It's the last Friday that we'll be in town before Christmas! We're headed to Marco Island, FL tomorrow, and while I'm not looking forward to the travel day (I don't love flying with a toddler, no matter how amazing she is on the flight...), I am excited to be in the sun + take a week off from work. I know we all need one right about now!

So, one last #SJOTW before we head out...I'll be taking the week off from blogging, too (obviously), so I'll see you back here after Christmas!

Here's what brought me joy over the past 7 days. What made you smile? 

HEAR: The Dream podcast
Have you heard of this podcast? It was recommended to me by a bunch of people and I finally binged it while working this week; I'm so glad I did because it was really eye-opening. It's all about MLM's--the history and politics behind them, their shady practices, how they hurt people (and how they can help *some* people), etc. If you have any interest in MLM's or if you're involved in one, I definitely suggest you listen! 

SEE: The Color Purple (the book)
Somehow, despite being an English major in college and taking lots of advanced English classes in high school, I'd never read The Color Purple before. I'm not sure how this happened, but it did. And I didn't even realize it until I saw the book show up for free on Prime Reading (yay!) and read the blurb, thinking, 'Have I really not read this?' So I read it and I now understand why it's a classic. It is SO incredible.  It's still free on Prime Reading so check it out if you, too, missed it somehow!

TASTE: Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies 
Ben made us homemade cookies last weekend and they were the tastiest! He even added walnuts, just like I like them ;) My only complaint? I wish he hadn't eaten the majority of them so I could have enjoyed a few more (haha). 

SMELL: Sayde
Did you see on social media? Sayde came to stay with us from Sunday-Tuesday! It was SUCH a treat! Her new owners had to head out of town for a few days and asked if we would keep her. Of course we would! We fell right back into our normal routine and it was heavenly. I miss her so much--her warmth, her snuggles, her constant companionship, her scent. Having her back was really wonderful*

*But it was also a reminder of how hard it was to have her here and how hard it was to keep her and Charlie Mae separate all day long, so it validated our decision, too, which was good. 

TOUCH: Wrapping up my last week of Etsy orders of the season!
Today is the very last day that my Etsy shop will be open before Christmas. If you wanted to snag any last gifts--do so today! It feels weird to be closing shop before the final busy week of shopping, but it also feels nice to know that my crazy packaging and wrapping days are coming to a close for the year. Thank you SO much to everyone who shopped with me this season and all year long. 

And that's it from me for now! I hope you can find some time to reflect on your #SJOTW today, too. 

Have a WONDERFUL holiday season and I'll see you back here once or twice more before 2019 (eek!). 

I've been blogging for almost 8 years. In that time, I've written A LOT of blog posts about a lot of very vulnerable things. I've also written a lot of blog posts about silly things, about frivolous things, and about the basics of my day-to-day life. I've just written a lot of blog posts, period.

And I love blogging. I love writing and I love sharing and I love putting myself out into the world and connecting with you. But I can only do so much. And this past year, as my life outside of the blog has grown more demanding (see: toddlers take a lot of energy + running a small business takes a lot of energy) and as my interest in "micro-blogging" through Instagram has grown, this blog has taken a back seat.

I don't know about you, but I've also felt pretty inundated by "content" this year. Don't get me wrong--I adore all of the incredible content that everyone is putting out into the world and I enjoy consuming SO much of it--but my own desire to create blog content has changed as I've felt the content output around me grow. It's the same reason that I've slowly pulled further and further away from Facebook: it's just a lot to take in sometimes and I don't love being another person just adding to the noise (although I often have to be for the sake of my biznass!!!).

So, while I've still been using this blog as a place to share my story, I've done so less in 2018 than in the past. This year, I've spent my blogging time sharing more of the deeper, personal, often hard stuff that I think it's important to put out there in order to make others feel less alone, and I've stopped talking as much about everything else. This wasn't intentional, it just happened slowly over the course of the past year or two as my life has changed and the online landscape around me has changed, too. 

