Sarah’s Mirena IUD Update 2.5 Years In

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Here’s where I am today, 2.5 years after my Mirena insertion and 2 years after the last blog update of my experience with the Mirena IUD. That means I’m halfway through the process. I’m going to write this update in a similar fashion to the last one, running down the list of common side effects and my experience with them. Then I’ll add any effects that weren’t covered and lastly, I’ll read the first two updates and see if I have any revelations or bits to add after recovering those memories.

If you want to catch up, you can read these two previous Mirena IUD posts.

Here is a review of the most common side effects of the Mirena IUD and then my experiences with each.

The most common side effects of Mirena are:

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Seasoned View Vol. 33

Most months we share our Seasoned View.  Snapshots of nature taken by the Seasoned sisters. Find last month’s here and past month’s here.

Happy December everyone! We love this cozy time of year. Sarah loves it even more now that she lives in a mild climate, just yesterday she walked her dog in a t-shirt! What a dream. Even if the outdoor temperature isn’t below freezing, you can still celebrate the season by adding a little snow to your desktop. We’re sharing some of our favorite images from winters passed. The snowy Christmas tree field will probably be Sarah’s favorite set of images until the end of time. The light, the big flurries, the situation just couldn’t be any more beautiful, no Photoshop involved. Scroll down to see the rest and choose one for your desktop.

live seasoned seasoned view snowy december desktopYou can upload one or all of these photos to use as your desktop background or even as phone and tablet wallpapers.  Simply click on the download link below each photo (or right click on the image), save, and enjoy!

live seasoned winter seasoned view-1Click here for snowy sunset.

liveseasoned_fall14_novemberseasonedview-3Click here for pastel sunrise.

liveseasoned_winter14_seasonedview-1-3Click here for Gingerbread House.

live seasoned winter seasoned view-1-2Click here for Christmas trees.

liveseasoned_winter14_seasonedview-1-5Click here for Holiday Lights.

liveseasoned_winter14_seasonedview11-1-3Click here for Winter Birch.

_DSC5833Click here for Snowy Christmas Trees.

DIY Christmas Gifts

Jingle bells batman smells… We’re back with another round up of Christmas crafts, but this time they’re ones you can gift to your friends.  On Monday, we shared delicious treats that are perfect for giving and today we’ll round out your gift list by adding a few non-edibles for your loved ones.  These DIY gifts range from easy to advanced (mostly because of the ingredients), but we explain everything you’d ever need to know in the posts, so hop to it!  We also sell a few of these items in our Live Seasoned etsy shop if you’re low on time.  All of these homemade gifts have natural, gentle ingredients perfect for any loving home.  We also love to pair these items with other handmade goods to really amplify the maker aspect of these presents.  We love supporting other crafters and creators so after you whip up these potions, browse around on etsy for perfect pairing gifts if you think your loved ones deserve a little more this holiday season.

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Mix Your Own Cereal

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This post may not seem revolutionary, but believe me when I say it changed my life. I am not a breakfast person. I don’t necessarily love breakfast foods, but more than that, I just don’t like eating in the morning. My first meal is usually lunch, sometimes even dinner and as far as I can remember, I’ve always been this way.  Now that I mix my own cereal, I’m inspired by breakfast again.

Over the past few years, I’ve been trying to pay attention to my nutrition. I always joke that I’m on the single dad diet, basically whatever I can grab and throw together with what’s on hand. I simply don’t have an appetite and no one to cook for, so what’s the point? The point is, good nutrition allows your body and brain to function properly, so I’m giving it a go.

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How To: Start a Gratitude Habit

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There is good news for the grumpy among us. An attitude of gratitude can be learned. One way to inject your existence with more gratitude is to intentionally create a habit surrounding it. Habit creation can be broken down into a couple of simple steps and integrated into one’s daily life. Begin creating a gratitude habit today that becomes automatic tomorrow. Okay, maybe not tomorrow, but by Thanksgiving, I bet you’ll be thankful for how thankful you are.

