Friday, June 30, 2017

A Little Friday Gratitude...


Today, I am grateful for neighbor friends who have become family. A teenager who has taught me a thing or two. Blue fingernail polish with glitter. Because, at 43, I have NO shame in admitting I've learned quite a bit from the younger and older souls in my life. Wine. Scrumptious food. Mini tropical cupcakes. Pizza. A week of hard work completed amid frustrations and chaos. A tote of wood for DIY Dog Mom Projects. Challenges. Obstacles. Cool projects for next week because the weather will FINALLY be in our favor.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Moth-A-Ra's Wrath And A Little Bug Porn


Although I have a deep seeded respect and admiration for all living creatures, I fear most things that have the ability to fly. My first reaction when I see a moth larger than the top of my thumb is to screech, run away and wave my hands in the air repeatedly. While this tangent is happening, in the back of my head I'm thinking, "Please don't injure yourself while trying to escape Moth-A-Ra's wrath." You'd think my fear would be confined to insects. However, I'm petrified of any living species that can fly. This holds true for birds. Yes. Birds.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

These 2 Doggy Ice Cream Recipes Are A Cinch To Make


We're a week into the official start of the Summer season. It's probably safe to say a good majority of us have taken our fur-babies with us to grab a cone at our favorite ice cream stand. More and more ice cream stands are offering up special treats for the fur-kids...from frozen biscuit sandwiches to pup sundaes.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

No Lobster, Steamers, Or Golden Rod Salt Water Taffy For Us Today




On this day, 6 years ago, I made the journey back home after living out of state for about 7 years. Even more significant, it was the day Lisa and I reunited after being separated for over a decade. She picked me up at the Manchester, New Hampshire airport on June 27, 2011. We were both nervous. For the longest time, I couldn't look her in the eyes. After grabbing my luggage, we went to York, Maine to walk the beach. She had packed a picnic lunch that we ate on a bench overlooking the Nubble Lighthouse.

Monday, June 26, 2017

What Are You Waiting For? Make Your Own Homemade Dog Treats!


If we had a dollar for every time someone said to us, "It's easier to buy dog treats at the store than it is to make 'em" we'd probably have enough money to purchase a double oven and a 6 month supply of Skippy Natural peanut butter. We get it. Life is busy. Chaotic. However, whipping up a batch of homemade dog treats isn't a painstaking activity that requires you to move mountains and swim oceans.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

10 Reasons Why I'm A Low Maintenance Work At Home Dog Mom


I baked biscuit love early this morning. Once that was done, I cleaned up and started prepping for dinner. Two of our neighbor-friends-who-have-become-family were joining us for a simple dinner. At some point between baking and prepping, I noticed a weird feeling in the sleeves of my thin, long sleeved shirt. After examining, I discovered 4 holes. There were 2 holes on the right sleeve and 2 on the left. Upon further examination, I realized the shirt I was wearing should probably be retired to the trash.

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Happy 3 Year Gotcha Day To Our Sweet Sophie


Today we're celebrating Sophie's 3 Year Gotcha Day. I can't believe it's been 3 years since she joined our family. Time goes by so fast. Too fast. I remember the day we took her home as if it was yesterday. At the time, we only had Coco. We had no plans on expanding our family. It. Just. Happened.

Friday, June 23, 2017

If You Forgot The Wine, Go Home...


We've lived in our home for almost 5 years. Throughout those years, people have occasionally left stuff on our front porch. When we hosted our Bodacious Yard & Bake Sales, people would leave donations on the front porch in the weeks before the yard sale. A woman who used to live down the street would drop off plants and other treats from her gardens. Last year, our sweet Juney Babes left a tub of our favorite soft mints. Char will leave magazines and coupons on one of the chairs. Today, I went on the front porch and saw this.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

A Tote Of Wood, Paint, And My Jar O' Brushes Gets Me Excited


A little over a month ago, we participated in the annual Spring Festival and Craft Fair right here in our neck of the woods. It was our first ever non-pet event and it was also the first time we signed up for an event in the town we live in. I spent the entire month prior making DIY dog themed projects. When all was said and done, we had an assortment of handcrafted wooden wall decor, leash/pup apparel holders, doggy toy boxes, bone shaped pillows, Bodacious patchwork doggy quilts and bandannas. We also had lots of fresh, homemade biscuit love.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

As Dog Moms, We Were Spoiled. Now, Not So Much. We Had 2 Choices.


