Life at a "Swell's" pace

Hello.

It's incredibly rainy and cold here in the Willamette Valley this week and today is no exception. The rain will come in hard and bring the wind with it. I don't mind the rain so much, but when it's cold and windy, it gets so gloomy here. We are holding out hope for another day, or two, of warmth and sunshine. Hopefully, the April showers will indeed bring the May flowers here. In other news, we got two more baby Mallard ducks and we are hoping that Happy duck takes to them well. Our dog, Hardy, wants to lick them a lot, so we have to keep them separated from the rest of the group here until they are a bit bigger. This summer should be a fun summer with all of them in the yard together running around. So with that, here are five simple things from this week.

1. These colorful duck eggs.

We had to finally compost the Easter duck eggs we dyed. I am so happy they turned out as well as they did though and this is definitely a yearly thing for us now. And with our new ducklings we are looking forward to the abundant duck eggs throughout the next few years.

2. Mightynest for the month.

The Mighynest shipment for this month was this cute stainless steel Bento bowl with silcone lid. We actually love these things because you can fill anything in these from cheese to fruits and pack them to go. The other addon items, below, are things of necessity. A glass juice container (with a lid), extra beeswrap, rescue drops for stress, bowl cover, nut milk bag, and USDA Organic face pads. Great things from Mightnest. You can get on the list for May here.

3. This home brew.

Pretty pleased with the outcome and this weekend we are going to brew another batch. I am anxiously waiting on blueberries to come into season so we can try a blueberry ale. The one here is a wheat beer and tastes perfect!

4. These car tags.

Finally got my permanent tags on the Smart Car. The Mr. put them on for me this week and I was able to officially call the car ours and remove the temporary tag. I just love the 'Share the Road' plates here in Oregon. I hope having these plates remind people to move over and give bicycle riders space on the road, too.

5. This foraging moment.

I've been teaching The Bean foraging the last few days in our homeschool classroom. I feel that foraging is a great way to get in touch with nature and appreciate where food comes from. Food is free and it's important to teach basics of food discovery.

A few more things:

• Magnolia Journal is a new favorite.

• Homemade bathroom cleaner.

• Oregon Tilth.

• Dar Naturals clay masks and other fine products.

• Spring Equinox box from Yogi Surprise. Get it before it's gone!

• Dooms Day prepping just got real. Need tips on a more practical approach?

• Macaroni and cheese is helping fight climate change.

• Do plants feel pain?

• Fire Tower vacations. A vacation from the norm.

• Eggl-ess sugar cook recipe.

-Last week's Five Simple Things right this way.

Have a nice weekend!

Hello.

Would you believe that it was 70 degrees here today? No rain on a Friday and 70 degrees, it's spring in the Valley, for sure! The tulips are coming up and making an appearance from the ground and the Hawthorne trees in front of the house we live in are coming alive slowly. We officially mowed the grass for the first time this year and are looking forward to the weekend. Unfortunately, the weekend is said to be rainy and cooler than today, but that's okay-Spring means summer and sun are soon to follow. Here are five simple things that made this week great.

1. These clouds.

Because right behind them is the rain.

2. This list of the "Dirty Dozen."

Don't ever forget that there are some companies out there that don't think about health over money. Shop with the thought that you have to always be on your guard.

3. This view of Sam Elliot's house.

It's located in Brownsville, Oregon, and his view is spectacular.

4. These Easter goodies.

With our journey to being more minimal we planned an Easter basket that's filled with a need, wanted, and seasonal. Unlike years before, this year we decided to make the need a jacket that can be used for bike riding, a want is the candy and other goodies, and a seasonal is the bucket for collect his forages when we are out and about. We also naturally dyed duck eggs this year and decided that duck eggs make the best Easter egg, by far!

5. These wilted daffs.

Best part of spring is all of the daffodils that lay around our house in various Ball jars and glasses. Even when they are wilted I think they are lovely.

A few more things: