Five Simple Things (June 17)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Recipes.

Since working with a dietitian I've been trying out some old recipes I've known and some new ones that I've never tried before. First picture is egg drop soup. This soup is one of my favorites when going to a Chinese restaurant, but I've never made it and it's surprisingly easy. Second picture is PAP. PAP is something that a lot of people aren't familiar with, but it's literally just another form of cream of wheat. It's flour, sugar, and milk-thickened and poured onto a flat plate and sprinkled with cinnamon.

2. This Test.

Received this test kit from Yogi Surprise before they discontinued their monthly boxes. We decided to utilize them this week and see what's off with our health. These test strips are held in your urine stream and after processing tells you minor health concerns, or what's off with your vitamins, minerals, or water intake. It's a great test to bring to your next checkup to discuss with your doctor. All three of us fell inside the healthy boundaries, but it was nice to see where areas need improvement, such as water intake, low minerals, or vitamins. It gave us a good look at what to improve on and increase doing, or decrease doing. These test strips are from Vivoo and you can pick up them up here. They work with a smart phone app to help you figure out minor concerns within your own body. The app can be downloaded here and along with your test strips gives you a leg up on what's going on. 

3. This Stove.

We have been looking for a camp stove for awhile now, but didn't want to spend a whole lot. We got lucky and found this one from Ozark Trail for $17! Not sure why it was marked down so low, but we were pleased. We've used it once here at home, but are definitely looking forward to taking it on the school bus, or even on a camping trip/day trip to see how well it holds up. So far, we are happy with it. Here are similar camp stoves as the one above, but the exact one we have is no available for the price we paid. Our next option will probably be a Coleman.

4. These Groceries. 

Always a great haul with Misfits Market. This was our grocery box this month and it didn't disappoint. Waterloo grape-flavored, peaches, salad, English muffins, strawberries, potato chips, spinach, watermelon, avocado, and so much more. We are never upset with our items and if anything is ever missing, broken, ruined in shipping, or not 100% satisfying they replace your purchase without hassle. You can sign up for this monthly shipment, or weekly shipment, depending on your needs, here. Minimum order amount is $30 and with that link you get an additional $10 off. Their selection of organic is some of the best I've seen with an online grocery service!

5. These Ashes.

We got back the ashes of Happy Duck, Rosie, and little Ro-Ro this week. It's sad to see all of our passed little duckies in this way, but we are slowly coming to terms with not seeing Happy Duck running around the yard with the other two ducks. Rosie was her sister duck that had uterine prolapse that ended up being too much for her to handle. And, little Ro-Ro we got after Rosie passed away to help keep Happy Duck company. Ro-Ro had something wrong with her from the start. A lot of times, ducks that come from a large breeder have issues from time to time. Ro-Ro came from the local farm supply store here and was sick from the time we brought her home. I stayed up with her the night that she passed away and I was able to talk to her and be with her when she took her final breath. I feel like that's my job-help animals and humans be able to take hard times a little easier. Death is something I will never be able to accept with any animal or any person. I have a really hard time understanding death, especially death of animals or people that didn't deserve to die the way they do. But, with having all of their ashes back to us we can add them to the pet box with Baz, Meia, and Milo that we can take with us. We have plans for them in the future, but for right now we are happy to have them back and together with the other pets.

Positive affirmations this week:

Have a nice weekend.

Don't forget that June 21, 2022 is International Day of Yoga. You can learn so much about your body through practicing yoga daily. For more information on how to get started check out International Day Of Yoga: Theme, Yoga for humanity.

Five Simple Things (June 10)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Cupcakes.

Because sometimes, it's just that kind of week.

2. This Parade.

This week was the setup to the Strawberry Festival held here every year in honor of strawberries. Although it was a bit rainy, we sat and watched the parade for a bit. With Skylar working across from where we were sitting, he was able to walk across the street and hang out with us for a bit on his break. 

And, with everything being centered around strawberries, we can't help but go all in by finding anything and everything strawberry.

3. This Alert.

A bit alarming, but thankfully nothing came from it. With all of the alerts for earthquakes near/close/distant from us, it's a bit unnerving. We always take note of any alert that is close to us, or even out in the Pacific Ocean.

