Friday, June 28, 2019

While Taking A Break From The Virtual World, I Found Myself Needing A Break From The Real World


I was determined to take a break from the virtual world over the next 5 days. Lisa took a few staycation days. You can read about that here and here. However. I needed a break from the real world and that had everything to do with the contents of my wardrobe and self-checkout.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

I Will See You Next Week!


I've mentioned a couple of times that I gave a makeover to several pieces in our home. During the hustle and bustle over the weekend and the past couple of days before our little Dog Mom staycation, I only took "before and after" photos of this one piece.

Monday, June 24, 2019

Happy 5 Year Gotcha Day To Our Sweet Sophie


Our sweet Sophie joined our family 5 years ago today. It wasn't planned. She settled in and it's been a wonderful journey. Sophie is such a love. She's the queen of THE LOOKS. Still hates to have her photo taken. Keeps her siblings in line. Loves snack time. Is a Greek Yogurt thief. And, she's still terrified of thunderstorms and fireworks.

Sunday, June 23, 2019

The Disappearing List O' Chores


We had a busy weekend in preparation for the upcoming week. Lisa is taking a few staycation days and I'm determined to stay unplugged for most of it. Because I'm a Work at Home Dog Mom, I'm always plugged in. Nothing personal, but I need a break from the virtual world.

Friday, June 21, 2019

When I Go Outside Alone For Over 10 Minutes, This Happens


I take small breaks throughout the day. On the front porch. They last for about 10 minutes. It's my escape from the confines of our home. Once in a while, if the weather is super gorgeous and the birds are entertaining me, I'll stay outside for a bit longer. When that happens...this happens. If I'm outside longer than 10 minutes, all 4 kids greet me at the door. 

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

I Will Be Unplugged Most Of The Time During Our Mini Staycation Next Week


Lisa is taking a few "vacation" days next week. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. For us, that translates to enjoying a Staycation. We're both looking forward to it. We have a few plans which include hosting a small backyard party for Lisa's department at work to thank them for their hard work and dedication. Lisa will be transitioning into her new position shortly.

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Sophie's 5 Year Gotcha Day Is Right Around The Corner


We have another Gotcha Day Celebration right around the corner. June 24th. Sophie. Almost 5 years ago, this sweet furry love joined our family. As with all of our kids prior to their Gotcha Day Celebrations, we ask a series of questions. What would you like for a special meal? What would you like for your special dessert? What would you like for your special gift? 

Friday, June 14, 2019

I Have Realized The Importance Of Having A Hobby


As a Work at Home Dog Mom, I don't get out during the week much. Between taking care of the kids, desk work, the work I do in the DIY Dog Mom Project Workshop, housework, meal prep, cooking and baking, and Lisa not getting home until anywhere between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., our Monday through Friday schedule is pretty tight. On occasion, if Lisa gets out of work early enough on Friday, we'll skip out for an impromptu date night. 

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

This Will Always Be My Favorite Magnet


Over the years, we've done quite a bit of house and pet sitting for our neighbor friends. Most of the time, they have brought us really cool magnets from their travels. Our refrigerator is decorated with all of them. They have turned our bland refrigerator into a vibrant and interesting kitchen piece. On a few occasions, people have been quite impressed with "all the places we've traveled to." Well, that's until we inform them that 95% of the magnets were gifts. 

Monday, June 10, 2019

10 Qualities About Myself That May Hinder Or Destroy Our Friendship


Many moons ago, I attended an online training seminar that lasted for almost a week. The topics at hand were customer service, generating conversation, being part of the conversations, marketing, and how to deal with the various personality traits across the board. The seminar began with a simple question. Standing in the shoes of another, could you be friends with yourself? Of course, the response was quick. Yeah. Sure. Absolutely. We were asked to write down the 10 reasons why we said yes. When everyone was finished, we were asked another question. But, this time around, it wasn't as simple. 

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Andy Sernovitz Inspired Me Years Ago. I Need To Embrace His Philosophy Again.


A decade ago, the president of the company I was working for at the time sent me an autographed copy of 'Word of Mouth Marketing' by Andy Sernovitz. He wanted me to read the book. Gain some insight. Learn. Share my thoughts on the content. My level of enthusiasm wasn't exactly radiating. I love to read, but not these types of books. However, I was hooked after only a few pages.

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Grab A Bowl. A Spoon. A Couple Of Cookie Sheets. And, Start Baking.


Last week, I received a message from an acquaintance of ours. She had been purchasing homemade dog treats at a bakery for many years. Unfortunately, the bakery shut down and panic set in. She had no idea where she was going to get homemade treats for her 3 furry kids. Would we be willing to make them? Did we know of any bakeries around that sold homemade dog treats?

Friday, June 7, 2019

Feed Us Dinner. Take Us Out. Have Fun.


Lisa arrived home from work a bit early today. And, by "early" I mean that she was home before 6 p.m. Instead of working a 12 - 14 hour day, she was walking to our vehicle before 5 p.m. Before heading home, she sent a text asking if I wanted to go out for dinner. A date night? Oh. Hell. Yes.

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Our Kids Let Me Know When It's Time To Turn The Air Conditioner On


Lisa put in the air conditioners a couple of weeks ago when it was in the 90's. We haven't had to use them much. Yesterday it was hot and humid. This morning, the heat and humidity increased rather early. Even with the oscillating fan on high, it got stuffy inside earlier than usual. This was the scene during the late morning hours.

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

I Rely On Good Ol' Fashioned Sticky Notes


When I was growing up, part of the kitchen counter in front of the beast-sized microwave was covered with notes. My mother was famous for writing notes to remind her to do this or that. As a business owner and someone who took care of the housework, shopping, remembering special occasions, etc., those notes were necessary. 

Sunday, June 2, 2019

Let People Do What They Wanna Do So You See What They'd Rather Do


I recently took this photo of Willa. She's laying in the sun that's pouring through our windows. Yawning. About to take one of her many daily naps. Before posting, I thought, "If I were to add an eye roll to this yawn, it would completely represent how I feel about..."

Saturday, June 1, 2019

I Dropped What I Was Doing To Make Our Kids Homemade Meatball Dog Treats


I know that I already posted the recipe for our homemade Chicken Peanut Butter Meatball Dog Treats in March and mentioned these treats more than once. Our kids are head over paws for them. Earlier this week, we ran out. The only thing I had in the freezer and refrigerator were our original homemade Bodacious Soft Baked Peanut Butter Dog Treats. Yikes!