What Is Considered Great To One May Not Be Considered Great To Another...

A friend of mine and her husband went on a weekend getaway. This weekend. She posted endless amounts of photos of their weekend excursion. They ate breakfast at quaint local restaurants. Shopped at various outlets. Enjoyed dinner and cocktails both nights. Soaked in the hot tub before bed. I was so happy for them. Much deserved. I can't remember the last time they were able to do this.

I'm Fairly Certain This Unique Accent Table Will Make An Appearance In Our Living Room

Back in 2012, shortly after we moved into our home, we acquired this unique, solid wood accent table. We used it as an end table. In 2016 we bought a new sofa that was slightly longer than our old one. With a wooden plant stand in the corner on the other side of the sofa, this end table no longer fit where it had been. A few months later, a friend of ours gave us a much smaller end table. We took the old end table and put it in our basement. That's where it's been.

Until now...

Something A Little Bit Scary Happened Earlier This Week. It Changed Me A Bit.

Earlier this week, there was an incident in our immediate area early in the morning. At the time, I was scrolling through my newsfeed on Facebook. I stumbled on several posts about this situation. As I read about it, I got a couple of texts from our neighbor friends giving me a heads up. Lock your doors. Keep an eye out.

I Do Not Feel Guilty For Loving This Time Of Day

When I get up at 4:00 in the morning, Lisa and the kids are still asleep. Lisa's alarm goes off at 4:30. Time for everyone to wake up. By that time, Lisa's hot breakfast is made. Her work lunch is packed. We're both sipping coffee. Lisa's travel mug of coffee is ready to go.

Birdhouses Weather In Time. That Adds To Their Beauty And Charm.

Over the weekend, Lisa made a few more Bodacious DIY Birdhouses. I worked my magic in the Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Project Workshop. Today, I posted the finished birdhouses. Within 2 hours, they sold out.

This Is One Of The Many Things I Love About Being A Work At Home Dog Mom

When I'm writing blog columns at the kitchen table, this is usually the scene. This gigantic doggy bed is about a foot and a half from where I'm sitting. Sometimes, it's only Sophie and Lobo because Willa likes to curl up with Coco either on our bed or the sofa. 

This Tall Stool Had Character. So, I Repurposed It.

One of our favorite things to do during the warm weather months is frequent yard sales and our favorite flea markets. We do this 2-3 times a month. Usually on Saturday mornings. Our mission is to find unique pieces to repurpose.

Sure, I Get Disappointed When Pieces Do Not Sell, But...

During a discussion with a friend last week, I was asked a rather hefty question. My friend asked, "When you make your DIY Dog Mom Projects and they don't sell, does it frustrate you?" I'll be honest. This question could not have come at a more crappy time. I posted a few DIY Dog Mom Projects the week prior that did not sell.

Growing Pains. You Live. You Learn.

During the 5 year span of Bodacious Biscuit Love, we learned quite a bit about the less than favorable side of human nature. Throughout those years, those lessons transpired into making lots of changes both big and small. In the beginning, we never thought that people would fail with making payments for biscuits or steal from our displays because all of the proceeds were used to provide biscuit love for rescue and shelter pups. But. We were wrong.

Find A Vacation Every Single Day...

A friend of mine posted a meme earlier this week that caught my attention. It didn't include who said it. It read, "One time I talked to this old man and he told me to find a vacation everyday, even if it's walking outside and feeling the grass between your toes." I thought about that single sentence throughout most of the day. About an hour after I stumbled across the meme, I snapped this photo.

Grief Is Not A Competition

As of late, I've been seeing a lot of pet parents repost articles about various studies that have concluded that the grief over a pet is the same as a loved one. By "loved one," they're referring to humans. In certain articles, the reference to "loved ones" are human kids. I've skimmed over a few of these articles. I've read the comments. I have mixed feelings about these studies and articles because of one very big reason...

I Do Not Like It When People Ask Us This Question

This photo was taken back in 2014. A few months after Sophie joined our family. At the time, and for almost 2 years, it was just Coco and us. As with all of our kids, including Coco who we adopted in 2012, our family getting bigger was not planned. The Universe did a lil' shimmy shake. It just happened. The day Sophie joined our family. It wasn't planned. On that day, we traveled to a destination well over an hour from our home to deliver Bodacious Biscuit Love. We left with a new addition to our family. It took over a week for Coco and Sophie to bond and become inseparable.

Jenna Woginrich Inspired Me. Late At Night. I'm Totally Down With That.

It's a little after 7 in the morning. I've had 3 cups of coffee. I'm still a little tired. That's my fault. Last night after I tucked Lisa and the kids into bed, I continued to read a book that I started reading on Saturday night. It's one of those books that sucks you in. I told myself that I would only read for a half hour. Two hours later...

Our Weekends Have Been Quite Wonderful. Change. Is. Good.

Our Bodacious Monday through Friday Dog Mom Life is exceptionally busy. Up at 4 a.m. A hot breakfast for Lisa. I pack her lunch. Then Lisa leaves for work. I dive into my Work at Home Dog Mom routine. Taking care of the kids. Work. Housework. Meal prep. Baking snacks for the kids and Lisa. Creating pieces in the Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Workshop. Making dinner for us and the kids. Our evening routine.

