, etc. Your purchase is a vote for that product, so make it count.

6. Educate:

Check our some environmental documentaries, books, or podcasts. If you're a voter, brush up on your election candidates and their stances on climate change and other green initiatives. 

Did you catch Sirius this week (25), or Mercury meeting Venus (28), or the Moon near Mars (30)?

Positive affirmations this week:

Exercise, healthy eating, waking up earlier, taking note of the things you enjoy and doing those things as often as possible, keeping away from negative people and those that drag you down and serving those that bring out the best in you, getting outside more and getting sunshine whenever you can, work on your own talents, and ignoring those that are an anchor. These are the things for the new year that will bring you into your real, true self. Happy New Year, make this the year you celebrate yourself more!

Have a nice weekend and an even better January First.