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 (October 25)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These lights.

We frequent an antique store near us and we visited the store this week. I didn't have a plan for a purchase before we went in, but once I saw these wall sconces, I couldn't leave without them. The antique store is large, and you can easily get lost inside. I love how there are different sections for different things, and some things just stand out more than others. I need to get smaller light bulbs for them, but so far, I love them!

2. These boxes.

Birch Box and Might Nest came this week. My favorite thing in the Birch Box shipment is the Salt & Stone Bergamot and Hinoki Body Lotion, but I do love the Lué by Jean Seo Erase. It helped clear up a lot of my troubled acne on my cheeks.

3. This iron.

I recently found this Conair Steam and Iron that I plan on using while traveling. One of the things I missed when we traveled across the country in the bus was a way to iron some clothing. There isn't a full closet system on the bus yet, so it would have been nice to be able to iron a few pieces, or even steam them straight while on the road. This should come in quite handy for that. Here is the link to my storefront to grab one for yourself.

4. This jar.

A few months ago Skylar accidentally broke my vintage bee jar trap when he moved it from one shelf to another. Although it was an accident, he went on a hunt to find me a replacement. These jars are very hard to find, and I do love these trap jars, so I am glad he was able to find one similar. I can not find one online similar, but if it peeks your interest, keep your eye out for them being sold at estate sales.

5. These clothespins.

It's the end of the season and time to take down the clothesline. I had a canvas bag that I kept the pins in, but over 20 years of use, it gave out, sadly. I found this jar at Walmart, of all places, and it is working perfectly for the clothespins, for now.

One last thing:

I have been going back to counting calories. I lost 68 pounds doing this a few years ago and after my surgery in 2020, I developed an eating issue that is still currently being addressed. I've lost more than I should have during that time, so I am getting back on track with my health. I enjoy sweets from time to time, so counting out the serving size and making sure I am not getting too many calories from the wrong sources helps me keep track. These two sweets are some of my favorites, too. Yum Earth Giggles, and Yum Earth Gummies.

Positive affirmations this week:

One thing that helps keep your mental health on track is keeping a solid routine. Even a routine with three things is worth doing daily than nothing at all. I am a notorious routine keeper and when I feel like my mental health issues are getting worse, it's either something/someone has done something (the life of an empath is hard sometimes), or my routine hasn't been kept for a day, or even two days. I've had my mental health issues peek so bad that I have gotten away from my routine for over a week. It is then that I realize that I need to get back on track and cut out a few things in order to do that. The image below is a sample routine, but you can add or take away anything that doesn't suit your lifestyle. Just remember, some days just getting out of bed is an accomplishment, so don't push yourself too hard, and don't expect yourself to be a super hero. This is about progress, not perfection.

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (October 18)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This cookie.

We stopped at Whole Foods for lunch this week, and they have Halloween-themed cookies right now. We grabbed three different ones for each of us, but I just loved this mummy cookie. 

2. This shadow.

Morning shadows got me thinking...

3. This measure.

When you're Rick-Rolled by the state for cannabis. Does it get any better than this? I love Oregon!

4. This sticker.

I get it! You brake all you want.

5. This sky.

The amount of rainbows I have seen in my 20 years of living in Oregon are amazing! It's one thing, of a list of many, that I love about the state.

One last thing:

Skylar's fossil collection is amazing! I love him and his creativity, and his loves. Jeff gave him this box from his job, and Skylar immediately created a showcase box for his collection. This picture was taken from when he took it to class to show it to his professor at college and his classmates. It was a hit!

Positive affirmations this week:

Every day should be a day that you think about what you are grateful for. Never forget, even in the most disparaging moments that there are still things to be grateful for. Your life is one of them. Just remember to keep thinking of positive things that are in your life. If depression has you in a hold that you can't get out of with positive thoughts at the moment, remind yourself that it's only temporary. You are strong! You are! Remind yourself that you are strong and you will get through this.

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.