Patchwork Doggy Quilt Almost Done. Deadline Met.

Now that my February fiasco is behind me, and I'm now equipped with solid fabric and an iron and ironing board, life got a little bit easier today. The Bodacious Patchwork Doggy Quilt that I'll be posting tomorrow, March 1st, is almost done! Deadline met. At the end of the week, I'll create another quilt to offer over the weekend.

Not Every Kiss Begins With Kay...

You'd think that after my February fiasco dork moment yesterday, I would have been hyper vigilant about having everything in order, organized, and keeping my nose to the grindstone today. It started out that way. I woke up an hour early. Gulped my morning coffee. Skimmed through my emails. Took care of a few work things. Made sure the kids were covered up with their favorite blankets. Vacuumed. Washed dishes. I was seconds away from prepping the kid's crock pot meal and the crock pot dinner I was making for Lisa and I. But, wait. What was wrong with this picture?

February Only Has 28 Days. Total. Dork. Moment.

During the first week of February we launched the Bodacious 7 Days Of Love. Each day, for 7 days, we offered a DIY Dog Mom Project up for grabs. For 3 of those days, I made Bodacious Patchwork Doggy Quilts. The first quilt sold within 5 minutes. The second, in under a minute. The third quilt sold in 10 seconds. I literally posted the quilt, refreshed my screen, and BOOM! Someone replied with, "I want it."

The Weekends Around Here Are Crazy

Our weekend schedule is completely different than the one we adhere to Monday through Friday. Lisa sleeps in a bit. The kids eat breakfast a little later than usual. Lisa is home so the kids are rambunctious and want to play. There's more noise that surrounds us so they bark and bark and bark.

Here's The Recipe For Our Yummy CranApple Carrot Gems

Each week, I create new homemade dog treat recipes. The majority of these recipes are created from the inspiration I receive from our Bodacious Community, private messages, and emails. I get requests all the time for homemade dog treats that are meaty, grain free, peanut butter free, more fruit, more vegetables, etc. As of late, I've received a few messages and emails asking, "What do I do if I don't have a rolling pin or cookie cutters?"

Not Every Kiss Begins With Kay Jewelers

Our old stove, the one we've used for almost 5 years, was hauled away yesterday and replaced with a brand new one. Although I had some feels about parting with Ol' Bessie, I've got some serious love for the new one. I didn't realize just how quirky and broken down Ol' Bessie was until I made Lisa's breakfast this morning and a scrumptious dinner of stuffed mushrooms later in the day. Of course, a little of that cooking bliss had to do with a special delivery this afternoon.

I Had Some "Feels" When Ol' Bessie Was Being Hauled Away

Lisa and I live in a 2 family home. We moved here 5 years ago in July. The old owners put the house up for sale about 2 years after we moved in. It was a very unsettling time for us. We flirted with the idea of buying a home. The stress we experienced during the almost 6 months of people looking at the house, dealing with the realtor, and not knowing what the outcome would be, was something we didn't want to go through again. We were also angry because we had been misled. And, the guy who had been living upstairs had made our lives hell for almost a year.

We Ate A Little Slower And Lingered A Bit Longer

I'll never forget a short story that I read many years ago. It was about a middle aged man and his wife who had passed away recently. The man wrote about a pivotal moment that happened only days after his wife's funeral. He was going through her dresser drawers and came across a beautiful piece of lingerie and matching silk robe she had purchased the year before when they were vacationing. In the months ahead, the man pleaded with his wife to wear it. Each time, the wife said, "I'm saving it for a special occasion."

We Are More Than Just Dog People. We Are Dog Moms.

A few weeks ago, I received a message from a Facebook friend. She read an article and wanted to share it with me. She was interested in my reaction. I clicked on the link and immediately recognized the article. It's one I had bookmarked last year after reading it for the first time. Since then, I've seen it floating around various social media streams.

