Life at a "Swell's" pace

Five Simple Things (March 14)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This necklace.

The necklace will always been in my jewelry box for one reason; my mom bought it when my family came out and we all drove to Canada for the first time together. I was feeling down and getting car sick, and she bought it to make me feel better. I've never worn it outside of my house, because I am afraid of it breaking, or being lost. Every time I open my jewelry box, I see it. I have it sitting right in front to remind me every day that I'm important to my mom. Even if I forget from time to time.

2. This bush.

I decided to go for a longer walk than I normally do, and came across this Royal Velvet Camellia that was in full bloom. This is such great shrub that doesn't put out a lot of scent, but looks beautiful.

3. This trail.

The walkway that the city put in here is wonderful. It looks pretty at night with all of the lights that light the trail. This week it was raining a lot, but I at least walked the entire distance of the trail to check it all out. I hope they add on more to it over the coming years, and then connect it to the Corvallis to Sea trail in time.

4. This doggy.

Always ready for a walk.

5. This paper.

Some estate sale finds. One can never have enough scrap paper on hand.

One last thing:

These Vegetable Seed Storage Packets are now in the shop. They are in a pack of 12 and help secure seed saving at the end of the year, or allow you to save seeds you already have. They are perfect for jotting down notes about the growing season, or your own thoughts on the seeds you save. There is also a space to add the date in which you placed the seeds inside the packets. These seed storage packets come in a pack of 12 for $10. You can check out the rest of the Five Simple Things shop here.

Positive affirmations this week:
Mental health issues are nothing to be shameful of and learning how to overcall some of the hardest days and keep going is your own journey to be proud of. Some days are harder than others, but overall learning to love yourself, and give yourself a bit of grace during the process is what's important. Your journey will be different than someone else's. Don't compare healing and remember, it isn't a linear path. The ups and downs are normal, but you are strong!
You can do this!🌈

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (March 7)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This sky.

The clouds will never stop impressing me here on the west coast.

2. These finds.

We checked out a few estate sales this week and I found some cute items. The flower frog is definitely going to be put to use soon.

3. This map.

At that same estate sale Skylar found this topographic map of The Island of Maui. He loves geology and this map being part of the U.S. Department of the Interior Geological Survey makes it that much better. Now, where to hang it?

4. This purse.

Another estate sale item. I'm not sure if I want to hang it in the bathroom with some items in it, or use it in the kitchen, or maybe even the bus... Decisions, decisions...

5. This night.

We participated in the IKEA After Dark Sleep Trivia Night, and some of the trivia questions stumped us, but we pulled it out in the end and won. We also participated in the selfie challenge through the store, as well. We ended up winning some great items from the night, spent some time around the store looking for anything we needed at home, and had a great time. One of the things we love about IKEA in Portland is how many great family events they have throughout the year. We are definitely going to be participating in this one in the future.

One last thing:

These Midnight Flora and Fauna Spiral Notebooks and these Honey Bees Short Juice Glasses are now in the shop. The notebook is 160 pages spiral-bound in this nature-lovers notebook. Great for school, journaling, or officer notes. I am still an avid list maker and I love jotting down brain dumps, or daily tasks in spiral-bound notebooks. These honey bees juice glasses caught my eye immediately when looking for kitchen goods for the shop. I love honey bees and these have the perfect, hand-painted bees to grace your breakfast table or to just grab a glass of water. They are delicate honey bee paintings, so be sure to hand wash these cute glasses. You can check out the rest of the Five Simple Things shop here.

Positive affirmations this week:

The truth behind this is sad but real. There are many people who are labeled as sensitive and deal with numerous quiet, unresolved situations that they try to keep in their own hearts and minds. It's a difficult place to be in, in some situations. Often, sensitive people are labeled incorrectly; they are thought of as rude, antisocial, dramatic, or even callous. The truth is, there's a great deal of hurt involved in being a sensitive person, especially when someone does or says something that they know is wrong to say or do, yet blames the sensitive person for it. To add more hurt on top of that, they tell the sensitive person they hurt that they are being too sensitive. It's a tactic that allows bullying behavior to get a free pass at the sensitive person's expense. If you are one of the sensitive types, just know that it is not your fault. There are a lot of people in the world who cannot handle someone actually being kind to them, or, on the opposite end, dismiss them completely when the sensitive person calls out betrayal or repeated disrespect. It is not your job to coddle the betrayer or the person disrespecting you at your expense. As for the hurt, therapy can be a great way to navigate through the pain that we carry. Being sensitive is a superpower, not a flaw. Just know that. Those who use it against you are often people who need a different kind of therapy themselves. And those are their issues to bear, not yours.

You can do this!🌈