Top

Floradise

A lifestyle blog by Marette Flora

How to Find Motivation and Inspiration When You’re in a Rut

Lately I have been feeling off. I happens every year when Chicago’s winter hits (unofficially). The darkness at 4:30 p.m., the constant cloudiness, the frequent snow/ice/rain combine to kill my motivation and make me want to hibernate. I don’t have the luxury of sitting around and doing nothing, though, so I needed to find my inspiration again. I needed to pull myself out of this rut. I’ve compiled ideas for how to re-motivate yourself when you, too, are feeling uninspired. I’ve been practicing many of these myself in hopes of getting my drive back. For the most part I’ve been quite successful and I hope it can help others as well.

How to pull yourself out of a rut and find inspiration:

  • Start your day off on a positive note. I have been meditating every morning, usually during my daily pumping session, with the help of the Headspace app. Incorporate meditation (or prayer or journaling) into your morning routine. Make it an essential step as you get ready for the day. If I miss this, I do it in the evening before bed to help with sleep.
  • Exercise. While I am not back into my 4-5 workouts a week like I used to be, I am committing to at least one workout class a week for now. Even starting slowly like I am can have a big impact on your mood.
  • Make sure you’re drinking enough water. Everything feels wrong with the world when you neglect such an essential staple from your daily consumption.
  • Incorporate self-care into your daily routine. Find one way that you can take care of yourself every day, whether it’s the morning meditation, repainting your nails, scheduling an appointment you need, or taking a long bath.
  • Attend an inspiring event, such as a book tour event, motivational speech or a charity event.
  • Listen to motivational podcast or audiobook (or read a book). I am always inspired by reading about others’ personal development journeys.
  • Treat yourself. I did this recently by buying postpartum clothes that make me feel more put together and confident.
  • Make yourself a higher priority. Stop putting yourself last.
  • Take note of your accomplishments. An example of this is making a list of things you have gotten done today or this week vs. only writing down things you need to do.
  • Make gratitude lists (daily or weekly). Remind yourself what you have to be inspired by.
  • Take a social media break or check out different channels that inspire rather than cause feelings of lack.
  • Declutter your home and simplify. Excess causes me anxiety, as do messes.
  • Volunteer for a cause you care about. I used to make this a monthly activity, and I admit I haven’t been doing it lately. It’s a goal for the upcoming months to volunteer.
  • Network with people in your field or interest. Their excitement and passion can rub off on you.
  • Redecorate a space in your home, whether it’s the holidays or just giving it a refresh.

I hope any of these ideas can help you find your inspiration again. Have you ever felt like you were in a rut?

Related post:

How to improve your confidence

 

Inspiration From “The Year of Less” by Cait Flanders

**This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise!

My most recent Audible listen was “The Year of Less” by Cait Flanders, who apparently also has a popular personal finance blog I was not familiar with. This book was in my Audible recommendations after listening to “Girl, Wash Your Face,” which was also written by a blogger, Rachel Hollis. If you’re new around here, I am really into self-development books. I was intrigued by the idea of learning how a yearlong spending ban changed the author’s life. And while I wasn’t exactly moved by the stories of her life, nor did I follow the chronology of her story, I am now inspired by “The Year of Less” to try a spending ban again.

What I learned from “The Year of Less”

I can relate to feeling good about having some freedom to spend money lately after I restricted myself before our baby was born and during maternity leave. I knew I wouldn’t be bringing in my editing paychecks for three months and that my only income would be from blogging, so I cut back on spending unless it was necessary for the baby or Victoria. But now I want to be more mindful of how I am spending money again, because we have home-related expenses I want to save for, and I also want to save more in general. While it sounds so simple and obvious, I have been forgetting to save first and then spend, with the exception of my 401(k), HSA and childcare savings accounts. I want to stash more away in a separate savings for travel, and I want to save more for our children’s future.

While I haven’t set my specific rules for a new spending ban, I will be putting that together soon. I also want to declutter yet again. Cait’s advice for embarking on your own spending ban is to declutter first. She also took an inventory of all her belongings, but I don’t think I’ll go that in depth. I am always looking for items to declutter, but moving this summer opened my eyes to how much I didn’t know we had in storage because it was out of sight. While I can’t get rid of all of it because some of it belongs to Graham, I will be looking for what is mine and assessing whether I truly want to hang onto it.

