Five Simple Things (January 24)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This kitty.

Always my morning wake up call.

2. These boxes.

Mighty Nest and Birchbox came this week. Reusable sponges are a plus in our house, so this month's item was a good one. With Birchbox I loved the Lavanila deodorant and the Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath and Shower Oil. The deodorant smells great, and the bath and shower oil smells amazing! I have been wearing it as perfume this week, because it smells so incredible. I will definitely be ordering a larger bottle of it.

3. This doggy.

 

Everyone had gone to bed already and I was still up getting things around for work the next day. Hardy normally goes upstairs with Skylar, but this night he wanted to spend time with me. He is getting older and with every animal we have had, when they get old they get more clingy to me. I let him hang out with me and I loved on him a lot that night. We adopted Hardy when he was four years old. We found him huddled in a corner at the local animal shelter when we went in to donate some items. He had a cone on his head and looked beat up. We were told that someone had thrown him and his brother from their car on Interstate 5. I asked if he was up for adoption and they told us yes, but with some previsions. We brought Baz the next day to see if they got along and they did. More than we expected. That was 2011. If you did the math, that's 19 years. He has been with us longer than any other pet that we have had. Meia was 18, and Baz was 16. It's going to be incredibly hard when his time comes. We are keeping him as healthy and loved as much as we can. The sweater he is wearing was Baz's sweater, but I used old baby diaper pins to take it in so it fit him. He loves wearing it. He loves us so much, and we love him as much right back!

4. This bread.

 

This week I made cranberry bread with the leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving. I thawed them out and tossed them in sugar. I followed a mix of this recipe and this recipe to make my own version. It was easy to bring together and it tasted wonderful. I will definitely be making this one again soon.

5. These items.

Kiwi Eco Box also came this week. It seems this was the week that all my subscription boxes arrived together. I love the Kojac facial sponge. I have extremely sensitive skin and these are great for my face when I wash it. They are really gentle and don't hurt my skin. Right now, I am dealing with some redness and dry patches. These sponges are so gentle that it doesn't make it worse. Everything that comes with this box is eco-friendly and nothing is plastic, which is a definite plus. The company is woman owned and the women are Ukrainian. I feel so good that I am giving to a good cause, and to other women, as well as doing my part to not add to the plastic waste in the environment.

One last thing:

These cute Sardine Pens are now in the shop.

They come in a box that looks like an open can of sardines. Sardines Tinned Fish Pens all have black ink and look like fish as you hold them and write with them. They are the cutest thing. They are priced at $13 and are a lot cheaper in the shop than other gift shops. They would be the perfect addition to a gift bag, or just buy them for yourself and set them on your desk. Set of 3 pens per box.

You can check out the rest of the Five Simple Things shop here.

Positive affirmations this week:

A good way to help you stay on track with your positive changes, weight loss, mental health, or even just reminding yourself that you are loved is to make a symbol that is close to you and place it around important areas around your home, or office. You can even place them in your car, or your wallet. The more you have around the better you can keep your reminders up to stay focused and on task. The image below is an example, but you can make any image that is important to you, or one that you like. With the new year just starting, and not pushing yourself to feel obligated with resolutions, this is a good way to stay on task without the pressure. Start with one, and see how it goes.

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (July 19)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This kitty.

The different faces of Eleven. I've had a lot of cats growing up, and two others as an adult. Eleven is the only cat that I have had that acted human on different occasions. Her personality has been such a nice thing to have since losing my last cat, Meia. Meia was my best friends, regardless of being an animal. I believe animals come into our life, similar to humans, to help us. Eleven has helped me during some of my worst mental health days. I hope I have helped her on her hard days, too.

2. These peaches.

It's that time of year and I am loving it. In season fruits are the best right now.

3. This sunset.

West coast sunsets are the best sunsets that I have seen. The pink/red/orange skies are breathtaking. No matter where my life takes me, these are the skies that I will always talk about for the rest of my life.

4. This soap.

I have been having issues with redness on my cheeks and recently found out that it could be Rosacea. Which comes with age in some people. No one in my family has Rosacea, and a lot of times it is hereditary. I am leaning more towards it being the water in the house we are in, because of how old it is, but this rose facial soap from Dr. Botanicals has helped lessen some of that redness.

