Life at a "Swell's" pace

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Santa.

Never too old to see Santa.

2. These Items.

Mighty Nest and Kinder Beauty Box came this week. I've been using it all and I'm loving everything, too. The True Moringa face oil is absolutely amazing! It hydrates my winter dry skin, but doesn't feel or even look like I'm wearing anything on my face. It is also great for sensitive skin, too, which I have! Highly recommend.

3. These Geese.

I've never seen this many Canadian Geese in one area before. I was quite fascinated with them. We had been having such a rough week, it was a nice moment to pause and reflect. Gratitude helps reprogram the brain to see the positives instead of the negatives, especially the negatives of a bad week. If you're having a bad day, or even a bad week, hopefully this moment helps you, too.

4. This Sock.

We recently got board socks for our surfboards and Skylar decided to try his out. Ho, Stevie! is such a great brand and we absolutely love their board socks. As you can see, it fit like a glove...or sock, rather. ☺ You can snag one of these board socks for your own board here.

5. This Finger.

Skylar hurt his finger this week on the job and we had to go to Urgent Care to get it looked at. He was putting a metal shelf up and it slipped and hit his finger. It wasn't stitched, but it was glued and cleaned up. It's a bit sore, but he is doing fine. We were afraid it was deeper than it was, but it should heal completely in a few weeks. Workmen's Compensation was frustrating, but eventually we got it all figured out. Wish things were easier for workplace injuries, especially young adults just entering the work force. Hopefully, things change sooner than later.

One more thing:

We enjoyed my homemade apple pie from Thanksgiving so much, I made another one. It's such an easy and delicious recipe. I'll share on the blog soon.

Positive affirmations this week:

Always remember, getting away from narcissists in your family is a step in the right direction in healing. Narcissists don't care about how you feel, or how they make you feel, so the best choice for you is to put distance between you and them. I have experienced narcissistic family members my entire life, getting away from them, never updating them on my life, and sharing few details of anything about me has helped in my healing so much. Over the years I have realized that the control of these narcissistic family members was petty and didn't serve any purpose other than for them. Breaking that control and keeping them behind a wall really does help you heal. If you are dealing with the same issue, just know, it takes some time to get your mind right from this form of abuse. Give yourself some time and patience and know that you are not what they do to you. You are worthy of love, respect, and kindness. You can do this!

Have a nice weekend.

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Animals.

Hardy is getting older, but still that spunky, little fun dog he has always been. I like when he cuddles, though. He is such a great little doggy. And, Eleven is turning five in nine days, but she's still in kitten mode and sprints around the house and up and down the stairs at all hours of the day. Yet, she sleeps about 12 of those hours, so it all equals out.☺

2. This Game.

This game is a lot of fun and very similar to Dungeons & Dragons. We have now been playing it for about a week and it will continue for a few more weeks, at least. Definitely an adventurous game and we are enjoying it a lot, because it reminds us of so many places we have been here in Oregon. One being Haystack Rock below. It's cook to play a game and know exactly where they are referencing. You can get this game for yourself here.

3. These Grapes.

Not sure how the red grape got into the bunch, but it was sweetest of the whole group.

4. This Grinch.

Lots of Christmas decorations are going up and this one caught my eye this week. I added a dangling ornament to his hand when I posted it on my Instagram story. We have plans to create a fun Christmas display in our yard this year, I look forward to sharing that on here soon.

Here's another one that is clever. When you don't know what to do with your Halloween decorations, throw a Christmas hat on it. Ha!

5. This Sign.

Burger King has had this message on their sign for awhile now and it's always nice to see. Positive messages on fast food signs should be the norm, in my opinion.

One more thing:

Goodbyes are always hard. He has been around me all of his life, and we are very close, so saying goodbye is never easy for either one of us.

One last thing:

Recently found these cookie cutters and rolling pin at Target and I can't wait to use them soon.

Positive affirmations this week:

Since we are coming off the week of Thanksgiving, what is one thing that you are truly grateful for today that you didn't have a year ago, or even something you are grateful for that you didn't have even a month ago. Showing and having gratitude weekly, daily, or even yearly, shows us how much we really have that we don't see change on a daily basis. Being grateful makes you a better person in seeing the good over the bad. Practice it yourself, or make the change to find something to be grateful for each day in the coming year. You can do this!