Thursday, May 31, 2018

I Guess I'll Be Picking Up The Pile Of Dirty Laundry Later...


As a Work at Home Dog Mom, I've published numerous blog columns about the daily challenges I face. There are many. Noises that are loud enough to cause lengthy distractions. Lisa's schedule. Unforeseen circumstances. Misconceptions that all I do in a days time is "arts & crafts" while noshing on bonbons. Having to revise my schedule 231 times a week. The unexpected. Etc.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

I'm Turning An Insult Into The Title Of My Book


For MANY years, 'The Militant Baker' has been my favorite blog. The author, Jes Baker, is a beautiful and talented woman who focuses on positive self-image, body sensitivity, self-love, and everything nestled between. She has written books. Her blog posts are my go-to spot when I'm feeling shlumpy and I need a good ol' dose of confidence. I can't even begin to tell you how many times her words have lifted me up when I've been in the trenches of self-doubt and lacking confidence.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

12 Things To Remember When Tackling A Big Painting Project


Over the past couple of weeks, most of my blog columns have been about Our Big Bodacious Painting Project. Understandably so. It has consumed most of our time over the past couple of weeks. It was a much bigger project than we had anticipated. It was A LOT of work. It was challenging and grueling. But, aside from a few minor things we still need to do, the worst of it is done and over with.

Monday, May 28, 2018

There Are 7 Things We Still Need To Tackle Over The Next Couple Of Weeks


It's the last day of Lisa's 3 day weekend. The kitchen is done. The walls are painted. The cabinetry is painted. We spent most of the morning putting our kitchen back together. What a feeling! The kitchen was the toughest room of all. For the first time in 2 weeks, our kitchen is fully functional again. I can't even begin to tell you how excited and relieved we are.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

This Is The Last Blog Column I'm Dedicating Towards Defending What I Publish, Our Stance, And When We Speak Up


Since embarking on Our Big Bodacious Painting Project on May 12th, I've published a few blog columns that have ruffled feathers. Curled some lips. Inspired a few souls to send me colorful messages and emails expressing their opinions on my candid tongue. As a writer and a woman who is brutally honest and doesn't beat around the bush, this came as no surprise.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Today, We Played More Than We Worked. But, It Was Much Needed.


Our Big Bodacious Painting Project continued through this week. I worked on painting the kitchen and the kitchen cupboards. I got all of the trim done. Most of the edging done on the walls. And, the first coat of Kilz primer on the cabinetry. It was a lot of work. Our home is old. The cabinetry is old. In addition, I had my usual daily stuff to do. Taking care of the kids. Housework. Work. Doing my best to make dinner while our kitchen was out of order. Lisa heading back to work after her week-long vacation. Errands. Etc...

Friday, May 25, 2018

Lobo Wore A Dress From 1973. We Both Laughed.


Last March, I published a blog column about our version of the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge. If you're not familiar with this challenge, it's more or less a decluttering challenge. The purpose is to bag up unused and unworn stuff in your home, one room or area at a time, for 40 days. There are variations on this challenge and it's often combined with the KonMari decluttering method.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

One Of My DIY Dog Mom Project Paintbrushes Has Retired


Many, many years ago, when I started painting both artistically and assisting with painting the cupboards and walls in the 2 apartments my parents owned and rented, I received some sound advice from my Dad. He told me to always invest in good paintbrushes no matter what you're painting. He led by example. The paintbrushes he had were high quality, soft, and some of the best I've ever used.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Our Big Bodacious Painting Project Has Been A Learning Experience All The Way Around


It's Wednesday. My goal was to have the entire kitchen done by the end of today. But, even after spending 6 hours painting and doing detail work, that isn't going to exactly happen. You can read more about that here. This all ties in with the 12 reasons why Our Big Bodacious Painting Project extended into this week.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

It's All Good. We'll Get It Done.


I'll be honest, I've always hated our kitchen cupboards. I'm not a fan of paneling or light colored wooden cabinets. They lacked the hardware to open and close the cabinets. The grooves in the cabinets were dust collectors. They're cheap and not shy about displaying wear and tear. Plus, the wood trim on the bottom of the lower cabinets is made of flimsy wood. All the way around, they're ugly and outdated.

Monday, May 21, 2018

I Don't Usually Get Excited About New Clothes, But...


