We Have The Supplies For Our Next DIY Dog Mom Project

I've been wanting to do this for a long time. I've thought about it. A lot. Today, my brain was spinning like a hamster wheel. By late morning, I had constructed the entire masterpiece in my head. I told Lisa about my vision. She thought it was a great idea. We had some errands to run later in the afternoon and a biscuit love delivery to make. Lisa shuffled our errand schedule around a bit to fit in a quick trip to Home Depot. It was going to happen. A custom platform bed for Lobo.

Random Rant: It's Time To Dust Off The Big Ol' Etiquette Book

I was Facebook messaging with a friend the other night. It was late. She had just finished cleaning up after a gathering she hosted earlier in the day. She was exhausted, frustrated and swore up and down that she'd never host another backyard barbecue again. I asked what happened. For the next 20 minutes, she typed sentence after sentence about the stream of events. She ended her much needed rant with, "Am I old fashioned? Is this why I'm feeling the way I do?"

10 Ways We Drastically Cut Our Monthly Expenses

I've been thinking a lot about the life Lisa and I have created in the past 5 years. There have been so many changes. At one time, in early 2011, our plans were to move back to New Hampshire and start a family with human kids. That didn't exactly happen. We decided to find a home here in Connecticut, Lisa kept her job that she's been at for almost 15 years and we have furry kids who have paws and poop in the yard.

Everything That We Have To Celebrate Is Right Here

Today is a remarkably symbolic day for Lisa and I. On June 27th of 2011, Lisa picked me up at the Manchester, New Hampshire airport. After living out of state for years, I moved "back home."  Long story short, Lisa and I met almost 20 years ago. We rushed into a relationship and lived together for almost 2 years. It wasn't the right time, however, that's when the foundation of what-was-to-come formed. We remained friends for a short while. Then, after a disagreement, we had a huge blowout. We went our separate ways.

Homemade Blueberry Cupcakes With Fresh Buttercream Frosting

On Thursday we celebrated Sophie's 2 Year Gotcha Day. In this house, when we celebrate Gotcha Days, I make cupcakes. These cupcakes are delicious and made to please both the human and pup palate. The ingredients are pup friendly pending your pup doesn't have any food allergies. This time around, Sophie wanted homemade blueberry cupcakes with fresh made buttercream frosting.

The 5 Lessons I Learned Today Started With A Partially Dead Tree

I very seldom take an entire day off. For me, taking an "entire day off" translates to not doing any work from the time I wake up until the following morning.  It's been months since I've done this. In fact, taking an entire day off  happens only 2 or 3 times a year. The rest of the year, I work every single day. Holidays. Weekends. Birthday. During hurricanes before the power goes out.

DIY Party Hats For The Pups

Yesterday was our sweet Sophie's 2 Year Gotcha Day! We celebrated with her favorite dinner of grilled cheeseburgers with sweet potato fries, homemade blueberry cupcakes with fresh made butter cream frosting and, at the last minute, white chocolate covered strawberries. In the days before her special day, I wanted to make a festive Gotcha Day hat for her to wear. I also wanted to make a couple more, with different prints, for Coco and Lobo to wear on their upcoming Gotcha Days.

Happy 2 Year Gotcha Day To Our Sweet Sophie

Today we celebrated Sophie's 2 Year Gotcha Day. Where has the time gone! I remember her freedom ride as if it were yesterday. I remember the stream of events that led up to her freedom ride. Sophie didn't know the night before was her last night at the shelter. And we didn't know it was our last night of having only one kid.

Random Rant: A Plush Pup Would Be The Best Option

Often times, people will reach out to me about pup related stuff. They may have a question or two about homemade dog treats and meals, recommendations for flea & tick solutions, etc. Scattered among these messages and emails are ones asking if we know of any shelters in the area who may have a (insert breed and size) pup up for adoption. In the past, we've referred people to various shelters. However, once in a blue moon, an emails rolls in that leaves me running around in circles...backwards.