Our Annual St. Patrick's Day Dinner Was Rather Fabulous

There are a few meals throughout the year that we only make and eat once a year. That includes Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas Dinner, St. Patrick's Day Dinner, and Easter Dinner. For those meals, we go all out. Down home cooking. Traditional fare. We make enough to feed an army. Today, we made our annual St. Patrick's Day dinner.

Our Kids Have Their Little Moods Too

Most of the time, all of our kids get along. They eat all of their meals and snacks together. Snuggle and nap together. Play together. Enjoy outdoor time together. Share chew toys and bones. But, every so often, they get into their little moods...

Here Is The Recipe For Our Homeamde Chicken Peanut Butter Meatball Dog Treats

We are having so much fun with our Cuisinart Electric Meat Grinder. That includes making more great healthy homemade meals and snacks for our kids. You can read all about that here. Today, I wanted to get a little creative beyond our Bodacious Magic Meatballs. So, I did.

The Virtual World Has Been A Little Wonky Over The Past Couple Of Days

After shipping a custom order on Monday and putting the final touches on some orders that will be picked up in the next few days, I decided to work on a few more pieces. This DIY Dog Toy Box was one of them. Lisa built this toy box last week. I worked my magic in our Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Workshop. This wasn't the only item.

I Wanted To Clean The Living Room This Morning, But...

From the time Lisa leaves for work until the time she gets home, our kids are scattered throughout our home. On the sofa. On their DIY dog beds. The DIY indoor dog house. Their nappy nook. On the reclining chair in the living room. On our bed. On the kitchen doggy bed.

I Love To Have Company During The Week, But...

During a conversation with a friend last week, the topic of unannounced visitors came up. We jokingly compared notes a bit. She talked about her life as a Stay at Home Mom from the time her son was born until he was in first grade. I talked about my current life as a Work at Home Dog Mom. Although being a Mom to human kids and furry kids are completely different, there is a bit o' common ground. Unannounced visitors is one of them.

As A Work At Home Dog Mom, It's Important That I Get These 10 Things Done Every Single Day

Being a Work at Home Dog Mom means that my home is also where I work. I'm home most of the time. Once in a while, Lisa and I escape our home for a few hours, but aside from that, our home is where I'm at. Because of that, my biggest pet peeves is clutter and housework not being done. For me, it's a distraction. When I'm distracted, I find it difficult to be at my best in terms of productivity.

We Have Trudged Through A Few Hurdles Over The Past Month

We've lived in our home since July of 2012. From that day until about a month ago, I could count on one hand how many times I've been in our basement. I hate basements. I fear them. I've seen too many horror movies. I know that's where the big spiders dwell. I have horrible allergic reactions to dust and mildew. And, there are a couple of ancient rumors about our basement that I'd rather not mention.

The Year Mother Nature Said, "Here, Hold My Beer..."

We've had a peculiar winter season. It's been mild. One of the most mild New England winters I've ever experienced in my entire life. In November, we got a storm that dumped about 6 inches of light fluffy snow. Since then, up until March 4th, we've gotten a dusting to a couple of inches of snow followed by lots of rain. Or, just rain.

Happy Work At Home Dog Mom Moment

This was the scene early this afternoon after I took our kids out and they got their daily multivitamin and snack. It was cold. Sophie and Lobo do not like snow or the cold. Coco and Willa love it.

We've Got Some Bodacious DIY Birdhouses That Are Done!

When Lisa was on vacation last month, she built quite a few Bodacious DIY Birdhouses. It's been something we've wanted to do for a long time now. It finally happened. Over the past couple of weeks, I've been working my magic in the Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Project Workshop.

Fire Is Fire Is Fire. At The End Of The Day, Ask Yourself This One Question.

One of my worst fears is fire. It always has been. That fear escalated when I lived out of state over 10 years ago. Ohio. I'm not sure if the laws have changed, but back then it was illegal to have "backyard fireworks." They didn't even sell sparklers in the store. The only legal stuff to purchase to celebrate Fourth of July festivities were colored smoke thingies. You light them. They let off colored smoke. That was it.

Today Could Have Been A Lot Worse. But It Was Not. Thanks To Some Of Our Old School Neighbors.

This is one of the most mild winters I've ever experienced in my 40+ years of living in New England. In November, we got a storm that dumped about 6 inches of snow. It was gone within 2 days. That's been it. All of the storms since have been in the form of heavy rain, sleet, and freezing rain. Big ol' slushy messes that turn into skating rinks when the temps drop. On the overnight, well...that changed.

Taking Care Of My Family Is My Number One Job As A Work At Home Dog Mom

When Lisa arrived home from work on Friday, everything was done. There wasn't a single piece of laundry in the hamper. No dirty dishes. The carpets had been vacuumed earlier that afternoon. The kitchen floor was swept and mopped. Bathroom cleaned. Dinner was cooking. Ten minutes after Lisa arrived home from work, that all changed.

Happy 2 Year Gotcha Day, Willa!

Today we are celebrating Willa's 2 Year Gotcha Day. I can't believe it's been 2 years already. What a very interesting 2 years it has been for so many reasons. But, we have embraced it all. Our sweet Willa has kept us on our toes. 

I Am Exhausted. But. I'm Feeling Exceptionally Thankful And Blessed.

It was an exceptionally busy day. I'm struggling to keep my eyes opened as I type this. Between work stuff, working my magic in the Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Project Workshop, housework, multiple trips to the basement to do laundry, and spending a copious amount of time in the kitchen, I'm wiped.