One thing I realized I have been doing with my wardrobe for so long is buying items for the person I want to be vs. the person I am. This is a habit “The Year of Less” reminded me I was doing. When I look at the clothes in my closet, I don’t have much, but I don’t have much to wear on a daily basis because I own dresses and then lounging clothes, but nothing in between. I realized I need casual everyday clothes that I will actually wear during the week while working from home and running errands. Lately I have been wearing the same three pairs of shorts and same four tanks and tees, but when the weather changes I will be left with nothing to wear other than leggings. I will be purchasing some pants and attempting to create a sort of capsule wardrobe for the fall of items that I actually wear and will hopefully make excellent purchases that last. Wish me luck!

Have you read “The Year of Less”? Have you ever done a spending ban? What did you learn from either?

Read “The Year of Less”**

Consider donating it when you’re done!

"The Year of Less"

Related posts:

Thoughts on “Girl, Wash Your Face”
Thoughts on “Joy of Less”

 

 

Free or Low-Cost Self-Care Methods

Free or Low-Cost Self-Care Methods

As much I love to use $6 to $8 bath bombs and natural masks as part of my self-care, I realize I and others don’t always have the money to spend on these items. You can still practice self-care for little to no money. That’s because self-care isn’t about buying something to make yourself feel better (unless I guess that’s what works for you?), it’s about taking time for yourself and allowing yourself to recharge and relax.  I’m sharing ways to practice free or low-cost self-care in hopes of inspiring you to find what works for you. Let me know in the comments how you take care of yourself, too!

Self-care methods that don’t cost a penny

  • Take a hot or warm shower, or soak in the bath without bombs or bubbles. I find it’s just as relaxing.
  • Stretch or take a free online yoga class. Look for free community yoga classes in your area.
  • Go for a walk or a run. Look for free fitness classes in your city.
  • Spend time with your pet. Take your dog to the park or dog beach, for example. Seeing all those cute pups will make your heart happy.
  • Listen to your favorite music. Create a playlist of your jams.
  • Watch your favorite movie(s). Chances are you have a Netflix, Hulu or Prime account or you might even own the film.
  • Meditate or pray.
  • Journal your thoughts, dreams and goals.
  • Declutter parts of your home that are stressing you out.
  • Wear your favorite outfit and shoes.
  • Organize your workspace to be more calming and functional.
  • Spend time outside. Water your plants, if you have any.
  • Volunteer for a cause you care about.
  • Call a friend or family member whom you haven’t spoken to in a while.
  • Delete people on social media that inspire negative feelings. (But then journal what it is they are triggering.)
  • Make fun plans for a future activity or trip. Jot down a gameplan to save for it.
  • Look through old photos from trips, parties or holidays.
  • Read a book. Self-improvement books are my favorite and you can check them out at the library or borrow one from a friend. Used bookstores have low-cost options, too.
  • Ask for help. Whether you need someone to watch your pet or child while you tackle something, or you want a listening ear, ask for it.

What would you add to this list?

Free or Low-Cost Self-Care Methods Besides Bath Bombs

 

Related posts:

Favorite Self-Help Reads
Post-Travel Self-Care

What I Didn’t Know About the Fourth Trimester: Maternity Leave Lessons

Maternity Leave Lessons

Maternity leave is over. I’m back to work full time as an editor. A positive is that I can work from home, though returning to work was still depressing and overwhelming. But on my first day I realized I also felt something I didn’t expect: relief. I felt relieved to be forced into a routine that is in some ways familiar. I felt more like myself than I have in months. Now that I am working again I’ve started to reflect on the past 12 weeks of maternity leave. I went into my maternity leave with grand illusions of being able to accomplish so much. I was going to cross off major blog to-dos, complete my summer bucket list and enjoy my time with my girls. Boy, was I wrong (with the exception of my time with my daughters)! I’m sharing some of what I didn’t know about the fourth trimester, aka the first three months postpartum.

What I Learned During Maternity Leave:

Maternity leave is isolating. This is especially the case if you don’t live near family and close friends. My mom was able to visit and help for two weeks, which helped immensely, but other than that I didn’t have much help. (I am grateful that my mother in law plans to visit soon, though.) People gave me advice about taking time for myself without realizing that I’d love nothing more; I just didn’t have any help with child care and wasn’t ready to leave my baby with a babysitter. I have had some friends visit, which I loved, but for the most part it’s been just me and the girls while Graham works. He has many long days due to the nature of his work, and sometimes his schedule was unpredictable, but we have survived so far.

