Tuesday, May 31, 2016

All Seems Right With The World Now


Last year, during the first week of July, we had to take everything out of the home office, rearrange the wall decor, desks and shelf to make room for a love seat. This was no small task. It took an entire day along with the help of our neighbors. The love seat had belonged to our Grammy who passed away the week prior. No one in the family wanted the love seat. We took it.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Random Rant: Teach Your Kids To Respect Animals, Rules And Guidelines


Today is one of those days where I wish taking a week-long social detox was an option. My social media streams are plastered with the story about the incident that happened a couple of days ago at the Cincinnati, Ohio zoo. A young boy took off and got into the gorilla enclosure. Sadly, the outcome was 17 year old gorilla, Harambe, was fatally shot. Links, memes, opinions, photos, videos, and everything else under the sun relating to this incident, has spread like wildfire.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Dirt Clouds And Sangria


The past few days have been hazy, hot, and humid. I've enjoyed every minute of it. Lisa hasn't. Once the temperatures go beyond 80, she's miserable. We've spent most of the long weekend, so far, indoors. We actually had plans to attend a cookout for a few hours today, but late afternoon yesterday, the host called it off.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

The Spa Day Guilt Trip Photo


A few days ago, on Thursday, I took the entire afternoon and gave all the kids a Spa Day. This happens once a month. This time around, it had been closer to a month and a half. Too long, but sometimes, that happens. Spa Day usually lasts about 3-4 hours. Lobo gets a full trim with the clippers and then a bubble bath. Sophie gets a bubble bath. Coco gets a bubble bath. They all get a good towel dry and brushing. I trim their nails. It's a lengthy process.

Friday, May 27, 2016

We Spread A Lil' Cupcake Love Today


In yesterday's post I mentioned that at times I push myself despite the pain I'm in. Today was one of those days. I wanted to make cupcakes. Not just any cupcakes. I wanted to go the extra mile and make really great, decadent cupcakes. I was determined. Nothing was going to stop me. And, it didn't.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Baking Hurts. Doing Housework Hurts. I Still Do It.


After the incident on Monday, I've been quiet this week. What's done is done. Water under the bridge. It is what it is. However, there's a lingering ping. I'm not sure what to label it as. Disgust? Maybe that's the closest word related to how I'm feeling. Since I've sent my somewhat lengthy reply, there has been no response. Not even an apology. It's in my nature to take a step back. Look at the entire situation in its entirety. This time around was no different.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Our Bodacious Biscuit Love Peanut Butter Dog Treat Recipe


Last month, the big question was, Are We Going To Share Our Peanut Butter Biscuit Recipe? This recipe is the one we have stuck with for almost 3 years. It's the recipe we pay $80 a year to keep registered with the Department of Agriculture and in accordance with the General Statutes of Connecticut. It's the only flavor we offer at our display locations. I thought about it a lot. And, after thinking about it a little more, I thought, "Yes." So, here it is.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Ignore The Camera, Lobo


I saw this meme floating around on Facebook. Each time, I laughed out loud. Literally. All 3 of our kids have a personality that surfaces when I take the camera out. Sophie will give THE LOOK. She doesn't like the camera. Coco turns away most of the time. I've tried to get sneaky and use my phone to take photos, but they're onto me. Lobo, on the other hand, is extremely photogenic and loves to have his picture taken.

Monday, May 23, 2016

I Wanted To Tell Them That In Person, But It Never Happened


Over the years, Lisa and I have bent over backwards and extended our kind deeds to quite a few...both friends and family. We do it out of the kindness of our hearts. We expect nothing in return. Over these mentioned years, we've been burnt and thrown under the bus. Lessons learned. Although we've distanced ourselves from quite a few, severed some ties and have become more guarded over the years, that hasn't deterred us from spreading kindness and such. However, make no mistake, the hearts we wear on our sleeves have boundaries. Today, we stood firm on "that line."

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Because Sometimes, People Just Suck


In addition to family time, snuggle time and time spent with the kids playing and such, I find solace on our front porch. We live in a fairly quiet neighborhood. Our neighbor across the street has a huge yard, lots of birdhouses and her yard is a haven for all things spectacular. During the warm weather months, Lisa and I will sit on the front porch. I have my camera on hand. We just sit. In the moment.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

We're Prepared. Just In Case.