As a Work at Home Dog Mom, DIY Dog Mom Project enthusiast, and homemade dog treat baker, I always wear old clothes and my hair is in a sloppy bun. My 2 favorite skirts that I wear most often were purchased at Old Navy about 9 years ago. All of the turtlenecks that I own were recently stained with sheetrock plaster and paint when the renovations began upstairs in February. My 2 favorite skirts were stained as well. I've been wearing both for the past couple of months as renovations have continued in our home.

Sunday, May 20, 2018

What Do BLT Sandwiches And Electrical Tape Have In Common?


We lived on takeout last week with the exception of Monday when Lisa cooked hamburgers on the grill. Our home was in total disarray all week. To keep the kids from getting too stressed, we cleared out one room at a time while painting. In our attempts to keep a sense of normalcy, the kitchen was the chosen room to be the dumping grounds.

Saturday, May 19, 2018

The 12 Reasons Why Our Big Bodacious Painting Project Will Continue Through Next Week


I made the announcement yesterday that Our Big Bodacious Painting Project will be continuing into next week. I also published a short blog column the other day explaining why we weren't gliding through our project at a rapid pace. You can read about that here. Towards the end of that blog column, I promised to go into detail about why. It's nothing major or earth-shattering. Nothing terrible happened. It was just a matter of a few obstacles amid our schedule, a late start, and those things that fall into the 'Under the Circumstances' bucket.

Friday, May 18, 2018

Our Big Bodacious Painting Project Is Continuing Into Next Week


It's the last day of Lisa's vacation. Friday. Our goal was to have Our Big Bodacious Painting Project completely done. But, it didn't happen. We're not disappointed. Under the circumstances, we got a considerable amount accomplished. Our home office, living room, and bedroom are painted and 100% put back together. That includes Spring Cleaning, deep cleaning the carpets, the furniture in place and all of the wall decor hung back up. Our old bedroom is 50% complete.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

We Are Still Tackling Our Big Bodacious Painting Project


I didn't get a chance to update y'all on Our Big Bodacious Painting Project yesterday. We were up at 6 in the morning and worked until about 8 p.m. Not even 2 hours after eating takeout for dinner (the photo should explain why), we both crashed. I fell asleep before Lisa finished up with our evening routine. On the sofa. She covered me up and went to bed with Coco, Sophie, and Lobo. Willa was curled up beside of me.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

We're Taking Our Big Bodacious Painting Project One Day At A Time


Yesterday, we finished painting the home office and started the living room. As of now, the living room is done. Prior to putting both of the rooms back together, we completed Spring Cleaning, washed the curtains, cleaned the carpets, and washed and dried all of the throw blankets, sofa cover, and doggy bed blankets. At one point, we had that pivotal moment when we sat on the sofa with the kids and admired our 2 completed rooms that were back to "our normal."

Monday, May 14, 2018

It's Magnificent To See Color On Our Walls!



Originally, my plans were to get most of Our Big Bodacious Painting Project done last week so Lisa could enjoy the second half of her week-long vacation. But, I was very sick. I spent most of last week on the sofa. On Saturday, we prepped our home office for painting. We didn't get much done because we had made important plans for that day. On Mother's Day, we cracked open some paint cans and officially began Our Big Bodacious Painting Project.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Happy Mother's Day To The Moms Of Human And Furry Kids


It's Mother's Day. This morning when Lisa and I were sitting in the living room enjoying our morning coffee chat, we wished each other a Happy Mother's Day. We don't exchange gifts on special occasions because we do "just because" gifts throughout the year. However, on Mother's Day, we get each other something from the kids. This year, because I've been really sick for over a week and our Big Bodacious Painting Project that started yesterday, we didn't do that.

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Our Big Bodacious Painting Project Started Today...


Our Big Bodacious Painting Project began today. After much deliberation, we made the decision to start in the front rooms with the home office being first. Originally, the bedroom was going to be the first room tackled, but we've thrown a few ideas in the air about switching the bedroom with the DIY Dog Mom Project room (formerly the biscuit room).

Friday, May 11, 2018

No More Rest And Recovery Day Five - I'm Done Being Sick. Lisa Is On Vacation. That. Is. All.