You need help. If you have people willing to help in whatever way they can during your maternity leave, take it! I wish I could have had that luxury. By help I mean assist with household chores, errands, shopping, child care, whatever!

Your emotions are all over the place. I expected the baby blues, but not to the extent that I felt them. For me they lasted longer than just a couple of weeks. My anxiety has also resurfaced. A contributor to my blues was being alone so often with the girls. I was also anxious and afraid to do things alone with them for fear of what could go wrong. It took time for me to become more confident in venturing out. Some days still have tears, but talking to people honestly about how I feel has helped. Hearing people say that they will help in any way they can has also helped, even if I know they can’t do much from far away.

The bodily changes continue. It doesn’t end with giving birth. Postpartum life also comes with hair loss! Everyday I wonder how I could be losing this much hair. Also, your cycle can return at different times depending on whether you’re breastfeeding.

Twelve weeks of maternity leave is not enough. I know I am privileged to even have 12 weeks off work when many women have to return much sooner due to financial and other concerns. My maternity was unpaid and I had to pay for my health benefits during my leave. I was able to save for it beforehand, but I am still missing out on my big chunk of my annual salary this year. This experience has taught me that 12 weeks is not nearly enough for a woman to recover, and that more companies should show they value their employees by compensating them during leave.

The fourth trimester tests your marriage/relationship. With so much focus on the baby (and your other children), it becomes more challenging to make time for our marriage. But that relationship is the foundation of our family, so it’s important to refocus on it. Now that I am getting slightly more comfortable with leaving the baby I hope to find a night for a date sometime soon depending on Graham’s schedule. Another challenging aspect is figuring out how to work as a team to handle things such as nighttime feedings when you’re both exhausted. Showing appreciation for each other is key during this transition.

Have you experienced the fourth trimester? What did it teach you?

Pin this post:

Fourth Trimester, Maternity Leave Lessons

Related post:

Adelina’s Birth Announcements

Connect With Me:

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Pinterest

 

Spending Ban Update and Lessons

** This post was originally published in April but has since been updated.

In March I shared my goal of doing a pre-baby spending ban on certain categories. I wanted to stop unnecessary spending, especially it comes to dining out, before our baby is born so I can focus on financial goals. Now I want to provide a spending ban update and lessons I learned in hopes of inspiring those who want to also try to do a ban. Perhaps you can learn from my mistakes! Before I get into what I learned from trying to do a spending ban for a month, here are my fails.

Spending Ban Violations:

Total: $221.15

Most of my violations were food-related, as I expected. Believe it or not this is actually an improvement from February, when I spent maybe twice as much on Starbucks alone, all because I failed to have breakfast items stocked at home.

Despite all those fails, I did have lots of success thanks to decluttering. My pre-baby nesting included a lot of reorganizing and minimizing. I have donated bags and boxes of stuff, but I also sold quite a few things I no longer wanted or used, including a camera, books and a watch.

Decluttering Income/Gifts/Refunds:

I made some money to counteract the spending I did in March. Most of it was from decluttering and selling items online. I also received a refund from an order that never arrived in February, and I was given three gift cards.

  • Poshmark: $9.13
  • Preserve refund: $14.99
  • Target gift card: $10
  • Visa gift card: $100
  • Ulta gift card: $20
  • eBay: $298.49

Lessons from my Spending Ban Attempt:

  • Stress is a trigger to spend money for me. We had a rough start to March, which led to poor communication and a lack of energy. I found myself simply not having the motivation to cook my own food on some of the worst days. I discovered I am an emotional spender. When pregnancy or life in general was getting me down, the last thing I wanted to do was “deprive” myself or summon the energy to actually cook after a long day, which led to unnecessary spending.
  • You’re going to have a difficult time with a spending ban if you don’t prep food in advance or grocery shop in advance. I could have tried to use up more items we already had rather than spend on takeout.
  • You don’t need to spend money for self-care, but you also don’t need to feel guilty when you have a terrible day and a long soak with a bath bomb makes you feel like a human again. I tend to reward myself, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, except when you’re trying to do a spending ban! I’m working on taking care of myself in ways that don’t involve money.
  • If you’re going to violate your own spending ban rules, at least look for ways to bring in extra cash as well. Decluttering worked wonders for me in March because I was able to bring in more than I spent simply by ridding myself of items I don’t need, want or use.
  • I need to be more mindful of the waste I cause when ordering food and buying food and drinks on the go. If you don’t have a reusable bottle or your own silverware you are creating more waste.
  • I have been using chilly Chicago weather as an excuse to spend. Same went for my pregnancy. I really just did not feel like driving to a grocery store, picking up what we need, bringing it home and carrying it by myself (or with V) from whatever street parking I can find to our apartment, especially when I’m so cold and uncomfortable. Maybe late pregnancy was not the best time to do a spending ban?
  • Know your why. What is it that you hope to accomplish with a spending ban? Are you saving for a trip? Paying off a student loan or credit card? Being able to remind yourself of the reason may stop you from spending.

