Quick Surf Trip

We got in a quick surfing time this week, but only for about four hours. We have been so busy lately that we haven't had the time to get over to the coast for more than a few hours. We are on a desperate hunt for property for sale near where we surf, so we can have a week of surfing over just a couple of days here and there. This trip was a nice getaway from our schedule, though, so we can't be too upset, even if it was just for a few hours. To see more of our surfing trips click the surfboard icon on the righthand side of the blog, or check out our surfing blog at High Society Surf.

Five Simple Things (February 3)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Day.

We took a trip up to IKEA this week to get a few random things. We enjoy walking through IKEA later in the evening when it isn't so crowded. Today was one of those days, with maybe 60 people max in the store when we were. We took our time and looked at a lot of the new displays and grabbed a few things for the school bus and for our home. Skylar found some great future college dorm ideas and this stuffed snake he named Hank.

2. These "Lights."

One of our favorite traditions is creating ice lanterns to place outside during the winter months. We make sure to place them outside on nights that get below freezing, so that they will last for several nights in a row. We like to create different sizes and also create ones that allow us to place a tea light inside of it. We have been getting more creative every year with them and this year we created our own "glasses" to hold our tea lights. These are easy to create by using anything that allows you to freeze water in it without breaking. You can use plastic containers and use rocks as weights. You really can't mess these up. Just freeze your creation in the freeze the night before you plan to place them outside.

3. This Drone.

Skylar got to finally try out his drone he got at Christmas this week. He had a great time learned how to fly it and also learned what tricks the drone can do and what pictures looked best taken by the drone. The one he has here is not available right now, but the one pictured above is another great beginner drone, especially for kids. You can click the picture of the drone to learn more about it.

4. This Moment.

This week we spent the day looking at different colleges for Skylar to continue his education. We explored different ones and are planning a campus tour of a few of them soon. During our time exploring different campuses, we also had lunch at Starbucks and tried their grilled ham and cheese. Perfect sandwich for a perfect day.

5. This Kitty.

Eleven (aka The Snatch) is always doing something silly to make us laugh. She's also up to some funny something showing her personality. She spends a lot of time with me when I work while sitting on my bed. She loves to be near me and I just love how she loves me.

One last thing: 

I've been having some minor knee pain lately and have gone on a pursuit to find the best muscle cream/salve/oil to help ease the pain. These three are my favorites right now. The first one (on the left) is Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel. It has a pleasant scent and works in a way that is different from other muscle creams or gels. It works best in the morning, for me. The second one (in the middle) is my favorite out of these three pictured. It is by +Plus CBD pain relief sport relief sport recovery stick. It's the one ounce size and it works quickly and effectively. I like to use this one during the day when I have some nagging pain that won't seem to go away. I've also used this one at night, but I don't recommend that, especially if you use it in areas that are close to your face, like you neck area. It's a great pain reliever, and if you've been wanting to try CBD, this is a great one to start with. The last one (on the right) is from one of my favorite essential oil brands, Pranarom. It is their Warming Muscle Rescue Oil. I use this one mostly at night. It's not greasy when used lightly on affected areas. It's a great oil that helps with joint pain. 

Positive affirmations this week:

Have a nice weekend.

End of January 2023 (1 Second Every Day)

 

Soft Gingersnaps

 One cookie that gets made yearly in our house is gingerbread. I've yet to attempt to create a gingerbread house from this recipe, but I'm eager to try, so maybe next year I will give it a try and see if I can create a house from my recipe. But for simple gingersnaps, this recipe is our all-time favorite. It's a quick recipe that combines the great taste of gingerbread with a snap to them that you get from store-bought gingerbread cookies.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 7 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 stick cold butter
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. molasses
• 2 egg yolks (separated)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Add butter to mixture, honey, molasses, and one egg yolk. Mix until it forms a dough. I mix with my hands, because it's easier than using a spoon. Mix until smooth. If mixture is too wet, add more flour, if too dry add more honey, or molasses.

Roll globs of dough into a ball, depending on how big you want your cookies to be. Mine are about two tablespoons in size. Place dough balls on cookie sheet and lightly press down just a little bit. Beat remaining egg yok and brush a small amount on top of each cookie and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for about 10-12 minutes for soft ginger cookies, or 14-15 minutes for harder cookies. Do not overbake.

Ginger is known to help aid in digestion, provide some relief from varicose veins, and reduce inflammation. These cookies can be paired with ginger tea to provide an even more ginger experience. Take freshly grated ginger (1-2 tbsp.) and one cup boiling water. Steep for about 10 minutes. You can add honey, lemon, or even cinnamon to your tea and enjoy up to three cups a day.