5. These sheets.

My mom gifted these sheets to Skylar when we were in Arkansas back in April. He is going to use them on his bed on the bus, once his room is completely finished. He is excited to be using them and how they remind him of where he was born. Go Hogs!

One last thing:

We have been downsizing things within our house the last few weeks and this week we took three large boxes to Safe Haven Humane Society. The same place we adopted Hardy from back in 2011. We have donated to this place for several years and with a location now in our city, it makes it so much easier to give back to a place that does so much for animals.

Positive affirmations this week:

Always been kind to your mind. You deserve the love that you give to others.

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.

Day Fifteen, Sixteen (Eclipse Road Trip)

 Rowland, Oklahoma 🠊 Warner, Oklahoma

We woke up after staying the night at a Pilot Travel Center in Rowland off Highway 64. We didn't want to find another location off our path, because we had plans to attend church with my Oklahoma family, and it was so late once we got into the area from leaving Crystal Springs, Arkansas. We got ready on the bus Sunday morning and drove straight to Gore United Methodist Church. We aren't religious and don't attend church regularly, but anytime we are invited by family to fellowship, we don't turn it down. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed being in church with my Uncle Paul, Aunt Susan, "Aunt" Paula, and a few people my mom grew up with. They were all happy to see us, too. We left the church and went back to spend time on their farm. We got to see their new baby cattle, and Skylar got to ride/drive a four-wheeler for the first time.

Uncle Paul took Jeff and me around the farm on his UTV, while Skylar followed us on the four-wheeler. Skylar loved every minute of it because he got to be up close and personal with all the cattle.

As the day came to an end, the sunset in Oklahoma reminded me of Oregon. I was happy to see a sunset with my uncle and my aunt, but unfortunately we had to get back on the road to our next destination.

We said our goodbyes and I took this one last picture of them on the porch. We had a wonderful time and it's time I won't forget.

Warner, Oklahoma 🠊 Hinton, Oklahoma

We left Warner and made it to Hinton, Oklahoma, to stay the night. It was late when we finally said our goodbyes in Warner, and the sun was gone by the time we got back on the road. I fell asleep before anyone else, but we were all just glad to stretch out and relax from all the excitement and sad goodbyes. This was the last picture I took of the bus that night before I fell asleep.

Hinton, Oklahoma 🠊 Amarillo, Texas

We left Hinton, Oklahoma, and drove to Amarillo, Texas, for the day. We spent the remaining day in and around Amarillo. One place that seems minor to most, but is a huge deal for Jeff and me was the rest area in McLean, Texas, Gray County Safety Rest Area. This is the same rest area we stopped at 20 years ago when we moved from Arkansas to Oregon, and Skylar was only six months old.

It was such a special moment for us to see it again, and especially with Skylar. A lot has changed since that time 20 years ago, Baz and our dog Beau weren't with us this time. Neither was our two cats, Milo and Meia. We also had a cooler with four goldfish, and a Plecostomus (Suckerfish), of which are no longer with us either. It was sad to think about the difference, but we made new memories with Hardy, Eleven, and our three ducks (Fern, Mallie, and Quappy).

The changing table in the rest stop bathroom is the same one that I changed Skylar's diaper and clothes on 20 years ago on our move to Oregon. It was a cool thing to see again after all of these years. It made me nostalgic for that time again.

The rest stop had a lot of informational graphics about the area and what this part of Texas is known for.

The state of Texas is the largest producer of wind-powdered energy.

The view from this rest area was beautiful and it was the perfect day to see it all. The sidewalk leading to the viewpoint had animal tracks in the concrete. I love when places leave the tracks in the setting concrete. It gives a little story to the area. I hope this little raccoon is still thriving.

We ate some lunch while parked and I was able to upload a lot of our pictures from the trip. We had to turn the fans on for a bit to get some air blowing through the bus, but overall it was a nice day with mild temperatures. I tend to be colder than Jeff or Skylar, and in the back of the bus it was perfect for me without a fan blowing. I had a tiny visitor fly in through the window, though, so I had to rescue him and put in the screens after he left. I also loved how the sun reflected on the windshield and showed all of Hardy's little nose marks. He sat on the dash a lot of the trip and helped Jeff navigate through the different states, like a good little copilot.