My Spending Ban Goal:

The reason I wanted to do a spending ban was to focus on saving as much as I could for my maternity leave. I am proud of the amount I was able to save throughout my pregnancy, even if this month of not spending wasn’t as successful as I had hoped. While I still want to be mindful of where my money goes, I am happy that I should be fine for the remainder of my maternity leave.

Have you ever done a spending ban? Was it a success?

Related post:

Pre-Baby Spending Ban

4 Lessons from My First Month With a Newborn

** This post was sponsored by DockATot. All opinions and photography are my own.

Lessons From First Month With Newborn With DockATot

It’s hard for me to believe that Adelina has been with us nearly a month now! The days have been long but all too short at the same time. I’ve learned so much about taking care of a newborn and myself in the past four weeks, so I wanted to share four lessons I’ve realized in my first month as a mom of a newborn (and a toddler).

  • Ask for help. Don’t try to do everything. This has been the most difficult lesson for me. On the first day I spent alone with the girls when Graham went back to work I tried to do everything. I judged the success of the day by how much I accomplished, but I quickly realized that is not sustainable, nor is it the best use of my time. When my mom came into town to help I really focused on taking as many naps as I could when baby slept and to just relax as much as I could. It’s been difficult for me to let go of control — of how my home looks, how things are done around our house, and so much more — but I’m learning it’s necessary.
  • Soak in every moment. This is really what your focus should be as a newborn mom. I will never get these moments back, so who cares of the house isn’t perfectly in order? (It’s easier said than done, but it’s something to strive for.)
  • Take care of yourself. I learned I need to make sure to drink enough water, sleep when I can and not neglect my needs. This has also been extremely difficult, but I am working on it.
  • Baby items with more than one fuction are a must. Hands down the most helpful item for me as a newborn mom has been the DockATot, a multifunctional lounger, cosleeper and playtime lounger. I am able to transport it easily anywhere in the apartment (and beyond) so I can always have the baby near me. It’s been a life saver for us so far and Addi loves being in it. She sleeps so soundly during her naps and I feel reassured that she is safe, not to mention it has a beautiful floral cover that looks lovely in our home. Florals speak to me.

Lessons From First Month With Newborn With DockATot

The DockATot is 100% cotton and tested for breathability. I can place the DockATot on the bed or on the floor near me as I do things around the house, and she is secure and comfortable. It creates a micro climate for baby Adelina that keeps her cozy, and the DockATot will help make a smooth transition into a toddler bed later on. (I have the Deluxe size for babies up to 8 months but the Grand fits toddlers 9 to 36 months.) Also, I can easily wash the cover when needed and I can switch the cover for another design, too!

Lessons From First Month With Newborn With DockATot

I also can’t wait to use the DockATot when we visit family in Kentucky sometime this summer. We took the DockATot on our Kentucky Derby day outing to a racetrack and it was so helpful to have!

Lessons From First Month With Newborn With DockATot

Have you heard of the DockATot? Check out the DockATot for yourself or gift it to an expecting momma in your life!

Connect with DockAToT:

GET $10 OFF YOUR DOCKATOT PURCHASE!

Related post:

Baby Product Wish List Gift Guide for On-the-Go Parents

An Unforgettable Hawaii Beach Day | False Ballistic Missile Threat

When you wake up one morning, grab breakfast and begin to get ready for a beach day, you don’t expect to hear what sounds like an Amber Alert ringing on your phone. I looked at my screen and read aloud the words I was seeing:

Extreme alert

BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”

This is not a drill. How could this be? I immediately suspected a hack. It had to be! I looked over at my husband, though, and his face said he didn’t think so at all.

We grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels, looking for any sort of news. We picked up the hotel room phone and called the front desk only to hear a busy message. I scrolled through Twitter looking for any sign of whether this was a real alert, but I only found tweets asking the same.

What were we supposed to do? Were we in danger?

After notifying a few family members, just in case, we decided to head downstairs to see what others were doing. From our balcony we had seen both people running toward the lobby and others lounging on their chairs, soaking up the sun.

On the elevator, a man told us he was headed to his room because “what else can you do?”

No one seemed to know whether to actually be concerned. Most figured a ballistic missile would be directed at Oahu vs. the Big Island, which is maybe true but doesn’t make the situation any less scary.

A small crowd had started to gather around the concierge desk, one of many throughout the sprawling resort, which had many towers. A maintenance/resort worker called out that anyone who wanted to follow him to the basement was free to do so. He unlocked a door and many of us followed him down the stairs to a service tunnel, where we spent the next, I don’t know, 25 minutes?

A woman came over to us and handed V a snack. Some people laughed nervously while others stared at their phones. You could see the stress in my husband’s eyes.

It wasn’t until then that we were notified by a manager that we were never in any real danger, and that he apologized for what we experienced.

It wasn’t until 38 minutes after the initial alert at 8:07 a.m. local time that a correction was sent out.

There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii. Repeat. False Alarm.”

By then we were in our room again. It’s weird, though, I didn’t feel any sort of anxiety until I knew it wasn’t real. But from then on, I was on edge. All day long. It was then that I thought, What if it were real? How can people live under this ever-present threat?

As you can imagine, I was reminded yet again how lucky I am for so many things.

We did end up going to the beach and you can watch the video below. While it looks like a magical, gorgeous day — and it was — just know that behind every social media post is a story. It’s not all rainbows!

Share this post:

Watch our video:

Please subscribe!

Related posts:

EXPLORING HILO, HAWAII
PU’UHONUA O HONAUNAU NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK IN HAWAII

 

Thoughts on the Self-Help Book “You Do You”

Thoughts on the Self-Help Book "You Do You" by Sarah Knight

** This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Floradise.

Last week I finished “You Do You: How to Be Who You Are And Use What You’ve Got to Get What You Want” by Sarah Knight. It’s the third book I’ve listened to on Audible by the author of “Get Your Sh*t Together” and “The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck.” The author refers to herself in all three as an “anti-guru” and uses humor, lists and swear words (obviously) to help make her point.

Thoughts on “You Do You” by Sarah Knight:

First I want to share points that stood out to me and some that I relate to in “You Do You” before addressing a criticism I have with this book. She wrote this book to speak to anyone who has been made to feel like there is something wrong with him/her. She wants to give people the tools to confidently make any “unconventional” choices they want in life without fearing judgment or holding back.

In one chapter, she addresses the concept of personal bests (something runners like myself often pursue). “If your best is never good enough, what good is it?” This has stood out to me in the last year. I used to want to aim for a better time every race, but now I’d be happy to finish a race! She herself admits to previously wanting to be a perfectionist, something I have struggled with throughout my life. I have given up thinking that I need to take a certain career path in order to be successful, for example. I do think it’s important to work on yourself if that’s something you truly want, but I think we need to be aware of our why.

She also shares steps to “silence haters.” One idea is to fly under the radar, which has definitely been my style in the past. The idea is that you don’t have to hear any negativity regarding a decision you’ve already made and hear the sh*t talk, as she calls it. However, it kinda seems to me like you’re not fully owning your choices if you do that.

She explains why being selfish isn’t always a terrible thing and lists examples of when it is. Knight also addresses being told to smile. I’ve been complaining about this for years. It’s not exactly the most original part of the book, but it’s relatable nonetheless, and might open some eyes about why someone might not be smiling, and why we shouldn’t concern ourselves with others’ facial expressions.

She talks about mental health and the importance of getting the help you need and doing what you need to do (for her, one example was putting a cat litter box with art sand in her office so she could pretend it was beach sand) to get you through.

Knight’s examples throughout the book of how to respond when people question your life choices are humorous, but not exactly realistic for me all the time. Someone who has had difficulty standing up for himself or herself might benefit from that advice, though. The biggest lesson of “You Do You”: We don’t need saving; we just need permission to be ourselves.