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that yes, as I reflect on 2018 and the past 8 years of blogging, I acknowledge that this blog has changed dramatically. If you miss the way that it used to be, I'm sorry. I do, too, but I simply don't have the capacity for a daily blog anymore. 

So, I'll continue to skip the blogging basics for now, like Gift Guides or product round-ups or even sponsored posts (!), but I'm sticking around and will continue to do so; I'll continue to blog at this same, less frequent rate in 2019, focusing on writing only when I feel like I have something important to say as a mother, a business owner, a yogi, or an artist (and sticking with my weekly #SJOTW, of course).

I simply don't want to add to the noise unless I feel I have something worthy of contributing, and I don't want this blog to become a once-special-place that has been forgotten in all of the noise. 

I hope you understand and I appreciate your continuing to come along on this journey with me. If you ARE someone who misses the more newsy, life update-y version of the blog, follow me over on Instagram where you'll get a much closer look at my day-to-day experience. 

[Note: I know the above pic isn't great quality, but I just had to share it because I LOVE the fact that Uggs are thigh-high boots on a toddler and that CM likes wearing them so much, despite the fact that they're next to impossible for her to walk in. Also, this pic is an accurate representation of our home life right now and thus, is an accurate representation of this past week, too.]


Well, here we are: another Friday! This December is turning out to be a really weird one for us; we leave for a family trip t0 FL on the 15th, so this weekend is our last full weekend in town until Christmas. It feels strange to know that I'm shutting it down [work-wise + Etsy shop-wise] on the 14th--I've never called it quits so early in December before!

​But, I'm sure the break will be a welcome one once we're actually there and taking some time off. It's always just the build-up and preparation for travel that's the hardest, especially during the holidays...

How was your week? Can you take some time to reflect on your simple joys today? Mine are below...

HEAR: Hamilton and In the Heights Soundtracks
I've been on a Broadway Musical kick this week--specifically a Lin-Manuel Miranda musical kick ;) While I haven't seen Hamilton yet (waaahhhhhhhhhhhh), I did see Miranda's first hit, In the Heights, twice back when I lived in NYC and I loved it SO so so much. When re-listening to both of these soundtracks, I can't help but be struck by Miranda's genius again and again. He's just so incredible and so are his creations. 

SEE: House of Cards
Believe it or not, I'm new to this show. It was one of those classic couple things: Ben and I were going to start watching it together when Season 1 first came out (years ago now), and while I was out of town one week, he watched the entire thing without me. Even though he told me to catch up so we could watch Season 2 together, I was so mad that I never even tried to watch it and it has always been "his" show. But, he recently decided he wanted to watch it all over again this winter so here we are. We started watching it last weekend and I was hooked immediately. I finally get what all of the hype has been about for all these years!

[My only issue with House of Cards: I wish I didn't know what I now know about Kevin Spacey--or that he wasn't such a bad guy IRL. Do you, too, feel weird about watching shows with known predators in them? Should I not be supporting it in this way? Such a hard thing to navigate... Ugh.] 
 
TASTE: Smith Family Popcorn in Sea Salt Caramel
OMG, Ben's Aunt brought us this locally-made popcorn last weekend and it was de-licious. Ben wolfed down most of the bag one night after I went to bed (#typical) but Charlie Mad and I each enjoyed a little bit before it was gone and loved it. So good--and of course I adore that it's locally-made!

SMELL: Our little Christmas Tree :)
We got a cute little Christmas Tree last week (Ben insisted in a very small one this year, haha) and it's been bringing us all so much happiness. Every year I'm amazed at how special it feels to have a tree, twinkle lights, and wreaths up. It doesn't take much to make things feel Christmas-y and a little more magical around here, and I always appreciate it even much more than I anticipated I would. 

TOUCH: Home practice
As much as I have a love/hate relationship with practicing yoga at home (the dustballs on the floor! The toys and STUFF all around me!), there's just nothing like a really good home practice and I had one this week. I practiced right in front of the tree with some great music on in the background, and was able to tune out my surroundings and get into the flow. The best. 

And that's it for this week! I hope you can find the time to reflect on your #SJOTW today and that you have a wonderful weekend.

I'll see ya back here next week!

Here's December's Audio Class for ya! I guess I missed November because it was the fastest month in history [what even happened last month?]...please forgive me. 

​Learn more about this month's 1hr class + listen below:

Class Description: In this 1 hour audio yoga class we focus on opening the hamstrings + hip flexors. We build up to [optional] full splits and there's a chance to play with handstand, too. This class is not for beginners; experienced practitioners only (Level 2-3 class). Recorded live. **If you have blocks, grab them for this class! They'll be helpful!*

How to Listen: You can listen directly from this website (player below) or on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher (search "Starr Struck Yoga: Live Yoga Classes"). If you subscribe to this "podcast" wherever you listen to podcasts, you will automatically get each new class that I post in your podcast feed on your phone. 
​
A Note About the Audio Quality: These classes are not professional recordings, so you will hear me mess up, you'll hear students sneeze, you'll hear me whisper a specific instruction to a specific student, and at times, the audio quality might not be the best. Apologies, but hey, they're free and as authentic as you can get without being in the actual class! ;) 

Enjoy + happy yoga-ing!

I can't even with the date today. I'm always that girl but seriously--how are we just a tad over a month out from 2019!?!?!? Ummmmmm.

Thank goodness for SJOTW because it makes me slow down and reflect on this life that is flying by at the speed of light.

What brought you joy over the past 7 days? My favorite simple, sensory joys from our trip home to GA + beyond are below... 

HEAR: Family drum circle/music circle/sing-a-long
My family is all about music. At my dad's house (where we stayed last weekend) he has basically every instrument you could imagine just sitting out somewhere within reach. This makes his house pretty dreamy for a music-loving toddler and an impromptu morning sing-a-long took it up a notch and left Charlie Mae beaming. Also, it made me MELT to hear her singing along with all of us [at the top of her lungs] while we sang her favorite songs (with my dad on the guitar and brothers on the drums, of course). It was so fun. 

SEE: Charlie Mae with my cousin's children 
Another sweet motherhood moment (isn't that what the holidays are for when you're a parent?): I got to see Charlie Mae interacting with/infatuated with my cousin's two children! They had never met before and although I would have loved for them to become inseparable immediately, they were slow to warm up and our visit was too short for that to happen, but it was still adorable to observe them playing tentatively together. 

TASTE: Thanksgiving (we did ours on Friday so it falls within this window!)
I mean, duh. I don't need to say much about this except that Thanksgiving food is the best. And sweet Ben basically made our entire meal for my entire family (and extended family) while we were in ATL, so it was extra appreciated this year. Yay for Ben's amazing abilities in the kitchen! 

SMELL: Trader Joe's Coconut Body Butter
'Tis the season for super dry cracked skin and this is my favorite lotion out there right now. It's super cheap, smells DIVINE, feels great going on, and of course, is extremely affordable since it's from TJs. Try it! You won't be disappointed.  

TOUCH: Clean clothes/a fixed washer
We came home from our trip to a broken washer, which was kind of the worst (hello, dirty laundry piles all over the house!). But we had someone come fix it on Wednesday and just a mere $300 later (ha!), we're back in business. This whole debacle made me *very* appreciative of working appliances everywhere.

And there you go! I hope you can find the time to reflect on your #SJOTW today, too... 

Have a wonderful weekend!

I've always struggled with anxiety, but now that I'm a mom, I've become intimately acquainted with a new brand of anxiety--one that was programmed into my being when our ancestors were living in a dangerous world surrounded by predators, the elements, and poisonous plants--MamAnxiety. 

This kind of anxiety is a turbo anxiety; it's anxiety on steroids. It causes a mother's brain to imagine the worst case scenario in every possible situation, even the most mundane.

For instance, the other night I was walking out the door to teach my Wednesday night yoga class. I didn't lock the door behind me as I usually do, because Ben and Charlie Mae were playing a few feet from the front door in the room I had just exited.

