Life at a "Swell's" pace

Sometimes Wants (Summer)

These are the summer time "Sometimes Wants" that have caught my eye lately.

10.

1. ILIA: Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation

2. All Good Coconut Sunstick SPF 30

3. Maison Berger Metallic Car Diffuser Set Happy Aquatic Freshness

4. Stainless Steel Pegs Very Long 7.6cm Grade 201 (30 pegs)

5. Stainless Steel Reusable Bullet Shaped Ice Cubes

6. W&P Peak Silicone Crushed Ice Tray w/ Protective Lid | White | BPA Free

7. Earthen Skincare Line; Instant Cellumoist, Repair and Lift Serum, Instant Peel

8. Thayers Natural Lavender Face Toner, Face Mist

9. Sunflower Grow Kit and Veggie Sidewalk Chalk

10. Beeswax Wrap DIY Kit

It's summertime, finally, right? Here are a few things I've added to my routine. I have been looking into changing up more of my skincare routine and SPF is always a plus. Being over 40, sun exposure to the face is definitely something to avoid. I've been liking ILIA products lately. Made with better ingredients and I love their skin tint with SPF. It doesn't make my skin oily, or break me out additionally to what I already deal with. Also, the All Good sunstick in coconut is amazing! The smell is heavenly and I find myself using it all over because it smells so great. With it being summer, too, time to bring in some summer scents into my car with the car diffuser, too. Spending a lot more time at the coast, those smells don't need to be brought home, especially from our wet suits. Hanging clothes on the line, refreshing drinks with some fun additions and crushed ice is great during the summertime. Along with facecare comes washing and toning. I'm loving Earthen Skincare face wash and the Thayers Lavender Toner. I like to wash my face, and then using the Thayers toner in lavender to press it into my skin. It's very hydrating and I like to use it to prep my skin before adding sunscreen or the tinted sunscreen. I also included some random items like the sunflower grow kit and sidewalk chalk to help embrace the kid inside of us. Also, some beeswax wrap DIY kit. If you haven't made the change from plastic-free to more sustainable options, this a good start. Give it a go this summer and you won't go back to cling-wrap, or even plastic food covers again!

End of May 2021 (1 Second Every Day)

At Home Campout (Snow Peak)

This week (May 29-May 31) we participated in the second annual At Home Campout with Snow Peak. It's their second year doing it, but only our first year joining in. We set up in the backyard and enjoyed two days of camping and being present in our own backyard. Next year we are definitely going to participate again. The best part about the At Home Campout is the fact that we had no definite plans for Memorial Day and this was perfect for us to celebrate. You can see more on my highlighted stories on Instagram under "Summer" highlights. We have already made plans and are going to participate in this At Home Campout every year as long as they have it. Snow Peak has a lot of great items for camping and just general use items. Edited to add the "At Home Campout recap" link.

We registered our campsite and a few days later our activity book came. It was accompanied with some fatwood starter pieces and a sticker. We also got to see our campsite/home base on the Snow Peak campsite map.

On May 29 we got the backyard all ready for our campout. We moved a few things around to accommodate our tent and camp goods.

Jeff got to enjoy his early Father's Day gift, too. It's been several years since he had a nice grill. He was pretty stoked to be able to BBQ during the campout time, too.

Five Simple Things (May 28)

Hello.

This week was another slow week for us. I love how there's weeks where there isn't much to stress about. Stress and I don't get along. I don't think it gets along with many people. On Tuesday was the one year anniversary of the death of George Floyd. It is named the Day of Enlightenment for remembrance of his death. Even though we have these memorials, remembrances, and celebrations of life, it still doesn't address the issue of what's happening. I can't believe it's already been a year since his life was snuffed out in less than 10 minutes. He didn't die in vain and I hope his family has found some peace with it since then. More and more issues of racism are slowly coming out. Discrimination and racism are a huge issue around the world. I've been personally discriminated against. It makes you feel helpless and unwanted. I just don't understand. And, during this week we suffered another moment of crisis with yet another mass shooting. Anger and bitterness will creep in and take over if you let it. And, evil really does walk among us. On a more positive note, on May 26 was the Total Lunar Eclipse. It was early in the morning here, but we were up and ready for it. We had an amazing view of the Total Solar Eclipse here in 2017. It was something I was so happy to be part of and even more so for Skylar to be part of. For all you sky watchers, the Herbal Academy also did a blog post on foods you can make to celebrate the moon. Here are five things this week.

1. This Tour.

One of our planned trips is to camp out for a weekend at Yosemite (originally Ahwahneechee land). But, in the meantime we have been enjoying these virtual tours of the park. You can virtually view the areas of Diving Board, Tuolumne Meadows, Nevada Falls, Ahwahnee Hotel, Swinging Bridge, and Hetch Hetchy. We al pretty excited to plan something soon. You can take the virtual tour of these areas here.

2. This Reminder.

We've been trying to do out part more in keeping to a slower, more simple lifestyle in our own home. We have been buying more things that last, over just convivence. It's still a long road and a work in progress, but so far we are pleased with how far we've come. One of the biggest ones is our vehicles. Unfortunately, right now we can't make any chances other than not using them as much. There's still more to do, but we will keep on pushing towards that direction and stay the course.

3. This Eclipse.

As mentioned above we watched the Total Lunar Eclipse this week on May 23. Although, we didn't get the best view here on the west coast of the United States, the Blood Moon was still beautiful. One of my favorite things is the moon and stars at night. Skylar and I got up early to be able to view it and got good views from our own yard, but ended up heading to a shopping center parking lot to get a better view without any trees obstructing our view. It was well worth it! We also were able to see Arcturus star bright in the sky, too, on May 23. Lots of things to see in the sky at night if you just look up.

4. This Doggy.

Because sometimes he needs his sweater on and comfort from me. He turns is getting older and deserves all the love. Hardy has been such a great doggy. He has a lot of Baz's traits in him, too from all the years they spent time together. I just love that about him the most.

5. This Sign.