Life at a "Swell's" pace

Week-End: Things that made my week awesome (Extras: Closet organizing and Cherokee Morning Song)

So glad today is Sunday and a do-nothing-day. Our neighbors (The Bean's "adopted" grandparents) went on a hike with us yesterday and boy did they keep the pace going. We took the dogs with us and poor Baz was exhausted when we got home. The hike took us about two hours and Baz wasn't the only one ready to collapse when we came through the door. The Mr., The Bean, and I had gone on a 10 mile bike ride the day before and we were a bit sore from that already, but this hike really pushed us over. We are ready for a relaxing break today. I plan on doing some light house cleaning, but other than that, we are beat.

1. This Trooper

I am so proud of this old doggy. He has some hip issues, but has been such a trooper with his walks.Yesterday's walk really was a lot for him, but he didn't quit. Stops at the river really helped too. He's on some new hip/joint medication and we are definitely seeing a difference. Here's to more walks with this friend.

2. This Window

This was sitting in a window of someone's house while we were walking. It scared me when I looked up, but after I realized what it was, we laughed. No clue who or what it represents, but we liked it.

3. This Hello

This is on the side of the boxed water I've been drinking lately. Boxed Water is Better.

4. This Kid

Because gosh darn it, he makes me proud! (Look for our recap of the Foghat concert soon on the blog)

5. This Moment

After our walk yesterday this is what my house looked like. The Bean was crashed out on the couch in the other room. Exhaustion to the max!

Extras:

Broaden your education. Always keep your mind active.
Story behind the Shamrock Shake at McDonald's.
Closet organizing to the max.
Drink your lemons.
Going to try this packing trick on our next trip!
SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK!
Cherokee Morning Song with Translation.
Spring vacation dreaming on planning. Wanderlust.
Printing with bubble wrap.
Before and after exterior home makeovers that are impressive.

What happened this time last year?

July Unboxings

July's subscription boxes were great! The entire month brought so many wonderful items and I couldn't be more pleased with the items within each box. Here's a quick recap of the unboxings for July.

1. Yogi Surprise

Man oh man, this subscription box never disappoints me. The Mr. and I have been on a slow mission to eating healthier and making better choices with the items that we use, or apply to our skin. Yogi Surprise makes it easy to find great products to keep this mission going.

July's Theme was "Sun Salutation"

The items:

Manduka Equa Yoga Hand Towel (in green)
Gypsy Soul Organics Sun Salutation Salve
Truth Bar Peppermint Brownie
Shea Radiance Whipped Shea Butter with Apricot Oil (5 oz.)
Essential Oils (For Beauty, Wellness, and The Home) Book
Anima Mundi Wild Lotus Essence
SkinYoga Sandalwood Saffron Face Mask
Yogi Surprise Yoga Sequence Series Card (Sun Salutation)

Favorite Item:

The Truth Bar Peppermint Brownie was my favorite food item in this box and the Shea Radiance Whipped Shea Butter with Apricot Oil (5 oz.) was my favorite item. Living in the Pacific Northwest my skin (especially my feet) dry out a lot more than they used to when we lived in Arkansas. This shea butter has really helped bring my skin back to center and stay hydrated.

2. Seventh Generation (Generation Good)

I am part of the Seventh Generation (Generation Good) group now and I just received my first item to test this month. To me coupons to try products are just as good as money and I really like how Seventh Generation products are environmentally friendly and easy to find now. (I received these coupons to try and review products as part of the Seventh Generation group)

The coupons I received were for $2.00 off laundry soap, $1.00 off baby wipes/diapers, and $1.00 off on dish soap.

I love the dish soap a lot. It cuts through some tough grease and being that our home doesn't have an automatic dishwasher we wash dishes by hand. The dish soap was mild on our hands and didn't leave a soapy film on the dishes.

The Bean has sensitive skin issues and this detergent didn't cause him to itch, or break out, so it got a thumbs up from him.

The dish soap and wipes were my favorite items and I love how the wipes could be thrown in the car and taken camping with us, too.

I found all of these products on the shelves of my local co-op food store.

3. Naked Wines

The Mr. and I have loved Naked Wines for awhile now, ever since I was part of the Brit + Co Co-op and received my gift card from them. We loved some of their wines from the site then, but just recently we joined the Angels' Club through the company and have been trying out some of the great wines throughout the site. This Riesling is one of our favorites and I can't speak highly enough of how easy Naked Wines makes enjoying wine without breaking the bank. The picture to the left was the box that came with out wine selections for the month of July. The Mr. and I have been eyeballing the champagne and sparkling wine selections on there and our September box may contain some goodies. We are ordering from Naked Wines every other month, so stay tuned to see what we get in September.

4. The Honest Company

Once a month (mostly) I place an order with The Honest Company. I'm obsessed with their products and love most everything they sell-so far. This month I placed a pretty large order of things we were out of and even threw in a few new items to try.