Willa has been part of our family for over 3 months. As with all of our kids, with time, they decompress, settle into their new environment, begin to trust us, and adapt to their new routine. They come out of their shells. They become more affectionate. They know they're going to get fed regular meals and snacks. There's plenty of playtime, snuggle time, outdoor time, etc.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

This Story About 84 Great Danes Rescued Has Left Me Speechless...


A couple of days ago, the story about 84 Great Danes rescued from a "suspected" puppy mill in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire caught my attention. I've seen many photos, read several stories, and saw a short video posted about this. To say the very least, I'm disgusted. There are no words to describe how I feel. I'm from New Hampshire. I'm fairly certain I know where this mansion style house is.

Monday, June 19, 2017

We Shop At Aldi. You Should Too. Give It A Try.


A year ago tomorrow, I published a post about how we drastically cut our monthly expenses.  In order to save money every month we made a lot of changes. One of those big changes included our food budget. Instead of ordering takeout several times a week, I opted to make homemade meals. We went from 2-4 takeout meals per week to ordering takeout once a month. As of now, we haven't ordered takeout in almost 2 months. We're almost at the point of not missing it. 

Sunday, June 18, 2017

When It's Too Quiet, I Get Concerned...


I baked biscuit love today. Lots of it. We had a couple of pet parents in need and our local display needed to be filled. I wanted to bake Friday or Saturday, but we had plans on having a small Yard Sale this Saturday. I wanted to sell biscuit love during the yard sale so I moved the baking to either today or tomorrow. Today was the day.

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Work Hard. Play Hard. And, Bitchin' Broccoli Balls.


Things have been crazy. Busy. Hectic. I'm trying to catch up on stuff. Tackle my many To-Do lists. Get a grip. Get stuff to the point where it's manageable. So far, so good. Between all of this, I'm learning to take breaks. Unwind. Exhale. Learn how to balance the concept of work hard and play hard. Today, I did just that and it all revolved around my Bitchin' Broccoli Balls.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Celebrate Now. Don't Wait. Life Is Short.


At this time, 5 years ago, Lisa and I had a lot of stuff going on. We were putting the final touches on our wedding that would take place on July 28th in New Hampshire at my brother's house. This included a final list of who would be there, what everyone was bringing, renting tables and chairs, making food, drinks, the entertainment (Justin Jaymes), centerpieces, etc. On top of that, we had enlisted the help of a realtor to find a home for us. We had a lengthy list of criteria. On top of that, we had a few other family related issues going on.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

My Homemade Dog Treat Recipes Will Be Back On Track Shortly


I have a confession to make. Ready? It's been weeks since I've created a homemade dog treat recipe. To those who have been following this blog for a while, you've probably noticed already. For those who haven't, all you need to know is that my goal at the beginning of the year was to create a homemade dog treat recipe every week. For a while, I was doing great. New recipe every week. Then, in April, I sort of fell off the wagon. Life got busy. We spent a month preparing for the Annual Spring Festival and Craft Show. In the weeks to follow, I've been trying to catch up.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Heatwaves And The Devastating Social Media Posts That Follow...


We just endured our second heatwave of the Spring season. In order to have an official heatwave, you must have 3 consecutive days of 90+ degree temperatures. This has already happened in our neck of the woods. It's still Spring. The official Summer season won't arrive for another week...on June 21st, at 12:24 a.m. That is rather significant. In the past month, we've broken several weather related records.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

We Are Having A Yard Sale, But It's Not A Bodacious Yard & Bake Sale


In October of 2015, after hosting our Fall Bodacious Yard And Bake Sale, we made the decision that would be the last one. Aside from the weeks of work required to put on this event, it was too stressful on our kids. At the time, we only had 3 kids. Now, we have 4. We even pulled away from participating in events. Last year, in addition to not hosting our yard and bake sale, we didn't participate any event except for Whiskers In Wonderland in December.