Funky things have been happening all week with our electricity. A few days ago, well after Lisa and the kids went to bed, the lights flickered. A second later, a loud BOOM! I recognized the BOOM. I ran around the house like a crazy woman trying to locate one of our many flashlights. I have a horrible habit of putting flashlights in convenient-I-won't-forget-where-they-are-locations. When I need to find one, I always forget where those locations are.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Dirty. Sweaty. Off The Grid.


The muscles in my body are sore. I got too much sun. The shower I took earlier was one of the best I've had in a long time. I left a ring of dirt around the tub. I had to scrub my fingernails and toenails with some elbow grease. I had no energy to make dinner so we ordered takeout (total cheat day). Right now, I'm sitting on the sofa, cool, clean, and sore. Reclined. All the kids are on my lap. I couldn't be happier.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

I'm Right Here, Mommy


This is the scene every morning. Monday through Friday, it happens around 4 when I crawl into bed and Lisa sits on the bed to eat her breakfast. The 3 kids are on the bed as well. On the weekends, it happens later as Lisa sleeps in a bit. Coco curls up by Lisa's pillow beside my face. Lobo sits by Lisa's side with his Stinky. Sophie...well, she does this.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Don't Move Until I Get Home



I fell asleep around 5 a.m. An hour or so later, while half asleep, I went to move. My toe was stuck on something. I yanked. Nothing. I yanked harder. It was then I was jolted awake by a sharp, stinging pain on my little toe. I knew immediately what it was. My toenail had gotten caught pretty good on a quilt string. I had just ripped the toenail off.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Here's A List Of Dog Friendly Stores


Lobo is the only kid we can take into stores. Sophie would do okay except she doesn't do well with medium and large dogs. Coco gets overwhelmed if there's too many people around. At times, we've taken Lobo with us when running errands, especially during the first 6 months after we adopted him, because his anxiety was through the roof. At times, it's challenging. We're aware of some retail locations that allow pups, but not all.

Monday, May 16, 2016

My Hummingbirds Are Finally Back!


I love this time of year. The grass is turning green, there's an abundance of flowers, the weather is warmer and...my hummingbirds return! Last month we put the hummingbird feeders out and last week we purchased red Salvias for the porch. We usually see the first of the hummers the first week of May, but this year, they appeared later.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

The Realities Of Work At Home Life


There are very few questions I cringe at when asked. At the top of my list is what I do for work. My aversion has nothing to do with discussing my work. It has everything to do with three words that are unavoidable at some point during the conversation. Work. At. Home. At that moment, the conversation is hijacked. Their interest in my work is no longer relevant. I can’t get a word in edgewise. From that point, until I can find an escape, my ears are assaulted with jaded misconceptions about how incredibly easy it must be to work at home.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

It's Been Over Two Months Now


In early March, I made some dietary changes. I completely eliminated flour, grain, sugar, processed foods, pasta, and starch. Low carb. I've tried this eating lifestyle in the past and I had incredible results. However, I jumped off the wagon. Went back to my old ways. Although I don't eat a lot, my eating and sleeping schedule is messed up and my food choices were horrible.

Friday, May 13, 2016

No Problem With Paws On The Table


We very seldom have company over. Over the years, we've become selective about who we allow into our hoe and life. When we do have company over for dinner and/or drinks, it's either the handful of close friends we have or Lisa's parents. However, last week, we extended a dinner invitation to C and T. Lisa has known these women for a while and, just recently, we've gotten to know them on a more personal level. We attended a birthday party at T's house last month and we've visited C at her house a few times.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

A 40+ Year Old Doll Crib Put To Good Use


Lobo has anxiety. I attribute this to the situation he was rescued from. Although it's gotten a lot better since he joined our family, we're at the "it's as good as it's gonna get" point. For us, it's a huge improvement. I've adapted. I can prep dinner while holding him. I can type with one hand. I'm able to some of my work work from the sofa, on my secondary laptop. Both Lisa and I are well aware of his triggers. However, there are just some things that won't ever improve despite the best of efforts.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

