Growing an 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 (August 8)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These mangos.

We have been dehydrating our own mangos lately. It's not as difficult as you might think. We also dehydrate the overripe ones to use in smoothies, or just to eat the same day. Wash and peel the mangos and cut the fruit into bite-sized chunks that you prefer. We use organic mangos for ours because we prefer an organic diet. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for four to five hours, depending on your oven. Flip the mangos every 30 minutes. They will darken and some will darken more than others. Let them cool and they should be pliable and not sticky. If they are still sticky, or seem wet in texture, place them back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

2. This repotting.

We had these Dracaena Snake Plants in separate pots, so this week I decided to combine them into one large pot. Some are taller than others and I can't wait to see how well they thrive in their shared home.

3. This update.

We are ripping out the floor of the bus this week. We are starting in smaller sections and moving slowly as we remove the vinyl flooring and the plywood subflooring. It has been a smooth process so far. Our next plan is to sand off the rust that is visible and paint and reseal any leaks in the metal. We are pleased that the rust isn't too bad except in areas you would expect on an old school bus. We will update our progress on the blog here, our Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

4. These covers.

Along with our Jackery we purchased tire covers for No Rain the Bus. We are planning on using these when the bus is parked at homebase and while on trips.

5. These inventions.

I recently came across a short list of black inventors from The Black Inventions Museum. It's incredible the things we take for granted every day that were invented by a black woman or black man. I am so proud to know that these inventors are getting the recognition they deserve. There are so many other items, and technology invented that we use and don't realize that someone black created. The bicycle frame was invented by a man named Issac Johnson. Not to mention, Marian Croak was the first self-made millionaire in America.

One last thing:

After removing the flooring it was an unpleasant trip to the landfill. We are happy to be done with this task on the converting, though. It was dusty, noisy, and tiring. Another to-do marked off our list.

Positive affirmations this week:

Having a daily routine is one thing I have been embracing for a few years now. I am a person that thrives best on routine. A few hiccups happen from time to time, but overall sticking to the main routine helps my mental health a great deal. This image below is a guideline to help you work on getting into a routine for yourself. You can add or remove anything you need from the layout, because you are ultimately in control of your own day to day activities. Be sure to add the selfcare, or even add a few more moments of selfcare to help keep your mental health in the right place as you navigate through your day. The main routine habits you need to always have in your list are staying hydrated, moving your body, and getting enough sleep.

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (August 1)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These books.

I picked up these books to read and add to the blog's Read with Me page. I mostly pick thrillers, crime, or horror. If that is your genre, too, follow my reading picks here on the blog.

2. This bra.

I already had this bra from Anthropologie that I picked us shortly after my breast surgery and I love it! This week I went back to Anthropologie to pick up another one. I love how the straps don't dig into my shoulders and the band at the bottom holds where it needs to hold. It's one of my favorite bra brands that I love.

3. This moment.

It's been a rough two months without Hardy. We had him for so long that it feels like something is now missing from our everyday life. Losing a pet is a hard blow to our hearts, but the times we had with Hardy are times we will always talk about. My love for animals is deep. Pets seem to have a way of showing us what love is really like. These paw and nose prints came this week in a card signed by everyone who helped Hardy the day we brought him to the Willamette Veterinary Hospital. They have always been wonderful to us when we bring our pets in during their final moments. We will always be so grateful to all of them for everything they do during those emotional moments. I hope Hardy and all of our pets feel loved during the time they are transitioning from this life.

4. This update.

We have been working hard on removing the old flooring of the bus to clean it and prepare it for a new floor. It hasn't been tough work, just time-consuming, but it's getting done, and we are excited about the progress. You can follow our bus's progress here on the blog or on our Instagram or Threads.

5. This heater.

While working on the bus floor tear out, FedEx delivered our Camplux portable water heater. Jeff was pretty pumped when it showed up and we are going to try it out this weekend with our outdoor shower.

One last thing:

A lot of people don't know that I struggle with large amounts of anxiety and have been diagnosed with panic disorder, OCD, and ADHD. The combination of these causes me to experience depression at certain times too. I have always had these mental health issues my entire life, but only learned what they were until about 15 years ago. Since that time I have been an advocate for people to reach out and seek understanding about what is happening with them emotionally, physically, and mentally. Living a life in the dark about what is happening with your body is a form of self punishment. Everyone deserves to live a good life and understand their own individual symptoms. Since the time I have learned more about mine I have created a mental health profile on Instagram to help those that are struggling through theirs. It's named The Color of my Anxiety. I post six mental health positives each month and change the color based on that month's shade. If you are needing a boost for the day, or just want to scroll through and feel like you are not alone, please visit me there. And for everyone that is struggling with us, we are going to be okay, and I hope these positive memes on The Color of my Anxiety Instagram helps you.

Positive affirmations this week:

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.