Blog Appétit

You guys…I have big news!

This past weekend, I became a mom…well, foster puppy mom that is.

This adorable 4 month old black lab will be staying with me over the next 3 weeks while he gets over the puppy flu. I mean is it just me or does saying he has the puppy flu make him even more adorable?

This little guy could not have come at a more perfect time, his big floppy ears and over sized paws that cause him to constantly trip over himself when playing catch have truly opened my eyes to the fact that there’s so much more to life than what’s in our planner or what others think of us.

Ok, ok major mom moment over here, right?

What can I say? Those big beady eyes get me every time. This is when I wish WordPress had emojis so I could insert about ten heart eyed smiley faces here. (insert heart eyed smiley faces)

Guess that will have to do.

Ok, back to the pup. Steve and I signed up to foster a dog at PAWS Chicago the other month in hopes to give a dog in a need a home to play in, a little extra love and a lot of kisses while waiting to be adopted into their forever home. When contacted last week that our application had been approved and we could come pick up our first pup that weekend, we were over the moon excited! We requested to foster a puppy with medical needs and one who needed a home the most at this time. What we got was an adorable 4 month old black lab named Shogun (aka Buster as Steve and I like to call him) with the puppy flu.

Shogun, actually let’s call him Buster since he likes that name better anyways. So Buster, had never been outside the shelter and when we brought him home for the first time, he was so shy and nervous that he walked right into our apartment and peed on our brand new rug (insert eye rolling emoji here).

But how can you be mad at that adorable face?

So only a few potty accidents later and this pup has been nothing more than a joy to have around. His spunky personality and loving snuggles have made me realize how even when I don’t get around to answer all my e-mails or feel guilty that I skipped the gym, that there is so much more to life then what’s on our to-do list and day-to-day routine and to appreciate what’s right in front of us each and every day.

Ok, sappy (foster) mom post over:)

Put Others’ First

I know I talk a lot about putting ourselves first because sometimes that seems to get lost in the shuffle but it’s also important to remember that not every day we need to put ourselves first.  Sometimes just lending a helping hand to a co-worker, listening to a friend vent who had a bad day or fostering a puppy in need;) is the perfect way to appreciate the people and things you are already surrounded by and maybe brighten their day as well.

Say It Out Loud

“There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home”. While it’s not as simple as just a click of the heels, it is as easy as just saying it out loud. I’ve started a new thing where every morning when I’m waking up aka after my alarm goes off and I lay in bed trying to open my eyes, I take a second to say out loud two things that I am thankful for that day. I know it sounds silly, but it’s a nice little reminder before you start your day of the positive things ahead instead of all the meetings and e-mails you have when you get to the office.

Surround Yourself With Little Reminders

I keep a quote written on my bedroom door right above the door handle that says “Today is a good day”. Every morning when I wake up before I zombie walk into the kitchen to fill my coffee cup, I get a quick little reminder that today is going to be a great day no matter what obstacles are thrown at me.

Don’t Compare

Last but not least, life’s too short to compare it to someone else’s. We all know we spend plenty of time on social media oohing and ahhing over how that one girl lives in our dream home or that other girl has the best closet, but at the end of the day I’m sure that person has their person they are oohing and ahhing over too so it’s important to focus on the wonderful things in front of you instead of in front of your social media news feed.

I mean how could you say no to that face, am I right? Also, how do you appreciate every day? Anything that you do to remind yourself why today is a great day?