But as I walked to the car, I started to imagine what would happen now that I didn't lock the door. Ben wouldn't think to lock it before taking Charlie Mae up to bed, and while they were reading together, someone would sneak into our house, tip-toe up the stairs, and kill them both.

So I went back and locked the front door.  

Here's another example: 

Our washing machine is broken (every mom's dream) and the repair person can't come for a few days. Last night, we had a load of wet laundry (that had been only half washed before our washer gave out) soaking in the bathtub. As soon as Charlie Mae got home and walked past the bathroom door, I saw what would occur if I didn't drain the water stat: she would head into the bathroom and uncharacteristically try to climb into the bathtub to see what was happening with those clothes. Of course while climbing, she would immediately fall and drown in the dirty laundry and sitting water. It was a nightmare waiting to happen. 

If you're a mother, I know these inner dialogues and scenarios are familiar to you. I know you've seen these visions, too, whether you see them as frequently as I do or not. They're necessary for our species' survival over time and we're programmed for them, but they definitely aren't fun. 

Every new mom that I've spoken to has had the vision of dropping her newborn down the stairs as she trudges, sleep-deprived, up and down them. I'm sure many mothers have imagined dropping a knife and accidentally stabbing a child, or tripping and flinging a child into a sharp object that immediately impales said child. 

It's pretty gruesome, but this is what happens in a mama's brain. Or, at least, in this anxious mama's brain. 

At times, I'm thankful for this MamAnxiety. I think it really does help me keep my daughter safe and think about what could happen before it happens [and thus, prevent it]. 

But at other times, I'm resentful that I have to go about life imagining so many horrible disasters around every turn. That my husband isn't plagued by these same visions, that he isn't always looking two steps ahead and trying to prevent something bad from taking place. 

Then I look at my daughter and am reminded that she is the most important thing in my life, and as humans, when we have something that we really love and value, it's only natural to do what we can to protect it.

So I hug her, and I repeatedly move her away from pointy corners of furniture, tighten her seatbelt straps, and wrap my hands around her waist when she stands up in the bathtub. And then I thank my lucky stars that I was given this role to play in life, even if it is one that has caused me more anxiety than ever before.  

PS. Obviously this pic was taken over a year ago (look at how short and wonderfully chubby CM was!!!), but I feel like it accurately represents what I'm talking about here. 

The final episode of #BOCC Season 1 is out today! This week, we're featuring my interview with a very successful local musician:

​Bart Weisman has always been a musician, but he didn't make a living from music until he moved to Cape Cod in 2003. Since then, Bart has made a name for himself by playing Jazz all over the Cape, creating a number of bands, and starting the Provincetown Jazz Festival. In this episode, Bart shares how he became so successful while starting over in a totally new place and how he earns a living being a creative and doing what he loves.

Learn more at BartWeisman.com and BuiltonCapeCod.com. This episode is sponsored by Rogers & Gray Insurance and is brought to you by yours truly + LoveLiveLocal.

How to Listen: Apple Podcasts |  Stitcher  | Podcast Landing Page  | Stream below...

Thanks for your support this season! We'll be back with Season 2 in a few months. 

This weekend is crazy! There are so many sales to choose from, so many things to buy, so many emails in your inbox and ads in your face! And while I hate to add to that noise, I also can't *not* participate, ya know?

So, as a small token of my appreciation for your support all year long, I'm having a #SmallBusinessSaturday sale in my Etsy shop and for the first time ever, on my consulting services. 

The deals are below: ​

​This sale will be going on from 12:01am Saturday-11:59pm Sunday. Here are the deets on how you can save:

-FREE CARD WITH ETSY SHOP ORDER OVER $40: If your order is over $40, just include a note at checkout letting me know which card you want me to include (any card in my shop). If you don't tell me which one you want, I'll choose for you ;) 

-15% OFF IN MY ETSY SHOP: Use the code SMALLBIZ2018 to save.
 
-CONSULTING SESSION DISCOUNTS: Discounts have already been applied to these products so all you have to do is pay for your session(s) during the sale!