Something Beautiful Happened This Morning

Early this morning we had a little incident thanks to Mother Nature. I knew early morning thunderstorms were a possibility. I checked radar about a half hour before Lisa got up. There was nothing remotely close to us. Five minutes after crawling into bed, and while Lisa sat on the bed eating her breakfast with the kids surrounding her for nibbles, I saw it. Lighting. I thought my tired eyes were playing tricks on me. Nope. Seconds later, a loud clap of thunder.

A Few Words About Our Upcoming DIY Dog Mom Projects

I posted this photo yesterday on my personal Facebook wall. These are the finished DIY doggy toy boxes we made over the weekend. By early evening, I had a few messages roll in. Were the toy boxes difficult to make? How long did it take? Were the supplies easily accessible. At that point, I realized I needed to publicly clarify a few things.

The DIY Toy Box Project Was A Success

Our DIY toy box project for the kids was a huge success! We purchased the supplies on Friday for a little less than $20. The kitchen table has been covered in newspaper all weekend. The wood crates and plaques were slathered with 2 coats of paint yesterday. The plaques were easy. The crates were a little tedious. However, overall, we had a lot of fun. Lots of laughs. We both got paint on our shirts in almost the same spot.

We Paid Under $20 For Supplies To Make DIY Toy Boxes

Late afternoon yesterday, we ventured out for a bit to purchase supplies for our DIY Toy Boxes for the kids. It was long overdue. The decorative basket we've used for the past few years was no longer working out and only held about 75% of their toys. Putting away their toys felt more like a game of Jenga than anything. Coco and Sophie had to dig for their favorite toys. Lobo wasn't able to get much of anything out the basket due to his balance (he's 3-legged) and mobility issues.

The Obligatory Photo Of My Dad

It's already started. People are displaying photos of their dads as their Facebook profile picture. I enjoy seeing the photos. My favorites are the old, scanned photos. If I had a photo of my dad, I would post it. On occasion, especially over the past few days, I have searched online for a photo. I have come up empty handed. My dad is well into his 60's. I'm guessing he's probably not computer savvy. His virtual thumbprint appears to be non-existent.

Utilize What You Already Have

Lisa and I are huge fans of DIY and repurposing. With my crafting background, and her talent with tools, wood and putting things together, it's a great balance. We've made use of many items that have been passed down to us. Or, we've purchased items for dirt cheap at yard sales and flea markets, fixed 'em up, repainted, and utilized. Although most of what we've fixed up and repurposed is displayed and used, we have a few pieces in the basement.

Go Ahead And Laugh At Our Ancient Clunker TV

Shortly after making this blog site public, I was chatting with an old acquaintance. The topic of "what I've been focusing on over the past few years" came up. This blog. Our Bodacious Biscuit Love blog. Our mission. And, everything between. After a few cordial epithets and shallow congratulatory exchanges, I was caught off guard. This almost never happens.

This Weekend We're Making DIY Toy Boxes For The Kids

This gorgeous wicker basket has been the makeshift toy box for our kids. Four years ago, when Coco was our only kid, it was perfect in every way. Size. Shape. Height. It's fairly large so adding toys wasn't a problem. However, as our family increased over the past couple of years, and with the addition of new toys, chew bones, and tennis balls, the basket is overflowing.

DIY Treats For Treat Dispensing Dog Toys

When our sweet Remmy was with us, we purchased a Kong Wobbler Toy. He loved it. After he passed away, we kept the toy. A little over 2 years ago, we donated the toy to a special pup named Amos who was residing at one of our local animal shelters. The day before visiting Amos, I made several bags of tiny peanut butter dog treats. They were the perfect size for the Kong Wobbler Toy.

It Has Everything To Do With Being Home At The End Of The Day

Shortly after my alarm sounds, and after I complete my morning routine, I grab a cup of coffee, sit at my desk, check social accounts for work and blogs and scroll through social media feeds. This is how my work day starts. Weekdays. Weekends. It's all the same. Less than 30 seconds after getting situated at my desk this morning, my heart sank. All of my feeds were plastered with news about the mass shooting at the Orlando nightclub, Pulse.

