Life at a "Swell's" pace

Growing and Avocado Plant

We've taken up the trend of growing avocado trees from seed. We have been saving our avocado seeds throughout the year and trying our best to get them to root. We've has a bit of success and therefore we've planted them in small pots and then combined them into a large pot all together. They've struggled a bit, but they are growing. We haven't read about how long it takes for them to grow larger, but for now we are happy with what we've created. The plants currently share a pot with some ginger found in the back of our refrigerator a few months ago. Waiting to see what happens with that, as well.

There's different way to get them to root, but I've always found that the toothpick balanced on the top of a glass has worked best for us.

I like to wait until there's a good group of roots showing and a small sprout coming from the seed before transferring them to soil.

These are the plants that the seeds above created. This is about a year's worth of growing. There is ginger in the pot with these, but overall there's definite success with the seeds. It's kind of satisfying to know that you can eat the avocados and with a little patience allow it to continue on with life. Everything in this world has a purpose, and I feel that sometimes giving other living things a chance to continue on living, is a great way to appreciate life on a different scale.

Easy Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are one of the first things I learned to bake once I was out on my own. But having to ice them and decorate them, is mostly something for holidays and special occasions, unless you have the time and patience. Just having a simple sugar cookie on any day of the year, or even just a quick cookie to take somewhere, or to eat on throughout the week, is something a lot of us enjoy. Sugar cookies, just baked and left by themselves, is such a simple cookie to mix together. The key to these easy sugar cookies is to roll them in sugar before baking, without the hassle of cookie cutters, or icing. Here is my version of "Easy Sugar Cookies" that you can make any time of the year. And the best part, they're soft.

Here's how to make these easy, soft sugar cookies:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking power
3/4 tsp. sea salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. Using a stand mixer, mix wet ingredients together starting with the butter. Combine butter and sugar, and add the eggs. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well. Form into balls, about two tablespoons for each ball. Roll in granulated sugar, or colored sprinkles, flatten just slightly and lay on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for about 30-45 minutes, or freeze at this point to bake later.

Bake for 12-16 minutes at 350 degrees.

I would add to allow them to cool before eating, but nothing is better than a warm sugar cookie straight from the oven, so enjoy!

Five Simple Things (September 6)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This egg.

Mallie has been upset that she hasn't had any eggs to lay on, so I decided to get her some ceramic eggs to help her through her slump. She loved that she had something to sit on and it made me happy to see her happier.

2. This heart.

I have been seeing heart shapes in random places each day and I have decided to start capturing these moments to remember when my mental health dips and I need a pick me up. This one was found on a concrete step.

3. This canoe.

Skylar bought a canoe from one of our neighbors this week, and of course, we had to do a dry land practice.

4. This quiet.

I just found out this week that stores, like Walmart, have sensory hours for people with noise sensitivity. I've had noise sensitivity since I was a child, and any loud bangs, or background music or noise always sets off some amount of anxiety. I love that I can plan my day around going shopping during the sensory shopping hours at certain places. I hope more businesses implement these sensory experiences, too.

5. This lightning.

There was a storm that passed through the Willamette Valley this week and the show was a good one. We sat in an area just outside of the city as not to get the city lights in our shots. We weren't the only ones enjoying the lightning show, there were several others out taking a look at the sky. We've always loved weather, but getting a lightning show without rain or wind is one of our top favorite things to watch.

One last thing:

These wooden bowls are now for sale in the shop. They are solid wood and can be used for displays, a catch-all at your door for keys, or even used to make candles. Bowl measures approximately 9x6x2 and can hold 14 to 16 ounces.

Positive affirmations this week:

A sample of how you can start to plan your day and keep track of your mental health as you navigate through your daily schedule. This one is from Habio, but you can create anything that helps you get through your day and know when your mental health issues peek, and to help you build a solid routine to keep you going.

You can do this!🌈