I added the prenatal vitamins, immunity drink mix, and the multi vitamins for The Bean. We also added in our go-to items like laundry detergent, hand soap, and dish soap.

I've ordered the bathroom cleaner before and given that the bathroom here will be remodeled soon I am not sure how much of this I will use before that happens. We are hoping to get the job started by October.

We also added in out favorite hand soap, lemongrass scent. The Bean loves the smell of this hand soap and it actually makes him want to wash his hands. Side note: The Honest Company wipes work great in the summer for a quick face wash after working out.

5. Yogi Surprise Earth Day Bonus Box

The box was actually shipped around April, but Yogi Surprise posted that they had leftover boxes and anyone could purchase one. I didn't hesitate to snag me one mainly because the items in this box were too good to pass up. A lot of special edition boxes go on sale if they don't end up selling all of them when they are first put out.

The theme for this box was "Support your Love for the Earth"

The Items:

Run Run Run San Francisco Tote
Zoe Organics Breathe Balm
Boku Superfood
Essence of Vali Refresh Energy Oil
Bambu Bamboo Spork
Ecopaper Tree-Free Organic Paper Art Pad
Blue Lotus Golden Masala Chai
Flora Health Medicinal Tea
Foods Alive Lip Balm
Vanin Dark Chocolate Bar with Nibs

Favorite Item:

Gosh, so many to name here. I loved the Breathe Balm, the Bamboo Spork, the Art Pad, and the Lip Balm. The other items weren't on the back burner of liking though. This box was by far one of my favorites and I love how Yogi Surprise keeps things interesting with mixing up items in each box.

The tote that came in this box is one I will definitely add to my shopping bags and use. I love reuseable bags that are stylish and practical. This one is made really well and can hold a lot. Check out the company's website here.

Seven Eco Actions:

Connect with Nature.
Refuse Single use Items.
Reduce your Footprint.
Reuse everyday Items.
Recycle and Avoid Landfills.
Conserve your Energy.
Localize: Support Local.

Grab your own monthly Yogi Surprise boxes here.

6. Mighty Fix from Mighty Nest

July's Mighty Fix was Think Sport Sunscreen. Mighty Nest has always hit the mark with us on bringing us ways to change our habits in the home here. Each month they bring a new item to our home for $10 and it allows us to rethink our views on what we use. My favorite part of the "Fix" is the recipes and DIYs that come with the Mighty Fix each month. They are always a great addition to the Mighty Fix. This month was "Homemade Honey Mint Lemonade" and it was a perfect pairing with the selection this month. It was all geared toward summer!

Grab your own monthly Mighty Fix here.

Week-End: Things that made my week awesome (Extras: Vinyl chalkboard and homemade flour)

Wow, what a great week! We've been on a steady pace of bike riding lately and today we are taking off on a 60 mile bike ride when The Mr. gets home from work. It's a real drag when he has to work all weekend, but the positive is, he loves what he does. The Bean and I took off yesterday and rode about 15 miles from our home to The Mr.'s job. It was hot, but manageable heat. The sun was behind us for the entire ride, so it made it better to ride in. It's always funny to me how people in the northwest say that 98 degrees is hot-Thinking of Arkansas every time I hear that. My brother told me it's been 107 there already! I miss Arkansas heat, but only during the winters here in the northwest. Other times, not so much. Ha! Hopefully I will have some great photos to share of our bike ride today. Sometimes I don't get to snap many because of the pace we keep, but I will share something, so check back during the week and see what I have posted. Our bike ride today will be more of a late afternoon/evening ride, so the sun won't be beating down on us too bad. Meanwhile, here are the things that made this week awesome!

1. This View

This view is along the highway leading in and out of the valley where we live. When the clover is in bloom and the beehives are in the field, the view looks so magnificent at random times throughout the day.

2. This Chalkboard

I have wanted to paint this framed glass for awhile now, but wasn't sure what it would become once it was painted. It now serves as a menu board for our kitchen and I am still deciding where it's home will be on the wall. Maybe propped up on the table is a good place for it to stay.

3. These Socks

These are my new golfing socks for the moment. The Bean has always called himself "The Deer," so I think these are a great way to keep that silliness going, even on the golf course.

4. This Meal

A lot of fellow bloggers are into ready-made, home delivered meal kits, but I find them way overpriced for what you get. The Mr. and I can make a week's worth of meals for a lot cheaper and the food options through those kits are limited. This salmon and green beans came from our local co-op and costs us less than $5 a plate. It was delicious! (the herbs on top came right out of my herb garden: rosemary, lavender, and dill)

5. This Car

We had to make a run to the local Walmart this week and even though we dread going there, sometimes we have to suck it up. The Mr. got a prescription filled and we had to go inside to pick it up. The trip wasn't all that bad though because this great car was in the parking lot and parked right beside us. The Bean thought it was great and my heart melted when he said, "It reminds me of Downton Abbey, mommy." *paint me proud* for his reference.