4. This Grilling.

Taking full advantage of the warmer weather here lately. It's been nice to be cook outside again without worrying about fires, or intense smoke. Hopefully, we can get by with another summer of no threats again. 2020 is not year we think of fondly, but we are grateful that we are all safe and that we learned a lot that year on what's important and what's not.

5. These Caramels.

Finally tried making homemade caramels. Not really my thing and they didn't come out quite as planned, but it was definitely an interesting task. I might try it again, but I'm not sure right now. For now, we are going to enjoy these, because it did take all of us to make these tasty. 

Positive affirmations this week:

There's lots of resources, apps, and journals out there that can help keep you on a path for routine each day. Mostly all you need is a piece of paper and a plan for the following day, or even for the week. I like to set myself up for small tasks for each day, but also include larger tasks to complete for the week and even the month. It helps a great deal with keeping me on track, so that when (not if, but when) bad mental health days hit, I don't add to my feelings with thinking I'm not getting anything done. On my tasks each day, week, and month, I make absolutely sure that have plenty of days for self-care and down time. If I deprive myself of those days and times, it will definitely show up later that I neglected that important part that I need to be successful in my life. Below are some examples that I have used as templates before. They are great tools from Habio, Elevate, and Fabulous.

 

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (June 3)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Trees.

The Hawthorne trees are always so lovely this time of year.

2. These Items.

Mighty Nest this month was a linen towel with a calming design. Get on next month's list here.

KiwiEcoBox this month was some great items, from a rice paddle, tomato spread, toothpaste/toothbrush, etc. Grab this monthly box here.

Kinder Beauty Box this month was a hit for me. The hair mask, shower gel, and lip gloss were great!

And, since I missed on posting the Kinder Beauty Box for last month, it was great, too! You can sign up for this box here and each month you'll great some great, cruelty-free, natural/organic beauty care items.

3. This Sprout.

This sweet, little plant is either a seed sprouting, or a weed, but either way I decided to leave it since it gave me some love I so desperately needed this week. Sometimes little things mean a great deal.

4. These Bars.

Some of my favorite things right now. Absolutely love these grain and seed bars from LivBar. They are made right here in Oregon and taste amazing! We are all loving them currently. My favorite is the Blueberry Vanilla. You can grab a box of these here.

5. This Meal.

Homemade enchiladas are some of my favorite things. The "cheese" on top is vegan cheese from Whole Flower Farms and is the absolute best vegan cheese I've ever tasted. It's spiced just perfectly for Mexican dishes.

Positive affirmations this week:

Have a nice weekend.

End of May 2022 (1 Second Every Day)

Five Simple Things (May 27)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Moments.

We actually got to surf twice this week, which is rare. We normally are only able to get out once a week, but having the opportunity to go twice was a blast. I enjoy each time we go out, because all anyone ever does when surfing is practicing to get better.

2. This Ladybug.

Sweet ladybug hanging out on the lavender waiting for warmer days like the rest of us.

3. This Doggy.

He is either down sleeping, or up with full energy. Hardy is such a great doggy and I love his weird, quirky personality so much!

4. This Ladder.

After the wildfires in 2020 and all of the ash destroying our pool pump we ended up posting our pool on Craigslist for free, but decided to hold onto the ladder for awhile just in case we planned to get another pool, or could use it for something else. This week we made the decision to post the ladder for sale online, after not finding a way to use it again. It was tough to say goodbye to it, but it went to someone that has a pool waiting for it. The affects of the wildfires here are still hitting a lot of people and in different ways. 2020 had such an impact on our little family alone, but the whole state, and even the entire west coast is still feeling its pain.

5. This Teaser.

We are huge "Stranger Things" fan in our house and we are anxiously waiting for the new season.

One more thing:

Yesterday we picked up our red noses at Walgreens for Red Nose Day. It's a day once a year to bring in donations through the sell of red noses and to be silly like a child. If you didn't get a chance to pick up your red nose, you can still donate here.

Positive affirmations this week:

Always take advantage and never miss an opportunity to tell the people you care about that you love them. No matter what kind of day you're having, letting someone else know how much you care has a greater impact than you realize. Your words could save someone's life that day, or even walk them off the edge. Words have power and do powerful things, so use them in a way that will always make people feel wanted, loved, and enough.

Have a nice weekend.