Monday, June 12, 2017

In My Work At Home Dog Mom Life, The 3 Things That Happened Today Are A Big Deal


Today, a few much needed things happened. While these happenings may be irrelevant or petty to most, as a work at home Dog Mom, and someone who doesn't get out often, these things made an impact throughout my day. Brought me joy. Lifted my spirits. Eliminated an issue that's been plaguing us for several years. Got my brain and nerdy girl side excited. Motivated me. Deepened connections. And, piqued my interest.

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Crock-Pots And Cookies


I take a lot of photos throughout the week with my camera and phone. These photos range anywhere from the kids to something I'm cooking up in the kitchen. I don't always upload the photos immediately. Most of the time, I upload and edit the photos on the overnight several days after taking the photos. The only exception is if I need a photo immediately.

Saturday, June 10, 2017

I Need To Make At Least 4 More DIY Doggy Beds. Soon. Very Soon.


Our kids are allowed on the furniture and our bed. In addition to all of those comfy spots, they also have 4 doggy beds and a doggy nook lounge area. Out of those 4 doggy beds, 2 are store bought and 2 are DIY Dog Mom Project creations. There are plenty of soft, comfy spots to go around. We could have 12 kids and there would still be more than enough. However, as of late, they all seem to want the same spot at the same time.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

10 Ways To Help Out A Neighbor Or Friend During Difficult Times


We are on day 3 of the Meal Train we coordinated for a neighbor friend of ours. If you missed that story, you can read about it here. Since Monday, I've been making and heating up hot meals for our neighbor friend and her Mama. This was made possible by people in our community who came forth and assisted with ingredients, pre-made meals, and funds to purchase ingredients. Every evening, shortly before 5 p.m., we deliver these meals. They are both exceptionally grateful.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

I Hate Having To Make Changes Because People Can't Follow Through


A few days ago, I published a blog column mentioning the changes we've made over the past few years and why on the Bodacious Biscuit Love end of things. We made a lot of those changes last year and, because life is always evolving, there will be more changes as time goes on. Here and there. Sporadically. As situations arise. At the time, when I composed that particular blog column, I had no idea that we'd have another issue on the table.

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Random Rant: We Need The Rain. Stop Complaining.


For the past week, we've had lots of rain and chilly temperatures. Everyone is complaining about both. I've seen dozens of Facebook posts from people ranting about Summer temperatures being this cold and having to turn their heat on at night. Where's the sun? Where's the beach weather? Why is it this cold? Isn't it ridiculous that the wood stove needs to be fired up during the Summer?

Monday, June 5, 2017

Beep! Beep! Meal Train Coming Through!


The Universe works in mysterious ways. I've always believed this. I could sit and write an entire book about this. The pages would be filled with all of the moments in my life, both big and small, when this simple quote could be supported. What happened on Saturday, just 2 days ago, would be included in my book.

Sunday, June 4, 2017

We Were New. Wet Behind The Ears. An Easy Target.


Last month, while Lisa and I were running a couple of errands and checking out a few yard sales, a couple approached our vehicle. They saw the decals on our back window and inquired if we were a rescue. No, we're not. We briefly explained our mission behind Bodacious Biscuit Love. Before we concluded our explanation, the woman interrupted and asked if we gave money to dog parents who couldn't afford their entire veterinary bill.

Saturday, June 3, 2017

3 Reasons Why You Need To License Your Pups


It never fails. When June 1st hits, there's at least a dozen reminders plastered on Facebook for dog parents to get their pups licensed. This is one of the many responsibilities of being a dog parent. This year, it's going to cost us a bit more because our family got a little bigger in March. In addition, Willa's spay surgery is after the June 30th deadline. Getting her licensed will cost us over double because she's not spayed yet.

Friday, June 2, 2017

Congratulations To Lisa!


Over the past couple of weeks, I've made subtle mention that a change may be coming. Today, I can finally let the cat out of the bag. Lisa got a promotion at work. It's been a process and one she had to go through over the past couple of weeks. Or, more accurately so, the past year because of the Management Training Program she had to complete.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Hail In My Hands And Raindrops In My Mason Jar Of Wine


Today was simply one of those days. Towards late morning, early afternoon, the kids were active a bit off. Aside from that, the day was productive. Well planned. Exhausting. A bit emotional. A few unexpected moments. There was a dose of great news. All in all, it resembled a lengthy roller coaster ride. Ups. Downs. Twists. Turns. And, towards late afternoon, Mother Nature decided to join in.