Life at a "Swell's" pace

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Kid.

Starting his first day at college. Paint me proud, but also paint me sad. Having only one child makes it hard to see him growing up. He is going to do amazing things and I am right here cheering him on as his biggest fan. You are awesome, Skylar! ♥

2. These Donations.

We adopted Hardy from Safe Haven Humane Society almost twelve years ago. He has been such a wonderful, little doggy, so we try to donate to them whenever we can. It's our way of saying thank you and also giving back to them.

3. This Subscription.

Kinder Beauty has introduced me to so many great beauty and selfcare brands that I get excited each time the boxes come in the mail. My favorite product from this month's box is the Purfect Liquid Face Mask. I'm a sucker for any kind of face mask, and this one is perfect for Sunday Selfcare.

4. These Cameras.

And they all face our neighbor's house. Things are a bit weird over there lately, so we have at least a few "eyes" on them while we are gone during the day. The brand is Premier Smart and they come with hardwired and wireless. There is an app for them and you can also save videos and pictures, if needed.

5. These Ducks.

Skylar and I had lunch along the Willamette River this week while he was in between classes. We didn't expect it to start raining, but we also didn't expect to see a team of ducks surround us when we were leaving, either. They wanted to come home with us. ☺

One last thing:

The view of No Rain the bus outside of our house is still so awesome. You can always see what we are up to with the bus under the page "No Rain" the Bus at the top of the blog.

Positive affirmations this week:

Part of mental health issues with people is thinking that they always have to have everything. The big house, nice cars, the top job, the top pay, the best kids, the best looking spouse, the best body, the most of everything - but what people don't realize is, the only thing we need is what we already have and be grateful for that. The mentality that has been hammered into our heads as we get older is affecting people on a bigger level than what people realize. People will always think that their life isn't enough unless we change the way you have been taught. We have been conditioned to think we need more, and when we get more, we need more than that. Life isn't a race and it definitely isn't a competition between each other. The only person you should be in competition with is yourself. Every day be a better person than you were the day before. Happiness can't be bought and you most assuredly won't find happiness in people that make you feel like you and your life aren't enough.

You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Plant.

It is thriving in its new location.

2. These Cupcakes.

These chocolate/coffee cupcakes were just the right treat this week.

3. These "Eyes."

Skylar found some awesome LED push lights (IKEA KAPPLAKE LED lights) that would great for his Star Wars display.

4. This Kitty.

Eleven has three modes - Sleep, Eat, and Chaos.

5. This Sentence.

I've been learning French for 450 days now on Duolingo, and I can now introduce myself, talk about the weather, and tell you I like to surf.

One last thing:

I wasn't sure how this picture would turn out, but I love how my car looks against the darkness. Almost seems mysterious.

Positive affirmations this week:

Having positive affirmations around your home is a great way to keep yourself on track for helping with negative self talk. I have ones on my bathroom mirror, my office, my shower, my refrigerator, and the mirror by my front door. I have thought about adding one to every room of my house and moving them around once a week to keep the energy going. These below came from Dae as part of their 12-month mantra kit, but you can easily write them, or your own down on a sticky note or small piece of paper and stick them wherever you need that added reminder.

You can do this!