Five Simple Things (December 23)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Fog.

I've always loved foggy mornings. I love foggy days no matter what time it is, really. The Willamette Valley gets blanketed in fog a lot, and especially in the winter season. I've taken so many pictures of foggy moments that I created an Instagram account to post them. You can see them all here.

2. This Trackable.

We received another trackable this week from Geocache and we are loving it. We activated it and added it to our own Geocache "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Can't wait to see where it ends up.

3. These Views.

I love how my eye can catch different glimpses throughout the day of different views. It's like positive messages just meant for me at that moment in time.

4. This Kitty.

It's all fun and games until you get tangled in what you're playing with.

5. This Gel.

Since my breast reduction surgery in 2020 I've been using this scar cream daily. Sometimes twice a day I will apply it and it has made such a drastic difference in the surgery scars I have. I have been photographing my chest once a month for my own purposes of seeing the healing and changes. I am quite impressed at how this scar cream and my other self-care to the area has made such a difference. It also works on old scars, too, and I highly recommend it. You can purchase it here, or pick up a container at Whole Foods, or similar stores.

One last thing:

With Twitter going through some odd changes I recently created a profile on Post.News. I post mostly environmental issues on Post, but if you'd like to follow me there you can see my link at the top of my blog with this symbol, or here.

Positive affirmations this week:

At the beginning of each month look over a new plan to start the next 30-31 days to build up a better you. Look at the positive impacts of the month before. Don't focus on the bad. Bad things happen to all of us, but look at all the positive things that happened over the bad to begin a new start. Focus on what you want to get done for the month, what manifestations you are looking for in the month to come, and don't forget self-care. Always incorporate self-care into your plans. Never neglect yourself. You can do this!

Have a nice weekend.

Ice Storm (2023)

Instead of a white Christmas it seems we are having an icy holiday. The rain first came and happened to keep falling all day, but as it stopped towards the end of the evening, the temperatures dropped and dropped hard. All the rain that was on the streets immediately froze. It was almost incredible how quickly everything froze solid in a matter of two hours. We were wide awake due to hearing branches cracking and hitting our house. At around 5:00 a.m. we got into the car and decided to have a look around town. Being so early in the morning, and the weather, not a lot of people were out and about. We helped one man that was stuck against the curb, and he was grateful for the help, but other than that, most people were avoiding the roads. It was a beautiful sight.

Sometimes Wants (Winter 2022)

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

1.  2. 

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5. 6. 

7.  8. 

9.  10. 