My complaint: Knight’s biggest example of being unconventional, besides quitting her job to move to the Dominican, is choosing to not have kids. She feels so strongly about not liking children that she mentions it in all three of her books. By the end of “You Do You” I found myself longing for another example of being unconventional. (She lists more, but she harps on this one.) We get it, Knight, you aren’t having kids and you aren’t changing your mind. You do you!

Overall I enjoyed her three books, even if some points are repeated. I think it’s just a different, more anti-guru approach to advice you may find in other self-development books for those who hate flowery language.

Have you read “You Do You”? What’s on your reading list?

Read the book**:

null Related posts:

My Favorite Self-Help Reads

Takeaways From “The Universe Has Your Back”

 

2018 Word of the Year, Plus Simplifying To-Do List

2018 Word of the Year, Plus a Simplifying To-Do List

For the past few years I have chosen a word to guide the following 12 months. Each year I have watched that word change my life, sometimes in ways I didn’t expect. When I saw the following word last week, it spoke to me. I knew this would be my chosen word for 2018,  as well as an intention: Believe.

Believe is my 2018 word of the year.

I believe in myself and that I can make my goals a reality.

I believe our baby will be healthy and happy.

I believe we will adjust to life with a new baby.

I believe we will find a better space/home for us.

I believe we will be successful financially and personally.

I believe a certain sports team will win it all. 😉

I believe I will find time for fitness after baby.

I believe I can be more mindful of what I put into my body.

I believe I can realign my life to make room for all things I love.

I believe I can help people.

I believe I will connect with more amazing people thanks to my blog and my social media channels.

I wrote last week about how I want to confidently share what I want to do in 2018, and the word believe certainly aligns with that desire.

What’s your word for 2018? Do you prefer to set goals or resolutions?

Simplifying To-Do List for 2018:

In addition to a chosen word for 2018, I’ve been thinking lately about how I can simplify to make room for change in both my mind and my home. I came up with some to-dos I want to take in the first half of the year to get me started. I’m sure I will add to this as the year progresses.

  • Declutter photos in my Google Drive, on my phone and on my computer and external hard drive.
  • Sell my old camera and lenses I don’t need.
  • Sell clothes that don’t fit anymore and that I won’t want to wear after baby.
  • Declutter more accessories I don’t wear.
  • Get rid of old pillows and blankets.
  • Donate or declutter toys Victoria doesn’t play with and clothes she doesn’t like (and some that I don’t like).
  • Clean up my Pinterest boards.

What’s on your to-do list this year? Do you have a running list of things to declutter like me?

Related posts:

 

 

The First Dog I Ever Loved

The Flora family lost a valuable member this week. Taylor, our sweet lab, died on Tuesday almost two weeks after she collapsed during her morning walk and we discovered she had a mass in her chest. Graham and I were by her side, petting her, as she quietly took her last breath.

I never had a dog of my own growing up; I didn’t have that responsibility or connection. I was never a dog person, and I never understood why someone would call his or her dog his or her best friend. I was actually afraid of most large dogs until I met Taylor. 
My time with Taylor taught me more than I could have ever repaid her for.
She made me a more patient person. She held me accountable. She gave me practice in having someone entirely dependent on me that would become more imperative when Victoria arrived. She was patient with our toddler as Victoria jumped on her back as if she were horse. When I was sad, she comforted me. Her unconditional love was an example to all of us. She was also our protector. We never felt afraid with Taylor by our side. She was our travel companion, our hiking buddy. She tested the waters for us nearly every time we visited a body of water.

She witnessed Graham’s growth. Our family began with just Graham and Taylor alone in his Phoenix apartment. She was his only friend when he first moved to Phoenix, before he would meet me and we would begin our journey to marriage and, now, parenthood. She was there for everything: the highs and the lows.

In her final days and moments she reminded me to be grateful for our memories, to accept change as it comes, to let go, to not fear and to not waste any more time not making our goals a reality. Life is too short.

Tomorrow we will be picking up Taylor’s ashes. We plan to take some with us on our travels, because that was one of our favorite things to do together. She will always be with us.

If you are reading this, do me a favor? Hug your pet a little bit tighter today.

One of our last photos of Taylor.

Favorite posts featuring Taylor:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

); ga('require', 'displayfeatures'); ga('require', 'linkid', 'linkid.js'); ga('set', 'anonymizeIp', true); ga('send', 'pageview');