We decided to call it a day once we made it to Amarillo. We wanted to get some good rest for the night so we could spend some time around the city. We saw a Love's RV camping area on our way down to Arkansas, so we immediately booked it back there. It was a quiet and clean place, and we made note of it for future trips. When we finally got parked, hooked up, and situated, the animals were ready for dinner and a break from driving. Eleven immediately came out from her hiding place and was telling me it was time for her to eat. All of the animals were still doing wonderful on the trip at this point. My main concern was their wellbeing, and they all seemed to be enjoying the new sights and smells. We made dinner for ourselves, did a good cleaning of the bus, and called it a night.

Five Simple Things (March 10)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Weather.

The above pictures all happened on March 8. We got a large amount of sleet early in the morning and it sleeted off and on until around noon, to which a rainbow appeared shortly after and the sun stayed out for another few hours. It was unusual, but it seems to be the norm in this area now. After the March 8 weather, on March 10, which is below, we had a little bit of snow in the morning and then the rest of the day we got a large amount of snow that fell in a short bursts throughout the day. 

 

 

Skylar and I love to always see the snow coming down. We are like the delightful little kids running out to play without a care in the world when the snow starts to fall. It was not only a beautiful sight, it was also neat to see it falling at random times throughout the night.

2. This Moment.

 

My humidifier created some ambiance against my vintage lamp one night this week and I just loved how it looked. I love old history, and this moment sort of made me feel like I had gone back in time for a brief moment.

3. This Kitty.

She's always up to something that makes us laugh. If it's not her laying on the television area, to sleeping, to exploring her grass/water station, she's always doing something to make us smile. We just love her so much. With having Meia gone, we are glad to have another great cat helping fill that void from time to time. Meia's absence, as well as Milo's, is always felt, but Eleven makes that hole just a bit less painful with her personality.

4. This Box.

Another great hit from Kiwi Eco Box this month. Love these colored pencils, candle, and Eco Hero Handbook. Looking forward to utilizing everything in this month's box! You can sign up for the April box here and get $5 off.

5. These Washes.

Loving these Necessaire body washes. Skylar and I absolutely love the eucalyptus scent, and the bergamot is a close second, for sure. Definitely recommend these products. Necessaire also sells body lotions with the same scents, and unscented, and they are top notch! You can try the Eucalyptus here and the Bergamot here. You'll love them!

One last thing:

Lately we have not been feeling 100%, so this week a made a homemade immunity shot and we drank one ounce of it a day all this week and we are feeling a lot better. This is something I am going to start making each Sunday, so we have a shot every day for a week, especially when the weather turns colder and more people seem to be getting sick. This season, knock on wood, we haven't had any sickness pass through us, but it's always better to be prepared. Here's how it's made.

Turmeric Immunity Shot:

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons ginger (chopped)
• 1 orange (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 lemons (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon turmeric

Pulse everything for 20-30 seconds in a food processor, or blender. I use a blender with a metal drive and it works great to grind everything up. Strain through cheese cloth and pour into individual two ounce bottles.(I use these) Store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Drink an ounce to two ounces a day, which is about a shot glass size. If you don't use the one ounce containers you can store all of it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and just pour a shot glass size every day instead. 

 

Positive affirmations this week:

Unfortunately, when you start to get better, you're also going to get really sad. The hard truth of getting better means revisiting things we aren't comfortable with. During my therapy sessions there's many times I had to stop to reposition my mind in order to be able to talk about the hard things. One incident in particular took me almost three months to completely get my feelings, trauma, and emotional state out, because it was hard for me to get past the sadness. Overall, it's something that has to happen and it's the worst part of therapy. A positive with it is that once we get past the sadness you start to get better. It's true and it's such a wonderful feeling getting past that sadness. You can do this! You can get better! You are going to be okay! We are broken for a moment, but then repaired for a lifetime. Remember, you aren't your trauma. It happened to you, it doesn't define you and you are strong! ♥

Have a nice weekend.