Thank you again for EVERYTHING this year! Hope you have a great post-Thanksgiving weekend. 

Got some Thanksgiving travels coming up? Use that time to catch up on #BOCC! This week's episode features a local retailer: 

Sea Sports Cyclery + Outdoor has been open since 1993--since owner Jeff Craddock was in high school and began working for his dad's new business in his down time. Jeff has now been running the business on his own for years and has grown it from a very small scuba + snorkel shop to a booming retail + repair shop and community hub for cyclists, paddle boarders, kayakers, and more. In this week's episode he shares how he got to where he is today and what it's like to run a growing business.

Learn more at CapeCodSeaSports.com and/or BuiltonCapeCod.com. ​This episode is sponsored by Rogers & Gray Insurance and Sunderland Printing.

How to Listen: Apple Podcasts |  Stitcher  | Podcast Landing Page  | Stream below...

​Thanks for listening and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Be back here next week. 

Calling all Warrior Mamas, Warrior Mamas-t0-be, + friends of Warrior Mamas! Here is your super snuggly rose quartz sweatshirt/winter uniform/confidence booster for those hard days of momming.  

This sweatshirt was inspired by my Warrior Mama greeting card and was made with love for all of my fellow exhausted, hard-working, loving, squeezing-your-yoga-in-when-you-can mamas out there.

Whether you gift this hoodie to your favorite yoga mama or treat yourself to one, I hope this sweatshirt reminds it's owner of her inner strength and capacity for patience (haha). 

You can purchase these sweatshirts in my Etsy shop now, but if you want one (or want to gift one) be sure to do so right away--there are only 24 of these sweatshirts available + then they're gone! 

Welp, we're less than a week out from Thanksgiving and I can hardly believe it.

We're headed to GA late next week because we're having a small Memorial for my Great Aunt (who passed away back in October) on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We're actually flying out on Thanksgiving day because tickets were so expensive every other day + we have to buy tickets for 3 people every time that we fly now (bleh + bye bye all of our $$$!). Soooo...all of that being said, there will be no #SJOTW next week but it will be back the week after.

But lets get to it for this past week, shall we? Here are a few of the simple things that brought me happiness over the past 7 days...

​HEAR: Armchair Expert Podcast episode featuring Brené Brown
I love Brené Brown SO much. I mean, who doesn't? She's the best. I'm also really enjoying The Armchair Expert Podcast lately. So, when I saw that there was a live episode with Brené  Brown available for download, I was in. It was great hearing a super laid back version of Brené ​(not that she isn't always 100% authentic...) and I think it's def worth a listen. 

SEE: Our neighborhood on a perfect fall day
Last weekend we had the perfect fall day. We did a family walk through the woods and then raked our front yard (well, mostly Ben raked and then used the leaf blower, thank goodness) and the experience of it all--especially with a little toddler holding her rake and trying to "help"--was just so perfectly seasonal, sweet, and fun (until said toddler got hungry and tired and had a breakdown, of course). It snowed here yesterday/last night though, so I think we've moved through fall + right into winter...

TASTE: Date night at The West End
Ben and I went out on a date last weekend! It was our second in two months and I could hardly believe it! We went to local favorite The West End (it had been too long) and had an amazing meal. And of course we ordered my favorite, their Truffle Tots. While discussing how full we were and how we were having a hard time finishing the tots because of this, Ben introduced a new "family policy": 'no tot left behind.' I'm obviously a supporter. 

SMELL: Essential oils during a savasana assist (duh!)
On Wednesday I took a class at a lovely local studio that I don't make it to enough (shout-out Evoke Yoga!) and got an amazing savasana assist from the teacher (shout-out Jess!). During that assist she used some massage oil/essential oil that smelled heavenly. I didn't think to ask what it was and honestly, I don't even care, I just know that it was incredible and stayed with me for a few hours after the class. Ahhhhhh. 

