The Past Couple Of Days Have Been Exhausting, But It Was SO Worth It...

It's been a long and exhausting couple of days. Yesterday, I spent over 4 hours baking homemade cookies for the humans and dog treats. Lisa tackled the housework and other odds and ends. Then, at 2:30 p.m. Lisa suited up as the Easter Bunny so we could make the rounds in our neighborhood for pet photos. We raised $66. The money collected for these photos went towards the Raise The Roof Campaign. It's a long term fundraising event to raise $10,000 for a new roof for the Ledyard Pound.

We're Taking Two Days So We Can Help Raise Money For The Raise The Roof Campaign

It's been one of those crazy days. I'm trying to get everything done because tomorrow and Saturday, we're volunteering our time to help raise money for the Raise the Roof Campaign. It's one of the biggest fundraisers to date for Ledyard C.H.A.I.N. The goal is to raise $10,000 to pay for a new roof that the Ledyard Pound desperately needs.

A View From The Outside Looking In...

Since launching the Our Bodacious Dog Mom Life blog, I've had countless people come forth and express their gratitude, personal opinions, and everything between. I adore the feedback. Emails. Private messages. Sharing posts and photos on my personal Facebook wall and the Our Bodacious Dog Mom Life Facebook page. Yes, that includes the constructive criticism as well. It keeps me on my toes. As a writer, that's how I learn and hone up on my skills.

We All Have A Little Sweet Disorder That We Cling To

When we adopted Willa, I checked out Dog Time for a list of Jack Russell Terrier characteristics. She's a purebred. I've heard a lot of people say they would never adopt a Jack Russell Terrier. They weren't shy about explaining why. They're a handful. Challenging. Have a high energy level. Are more suited for experienced "dog owners." Sneaky. Mischevious. As quoted by the article, "The JRT is highly trainable, but he has a mind of his own and won't stand for boredom. If you don't keep him entertained, he'll find his own amusements, and you probably won't be happy with the results."

A Couple Of Afternoon Wine Dates Taught Me A Thing Or Two

Since becoming a Work at Home Dog Mom many years ago, I've received an innumerable amount of emails and messages. The emails and messages are all over the charts. Questions. Requests for tips and advice and how to's. Comments. Suggestions. Compliments. Constructive criticism. The list goes on. And on. And on. Last month, a friend of mine who keeps up with my Work at Home Dog Mom blog posts, asked me a question that caught me a bit off guard...

I Was Lucky On Thursday And Today, But...

It's become a standing joke that I need to wrap almost every inch of my body in bubble wrap. Grace is not my middle name. I slip. I trip. I stumble. I walk into doors and walls. My talents even extend to tripping over air. Add 4 furry kids and their 212 toys scattered on the floors into the equation, well, you can only imagine. Most of the time, my "graceful" moments are minor. A bruise here and there. Sore muscles for a day or two. A scrape. I can immediately laugh them off, but not this time. Not yet anyway. Since Thursday, I have fallen twice. I wasn't laughing.

Our Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Projects Facebook Page Is Coming Soon!

My goal is to create at least a dozen DIY Dog Mom Projects every week. On April 14th, we're participating in the Ledyard Animal Control Appreciation Day as a vendor. We will have a full display of our DIY Dog Mom Projects. In addition to that, I'm planning on creating a Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Projects Facebook page. This page will feature all the cool stuff we make that's for sale.

This Is How We're Spending The Day Before Easter

Last month, I posted about a couple of events that we'd be participating in this month and next. I'm not sure if I extended on the event this month. Well, here it is. On Saturday, March 31st, we'll be at the Pet Supplies Plus in Groton, Connecticut assisting with this fundraising event. We are super excited. You know why?

We Have Finally Completed The 20 DIY Dog Mom Projects We Started Working On Last Month

I have spent the past couple of weeks working on these DIY Dog Mom Projects. There is 20 in total. It has taken me longer than expected to complete these projects. Between preparing for the 4 Nor'Easters we've had this month, creating new, homemade dog treats, tackling some cool renovations, and everything between, my schedule has been hectic. I've needed to make a few adjustments every week this month.

I Am Doing Great Stuff. We Are. Still.

A former co-worker of mine from years ago reached out to me. One of those nostalgic memory apps photos produced a photo from way-back-when. It prompted them to send me an email. How are you? What's new in your life? It's been forever, right? Let's catch up. I didn't want to play that game, but...

