Vlog

Eight Things

Happy Friday! I’m sharing eight very random things I’m thinking about today.

1. The never ending quest for the perfect water bottle.

Does anyone else have this struggle?! For years, I used the Thermos Intak water bottle on and off since 2011 (<—that post is hilariously embarrassing). I constantly dropped them and they would break. I must have gone through literally ten of those over the past few years. The other struggle was that they didn’t keep hot drinks hot or cold drinks cold and they sweat. I’ve also tried a few other brands but wasn’t impressed.

Jimmy suggested I try Hydro Flask since he has a water bottle by the brand and likes it a lot. I ordered one that’s technically for coffee, but I needed something I could open with one hand and also throw in Sadie’s diaper bag without worrying about spills. So far, I’m loving it! Sorry for getting way too in depth about water bottles 😉

2. Passing on maternity clothes.

My sister’s bump is starting to show, so I gave her one of my maternity shirts and she looks beautiful in it! I cannot wait to meet my niece or nephew in May!

3. Hematologist appointment. I go back to the hematologist on Wednesday. I’m curious to see what my hemoglobin levels will be. I’m already scheduled for an iron infusion but I’m hoping and praying I won’t need one. Totally wishful thinking, but you never know!

4. Planning a staycation. Just like last year, Jimmy has a few vacation days left, so we’re planning a staycation and I. Can’t. Wait.

5. Loaded baked potatoes.

My sister and her husband came to visit us (or let’s be real, they came to see Sadie) last weekend and we made a loaded baked potato bar for dinner. I cooked beef with chopped jalapeños as a topping and they were divine. I’m having a moment with jalapeños, lol.

6. Selling a Christmas tree farm.

Working for my family’s real estate brokerage is so interesting. We help people sell some amazing properties. Right now, we have a Christmas tree farm listed! If anyone in the Pittsburgh area is looking to buy a 68 acre Christmas tree farm, let me know 😉

7. Books. I finally finished this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Any recommendations for what to read next? I’m thinking I need some fiction in my life.

8. Vlogging.

I’m digging’ it lately. The latest one features Malcolm full-on play-attacking Mavis. He’s ruthless I tell ya!

What have you been thinking about lately?

Veterans Day + The Return to Pet Sitting

Before I dive into this post, I want to say happy Veterans Day and a huge thank you to all of those who have served and are currently serving our country!

You can find a few of my past posts on Veterans Day (including interviews with two special Navy Veterans–my parents!) here and here.

Thanks for your service mom and dad!

Guys, I pet sat last week! I can’t even explain how great it felt to get back to work.

I took a little maternity leave from pet sitting just before Sadie was born and pretty much spent the six weeks after her birth telling Jimmy how much I missed my clients and their pets.

I was able to take one of my longtime client’s pups out for a walk with Sadie in her carrier and it went well! It was a full-circle moment because last time I pet sat with Sadie she was inside of me.

It felt good to get back to something that was second nature for me, if that makes sense. Having a newborn kind of feels like learning a new language in a different country, whereas I know exactly what I’m doing when I’m pet sitting and it has been a passion of mine for a while.

I felt normal and that was lovely! I even managed to film a vlog that day 🙂

Now that I’m back in the swing of pet sitting, I’m also adding back in my usual real estate work for my family’s business.

I definitely foresee some busy days and interesting vlogs and blog posts in the future! I know it’s going to be fun to look back on this transitional time and that’s the cool thing about blog posts and filming vlogs–they’re like a time capsule.

Okay, I’ll end this post here before I get all nostalgic on you 😉

Have you ever took an extended break from something you enjoy?

Do you have any Veterans in your life?