The Kids Just Know When Mama Isn't Feeling Well


This photo was taken a while ago, however, it's identical to what happened today. Yep. This Mama isn't feeling well. All day yesterday I blamed having the chills, aches and fatigue on exhaustion. Nope. Wrong.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Bodacious Banana Crunch Biscuit Recipe


These Bodacious Banana Crunch Biscuits are out of this world and the kids love them! I love munchin' on them too. I just have to do it when the kids aren't looking or after they've got to bed. If I'm busted, I get THE LOOK. The kids stare at me as if to say, "Ah, Mom. Those are our biscuits. Why are you eating them?"

Monday, May 9, 2016

Chips, Coffee And A Card


I'll never understand, after a holiday, birthday or whatever, why people feel so inclined to ask, "So, what did you get?" What does that even mean? What. Did. You. Get. I know what they're referring to. Yesterday was Mother's Day. Within a short period of time, after scrolling through my social media feeds, I was overloaded with photos of who got what for Mother's Day. Roses. Concert tickets. Gift baskets. Chocolate covered strawberries. Spa days. You know "what I got?"

Sunday, May 8, 2016

A Sweet And Productive Mother's Day


Our original plans for Mother's Day was to relax, unwind, put our feet up and enjoy the day with our kids. During the morning hours, things went as planned. We sipped coffee in the living room. On the sofa. The kids were on our laps. Lisa shared her breakfast sandwich with the kids followed by lots of playtime on the floor. Once the kids settled down, we tackled some light housework. That's when it happened.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Take It Or Leave It...Messes And All


Last year, in March, I wrote a post on our Bodacious Biscuit Love site about the messy stuff always being there. The inspiration behind that post was from a comment made to me shortly prior. Someone had said, "Your life seems so happy and perfect...blah blah blah." Perfect? Me? My life? Ah, no. Not even close. I hate the word perfection. There's no such thing.

Friday, May 6, 2016

We Don't Owe Anyone An Explanation


Two years ago, when we actively started visiting local Connecticut animal shelters to spread biscuit love, something changed. At the time, I had many clients. One particular client was eating up 50+ hours a week. In addition to other work stuff, I was working over 100 hours a week. That didn't leave a lot of time for biscuit love.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

My First Margarita In Almost 5 Years...Happy Cinco de Mayo!


It's Cinco de Mayo. All day, I've sat at my desk salivating at the hundreds of margarita photos. People are celebrating far and wide. Tacos. Margaritas. Festivities. Food. Fun. I'll be the first to admit, I love a good margarita. Aside from my sugar-free "happy punch" and the occasional glass of wine, margaritas are the only other adult beverage I will indulge in. However, I haven't indulged in a margarita since October of 2011. There's a story behind why.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Paw-ternity Leave Is On The Table


Late last month, our local news station, WFSB, published an article about "Meternity Leave."  No, that's not a typo. Meternity Leave is a fairly new concept that would allow women to have all the benefits of Maternity Leave without actually having a baby. Less than a week later, WFSB published an article focusing on another form of leave. Take a guess.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Our Best Has To Be Good Enough


This evening, I debated whether to post this on our Bodacious Biscuit Love blog site or this one. I decided on this blog site. Obviously. It had a lot more to do with behind the scenes and the topic at hand was more relevant to where we stand and why.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Coco's Cranberry Crunch Biscuit Recipe


I had to name these biscuits after our sweet Coco bug. He loves 'em. They're his absolute favorite. Last year, I broke up several flavors of our biscuits and put them in a small pile in front of him. He sniffed and gobbled all of the Cranberry Crunch first. True story.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

A Year Ago Today...


At times, I can be a total dork. I woke up this morning thinking, "Today is symbolic. Why?" I was stumped. I could have sworn I made a mental note to pay tribute to May 1st. Why? Why? Why? Then, late morning, the owner of this house, who lives upstairs with her daughter, walked down the front outdoor stairs. We chatted for a bit. Wonderful conversation as always. That's when the proverbial light bulb went off. I remembered.