I'm Not The Best Person To Ask For A Recipe, But That's Going To Change

I've been cooking and baking for well over 30 years. I don't use actual recipes. Most of what I make is embedded in my brain. If I want to try something new, I just do it. I think about what it is that I want to whip up, the ingredients I'll need to make it, and I go from there. Sometimes I nail it on the first try. Other times, on my second and third attempt. This is the method I use when creating new dog treat recipes every week.

The Big Painting Project Will Be Happening In April

In July we'll be celebrating 5 years since the excruciating day we backed the U-Haul Truck to the front porch. Over the years, most of the rooms have gone through several transformations. We've moved the bedroom to the front room and then, a year later, to the back room again. We've rearranged the furniture in the living room. The home office has seen its fair share of various arrangements. Last year, we purchased new curtains for the kitchen, living room, and home office. And, we have filled each room with decor that ranges from flea market finds and antiques to new book shelves and DIY Dog Mom Projects. Throughout the many transformations, there is one thing we've never tackled...

Great Things Have Never Come From Comfort Zones

Over the past 4 years or so, one of the biggest lessons I've learned is that great things have never come from comfort zones. For me, this learning process has been gradual. It has stemmed from a multitude of things. Being a work at home Dog Mom. Bodacious Biscuit Love. Creating new, homemade dog treat recipes. Stepping down from the corporate ladder. Our DIY Dog Mom Projects. Seeing the true colors of the people I once worked for and respected. Launching this blog. The list goes on.

I Did A Happy Dance After Making These Homemade Bodacious Turkey Veggie Meatball Dog Treats

A little magic happened in our kitchen today. Serious. Magic. Earlier this afternoon, I created a new dog treat recipe. It was unlike anything I've made before. I didn't just step out of the box. I kicked the box to the curb. I wanted to do a happy dance followed by a few cartwheels. Throughout all of my excitement, I realized that to some, maybe most, this may seem trivial and unworthy of such excitement, but I didn't care.

Lobo Has A New Favorite Spot. On My Desk. Between My Arms.

We made a few changes in the home office a few weeks ago. The biggest is that we moved Olivia's habitat to the other side of the room. At first, the kids were confused, especially Lobo. He's infatuated with Olivia and spends a lot of time watching her. Sophie pays no attention to Olivia. Coco, same thing except when Olivia makes her adorable squeaky noises. For about 2 days after we moved her, Lobo ran to where her habitat used to be. He'd look at us as if to say, "Where's my Olivia."

We Spread A Lot Of Sweet Love Today

Four years ago we started a Valentine's Day tradition. I block off most of the afternoon and make a decadent Valentine's Day treat to share with some of our neighbors who we love and adore and who have become family to us. I bake treats for the humans, our kids, and our fur-nieces and fur-nephews. It's something I enjoy doing and look forward to. Last year I made my scrumptious Cupid's Munch. This year, I went all out, but that wasn't before spending almost 3 days trying to decide what I was going to make.

Four Years Ago, We Started A Valentine's Day Tradition...

Lisa and I don't go all out for Valentine's Day. We embrace the sentiment of the day, but we don't get caught up in the obnoxious commercialization. You won't find us making reservations for a "limited Valentine's Day dinner menu" at an upscale restaurant. Lisa won't be waiting in line to purchase roses that have almost doubled in price since last week. You can also forget the sappy greeting cards, plush bears, and any type of confection that's housed in a heart shaped box.

My Snowy Day Sunday Bliss

Our winter has been fairly mild so far. We've had a little snow here and there, but within a day or two, it melted. I've been telling Lisa over and over again that once February hit, we'd get hammered with snow. We always do this time of year, especially around Valentine's Day. On February 9th, Blizzard Chris paid us a visit. Today, we got another round of snow that transitioned to sleet and freezing rain before it ended earlier this evening.

Guess What's Gonna Happen Starting On March 1st?