Our 4th Nor'Easter This Month. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Yep. It's happening again. Another Nor'Easter. Heavy wet snow. High winds. Power outages expected. It's the 4th Nor'Easter to hit our area since March 2nd. This storm, like the last, wasn't supposed to hit us. At most, we were only going to get a few flurries. But, the storm shifted. Moved further north. As of now, they're predicting 8-14+ inches. Every ounce of my being wanted to throw my hands up and white knuckle the "screw it" attitude. But, I can't. We have 4 kids who rely on us for homemade meals and treats. And, it's important to me that our family is all set just in case we lose power for a day or two.

Our Little Family Of Humans And Furry Kids Almost Didn't Happen

We moved into the bottom half of a 2 family home back in July of 2012. A wonderful realtor helped us locate it. We had a long list of criteria. Obviously, pet-friendly was at the very top. Included in the list was a home that we could reside in long-term. In other words, we didn't want to move into a place that would be put on the market anytime soon. Or ever. We were somewhat reassured in that department. Much to our surprise, a couple of years later in 2014, this house went up for sale.

I'm Not Going To Apologize. Our Kids Live Here. You're Just Visiting.

Like with Lisa and myself, our kids have their own handful of idiosyncrasies. If Coco doesn't know you well, he'll jump on you and bark. Sometimes he'll try and steal the stocks on your feet. Sophie's gentle curiosity will have her glued to your side. Or, laying on your lap if you sit on our sofa. Lobo barks incessantly when people arrive or leave our home. He also likes to sit on the table and be the center of attention. On occasion, if no one is paying attention to him, he'll pee on the kitchen floor. Willa will jump on your lap and lick your ears. Then, she'll bring you a ball and demand you play fetch with her.

You Show Up. You Get Stuff Done. End. Of. Story.

When I was in my very early 20's I visited an Amish community for the first time. I traveled to Heuvelton, New York for a long weekend to visit a friend. She knew I loved abandoned brick stone buildings, bodies of water, and was intrigued by the Amish community. During my visit, she quenched my hunger for all of these adventures and then some. That included an afternoon spent in the Amish community.

I Almost Let Busy Be My Excuse. But, I Didn't.

One of my many favorite mottos is that "busy is just an excuse." Those 5 words have been included in a slew of quotes over the years. The point to all of those quotes is that if you want to make the time, you will. It doesn't matter what's going on or how chaotic your life is. Of course, there are exceptions. However, for the most part, most of us cling to, "Well, I can't make it because I'm too busy..." Today, I almost let that happen.

Aside From Being A Work At Home Dog Mom, Who Am I?

The other day, I received a message from a woman I've known for several decades. She complimented the blog column I published yesterday and expressed how much she enjoys my social media posts and photos. Towards the end of her message, she asked me an intriguing question. It caught me off guard a bit.

I Am Not Waiting Until Everything Is Just Right

We moved into our home July 12th of 2012. I will never forget that day or the events leading up to that very moment.  We never expected our realtor to find us a home in such a short period of time. We had a long list of criteria. When Lisa called from work to inform me of the news, I was shocked. The worry immediately set in. If we looked at the place and liked it, what then?

It Was A Good Old Fashioned Snow Day

Mother Nature definitely unleashed her crazy side today. The massive Nor'Easter that began in the wee hours of the morning has finally ended. Our area got close to 2 feet of snow. The lights flickered a lot. As of now, 45% of the people in our town are without power due to a transformer catching on fire. Our lights dimmed, but we didn't lose power or internet. We're not out of the woods yet. I won't take the frozen water bottles out of the freezer or dump the pail flushing water until tomorrow afternoon.

We Are Keeping Our Fingers And Paws Crossed

I was hoping that at some point this morning and afternoon, the updated weather reports would state that the massive Nor'Easter that's going to hit us tomorrow shifted east. Far. Far. East. Out to sea. But, no such luck. It was quite the opposite. The storm kept shifting west. Not in our favor. The predicted snow totals increased. I spotted the word Bombogenesis. And, shortly after Lisa called during her lunch break, she informed me that her place of employment was going to be closed tomorrow. That never happens early on like that. I knew it was imperative that I prepared for the worst.

Seriously, Mother Nature? Three Nor'Easters In Less Than Two Weeks?

My frustrations are stacking up. On Friday, March 2nd, a massive Bombogenesis storm hit our area. It was a slow-moving storm that delivered a ton of rain and high winds. They recorded 70 mph gusts. A lot of people lost power. The coast was flooded. Massachusetts was hit the hardest. All the way around, it was horrible. Less than a week later, on Thursday, March 8th, we were pounded with another Nor'Easter. It dumped about 6 inches of heavy, wet snow before turning over to sleet and freezing rain. Our power went out for about a minute. The lights continued to flicker. We lost internet until the following afternoon. There were more power outages with this storm. Trees and power lines came tumbling down. There are people who are still without power.

