Life at a "Swell's" pace

Five simple things

Hello.

We had a chilly week here in the Valley this week and a few mornings we had to turn on the heater to low just to get the chill out of the air indoors. We also got a few days of heavy rain and it was welcomed with smiles in our house. With our water bills being pretty large already from trying to stay ahead of the heat, the rain gave us a little bit of a break from watering our garden and flowers. This past weekend was our "Downsizing yard sale" as we like to call it. We ended up selling a treadmill, an armoire, a few nightstands, an electric guitar and amp, a secretary's desk that The Bean used for homeschooling for years. I was sad to see the desk go, but we have other options for a desk now-the dinner table-that helps us be more minimal. We also sold a lot of The Mr.'s card collections; Football, baseball, and golf gear. We tried in vain to sell the wooden picnic table, but no one seemed to be interested in it right now. We will try again with our last sale before we finally move into the next phase of our life in a couple of years. We are gearing up to celebrate The Mr.'s birthday this weekend, too!

Here are five simple things that made this week.

1. This sweet doggie...

Because I don't talk about him enough and how great of a doggie friend he really is.

2. These blue skies...

It's been awhile since we've seen them because of the fires, but this week was nothing but blue skies and a bit of rain, but definitely more blue.

3. This Yogi Surprise box...

This was the August 2018 Yogi Surprise Box and it was all about chakras and clearing out to make room for the new. You can sign up here to get next month's box and get a $10 credit towards your first one with coupon: REFJVDKY1IDAT

4. These balms...

Because with the temperature change lately they have been a lifesaver.

5. This sleeping kitty...

Because nothing is sweeter than a sleeping kitty. Eleven cat has become such a sweetheart and with the loss of Meia recently, we are giving her extra special attention.

A few more things:

• Kitchen, spice jar, and pantry organizing labels (free download)

• Homemade shower spray

• Driftwood pillow print

• Grow your own redwood tree

• Get ready for National Vodka Day

• Six places to enjoy the colors of autumn in Oregon

• Create custom temporary tattoo with tattoo paper

• DIY Homemade vanilla extract

• DIY Large paper dahlia

• Rustic on Pinterest

Have a nice weekend.

Road trip: Paddle boating

The Bean and I spent the last few days of summer doing a few things we've been wanting to do when the heat of the day was pretty high. One of the things we've been wanting to try is the paddle boats at Waverly Park ran by the Albany Parks and Recreation. The day we went it had gotten up to 98 degrees and it was the perfect day to paddle around the water, feed the ducks, and enjoy the splashes from the water that occasionally hit our feet.

Road trip: Carousel ride

This past month we finally got a chance to ride on the infamous Albany, Oregon, Carousel. This carousel has quite a history to it. The original carousel started in New Jersey and worked its way to Albany, Oregon, where it was restored and brought back to life. The ride animals are all hand carved and with donations and sponsorships from individuals and businesses it's able to provide this wonderful attraction to the general public. It's been in operation since 2017 as the Albany Carousel Project.

As part of keeping the magic alive with the carousel the Albany Carousel Project has volunteers that give you a tour of the building and the work that goes into the carousel going. The tour takes visitors in the workshop of the carousel building where all the hand carving takes place. This is that area and we got a firsthand look at the future animals soon to be added to the carousel.

In the gift shop they have hand carved animals and other carousel items for sale and The Bean purchased this menagerie. The profits go toward keeping the carousel going and keeping the magic alive.

Five simple things

Hello.

We are in the middle of yard sale weekend right now and rounding out the four days with Sunday. We are selling a lot of our home furnishings and odds and ends that we no longer can justify having. We are hoping to downsize a lot more later on, but right now is a great start in the process. I even sold our old treadmill to an 91 year old woman looking to keep moving every day. She really gave us some sound advice and said, "Movement is life." Amen to that, and cheers to her for being a great role model in the game of live.

Here are five simple things that made this week great.

1. This eco-dough...

Because it's better all the way around.

2. This fork...

Sometimes the Willamette Valley has some unusual stops along the way. This picture was taken when The Bean headed out for the day with his grandma and took in some of these unusual places.

3. This sign...

More and more farms are in cooperation with Organic Valley and more people are realizing that organic is better for your health and the environment. This particular farm is located in Scio, Oregon.

4. These hops...