Five Simple Things (January 13)

 Hello. Happy Friday the 13th!

Here are five things this week.

1. This Kitchen.

We recently went with this simple kitchen setup for the school bus and are looking for an innovative way to create a kitchen area around it. We have some ideas, but for now, we are pleased with the sink and counter setup on this small kitchenette. You can check out our progress on No Rain the Bus here.

2. This Kaleidoscope.

Ever since I bought this kaleidoscope, it has been taking it on every single road trip and have been finding small amounts of child-like joy using it. Marble kaleidoscopes are some of the best images you'll see with your eyes. I highly recommend this one from Schilling, and you can grab one here for under USD$10.

3. This Doggy.

 

Always the best doggy ever. Hardy turned 14 in December, but he is still the spunky little PITA, that's full of energy that we love

4. These Electronics.

The absolutely best noise-cancelling headphones I've found. If you're noise-sensitive, like me, or need a tool to help calm your anxiety, I highly recommend these by Raycon. I wear them shopping in busy stores like, Costco, IKEA, etc. I also wear them at the dentist office, checkups, and even working out. They have really helped keep filter out intrusive noises. You can get the exact ones pictured above here. Skylar uses this earbud version of these same Raycons and loves them, too. You can get those here.

These index cards and notebook have helped us save a lot of paper waste. The index cards have come in handy for Skylar and me during our college classes. Taking notes and quick study guides has been a breeze. These are from the Rocketbook brand and come with a cleaning cloth and pen. You can get the notebook here and the index cards here.

Grab us a new bus dash camera. This one mounts on the large rearview mirror on the front of the school bus and we have already been using it. We are hoping to get one that's larger for the back of the school bus, too, but aren't quite sure which style we want to go with. You can find this one and similar ones here.

5. This "Village."

We bought these to color and create a neighborhood scene, but we have been enjoying them just being plain white with the black lines. They are from IKEA.

One last thing:

Looking for some good news in the midst of all the negative? Check out the Good Newspaper. It's a monthly newspaper that helps give you some insight on an old Mr. Rogers quote of, "Look for the helpers." The Good Newspaper definitely helps show us all the helpers in the world. You can sign up here for the low rate of $8.

Positive affirmations this week:

Keep this in mind: If a person is successful, society will notice even the slightest mistake. So remember, mistakes are part of any process, especially successful progress, and what others think of this progress shouldn't dictate your success. I've had people that should be supportive, not supportive at all. It took a lot of time to realize these people were not looking out for my best interest. It hurt to finally realize their intentions were to hold me back, but now that I know, they are kept at a distance, rather than by my side. If you, too have people that aren't rooting for your success, then distance them and keep plugging away! You can do this!

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (January 6)

 Hello. Happy New Year!

Here are five things this week.

1. This Cheesecake.

• 2 cups Annie's graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup melted Organic Valley salted butter
• 4 tablespoons Wholesome sugar
• 4 (8 ounce) blocks of Organic Valley cream cheese
• 1 cup organic sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla (not imitation)
• 4 organic eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar together in a bowl. Press into a light-colored a springform pan and set aside. Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla together on medium speed until combined. Add eggs one at a time until just combined each time. Don't overmix. Pour into graham cracker crust and bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool and remove from rim from pan. Refrigerate at least three hours, or overnight. Serve cool.

2. This Decoration.

Still have a few of our Christmas lights up, but we they will be coming down this weekend. This little tree comes out every year at New Year to mark the end of one year and the bright start of a new one.

3. These Gifts.

Skylar got me these two things for Christmas this year and I loved his thoughtfulness. The car freshener smells like banana and the candle is spot on for coconut scented tanning oil. They are both great gifts! You can grab the candle here, and the car freshener here.

4. This Sundial.

We are mystery deep in Hunt a Killer lately. This latest series is taking us deep into the heart of Louisiana to solve a murder. Each episode has come with some of the coolest items and evidence. Really loving this subscription. You can sign up here and get 30% off your first box from me!

5. These Items.

Loving this week's shipments that came in the mail. To the left is Necessaire. Can't say enough about their products. I even got Skylar to start using them, too and he loves the Eucalyptus Body Wash. You can snag a few of their items here. Mighty Nest's Mighty Fix this month was herb cutting scissors. I've wanted a pair of these for awhile now and I'm so glad they came with this month's fix. You can get a free Mighty Nest fix item here and sign up for the next Mighty Fix for February here. 

These foaming hand wash tablets, as well as the collagen face masks are from Might Nest, as well. Such great products can be added to your monthly subscription box each shipment. I haven't purchased a lot of things outside the house in a couple of years due to the fact that I just click and add them to my shipment each month and it saves me from having to get them at the store. Not only is it convenient, but it's also all earth-friendly and eco-friendly items that won't harm the planet, my family, or myself. They are products I feel confident about using every day.

Loving my new Bee Kind baseball cap. You can get one here.

Positive affirmations this week:

New year, new positive goals for 2023.

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (December 30)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Cookies.

2. These Guys.

They are always a lot of fun!

3. This Wind.

 

The weather here has been pretty rough here lately. This week, three nights in a row, we've had some intense winds and rain. These are pictures over those three days. Today the streets aren't as flooded and things seem to be calming down. We've had such unusual weather here in the Willamette Valley.

4. This Box.

Always love receiving my monthly Kiwi Eco Box and this month was no different. Such great earth-friendly items that help with making our house more sustainable. We absolutely loved the Murphy's Mellows Smore's in a Jar dessert. They are based in Austin, Texas, and we have already placed another order with them to try their other desserts. 

5. This Sunset.

Love the west coast sunsets. While the rest of the nation has already been in the dark, we are still watching the sun go down here and it's lovely.

One last thing:

Where we live we've had someone hit one of our cars at least eight times. This last one was the neighbor's brother backing out of their driveway and backing right into our Compass. It was about $1,600 worth of damage and his dad settled with us without involving insurance. Skylar working at AutoZone, he was able to order the parts and he and Jeff did all the work themselves. I think they did a fine job and overall, it was a lot better than waiting six months to get into a car repair shop, too. Hopefully, we'll get a bit of a break before someone else hits one of our vehicles again.

Positive affirmations this week:

Going into the new year remember it's okay to let go, but wanting what's best for that person you let go is not only best for them, but good for you, too. You can do this!

Have a nice weekend and Happy New Year, from our little corner of the world to yours!

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.