Our Saturday Morning Shenanigans

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, or during the week when Lisa takes vacation days, we have a Coffee Chat Time tradition. Lisa sits on the rocking chair. I sit on the sofa. We sip our morning coffee together. Talk. Most of the time, the only kids who join us are Lobo and Willa. Lobo likes to sit on Lisa's lap. I play fetch with Willa from the sofa. A half hour or so later, Coco and Sophie join us.

Beautiful Gifts From The Owner Of Unbridled Bead Designs

A few days ago, we received a small surprise package in the mail. I read the card before opening the tiny bundles. I was in tears. Each bundle, wrapped in beautiful teal tissue paper, contained a gorgeous pair of handcrafted doggy themed earrings. We were beyond impressed. And surprised. I was rendered a bit speechless.

Lisa Was Right. THIS Will Be Happening Once A Month.

I've been working from home for about 12 years now. Most of that time was dedicated to a couple of large companies. At the peak of my career, and before voluntarily climbing down from the corporate ladder, I was working over 100 hours a week. Salary. I worked 7 days a week. Holidays. Weekends. Round the clock. I work when I'm sick. I don't take days off. Scheduled "vacation time" meant working 50 hours a week instead of over 100. In July of 2012, the week of my wedding, I still worked. On the day of my wedding, that evening, after everyone was sleeping, I worked.

As A Work At Home Dog Mom, I'm Able To Prepare For Massive Storms

I'm stressed out today. There is a major Nor'Easter storm that's going to hit us later this afternoon. They're predicting 1-2 feet of heavy, wet snow. Wind. Lots of power outages. This is the second massive storm that has hit us in a week. The storm prior to this one his us on Friday. A Bombogenesis. All rain. Areas along the coast were flooded. We had 70 mph wind gusts in our area. A lot of people lost power. Our lights flickered during the peak of the storm. We were lucky. This time around, with accumulating heavy wet snow, we may not be.

I Pick Up Toys And Vacuum Every Single Day, But...

There is a standing joke between Lisa and me. During the week, towards the early evening hours, Lisa will look at one of the kids and say, "Mommy said she vacuumed today. Did she?" She'll pause for about 15 seconds. Then, she says, "She did!? Then we have some messy babies on our hands..." There is a reason behind this lighthearted attribute.

My Homemade Dog Treat Photos. What You See Is What You Get.

I received an email from an old friend the other day. After a brief rundown of what's been happening in her life, the topic of this blog came up. She raved about the content, the various pages, and all of the homemade dog treats and DIY Dog Mom Projects we've created. Then, the topic of my homemade dog treat photos came up. She felt they could be better. Or, in her exact words, "more Pinterest worthy."

The Walls Have Come Crashing Down Figuratively and Physically

The past week and a half have been anything but normal. House and pet sitting. Renovations upstairs. Ripping down walls. A major renovation happening tomorrow on the entire house. Company for dinner all last week and over the weekend. Custom orders last week and this coming week. Prepping for the Bombogenesis storm that hit us on Friday. Preparing for another potential massive Nor'Easter this coming week. The kids acting out of sorts because of the noises from the renovation. The accompanying incessant barking. Usually, I'd be close to losing my shit at this point. But, I'm not.

These Chicken And Carrot Cupcakes With Mashed Potato Frosting Were A Hit

Yesterday, I posted a photo of the ground chicken and carrot cupcakes I made for Willa's 1 Year Gotcha Day. Since then, I've had quite a few people reach out for the recipe. Unfortunately, when I was making these cupcakes, we were in the middle of a brutal storm. It was a combination Nor'Easter and Bombogenesis. The winds were fierce. Our lights flickered. I wanted to get the cupcakes made as soon as possible just in case we lost power. I didn't want to slow things down with taking photos of each step.

Happy 1 Year Gotcha Day, Willa!

We celebrated Willa's 1 Year Gotcha Day today. I'm still having a difficult time grasping that an entire year has gone by since this little nugget of love joined our family. What a year it's been! The day Lisa brought her home, she was in full heat, had a tummy issue, needed to be updated on shots, and had some serious trust issues.

This Is The Scene In Our Home Office Every Single Morning

Years ago, I visited a rather large Amish marketplace in New York. Every item sold from baked goods and cheese to rocking chairs and quilts were made by the Amish community. I could have spent a small fortune in the marketplace. I left with fresh pasta, Amish butter, cheese, and a medium sized Raggedy Ann style fabric doll.