Our Bodacious Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe

Earlier this week I made mention of having a Human & Pup Friendly Recipes tab. You can read about the inspiration behind that here. Over the past few days I've collected photos of my homemade muffins, cupcakes, bread, etc. It was difficult to decide which to post first, however, at the last minute I came across a photo of my pumpkin cupcakes. This is my go-to recipe. Our kids love it. I've brought these cupcakes to gatherings and both humans and pups have gobbled 'em.

The Company And Juicy Kisses Trumps All

The first week of last July, we took everything out of the home office, rearranged the wall decor, shuffled the 2 desks and large bookcase around, and made room for a love seat that had belonged to our Grammy. The home office is the largest of the 3 bedrooms. We had plenty of room. Originally, we had put my desk facing the wall, but a few months later, we moved it so it's now facing the door.

I Got Our Kids, And Lisa, To Like Fresh Produce

I've had a lot of people ask how we get our kids to eat fresh produce. They're interested in adding fresh fruits and vegetables to their fur-kid's meals or having them on hand for a healthy snack. I'm always happy to reply with tips and advice. All of our kids eat fresh produce and our kids range from picky to food motivated.

I Stop What I'm Doing And Gather The Kids

This afternoon I was on a roll. The kids were napping. Things were quiet outside. I was pounding out a work article and catching up on a few work things. I had gone through my notes and rewrote a few of them. I took a little break to get some housework done. After an hour, I was back at my desk drafting an outline for another article and editing some photos. It was a productive afternoon and I had every intention of continuing down that path until dinner. Well, that didn't exactly happen.

Human & Pup Friendly Recipes Coming Soon

Over the past few years, I've had so many people reach out and ask if make special recipe cakes and cupcakes for dogs. By "special" I mean recipes that are strictly for dogs and typically not considered scrumptious to the human palate. My answer is simple. No. I don't. In this household, the majority of what I bake is both human AND pup friendly. This includes the cupcakes I make to celebrate our kid's Gotcha Days. And, most times, if we bring dessert to a gathering and the host has fur-kids, I'll include something on the dessert platter that's both human and pup friendly.

It's Going To Be A Slow Summer. That's Not Such A Bad Thing.

I've never viewed Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer. It doesn't begin the end of May and it certainly doesn't end when the Back to School crap makes an appearance. For me, summer begins on the 'First Day of Summer' date on my calendar, which is June 20th, and it ends when the calendar says it ends.

Our Kids Love Their Fresh Produce Salads

Several times a week we spend quite a bit of time prepping meals for our kids. This would include baked, sauteed or grilled lean meat (beef, chicken, seafood), mashed sweet potatoes, brown whole grain rice, steamed vegetables and a fresh assortment of raw fruits and vegetables. We don't feed them store bought food and treats.

A Few Things To Keep In Mind When Baking Dog Treats

Since yesterday, I've added 3 recipes to the 'Our Dog Treat Recipes' tab. In that time frame, I've received a few messages from people who want to try the recipes, but they've never made homemade dog treats. There are questions. Uncertainties. And, the big, "Well, what if....?"

Never A Dull Moment. Always Evolving.

This is the photo I posted on my personal Facebook page today. Accompanying the photo was, "After almost a year of hard work, putting myself out there, sharing and loving our messes, and everything between, I am publicly launching our Bodacious Dog Mom Life blog site. There's still a few more things to complete, but...have at it and LIKE LIKE LIKE." What all of that translates to is this blog site went live. I made it public.

Stinky Got A Bath Today. That Was A Big Deal.

Back in January, I introduced Lobo's Stinky. His Stinky was in dire need of a bath and minor surgical repairs. You can update yourself on all of that here. Lobo was very mad at me that day. I felt like the world's worst dog mom.

That's Just The Way It Is

Over the weekend we received our first 4th of July party invite. As with years prior, we had to decline. All 3 of our kids have reactions to 4th of July noises. Sophie is absolutely terrified. It doesn't matter if it's gigantic shooting sparklers or hardcore fireworks. Some of our neighbors celebrate with a variety and the festivities begin in the afternoon and extend past midnight. Coco paces. He gets nervous. Lobo's anxiety blows through the roof. His ears go back and he shakes.