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50 Things To Accomplish Before The New Year

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Thanksgiving is already here – cue the freakout. Where did this year go?! What did I do? What can I possibly accomplish before the New Year? Each year goes by faster and faster and I wonder how old I’ll be when I finally stop saying that. I’m going on four years strong now, officially at the point in my life where I’m done wasting time and energy on people and activities I don’t enjoy. Bye bye loser boyfriends! Peace out mediocre jobs. See ya later annoying obligations. Eeek! 

This mindset has been working out really well! I’m finding myself more in control of my time and exceedingly more honest with myself and others in relationships. So, what can we get done with what’s left of this year? It turns out a lot. Here’s a quick list of 50 Things To Accomplish Before The New Year – and if we treated time so fleetingly during every other moon and month just imagine the sh!t we could do. Lots more books could be read, beer could be tasted, errr, I mean closets organized and meals prepared?!

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Phoneless Family Activities to Try Right Now

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Putting down your phone is hard sometimes, but why?! A decade ago, it wasn’t like this. We didn’t immediately forgive each other for looking down at our texts and outright ignoring whomever we were with, instead, we got pissy. We said, ‘Exxxxcuse me!’ or more likely our phones were in our purses or on the table or lost for a few hours. They weren’t an extension of ourselves and it felt better that way. Remember?

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40 Ways To Celebrate World Kindness Day

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World Kindness day is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 13. If you know me, kindness is my thing, first and foremost, kindness to self that way you can extend it to others. I have a shirt that I wear often that says ‘be cool, be kind’ and I really don’t think you can have one without the other. A few years ago, we gave out wristbands for our homegrown Schu Farm Fest camping and music weekend and they read ‘Do Good + Be Kind’ it was this simple message out of everything we brainstormed that struck a chord with each and every one of us on the SFF committee.

I hear a lot of grumbles when it comes to holidays of this nature. Holidays that encourage you to do something you really should be doing every day, but hey, I don’t think reminders hurt. I also think the grumblers need a snack and someone to be nice to them..

Here are 40 Super Simple Ways to Celebrate World Kindness Day

Kindness to self

  1. Talk kindly to yourself.
  2. Exercise or take a walk in nature.
  3. Feed yourself a healthy meal.
  4. Take twenty minutes to read about something you enjoy.
  5. Identify your needs and how to meet them.
  6. Write in a journal – even if it’s jotting down a list of random words and feelings.
  7. Write a love letter to yourself. Read it aloud in the mirror each day for a week. (This is extremely powerful and yes, it feels awkward AF)
  8. Change your bedsheets and wash all your blankets.
  9. Pet an animal.
  10. Get a good nights rest.

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Simple Date Ideas for Fall

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Fall has arrived on the east coast. Seize the fleeting light and perfect weather by planning simple dates that encourage some nature time. Each of these autumn-inspired dates can take place outdoors. Bonus points if you pack tea, wine, or some other delightful beverage to elevate the experience.

  • Take a walk in the park, botanical garden, around a pond, through a forest, etc whatever you do, lace up and cover a few miles.
  • Pick a bouquet of flowers together at the farmers’ market.
  • A warm beverage alfresco at your favorite coffee shop or teahouse. Sit, sip, chat, enjoy.
  • A bottle of wine, your bestie, and a front porch is never a bad combination.
  • Book club for two. Cozy up on a bench or in a hammock and spend some quiet time reading together.
  • Simple deli picnic and people watching in the park. Any snack and a soft blanket will work.
  • Drive to watch the sunset at a nice vista or near a body of water – if it’s cold you can enjoy it from the car.
  • … and since today’s Election Day, you could always grab a cup of coffee and a pastry and VOTE TOGETHER!

Anything else to add? Comment below.

The Best Scary Movies on Netflix Right Now

Happy Halloweeeeen! It’s time to get spooookey. Here are a few creepy movies you should watch this week! They’re all on Netflix and I’m only listing ones I watched and liked. I’m pretty critical, but I do give horror movies a little leeway. That being said, I would absolutely watch all these again, not something I say often. This is a short list because I don’t believe it wasting time watching TV, which means this list is solid. Go ahead and challenge me on that. I’m linking each movie title to its preview in case you want a sneak peak.

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