Life at a "Swell's" pace

Five Simple Things (April 28)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Moment.

It was such a beautiful day that Skylar wanted to do his homework in the front yard. We've done a lot to the front, side, and back yards that it is nice sometimes to just sit out there and enjoy the day. I couldn't decide which picture I liked more. Hardy is such a good boy and he loves hanging out with Skylar.

2. These Flowers.

Spring has definitely sprung here on the west coast and these little yellow daisies (Common Daisy-Bellis perennis) are one of my favorite flowers to see in the yard when spring comes. We linger a bit before mowing for the season to allow pollinators to grab what they need.

The honeybees and mason bees love them. And while I was walking through the daisies I noticed a double headed Daisy.

This is actually a rare thing in flowers and it's caused by a plant–pathogen. It's really rare to see in Common yard daisies, and this one was so tall I had to stake it to help it stay upright. I didn't want to cut it, but I also didn't want it to die in the yard, or get stepped on. I cut it and placed it in water for a few days and then pressed it in my flower press. Hopefully, it stays in tact while being preserved.

3. This Doggy.

For being a good sport and such a good boy. I don't know how some households go through life without a pet. We only get one chance and this life and I can't imaging my time here on earth without a pet companion (animal de compagnie)

4. These Items.

Kiwi Eco Box this month was a hit, as always. Dental care set and a loofa sponge. I love the floss they send and I have to say Canary tooth tablets. As a matter of fact, everything from Canary is amazing!

One of the extras I added to my Might Nest box this month was this wooden, sustainable toilet brush by Zefiro. As we slowly switch our house over to more sustainable and eco-friendly options, a toilet brush switch just seemed right.

5. These Updates.

Since doing an update to our closet back in March. We decided to keep the updates going with redoing a vintage door to one bedroom. The hinges and knob almost looked like brass, they were so dirty. We soaked them in vinegar and water overnight, cleaned them with soap, and polished them to a nice shine. They are all very heavy metals and we think they are wrought iron by how they cleaned up.

One last thing:

This week has been a week to push clear liquids. I feel the older I get the more dehydrated I feel all the time. I drink a lot of water, but with the dryness lately with spring coming, and all the pollen I feel I need to up my fluid intake. This week I drank a lot of herbal teas, water, and sparkling water to help stay ahead of the dehydration. I recently read that as we get older out bodies do require a little bit more fluids to stay on track. So STAY HYDRATED as we transition into spring. Your body, joints, skin, and brain will love it.

Positive affirmations this week:

This past Autumn I was looking at personality types and what's best for each personality. Although I don't get too into random advice and things based on personality, horoscope, or even birth year, it seems to help a little bit with these routines to keep you on track. From the ones below I've worked out a routine to help during the weekends, especially, because the weekend seems to be when I get off track. I normally wake up early, stretch, shower/get ready for the day, get dressed, have breakfast, figure out what's for dinner, start my to-do list, load of laundry, and work for two-three hours on my blog or shop, go for a walk, clean up five things in each room, work again for another two-three hours, and write up a new to-do list for the following day. There are a few more things sprinkled in there, but the basic parts of my day never change. Having a routine is important for someone like me that suffers from mental health issues. When we have a routine we feel like we are in control of our day instead of the day being in control of us. Maybe these tips and tricks can help you get on track, or back on track, too.

You can do this! 🌈

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (April 21)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This season.

The Cherry Blossoms are in full effect on the Oregon State University campus right now and they are beautiful.

2. These boxes.

Kinder Beauty and Influenster sent some lovely items this month. My favorite item in the Kinder Beauty Box was the Snow Fox Skincare Multi-Ceramide Lavender & Coconut Sleeping Mask.

3. These robots.

These are the new delivery robots at Oregon State University. They are one of the coolest parts of technology that I think should be used everywhere. There's about 20 of these little robots scurrying around the campus. They stop at crosswalks, train crossings, and even bike paths. At night is when they are the coolest thing! They are from Starship Technologies and you can read more about them here.

4. This lunch.

We took a short lunch break this week and watched the planes land at the Portland International Airport. My lunch fork I've been using for over a year now decided to break on me, too. Single-use plastic isn't single-use if you use it over and over again. I am limping this little fork through until it falls apart on me. And when it does, it's compostable, so I feel a lot better putting that into the environment than a cheap, plastic fork that will sit and still be breaking down long after I'm gone.

5. This kid.

Baby blue eyes and sandwiches. I am so proud of him, so, so proud. ♥

One last thing:

I spent two days this week in a mental health slump, so comfort food was needed. I enjoyed some vegetarian enchiladas and queso, while watching some horror movies from my Letterboxd rotation. My therapist, my doctor, and me are trying a new pill regimen to see if it will help with my PTSD, sleep paralyses, and nightmares. I have high hopes that this time will be the winning combination. I honestly feel like my life is a roulette wheel of medications right now. Having all of these mental health issues are the cause of someone else's issues and not of my own doing. I wasn't even born with them. That's a hard thing to come to terms with. I wish these people that contributed to my mental health issues would go get help themselves, too. Seeking treatment, reaching out, and never giving up, even when the suicidal thoughts try to take over, is a brave thing. I know my suicidal tendencies will rear their ugly head once again, but I will and can beat this. I am strong enough to fight and I will win the battle... eventually.

Positive affirmations this week:

I am a big believer in rests, be it weekend, monthly, or even seasonally. I like to hit rest every Sunday and use that day for selfcare, and clean the house, and get everything ready for the week ahead. I also like to do a seasonal rest. Go through clothes and downsize, organize and donate things through the house that are no longer needed, and also reset bedding, books, the office, etc. Rests help clear my head and with having been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder, it's a nice way to satisfy that urge to purge everything out of my house and light it on fire. I use a few techniques when going through a rest; list making, apps, cue cards, and even doing five things every day per room. The chart below is a beginners step in creating a good rest routine for yourself. I've used this one on more than one occasion, but took what I could from it and made my own rest list and routine. This one is from Unhustle. Unhustle helps high achievers create whole-life success without sacrifices. You can check them out here.

Have a nice weekend.

Surf Trip in No Rain the Bus

We decided this past weekend to take a camping trip with the bus to see how it would be to sleep, cook, and do a bit of "glamping" in it. We also did a bit of surfing while we were over at the coast. We had a great time, and we also realized what items we needed more for the bus, what we can fix, and also what things aren't necessary. It was a nice way to get away for the weekend, and we all had a great time. Hardy had a great time, too.

I always love how the surfboards look next to the school bus. It makes me think of a traveling surf group going around the world surfing whenever they can.

Hardy gets excited the closer we get to the ocean. He loves spending time on the bus and even more spending time with us, no matter what we are doing. Him's a good boy.

The water was calling. And we answered the call until the sun started to go down.

We were at Beverly Beach State Park for the night and woke up the next day and headed to Agate Beach.

We surfed a lot at Agate Beach and when we were leaving I found the cutest sand dollar. I love finding these that have holes in the middle. I always think they would look so cute on a small silver or gold chain. Another shop item? Maybe...

Once we were all exhausted from surfing, we made brunch and took our time relaxing and enjoying the day.

Our bus setup is slowly getting there. We aren't like some bus convertors and get it all done in a set amount of time. We actually love taking our time on the conversion and enjoying every set of the process. The table here is the one that will be bolted to the floor and be part of our "dining area" of the bus.