Week-End: Things that made my week awesome (Extras-Covered bridges and first aid kits)

Whoa! This week has been full of ups and downs, but all good things in the end-I hope. Yesterday I found out that Examiner.com has shut its doors for good. I have written for them for over seven years and it was a hard blow to take. I know that the owners, writers, and investors have a lot better plans for the future, but for now they are closed. Examiner.com has been picked up by AXS (A subsidiary of AEG TV). With that said, this is not a bad thing, but a way for me to have the time to pursue other ventures. One positive is that I will have more time to put 100% into other outlets, like South North South. I am looking forward to that. Can't wait to share all of the great things that are coming in the future. It's exciting! Also, if you follow me on Instagram you saw what The Mr., The Bean, and I did last night. If you don't follow me, check it out here! In the meantime, here are the things that made this week great!


1. This Moment


This picture is always a great reminder of how powerful family is. It's an older photo, but means so much to me. This is a picture of my brother's first visit to Oregon and him sticking his feet into the Pacific Ocean with me. It's a picture that I have looked at a lot lately. With all of the news of the death of law enforcement I hold this picture of my brother and me close to my heart. My brother works in law enforcement and every day I think about him and his safety. I hope the violence against law enforcement stops and the violence against each other comes to an end. It's heartbreaking to know that families are having to bury their loved ones for such senseless acts. I can't imagine the pain and heartache families are going through and I hope desperately that it never hits our family.


2. These Cellphones

The Mr. and I have been staying on a steady pace minimizing our possessions. It's kind of liberating to know that the things you are getting rid of you just don't need. It's even more incredible to know that at one time you thought you did. These old cell phones of ours we thought we needed to hang onto. But we donated them and realized we are a lot better off not hanging onto them.

3. These Animals

I let The Bean get some pill-shaped water beans the other day and as they dissolve they have sponge-type creatures that appear. He may be 12, but he is still a kid at heart. I love it!

4. This Homemade Chalkboard

The Bean and I have been trying to figure out the best way to place a sign on our door that we are a homeschool classroom. After finding a scrap of wood, we figured it out! The Mr. can drill a few screw holes into the wood and drill it into the front of our house to display. We can change out what the sign reads, from time to time, and display whatever we would like for the sign to read for that day, or week. The Bean and I are pretty excited to see how it all turns out.

5. This Lavender

The lavender is growing like crazy here and we have been on a mission to not let any of it bloom and collect it. I've been pulling buds from stems all week and my hands, arms, and house smell wonderful after I'm done. There's going to be a lot in the shop for purchase, so take a minute to support our little family and pick you up some great lavender products.

Extras:

1. Beer cheese! We ate at a few pubs last week and loved their different ways of making beer cheese. We made this recipe at home and it was gone in a matter of 30 minutes!
2. Head to Seaside, Oregon.
3. The Roaring River Fish Hatchery Road Trip.
4. Mission Geocache! Do you geocache?
5. Covered Bridges of Oregon.
6. Support local and police and police nationwide.
7. 310 Shake.
8. Fruit Loop marshmallow treats.
9. kidSTAT First Aid kits.
10. A new way to bake asparagus. 

What happened this time last year?