Just recently, we wrapped up the Bodacious 7 Days Of Love. Each day, for 7 days, we posted an item up for grabs. All of these items were DIY Dog Mom Projects and they all included a bag of our homemade dog treats. Every single item sold. If you missed the items we offered, you can check those out here and here.

Here's The Recipe For My Scrumptious Cranberry Crumble Valentine's Day Sandwich Cookies

This year, once a week, I'm determined to create a new, homemade dog treat recipe. So far, I'm on schedule. People have written in with suggestions and a few have sent photos after they've made the treats. The amount of inspiration has been phenomenal. I've used fresh fruits and vegetables in some of the recipes and last week, I created a recipe for my first ever savory dog biscuit.

We Had A Snow Day Today. I Needed This.

I'm always checking the 7 day forecast and reading the weather blog on our local news site. Most would deem my 3 or 4 times a day weather check a bit obsessive. I'll admit, it probably is, but it's hard not to be. Throughout most of the year, there's a lot that revolves around the weather.

Every Item Sold During The Bodacious 7 Days Of Love

Yesterday was the last day of the Bodacious 7 Days Of Love. It went by so fast! After spending several weeks making cool DIY Dog Mom Projects to offer, it's hard to believe those 7 days came and went so quickly. I'm proud to say, every item sold.

Some People Have Way Too Much Time On Their Hands...

For the past couple of days, links to the voluntary recall of Evanger's Dog Food has been spreading like wildfire over various social media streams. In short, they're "recalling specific lots of their Hunk of Beef because of the potential contaminant Phenobarbital." You can read all about that here. In all fairness, I applaud Evanger's for being honest and thorough throughout their investigation. According to their website, this is their first recall in 82 years. Regardless, it's scary.

These Cheesy Sweet Potato Biscuits Almost Made Me Drool

Last week, another "first" happened. I created a savory dog treat recipe. For over 3 years, all of the recipes I've created have revolved around peanut butter, fresh fruit, dried fruit, and the occasional vegetable. That vegetable was fresh carrots for the Bodacious Carrot Cake Cookie dog treats. So, in all fairness, the fresh carrots weren't used for a savory biscuit.

It's Already Day 4 Of The Bodacious 7 Days Of Love

Today was day 4 of the Bodacious 7 Days Of Love. We spent most of last weekend working on some DIY Dog Mom Projects for this 7 day fundraiser. Once the sanding, painting, and details were finished on the doggy toy boxes and leash/pup apparel holders, and I squeezed in 8 hours of biscuit love baking, I moved onto the sewing stuff.

I Totally Forgot To Hate The Month Of February

For as long as I can remember, especially over the past decade, I've despised the month of February. It's so bad that I can feel the February Dread hit a week before it's actually here. It's cabin fever month. It's the crappy month between dead-of-winter-January and the month of March when spring officially begins. It's the month when Mother Nature doles out a decent sized snowstorm or two. Frigid temperatures. Ice. Snowbanks. The only shining light during the month of February is Valentine's Day. This year, something strange has happened...

Where Are My Damn Slippers?!?!

Coco and Lobo both have peculiar habits. Coco likes to lightly chew on slippers and dirty socks. He doesn't put holes in them. It's more of a nuzzle, suckle thing. He'll pull Lisa's socks off after she gets home from work. He'll try to steal our slippers if we don't put them out of his reach. If socks and slippers aren't available, he'll resort to the throw blankets on the bed and sofa or dirty clothes on the bathroom floor. His brother, Lobo, likes to take all of the shoes and slippers from the kitchen, and move them to various areas in our home.

Several Things Happened After Project Gotcha Day Was Finished

The day we finished Project Gotcha Day, several things happened after we put the repurposed entertainment center back in its rightful place. The first, we got rid of the old bulky chair that had been occupying quite a bit of space in the living room. Even though we liked this chair, we only used it about once a week. It was also a convenient piece to have on had when we had company and needed additional seating in the living room. But, we very seldom have company, so...