1. Organic Ginger Gummy Bears 200mg

2. Eileen Fisher Organic Cotton Jumpsuit

3. Ecobags Natural Cotton Soap Bag

4. Avocado Green Wooden Bath Mat

5. Organic reusable cotton tissues/Dispenser box

6. The Office Sabre Stainless Steel Water Bottle

7. Paula's Choice Reusable Makeup Remover Pads

8. Aquis + DAE Post-Shower Bundle

9. Xanitize Fleece Refills for Swiffer Hand Duster

10. Natural hemp biodegradable sponges 

1. With anxiety, comes nausea and these gummy bears have been my recent go-to to help with that. They also have helped with bloating and digestion issues, so win-win. I've been trying to use more natural and organic approaches to handling anxiety issues, so if you suffer, too, I will do my best to post what works for me and maybe they can help you, as well. You can also make your own here.
2. I've been slowly switching my clothing out for more sustainable, organic, and earth-friendly brands and I've also been enjoying jumpers and jumpsuits when at home. They are not only comfortable, but practical if I do need to leave the house for a quick errand.
3. I feel it's literally impossible to use up a bar of soap until it's totally gone without the help of one of these bags. We've been using them for awhile now and I will be honest, I feel less like I'm completely wasting the last parts of the soap with them and the bag feels nice on your skin and exfoliates in the process.
4.  This wooden bath mat has been a great addition to our bathroom and I feel like I am not missing washing our cloth floor mats, either. It soaks up water and dries quickly, so there is no water standing on the floor, or hoovering in a cloth mat. Highly recommend switching.
5. On our quest to switch to less waste and more minimal options in our home, tissue was a huge problem, especially this time of year. Making a simple switch to reusable tissues, we feel we are doing one more thing to keep less waste going to the landfill. This option comes in white, gray, pink, and denim color for the dispenser box.
6. We are huge The Office fans in our house, I mean, HUGE, and this water bottle is definitely going to end up in someone's stocking, or gift bag this year. I will definitely purchase one for myself, as well. I mean, we have to represent Sabre and Dunder Mifflin, right? "Dunder Mifflin Is A Part Of Sabre"
7. I've been using reusable, cotton, makeup pads for some time now and I have recently purchased these from Paula's Choice to add to my "collection." They are super soft, absorbent for makeup remover, toner, and even sunscreen, and lotions that I put on my face. I love that they are bamboo and cotton, and sustainable to the environment. Plus, I no longer purchase disposable cotton rounds since making this switch.
8.  If you haven't tried DAE, you're really missing out. I am absolutely in love with the Deep Conditioner and the Prickly Pear Hair Oil. There really isn't anything I have tried from DAE that I haven't loved. I use the hair wrap, brush, and leave-in conditioner after surfing and it cuts drying time literally in half and makes my hair healthier from being in salt water.
9. With making the changes to more reusable items, these dry dusting, fleece dusters that fit on the Swiffer duster handle works out great in our favor. I've ordered two of the five packs and when they are dirty, I just throw them in the wash. They pick up dust and work just as well as the disposable dusters, but have less of an environmental impact over time.
10. For cleaning, changing to more earth-friendly products has been a bit of a struggle, but slowly and surly we are doing it. One of the easiest things was the cleaning cloths, instead of paper towels, and sponges that are biodegradable over disposable. These hemp sponges are incredible, to say the least. They really are a powerhouse with dishes and I've even started using them in the bathroom.

Happy Winter Equinox!

Five Simple Things (December 16)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Santa.

Never too old to see Santa.

2. These Items.

Mighty Nest and Kinder Beauty Box came this week. I've been using it all and I'm loving everything, too. The True Moringa face oil is absolutely amazing! It hydrates my winter dry skin, but doesn't feel or even look like I'm wearing anything on my face. It is also great for sensitive skin, too, which I have! Highly recommend.

3. These Geese.

I've never seen this many Canadian Geese in one area before. I was quite fascinated with them. We had been having such a rough week, it was a nice moment to pause and reflect. Gratitude helps reprogram the brain to see the positives instead of the negatives, especially the negatives of a bad week. If you're having a bad day, or even a bad week, hopefully this moment helps you, too.

4. This Sock.

We recently got board socks for our surfboards and Skylar decided to try his out. Ho, Stevie! is such a great brand and we absolutely love their board socks. As you can see, it fit like a glove...or sock, rather. ☺ You can snag one of these board socks for your own board here.

5. This Finger.

Skylar hurt his finger this week on the job and we had to go to Urgent Care to get it looked at. He was putting a metal shelf up and it slipped and hit his finger. It wasn't stitched, but it was glued and cleaned up. It's a bit sore, but he is doing fine. We were afraid it was deeper than it was, but it should heal completely in a few weeks. Workmen's Compensation was frustrating, but eventually we got it all figured out. Wish things were easier for workplace injuries, especially young adults just entering the work force. Hopefully, things change sooner than later.

One more thing:

 

We enjoyed my homemade apple pie from Thanksgiving so much, I made another one, as well as some sugar cookies for Christmas. Both came out perfect and it was just another great addition to our holidays.

Positive affirmations this week:

Always remember, getting away from narcissists in your family is a step in the right direction in healing. Narcissists don't care about how you feel, or how they make you feel, so the best choice for you is to put distance between you and them. I have experienced narcissistic family members my entire life, getting away from them, never updating them on my life, and sharing few details of anything about me has helped in my healing so much. Over the years I have realized that the control of these narcissistic family members was petty and didn't serve any purpose other than for them. Breaking that control and keeping them behind a wall really does help you heal. If you are dealing with the same issue, just know, it takes some time to get your mind right from this form of abuse. Give yourself some time and patience and know that you are not what they do to you. You are worthy of love, respect, and kindness. You can do this!

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (December 9)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Trees.

