Let's All Spread Some Holiday Love And Cheer

 

I mentioned in a couple of blog columns that this year, we're doing it a bit differently. We will NOT be selling our handcrafted Bodacious Holiday ornaments. We will NOT be taking custom orders. We will NOT be selling ANYTHING. 

Decorating Our Christmas Tree Today Was A Rite Of Passage Of Sorts...

 

I ordered a new Christmas tree this year. That was kind of a big deal. You can read about that here. It was a big deal for a few reasons.

From Our Home To Yours, Happy Thanksgiving

 

This was the scene earlier today when Lisa took our roasted turkey breast apart. In our Bodacious Kitchen, we always cook our turkey early in the morning. Take it apart after it's cooled a bit. We put half of it aside to simmer in my homemade turkey gravy for Thanksgiving dinner. We freeze the rest. 

This Is Where I Am At. Today.

 

Today was kind of awesome. After working on a few blog columns and getting housework done, I decided to bake some Thanksgiving treats for our wonderful neighbors. I made homemade quick bread and jumbo muffins. Pumpkin crunch. Cranberry caramel crunch. 

This Is What The Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Workshop Table Looked Like This Weekend

 

'Tis the season for our Bodacious 2020 Holiday Ornaments, festive pieces, and packages. We started the process over the weekend. However. This year, we're doing it a bit differently. 

We Are So Excited To Decorate For Christmas This Year

 

This is the house we lived in from July of 2012 until February of this year. It's a 2 family home. We rented the bottom apartment. We moved out in February when we bought our house. 

This Photo Tugged At My Heartstrings A Bit

 

I posted this photo a year ago on my Facebook wall. These adorable chubby snowmen sold out even before I finished them. 

We Need A Bigger Dog Bed For Our Home Office

 

Over the years, we've made a lot of dog beds for our kids. They all came with us when we moved into the house we bought in February. We have dog beds in almost every room including the huge entertainment center we made complete with a nappy nook for our kids in August. 

Lisa Got Quite The Surprise When She Got Home From Work Today

 

In February of 2012, I surprised Lisa with a new laptop. The following day, we bought this inexpensive desk so she would have her own space in our very small home office. At the time, we were renting a tiny guest house from Lisa's best friend. I worked from a small desk with a hutch. We barely had room for this desk.

The Only Control I Have Is How I Respond To It

 

There has been a deluge of negativity on social media as of late. More than usual. The number of COVID-19 cases in our state is rising exponentially. Schools are closing down. School sports are postponed. There's a curfew. Parents are publically insulting teachers. The teachers are at their wit's end. The list goes on. 

We Made Another Big Decision Over The Weekend...

 

How do I even begin this post? Okay. Let's start here. Due to COVID-19, we have not made any DIY Dog Mom Project pieces this year to sell. That included birdhouses, garden signs, custom orders, Fall pieces, Halloween pieces, and unique pieces that we gave a makeover to and offered to the public. 

I Took A Nap Today And I Liked It

 

I absolutely love being a Work at Home Dog Mom for a world of reasons. We have 4 incredible rescue pups. I am home with them day and night. A good portion of my schedule is spent in our Bodacious Kitchen making homemade meals and snacks for us and our kids. I can tackle projects like painting and DIY decor instead of having to hire someone or buy pieces from a store. The list goes on and on and on.

My 30 Days Of Gratitude And Beyond...

 

The other day I mentioned that my "30 Days of Gratitude" would be written and published soon. Because. Quite a few of my social media peeps post theirs during the month of November. Every single day. For 30 days. I tried doing that. But. Sometimes I get really busy and I fall behind. So. Even though I have more than 30 things to be grateful for, here are my "30 Days of Gratitude." 

The Best Date Nights Are Spent At Home

 

Lisa and I have not eaten at a restaurant since February because of COVID-19. It's not something we did often because of Lisa's work schedule and I make almost everything homemade here in our Bodacious Kitchen. But, once in a while, we ventured out to enjoy a meal at one of our local favorites. 

My 30 Days Of Gratitude Blog Column Is Coming Soon...

Over the past week or so, I have noticed that my Facebook feed has been displaying a lot of the "30 Days of Gratitude" posts to commemorate Thanksgiving. The month of thanks. I usually participate in this, but I haven't so far. I suck. I know. I'm a little behind on desk work. However. Please know that this year, I have a lengthy list. 

New House. New Home. New Christmas Tree.

 

This was our Christmas tree in 2012. It was 5 months after we moved into our rental home in Plainfield, Connecticut. A 2 family home. It was 4 months after adopted Coco. This Christmas tree was a 2 1/2 foot fresh tree. It was the last year that we bought a fresh Christmas tree because of the number of needles that dropped to the floor. Not safe for furry kids. 

Amid COVID And Chaos, There Is Beauty

Lisa ran a quick errand this morning. She came home to drop off a few things before heading off to work. One of those items was a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. She wanted to surprise me. And, she did. I put them in one of my favorite vases. On our dining room table. In the center. 

It's Moments Like This...

 

During the early afternoon hours when the sun is out, it shines through our home office window. Like clockwork, at least one of our kids can be found stretching out to enjoy the rays. 

The Holiday Season Will Be Different This Year, But...

 

Earlier today, a friend from our old neighborhood reached out for a recipe for my homemade corn chowder. At the time, I only made corn chowder once a year. For Halloween. In a gigantic white soup pot. I called it "the cauldron of corn chowder." I replied with the recipe. 

I Definitely Earned The Title Of Jenga Queen Tonight

Lisa had to cover the second shift today in her department. When she left for work this afternoon, the trash bin we use for recyclables was full. She said, "I'll take care of it tomorrow. Just put what you use tonight on top. I'm sure it will be stacked when I get home because you're the Jenga Queen."

A Year Ago This Week, The Universe Shifted In A Big Way

 

I'm fairly certain that this was the week, a year ago, that the Universe shifted. Big time. It came after we ignored the shimmy shakes from the Universe in the months prior. It came in the form of 2 confrontations that quickly escalated to obnoxious and unnecessary. In both instances, within the same week, a mother allowed her young adult daughter to yell and swear at both Lisa and me. 

Our Bodacious Holiday Personalized Wood Slice Ornaments Are Back!

 

For the past 4 years, we've been making personalized DIY ornaments to sell and for gifts. The money raised was used to purchase items to spread lots of holiday love and cheer. In 2018, this was the style we chose. Wood slices. 

Color! Color! Color! We Are Loving It!

 

I know I posted this photo almost a week ago. But. I didn't want to post any of the following photos as the main photo. Because. Well. I finished painting the entryway and hallway. I would not have gotten it done this early if it wasn't for Lisa's determination at the end of her staycation. It's done. Done. Done. Done. 

Our Kids Missed The Big Blue Chair. We Did Too.

 

I took this photo on November 8th of 2018. It was about an hour after a very good friend of ours delivered this chair to our home. It was a day or so after she had posted the chair on her Facebook wall. Free. At the time, we were looking for a comfortable chair for our living room. Our kids immediately fell in love with the chair, especially Coco and Willa.

Out With The Old. In With The New.

 

This photo is of our dining room. After we painted it last month. The walls were previously all white. Now, it's a gorgeous shade of primitive green and yellow. You can view the before and after photos here. Even after painting, we knew something else needed to change.