Microblog 07 | An Oliver Update

Jacqueline O.

Oliver has now been a part of our family for close to seven weeks now. As I had mentioned before, I had waited a very long time to get my poodle. We purchased him off craigslist, and while the logical part of my brain felt it was shady we were meeting my potential new puppy in the parking lot of a Circle K, the emotional part of me didn't care. We were told that he would grow up to be a teacup poodle weighing no more than five or six pounds.

After a couple weeks of major growth (he is now over five pounds at around 14 weeks) we were resigned to the fact that he was going to be bigger than we thought. We were also suspecting that he was not a full poodle, but possibly a mix, since his wavy hair was straightening. Fast forward to last Monday, I had dropped him for at my in laws for his daily play date, gotten to work in time for our morning meeting, then I noticed something. Little whisps of brown hair covering my all black work uniform. I came to the realization that we never had our poodle. 

Microblog 06 | My Hair Cleanse

Skyler E.

Cleanses are all over the place right now. Juice cleanses, kale cleanses, you name it it's probably a cleanse. (Is there a Ramen cleanse? I'd be into that)

What I'm talking here about is a little different. 

Once I passed my unruly teenage years of constantly bleaching and dying my hair to death, I turned over a new leaf and began forging my way into 'natural hair'. But I wasn't really having much success. 

Microblog 05 | A Puppy Shower

Jacqueline O.

This weekend, one of my very best friends, Brianna, was visiting from California. As if having her in town wasn't enough...she put together a surprise puppy shower for me and Oliver! 

Microblog 04 | Today Has Been A Day

Skyler E. 

Packing up your home and moving to a new place isn't so bad. You have an opportunity to pair down your belongings and get rid of or sell unnecessary things, which feels good. While you're bubble-wrapping and stuffing everything into boxes, you start thinking "Do I really need all this crap? Do I even care about that?" I've started to reevaluate how I live materially.  Living somewhere new also allows you the chance to explore a different area and discover things you've never seen before, that's always fun! 

But often, moving involves more than just transporting your stuff. Things go wrong. Life gets in the way. You may know this very well. I didn't. I've haven't moved in awhile.

Microblog 03 | Family of Three

Jacqueline O.

If you know anything about me, you'll know I have been waiting to adopt a puppy since Nick and I were married. For so many reasons circumstances didn't allow, and the dream was put on the back burner. After over eight years of this, I had finally had enough. I was able to get my husband on board and used to the idea of having an additional family member to love and care for. It surprisingly didn't take too long after the decision was made to find the dog of my dreams - a little brown poodle named Oliver. 

Microblog 02 | A Quiet Moment

I'm currently in the process of moving, but I'm not sure where to yet. 

It's only when I tell people this that I realize how crazy this sounds! (Am I nuts? I am indeed) I may be staying in Seattle but there's a big possibility that I might move back to Oregon? Most likely I'll talk more about it at another time when things are more settled, but in the meantime, all I can say is that its been absolutely bonkers! Packing and putting the final touches on the house, getting ready to sell (and the stresses and perils that go along with that.) At the same time, I'm working and doing the blog. 

It's so dang easy to constantly rush around and be anxious over all the things that need to be done. That and the siren song of crawling back into my bed and cocooning into a sad-sack. She calls to me at about 2pm every day, that jerk. In fact, I succumbed to her wiles only yesterday. It was a bad day. 

At times like this, I think it's so important for me to take a moment to stop and be still. Taking twenty minutes to breathe and treat yo self isn't going to make a difference in how things get done. 

"It will be ok!" 

That's what I have to tell myself. Constantly. 

Microblog 01 | A Little Fresh Air

Growing up, I was never very active, aside from the mandatory time spent in gym class. I preferred to spend my time catching up on the latest episode of Dawson's Creek or flipping through Teen Vogue than get any kind of fresh air. The word exercise was a four letter word in my mind. Then, at eighteen, I met my husband.