Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Introducing The Newest DIY Dog Mom Project! Bodacious Doggy Tote Bags!


Earlier today, I introduced a new DIY Dog Mom Project. It's something I've been wanting to make for quite some time now. Bodacious Doggy Tote Bags. I've had a vision in my brain. I've sketched out pattern templates. It finally happened today. I was beyond excited. I posted the finished product and got a lot of positive feedback.

Monday, July 30, 2018

A Patrick Murphy Quote And Mama Bird Put Things Into Perspective For Me


Earlier this year, I retired from certain services. One of those services was providing Independent Living tutoring. If you're new to this blog, you can read about why I retired here and here. It's been almost 6 months since I made it public that I was retiring from providing that service. Throughout that time, I've received a few dozen emails and private messages from parents of teens and young adults. Most are from the parents who have hired me in the past. Some are parents who are hoping that I will reconsider my retirement from Independent Living Tutoring.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Our Kids Don't Typically Nap At The Same Time, But When They Do...


Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. We spent the day tackling our weekend chore list. Housework. Yard work. Mowing the lawn. Baking. Housework. Work stuff. Unfortunately, due to work stuff and the weather, a lot of these tasks had to be put off until the weekend. This weekend. Our anniversary weekend.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

We Spent Our Anniversary Mowing And Baking And Tackling Our Weekend To-Do List


Today, Lisa and I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary. In the week prior, throughout conversations with friends and family, the big question came up. What are your big plans for the weekend? Our response was the same. A simple date night at home. In other words, nothing extraordinary.

Friday, July 27, 2018

You Don't Have To Stress Or Spend A Lot Of Money When You Keep Things Simple


Early last month, a friend of mine reached out. She was in dire need of some advice. Long story short, her daughter graduated from college. My friend wanted to host a graduation party for her. She has a large family and circle of friends. They had been hounding her. Asking when she was going to throw a graduation party. She had no problem hosting a graduation party. It's something she wanted to do for her daughter. However, she's on a strict budget and after a slip and fall accident last winter, her back is still on the mend.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Yes, Our Kids Are Allowed On The Furniture And Kitchen Chairs And Table


Not too long ago, we had company over. They haven't visited us in a long time. Lisa showed them each of our newly painted rooms from Our Big Bodacious Painting Project back in May. Our home looks fresh and new. In addition, we moved the bedroom to the middle room and added a DIY Dog Mom Project workshop. They were impressed. At the end of the short tour, one of our guests said, "There is no doubt that you both are Dog Moms because there is an abundance of dog beds, doggy toy boxes, throw blankets, and chew toys in every room."

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

'Tis The Season Of A Bare Freezer, But A Fully Stocked Refrigerator


When Lisa grabbed a package of boneless chicken breasts out of the freezer this afternoon, she said, "Our freezer is so empty." She's right. It is. Aside from the packages of boneless chicken breasts, veggie burgers, Italian ice, and a few other odds and ends, it's rather empty. It's been that way during the months of July, August, and most of September since 2012.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

When I Decided To Not Give A Sh*t. It Wasn't Harsh. It Was Quite Uplifting.


At one point or another, most of us have experienced those moments when we sit back. Reflect. Take a mental inventory of our current life. Decide if certain areas need a bit of shifting. Or if this or that needs to completely change. Sometimes, we skip the entire process of reflecting and have an epiphany of sorts. It's one of those wrecking ball moments where you immediately decide, "I no longer give a shit about this."

Monday, July 23, 2018

My Elders Were Right. Time Flies When You're Older.


Sunday night, when I tucked Lisa and the kids into bed, I asked her the traditional nightly question of, "What's your bedtime thought?" Lisa talked about how the weekends go by so fast. She said, "I want this week to go by fast so we can get to next weekend, but doesn't it seem like time is just going too fast already?" Her bedtime thought took me a little by surprise. Her question was rather thought provoking.

Sunday, July 22, 2018

We're Human. Just Like You. And You. And You.


Over the years, I've acquired a List of Favorite Bloggers. These are the bloggers I keep up with several times a week. They made my list because they're candid, real, down to earth, and they don't leave the messy stuff out. In my 12+ years of being in the line of work that I'm in, I've come across way too many bloggers who try and obtain the white-picket-fence persona. The bloggers on my list don't do that. They. Keep. It. Real.

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Occasionally, My Self-Doubt Spirals Out Of Control


Monday through Friday, I get up at 3:30 a.m. to begin my day. Lisa gets up shortly after for work. She leaves by 5:15 a.m. From that point on, I'm here with the kids. Alone. I spend a couple of hours working on blog columns and social media. Then, I head to the other end of our home where my workshop is. I spend the rest of the day working on DIY Dog Mom Projects and taking care of our kids.

Friday, July 20, 2018

So Far, So Good On The DIY Dog Mom Projects That Are Not Dog-Themed


When we first started creating DIY Dog Mom Projects, we stuck to dog-themed items. Beds. Toyboxes. Blankets. Decor. As time went on, I started receiving emails and private messages inquiring about custom order signs. Did we take orders for custom signs? Absolutely. The next question was almost always the same. "The sign wouldn't be doggy themed. Was that okay?" Absolutely.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

We Repurposed A Small Old Wooden Chair Into A Pet Chair


We picked this chair up at an outdoor flea market back in May. It's a sturdy wooden chair that caught our attention. A day or so later, I posted a photo of the chair. A friend of mine was certain this chair was part of a chair and table set for children back in the 60's or 70's. I thought it was cool that someone recognized the chair and was able to give me a little background on it.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

We Got Slammed With Sickness, But We're On The Mend...


