Self Improvement Linky

The Five Minute Trick that Instagram CEO Uses to Stop Procrastinating 

How is Your Emotional Wellness

Sometimes You Have to Decide You Have What It Takes Love me some Modern Mrs Darcy!  This is great insight.

10 Ways You Are Making Your Life Harder Than It Needs to Be- so good love 1,2, 3

Trek for Treasure Hike #4- Mt Erie

For those of you following, my team, Fluffy Squirrel, on our hiking adventures for Trek for the Treasure.  Hike 4 is in the books and no spotting of Big Foot aka Sasquatch yet. For more details - Beginning, Hike 1, Hike 2, Hike 3

Mt Erie was our 4th hike for Trek for the Treasure in Anacortes, Washington.  The round trip mileage was 5.2 miles. I think anything with mount should be outlawed. The last bit was rocky and filled with tree roots.  My partners Ms Epi and Princess of Quite A Lot  made it to the summit.

Photo by TT

I decided making it to the treasure box was definitely good enough.   I wish I did but I wanted to make it back to the car. I did make it to the treasure box and I guess that is what counts. We signed the logbook at #96.

All layouts done with digital project life.

Weed Patch Flowers

Daisies

I have been working on a cut flower garden.  It is more like a weed patch but I thought I would show you some flower arrangements from flowers from my garden. This is amateur hour by the way.

Daisies and 1 Calendula

Daisies, Butterfly Bush Flowers, Weeds

Daisies, Butterfly Bush Flowers, Calendula

I am not a floral arranger but I like having flowers around. I heard these called hillbilly bouquets as well.  

Summer Time Linky

I Care About What My Teenagers Wear Because, Science

Budgeting for Beginners - The "basics"

Loving Hummingbirds to Death

9 Lessons from an Old School Dad - I love this especially the part about being coachable and have you done everything to earn a starting spot.

There Are No Jobs in Those Canyons

I was listening to a radio program where the host was having people call in with the best advice they had received.  Years and years ago, my husband had a colleague who told him this when he was about to do something foolish beyond his level expertise, " There are no jobs in those canyons."  He meant it literally about the geography.  My husband worked outdoors in a treacherous area. If you injure yourself by going down that canyon, you won't have a job.

However, I think it applies to a lot of things just not physical activities. The quote applies to risk. Do I say something about someone's job performance if that is just going to make my life harder?  Do I physically push myself at my job if it is destroying my body? What is a good risk? Is this a wrong, I meant to right? Just something I am ruminating on.

What is the best advice you ever received?  Leave me a note in the comments

Mid Summer Linky

Macklemore's Grandma turned 100, so he made her the star of his music video

Raising Overcomers

Dear Girls, Life is Too Short for Crappy Friends

Why You Should Play Video Games 

What I Read July

I am linking up to Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit.  If you haven't taken her reading personality quiz YOU SHOULD. My reading personality is escapist.  I thought the book test was spot on. 

The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless

If you read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer about Chris McCandless his escape into the wilds of Alaska and ultimate death this book explores more of the McCandless family dynamics.  Carine, his sister, gives us the back story of their turbulent home life and just how that might of contributed to her brother's escape into the wild.

Voyager by Diane Gabaldon

I have continued on in the Outlander Series.  I think I am ready to take a break from Jamie and Claire.

The Other Einstein

This book is about Einstein's first wife Mileva who was a physicists and mathematician in her own right. There is much speculation that she was more than a supporter and rather a contributor to Einstein's theories. I honestly don't think Einstein would of come up with many of his theories without Mileva. This book also addresses the fact that in that day and age to be an educated woman was tough and even harder to be a scientist. I found the book interesting. This book is part of the Big Library Read

I don't know if anybody else has been watching the National Geographical Channel program, "Genius", on Albert Einstein.  I think this would be a great companion to watch while reading this book.

The House by the Lake by Thomas Harding

This book is about a house in Germany first owned by the Alexander's by the lake in Grob Glienicke. Thomas Harding sets off to find the house with his Grandmother in 1993 who remembers it as a safe haven during the rise of Hilter.  20 years later when Thomas returns to visit the house, the house is about to be demolish.  The story is of 5 families and the history of Germany and how they lived in the house.  This is also a story about how Thomas set off to save the lake house. I found the book fascinating.

Trek for the Treasure - Hike 3

Me and My Best Friend have been having a summer adventure.  We have been participating in Trek for the Treasure.  Check out my other posts the beginning, Hike#1, Hike #2.

The Fluffy Squirrels were at it again.  This time we hiked the Fragrance Lake Trail in Whatcom County along Chuckanut Drive.

Fragrance Lake

The last time I hike this particular trail was in 2013 Easter. Blogs are great for looking back.  I believe I said I wasn't built for this type of hike.  Fragrance Lake is a 2 mile hike uphill. It is basically switchback after switchback for 2 miles. This an EXTREMELY popular trail.  Stan the Dog had lots of training opportunities to heal and pull off the trail for dogs and human alike.

Stan the Puppy - 5 months

I was glad he was along so I could take a breather. On the way down he was so trained to get off the trail, he just pulled off the trail and healed and waited for others to pass.

Autism Linky

This is where I share all the links I found interesting about Autism.  These are all articles and podcasts that I found helpful or thought provoking.

Sensory Therapy for Autism: How much sense do they make?  - very interesting

Autism Breakthrough: 18 genes have been linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder

Day in he Life of a 7th Grade with Executive Function Challenges

Differentiating with An Adult With Autism - Oh this resonated me. I have started to walk that fuzzy line. Love this quote - "He will be independent of me, even if he's not independent of help."

Different - Art of Simple Podcast - interview with Sally Clarkson who has a son who is different.This is really great

School is OUT linky

No, Your Teen Doesn't Hate You. It Is Just Summer

Yes, My Kids Play Unsupervised

One Mom, Three Kids, 400 Seattle Parks and a New Book
***My Playground Tours for locals (Whatcom County)

How Learning Art Alters Your Brain Structure

Addicted to Screens: How One Parent Enacted Different Rules for Different Kids - Something similar occurred at our house.  We definitely have summer screen rules.

This Mom's Idea of a Schedule Free Summer is Right ON