Five Simple Things (March 21)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These samples.

Receiving these samples this week with my Might Nest order was a nice treat. I love Caldrea products a lot, especially their room sprays. 

2. This cleaner.

Mighty Nest sent all-purpose home cleaner this month and it couldn't come at a better time. I just ran out of my counter top spray and have been using vinegar to clean the last couple of days. I love how this Might Nest cleaner came in a glass bottle. I will definitely be reusing this bottle over and over again.

3. These groceries.

We ordered a small amount of fruits and vegetables this week from Misfits Market. We had already made a grocery shopping trip, but I wanted to support them, too. With grocery prices going up in costs, I have been shopping around more to find the best deal. Unfortunately, a lot of the grocery stores, online and off seem to have organic products at the same price. Hopefully, there's some breathing room coming soon. And, you can get $15 off your first order with me by using my code. They have so many great items, so give them a try!

4. These boxes.

These sleep trailers are such a nice and appreciated solution to our city's current homeless issue. The city I am in has its own share of troubles, like all cities, and one of them is making sure that homeless and unhoused individuals aren't sleeping in the cold or the rain. I try to offer people in need what I can when I can, but one thing I can't offer them is a place to sleep. Sleep Trailers are a great solution to that. These are currently on the far end of a church parking lot and I hope they stick around for awhile. They are managed and kept clean. They also offer bathroom facilities and a handwashing station. The community, from what I was reading, also provided donated blankets, pet food, and dinners for people staying in them. Communities are great when people actually want to help. They also work well when people come together to help each other, too. A lot of people seem to forget that.

5. This view.

We don't ever eat at the Costco food area, but it is a lot of fun to watch the pizza sauce being spiraled onto the dough.

One last thing:

This face oil from True Moringa has been saving my face through the winter. As I get older dry skin is creeping up. I found this face oil and when applied doesn't look oily and actually helps with my dry patches. The smell is light and I apply it morning and night.

Positive affirmations this week:

Trying to find the positives in a day that just doesn't want to allow you see them is a hard thing to do. But, if we let go of what went wrong today and focus on trying again tomorrow, we leave all of that negativity in the previous day. Allowing yourself to feel those feelings and be able to start again the next day can help you focus on moving away from what caused us stress to seeing the new day in a new light. Be sure to allow yourself to find gratitude in the day, too, though. Find five things every night that made the day go right. There is always positives to be able to see in a bad day. Five things you are grateful for will also help your brain to focus on things working out more the following day in a brighter light.

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.

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 (December 20)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This place.

This week I had a hair appointment to cut most of my hair off. It's been getting long and I wanted a change. I love the salon I go to and I finally found a hair stylist that doesn't make me feel uncomfortable. This salon is filled with plants and other things that are just my vibe. At Honey Comb Salon the stylists are always so kind, understanding, and patient. It took me awhile to find a good place, and every time I go there I feel amazing when I leave. Hair salons are one of the places that give me a lot of anxiety, and they have been so understanding of that. As long as I live in the Willamette Valley, I won't go anywhere else.

2. This night.

Christmas eve we made enchiladas (beef and green chicken) and opened one gift each. Skylar opened a book on the history of Hanukah and why it's important to Jewish families. We light the menorah every year to honor our family that are Jewish. The book we got him is, "Hanukkah Pop-Up Menorah: An 8-Day Celebration of the Festival of Lights" by Lisa Rojany 

3. This box.

This month's Kiwi Eco Box was holiday-themed and I loved the socks the most. My feet are always cold, so these were perfect!

4. These bags.

Mighty Nest this month was Full Circle Compostable Food Waste Bags. We will definitely be using these. We have been trying to compost our food scraps more inside the house until we can place them into the waste recycle bin, or use in our own composting. These will come in handy to keep the smell down inside the house. We have tried so many different ways to try to compost our food scraps, but everything has always failed us. The smell, the hassle, the gnats, etc. I think these bags are perfect, because I can place them in the freezer until they are full and we can compost them properly.

5. This subscription.

Birchbox this month was a hit. I am loving the Ouai Melrose Place Body Cleanser. The smell is amazing! I also love the Dr. Brandt Oil to Foam Cleanser. With having extremely sensitive skin, it helps clean my face without drying it out, or causing more redness and breakouts.

One last thing:

These two new items are now in the shop.

This Surfy Days Coloring Book features unique hand-drawn illustrations inspired by Hawaii surf culture and lifestyle. Each page is designed by artist Sierra Rehrer in Oahu, and promotes the values of inclusion with all types of surfers featured. This Boho Sunshine Greeting Card is blank inside for your own personal message. They are hand painted by an artist in Hawaii and come with a cardstock envelope. Both of these items are under $20.