On Saturday, I had a lot of congestion. I was certain it was allergies. I doubled up on allergy medicine and a dose of DayQuil. It was enough to ease the symptoms so I could enjoy Sweet Mama's birthday party. My head still felt like a beach ball, but we had a blast. We swam, had pizza for dinner, enjoyed the cupcakes I made and Sweet Mama loved the quilt we made for her birthday.

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Lisa's 50th Backyard Birthday Bash Is Happening Soon!


Lisa and I met in the 90's. She was in her late 20's. For her 30th birthday, I planned a surprise party at a local restaurant. To the best of my recollection, it was at St. Pierre's. The party was small. Family and a few friends. I'm fairly certain Lisa was surprised.

Saturday, July 14, 2018

This Welcome Sign Is Made From A Piece Of 100+ Year Old Barn Wood


It's not often that we get a piece of 100+-year-old barnwood. But, when we do, it's a really big deal. We contemplated long and hard. What to do. Then, it was decided. A welcome sign. Prior to working my magic in the DIY Dog Mom Project Workshop, Lisa graced this piece with her sander.

Friday, July 13, 2018

I Got A Bit Teary Eyed Making This Quilt


Since moving into our home in July of 2012, some of our neighbor friends have become family. That would include Nancy and her husband Rick and Nancy's Mama. We call her Sweet Mama. She lives with Nancy and Rick. A few days ago, she celebrated her birthday. Lisa ran over to give her a flowering plant. What Sweet Mama doesn't know is that tomorrow, a few of us are meeting up to celebrate her birthday.

Thursday, July 12, 2018

We Repurposed This Mini Wooden Table Into A Cat Bed For Sir Gibs


A couple of weeks ago, we got our hands on this gorgeous, old mini wooden table. It's absolutely adorable. When Lisa grabbed it, her immediate thought was, "We can repurpose this." Yep. We absolutely could. And, we did. Into a luxury cat bed for a very special kitty.

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Eating Pizza With Dirty Hands


Tomorrow is one of our commemorative Anniversaries. Because, six years ago, we moved here. Into our home. At the time, we were amid a miserable heatwave. The heat index was over 100. It was humid. The air was thick and soupy. You can read all about our hot, sweaty, and dirty moving day here.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Thank You For The Wine Left In Our Mailbox...


To those amazing Dog Moms who leave mystery gifts in your mailbox. Thank you, Tina!! It's one of my favorites and will be MUCH enjoyed! Hugs and love, sugar!

Monday, July 9, 2018

This Special Gift Made It To Our Kitchen Wall....


Thank you SO much to Brenda, Rob, and Miss Beckett for the gorgeous, just because gift. We love it SO much and it says worlds about our family. It'll be hung today in a very special spot in our home. We are truly blessed to have y'all in our lives. Lots of hugs and love.

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Wine-Themed Wooden Signs. Say What?!?!?!


At one point in time, I had contemplated making signs that were not dog-themed. Over the past weekend, that happened. I made a few wine-themed signs. After posting, one sold. I have two left that are available.

Saturday, July 7, 2018

This Mini Antique Wooden Table Already Has A Special Purpose


I received a text earlier today. I didn't recognize the number. The content of the text requested a custom order sign. I was stumped. Apparently, this person had a couple of custom pieces from us already in their possession. They were more than pleased. They wanted another one. Apparently, I did not have this customer listed in my contacts. I felt like a huge pile of horse crap covered in flies.

Friday, July 6, 2018

Thank You. To Elizabeth. To Everyone. You Keep Me On My Toes.


Early last month, I received a private message from a woman I've never met. She lives in the area I grew up in. She graduated from the high school I went to a few years after I graduated. She is still living and working in that area. I honestly scraped my brain for any memory of knowing her or meeting her at some point in my life. Nothing. Total. Blank.

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Paw Prints, A Lizard, And A Wine Glass...


Last month, we created a custom sign for a dear friend of ours. It was one of those 'The (insert last name), Established (insert year) signs." It came out gorgeous. During the process of painting the sign and freehand lettering, Lisa said, "You should make a sign like this for us..." Okay. Lisa had a large piece of wood in her woodshop. She gave it a quick kiss with the sander and brought it upstairs. Put it on the table in my workshop. It was time to work my magic.

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Here Are 10 Ways To Save On Craft And DIY Dog Mom Project Supplies


There's a meme I see floating around social media every now and then. It cracks a joke about spending $90 on craft supplies to make something you could buy at the store for $10. Although exaggerative, there is a bit of truth to that meme. Craft and DIY supplies are expensive. We would have no problem spending a small fortune at craft and home improvement retailers. But, we don't.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

If You're Within Earshot, You Might Hear Some Funky Stuff Coming Out Of My Mouth


As a Work at Home Dog Mom, I find myself blurting out things that would seem peculiar to those who are not Dog Parents. Most of the people in our "tribe" are Pet Parents so when certain things roll off my tongue, they get it and it's good for a laugh or two. A scattered few, well...they're taken by surprise. I get the look. To be expected. We're used to it.

Monday, July 2, 2018

We Are Hunkering Down During This Lengthy Heatwave


We are in the middle of a rather miserable heatwave. Hazy. Hot. Humid. Close to 100. The heat index well over 100. The air is soupy. This afternoon, I sat on the front porch for less than 5 minutes. I could feel the beads of sweat forming on my face and rolling down my back. At that point, I gave up trying to take photos of the birds. It's just too damn hot.

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Friday Evening Inspired Us. Empowered Us.


On Friday, something rather incredible happened. A friend of mine from school, along with her son and bestie, visited our home and shared a meal with us. It was an amazing evening. Beyond words. I wrote and published a blog column that evening. After publishing, and throughout the weekend, I didn't feel as if the blog column captured the true essence of our evening.