Hello everyone. Unless you live under a rock, or don’t do social media (in which case you probably don’t read blogs either), then you likely saw that yesterday was National Dog Day.

NATIONAL DOG DAY

National Dog Day was started in 2004 as a way to celebrate all dogs…mixed breeds and pure…with a mission to bring awareness to the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year. 

I’ve happily celebrated National Dog Day for the last five years ago and when the time comes to welcome another dog into our family, I do plan to rescue.

My mom sent this picture yesterday of their golden Sam. He’s 12.5. My parents rescued Sam and his sister Missy from a golden rescue in Birmingham, Alabama when they were eight. Their owner passed away and his children surrendered the dogs to the rescue. My parents lost Missy about a year and a half ago to the same cancer that Sullie had but sweet Sam is still doing well.

My parents had another rescue golden named Sam who they lost back in 2015. It’s been funny that they ended up with another Sam and we call them Sam One and Sam Two.

It’s been inspiring for me to see my parents give senior goldens the loving homes and good lives that they so deserve. I hope I can do this too. <3

FINN’S 15-MONTH WELL-CHILD APPOINTMENT 

From fur children to real children…Finn had his 15 month well-child appointment yesterday. Overall, it couldn’t have gone better! He’s weighing in at 24 pounds and his pediatrician was impressed with is social skills. Within 15 seconds of him walking in the room, Finn had brought him a book and was asking to be held and read to!

Unfortunately, he did have to have two shots at the end. He did great after the initial shock of getting shots and we had no problems with dinner, bath and bedtime. I thought we were in the clear until Finn woke up at 9:30p just wailing and inconsolable. I gave him some Tylenol and he slept with me last night.

Thankfully, he was back to his smiley self this morning. So hard to see them struggle after their shots but I remind myself that his pediatrician always says it’s a GOOD sign that they’re having an immune response and that the tradeoff of avoiding a preventable disease is worth the small window of discomfort.

RECENT READS AND LISTENS

It’s been a while since I’ve updated you guys on what I’ve been reading and listening to. Here’s a quick list! Note, there are affiliate links below to books listed.

BOOKS

• Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner. I really struggled through this one and it dragged in parts. I finished it but not my favorite of her books by a long shot.
• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. My grandmother actually purchased this one first and recommended that I read it on our shared Kindle. It was a delightfully witty, easy read. The plot and ending were predictable but it was a fun book to read.
• The Yamas and the Niyamas by Deborah Adele. I required this book for my recent yoga teacher training. It was my first time reading it and it’s now my favorite real-life, easy to digest explanation about how to apply the Yamas and the Niyamas, which are yoga’s code of “right living,” to everyday life.
• Queen Bee by Doretha Benton Frank. This is another one that my grandmother added to our shared Kindle and I just started it. Another easy read, fun and I love books set in the Lowcountry.

MAGAZINES

I fell victim to some effective Instagram advertising recently and now have two-year subscriptions to two magazines. I enjoy having magazines around the house to page through, especially while eating breakfast and lunch when I don’t have Finn.

• Bon Appetit. Gourmet was my favorite cooking magazine for a long time and I was sad when it stopped publication. I have subscribed to Bon Appeitit on and off over the years and I’m excited to start getting it again. While I find the majority of the recipes I try on the Internet, there’s something about cooking magazines that I’ve always loved and found to be so inspiring.
• Yoga Journal. They offered a super competitive price for the subscription compared to what you pay at the newsstand so I figured why not!?

AUDIOBOOKS

• No Bad Kids by Janet Lansbury. I am fully immersed in learning about toddler behavior and child development. I can really get on board with Janet Lansbury’s approach to toddler discipline. I have been listening to her podcast Unruffled as well.
• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. This one is long, coming in at 14 hours, but it totally sucked me in. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at therapy from a practicing therapist who’s also been in therapy herself. This book was insightful, thought-provoking and real.

On a slightly less serious note, can we talk about Taylor Swift’s new album. I’m not usually a big TS fan but I had several people recommend this album to me. I’ve been streaming it on Spotify and I’m not ashamed to say I like it!

Tell me about your dogs!? What breed and how old? Any rescues? 

What’s the latest book you read/listened to? 

Do you subscribe to any magazines? 

Are you a Taylor Swift fan?