We were on the fence about getting a real tree this year, so we put up our smaller fake tree and created one in the side yard. The side yard tree was a bit more costly than we had expected, but we love how it turned out. We took an 8 1/2 foot tall PVC piping in black, and drilled some eye hooks into the top. We then "estimated" how many string lights we would need, with a few runs to the store to grab more, twice. We ended up using 10 12-foot, 25 light strands and pieced them together. As we came to the top of the pole, we used small zip ties to hold them in place. At the bottom, where the strands met the ground, we used metal tent stakes to hold them against the ground. To hold the PVC pipe, we hammered a four-foot tall rebar into the ground, along side a four-foot tall metal fence post, and slide the PVC pipe over the top. We had some windy nights and it held fine. If you want to make this and want a more detailed instruction list, just send me a message on here at the email in my about section and I will break it down a lot more clear.

2. This Kitty.

She is a a cool kitty.

3. This Kid.

He is growing up and I'm so proud of who he is becoming. He is such a great friend and son all in one.

4. This Fog.

It's been so foggy here this week and at times it rolls in and you can't see a thing. A few drives in the morning definitely had us on a toes while driving.

5. This Advent. 

(This post is updated daily in December as the days progress to list the tea for that day)

This is the first year that I've done and advent calendar for myself. I chose a daily tea advent for 24 days and I will tell you, no regrets. Below is a list of what teas come in this advent calendar and below each one, I left a review of what I thought. You can grab this advent here, until supplies run out.

 

• Day One: Aged Earl Grey: Smooth taste, clean, and definitely a pick me up (7/10)

• Day Two: Immune Boost: Loved this one. Nice flavor, perfect for this time of year. (10/10)

• Day Three: Turmeric Amber Sun: Definite turmeric taste, warming, comforting (8/10)

• Day Four: Gunpowder Green: Distinct green tea taste. Energy and alertness for 4-6 hours. (6/10)

•Day Five: Honeybush: Tastes similar to chamomile tea and felt relaxing after drinking. (7/10)

•Day Six: Chinese Breakfast: Interesting taste. Tastes better at room temperature. (6/10)

•Day Seven: Congest Away: Sharp taste and peppery. Broke up some congestion. (8/10)

•Day Eight: Rooibos Chai: Sharp taste, warming with a nice taste. It felt comforting drinking it. (8/10)

• Day Nine: White Rose: Floral, definite rose taste. Not my favorite flavor in tea. (4/10)

• Day Ten: Chocolate Rooibos: Nice taste, definite taste of chocolate. Really liked. (10/10)

• Day Eleven: Moroccan Mint: Love mint tea in any form. This one was a treat. (10/10)

• Day Twelve: Golden Chai: Smells and taste great. Hint of cinnamon. Enjoyed. (10/10)

• Day Thirteen: Rooibos: Nice taste, clean taste, smells amazing and tasted better with milk. (9/10)

• Day Fourteen: Jasmine Green: Delicious and gave about three hours energy/alertness. (7/10)

• Day Fifteen: Chocolate Pu-Erh: Light chocolate taste, smooth, and great with cream, energy. (7/10)

• Day Sixteen: Orange Spice: Great from start to finish, left a little anxious. (6/10)

• Day Seventeen: Day Desert Lime: First taste okay, leaves an unappealing aftertaste. (4/10)

• Day Eighteen: Ginger Lemon: Nice taste, definitely could taste the ginger. (8/10)

• Day Nineteen: Dandelion Detox: Definite dandelion taste, felt mentally sound later in the day. (7/10)

• Day Twenty: Matcha Toasted Rice: Liked the matcha, but not the toasted rice smell or taste. (1/10)

• Day Twenty-one: Breakfast Blend: Great flavor, added French vanilla creamer and it was great. (9/10)

• Day Twenty-two: Hibiscus: Great taste and very warming and calming in taste. (9/10)

• Day Twenty-three: Chamomile Lemon: Very relaxing with a hint of lemon, but subtle. (9/10)

• Day Twenty-four: Sweet Slumber: Great start to finish and did help with falling asleep. (10/10)

One more thing:

I've been on a hunt for a quality butter dish and can't find one that I completely love, yet. For now, this simple, nothing special butter dish has been our choice. Hopefully, I can locate one that suits our needs soon. Lots of great options on Etsy.

Positive affirmations this week:

You can do this!

Have a nice weekend.