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

Positive affirmations this week:

If you anxiety with tests, job applications, or just all around anxiety when put on the spot to complete something, here are some helpful strategies to soothe some of those feelings. Staying organized in a way that you understand, practice simple questions and write them out to prepare. You can also take practice tests, or do mock job questions with someone else that can help you. Get a good night's sleep, and eat before you go. The one thing that gives most people anxiety with anything is not focusing on one thing at a time and feeling overwhelmed. Practice breathing techniques and attempt to calm and slow your mind down to focus on one thing at a time in front of you. It isn't easy, but it is doable. Above all, believe in yourself that you are stronger than your brain is trying to tell you.

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (August 9)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This sweatshirt.

He is so proud to finally get a sweatshirt to the college he has been eyeing.

2. These lights.

 

We drove through Bend this week and as we were driving these lights caught my eye. I had to turn around and check them out. 

3. This sign.

I want to believe, too.

4. This moment.

As we drove back from Bend this week a storm rolled through during our drive. We stopped at a rest stop and as Skylar and Jeff were watching the sky, it lite up so bright that both of them ran back to the car in a rush. It was good that they did, because the clouds opened up and dumped so much rain we were stuck at the rest stop for about 30 minutes before the rain let up enough to see to drive. I love moments like this. The unexpected little joys that don't hinder anything and allow you to pause for a moment and realize how small your issues are on the grand scale of things.

5. These boxes.

This week Mighty Nest, and the first box of resubscribing to Birchbox came. I had Birchbox when they first started, but ended up canceling because I had other subscription boxes that I enjoyed more, at the time. I decided to resubscribe to them because honestly, I love them, and I have a subscription box habit that I can't kick. Not yet, at least.☺

Mighty Nest was a great delivery this week. We got our boxes of bamboo toilet paper, and paper towels, as well as the Might Fix for this month. These scrub brushes are starting to earn their place in my cleaning supply bucket. They are eco-friendly and hold up under the most vigorous scrubbing. Plus, the samples that came with everything was perfect timing, as we ran out of laundry soap that morning. And, Dirty Labs smells amazing! Side note: My favorite product in the Birchbox shipment was the Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle spray. This was my go-to during my breast reduction surgery in 2020. I loved how it smelled, and I loved even more that it works!

One last thing:

This is my love post for the last Blockbuster located in Bend, Oregon. It is the last in the nation and is still overflowing with old school nostalgia. Even the smell is a core memory locked in.

Positive affirmations this week:

Listen to your supporters, not your critics, no matter who they are.

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (July 12)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This moment.

Skylar got back his pictures from our trip back in April. He shot a lot of pictures on his film camera, which was Jeff and my first film camera we bought to document Skylar's birth and growing up. Watching him look through them with a smile on his face made my day. I am so happy that old Minolta film camera is getting new life.

2. This garden.

 

I just love our little garden every season. It's small, but it's worth it.

3. These boxes.

Misfits Market and Mighty Nest came this week. We all loved the mango bites in this shipment. They will definitely be something we add to our future orders. And the Mighty Nest Mighty Fix this month was perfect. Sunblock is always a plus, and the Sun Bum brand is one of our favorites. The smell alone reminds me of summer time.

4. This rainbow.

Always seeking out the rainbows during or after the rain.

5. These pancakes.

Delicious pancakes with a tiny doggie that would like proof of that deliciousness.

One last thing:

Keep this list in mind when shopping for in-season produce. It's important to avoid unnecessary additives in what you eat. This list could have more added to it over the years as large amounts of pesticidal residue continues to show up in commercial farming. The best way to avoid exposure is to look for produce that doesn't use as much pesticides. Even organic produce uses a form of pesticides, but the exposure has been reported to be lower. The Dirty Dozen doesn't make the list for overall exposure to pesticides, they make the list because of the amount. 

Positive affirmations this week:

You aren't alone. There are others dealing with anxiety and depression every day just like you do. You aren't weak. You aren't weird. You aren't alone. If anyone makes you feel like you aren't allowed to feel your feelings, they aren't people that you should allow to be part of your good days. A lot of people will try to tell you that your mental health issues are a weakness. What's weak is, not reaching out, or relying on your people that actually do support you 100% when you have bad days. If your bad days are really bad, reach out to someone more qualified to help you get through those days; be it a hospital emergency room, or calling 988. You are enough and please remember, these days are only temporary.

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.