I woke up at 3:30 this morning. Made Lisa's lunch, coffee, and breakfast. My voice is coming back. My chest feels a lot lighter. The pain isn't quite as bad. I don't feel nearly as fatigued as I have all week. In fact, I have a little energy. I smelled my coffee brewing. I had a little perk in my step. From experience, I know to avoid going full throttle at the first signs of feeling better. However, that's not going to stop me from avoiding the sofa at all costs today.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Rest And Recovery Day Four - I Am Going To Embrace The Chaos Of This Coming Week


Yep. The Laryngitis has set in. Between all of the coughing and praying to the porcelain goddess, I'm not surprised. My body from the waist up hurts. I am completely fatigued. Lisa stayed home today to take care of me. I think she's worried. She's never seen me this sick. The last time I got this sick was about a decade ago. I'm not too worried. I know this is the effects of not taking any over the counter medicine because I don't want the sludge to settle.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Rest And Recovery Day Three - I'm Sick And Tired Of Being Sick And Tired


If you're just joining in, last week I was hit with the nasty cold flu virus thing that's been going around. It has put a gigantic damper on getting most of Our Big Bodacious Painting Project done this week before Lisa's vacation. Lisa put her foot down and demanded that I rest up for a few days. I'm on day three and I feel the worst I have since this whole thing started because everything is coming up and out.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Rest And Recovery Day Two - My Mini Metamorphosis


Yesterday, during day one of Rest and Recovery, I managed to get a bunch of desk work caught up with. I alternated between my desk and the sofa. I dozed off a couple of times. The kids snuggled with me on the sofa. Lisa did all of the prep work and cooked meals for our kids. For our dinner, she made chicken patty sandwiches and cracked pepper and sea salt potato tots. I still can't smell or taste most stuff. I slathered my chicken sandwich with the homemade mango hot sauce that J and E gave me as a gift on Saturday. So. Delicious.

Monday, May 7, 2018

Rest And Recovery Day One - Think. Think. Think. Think.


It's mid-afternoon. I'm on the sofa working on social media stuff and writing this blog column. Most of the kids are on the sofa with me. I'm still pretty sick. I have no energy. Walking from the living room to the bathroom is challenging. I've been dozing on and off. My body from the waist up hurts from coughing. I put up a bit of a fight yesterday when Lisa told me, "You're not painting Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday because you need to rest." But, I know she's right.

Sunday, May 6, 2018

The Graduation Party Was A Success. Now, Goodnight.


The graduation party was a total success. I can't take full credit for this one. I've been sick since Wednesday night. Had it not been for the assistance of a couple of neighbor friends and Lisa, I don't think I could have pulled this off. I know I couldn't have pulled it off. I am so grateful for them.

Friday, May 4, 2018

I Had A Few Angels Of Saving Grace Fluttering Around Me Today


When you're hosting a graduation party tomorrow and have a shit-ton of stuff to do and scrumptious food to prep. And, 2 days prior, you get sick with a high fever, aches, chills, a sore throat, etc. I'm feeling worse today. By mid-afternoon, I was in tears. But, thanks to the kind and generous assistance from some of the people I love the most, I was able to trudge through.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Just When You Think The Cold & Flu Season Is Done And Over With...


Well, it's not allergies. I've been on the sofa most of the afternoon with a high fever of almost 103. Yep. A fever. Aches. Chills. The worst sore throat I've ever had in my entire life. My hair even hurts. Despite my best efforts and begging and pleading, Lisa put her foot down today.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

No. No. No. This Has To Be Allergies. I Can't Get Sick. Not Now.


Last night, I found myself in panic mode. I got a tickle in my throat. I couldn't stop coughing. I took an allergy pill. Very little relief. When I got up this morning, I took another allergy pill and a DayQuil. That eased the symptoms. I have severe Spring allergies. Usually, my allergy pill works. But, as allergy season gets worse and worse every year, the extra measures I don't give much thought to the extra measures I have to take.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

We Have Several Bodacious Patchwork Doggy Quilts Available For $20 Each


Early this morning, I finished up the 4 Bodacious Patchwork Doggy Quilts that I started over the weekend. Lisa kept telling me to hold off until after Our Big Painting Project, but I'm stubborn. I haven't made a single quilt since the end of last year. I was long overdue. That. Is. All.