TOUCH: Painting with Charlie Mae
I promise that I haven't pushed it at all (truly!), but Charlie Mae has gotten really into watercolor painting. She asks to do it all of the time now and obviously I don't say no. We've probably pulled out the paints at least 3-4 times in the past week and it's one of my favorite activities to do with her. I just wish she didn't always want to share the same piece of paper when we're painting together ;) 

And there you go! I hope your week was full of simple joys, too... 

Oh, and if you're a yoga teacher + you're local: there's still room in my Assisting Workshop at Power Yoga of Cape Cod {Harwich location} this weekend! It's on Saturday from 1-4pm. Learn more and sign-up here. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Yikes! It's been SO long since I've shared a roundup of recent design projects! In fact, the list of projects that we've been working on is so lengthy that there's no way I can share everything in one post, so, I'll just share a few of the websites + logos that we've completed over the past 6 months or so...

Project Above: Wedding Logo
Amanda reached out earlier this year looking for a logo for her upcoming nuptials. They were planning on getting married in a beautiful old gaslight district in VA, so asked that her logo feature a gaslight in some way; we ended up settling on the logo above. She just emailed me yesterday saying how great the wedding was and how much they loved the koozies that they had made with the logo on them--which prompted me to share the logo with you, of course ;) 

​Project Below: Logo + Website Design for Olivia Beaton
Olivia is a yoga teacher, photographer, writer, and college senior who is CRAZY on top of things and wanted me to help her with her branding *before* she graduates so that she can enter the world of working world ahead of the game. We came up with the following logo + website (click the screenshot to visit her site). I'm so excited for her to pursue her entrepreneurial + yogi dreams!

​Project Below: Van Rensselaer's Logo Redesign
VR's is a restaurant here on Cape Cod who was looking for a logo refresh--they felt that their old one was outdated and wanted a cleaner look. While the unveiling of this new logo is still in progress at the restaurant (it's a process when you've been in business for SO long!), here's what we came up with...

Project Below: Quinta Oceania's Website
Remember back in July when I shared Quinta Oceania's logo design? Well, now their website is done, too! Quinta Oceania is an Air B+B and retreat center in the Azores and it's the brainchild of my friend/client/hair stylist Kate Scott + her husband, Paul. Can't wait to visit someday! 

Project Below: Logo Designs for Lisa Calandriello
Lisa and I go way back to my Tranquil Space days, and she recently reached out for two logos--the first, a new logo for her new brand + website (which I'll be tackling soon), and the second, a few versions of a simple logo for a yoga class/program she runs at her Fraternity's convention every year.

​So, here's the personal brand logo we ended up with: 

​And here are two versions of the yoga program's logo (we did about 6 different versions of this one for different needs):

​Project Below: Jai Ven Skin Website
I shared the JVS logo that I designed months ago, but now it's time to share the website. This one was a DOOZY but I'm really happy with how it turned out and am excited to watch this CA-based business grow. Check out the site by clicking on the image below...

​Project Below: Dewey Gardens Website
We did this project way back in the spring, but I forgot to share it until now. Dewey Gardens is a local Landcare Specialist and Landscape Design company who needed a site that could showcase all of their beautiful work and before + afters. Here's the site that we made for them!

Project Below: SeaCo Website
SeaCo is a brand new Cape Cod-based natural skincare + body products line made by a mother/daughter team. They needed a simple online shop to start selling their goods as they continue to develop the brand. We pulled the following site together for them...

And there you have it! SO much more where these came from but I'll share more in my next installment ;) Thanks to all of our amazing clients for hiring us to do this fun work and for putting your design trust in me + Sara. 

Interested in working with us? Learn more about our services and view our full portfolio here. 

Another episode of #BOCC is up and this one is for all of my fellow wellness professionals! It's full of wisdom for anyone who has ever dreamed of going from wellness-focused solopreneur to fully-formed "Wellness Center" owner...the full episode summary is below:

Beth Madden opened Therapeutic Bodywork in 2004 as a sole proprietor offering Massage Therapy services in a single office. In the 14 years since then, she has grown her business from a one-woman shop to a booming Wellness Center offering numerous holistic wellness services + employing 11 practitioners. In this episode, Beth shares how she grew slowly + thoughtfully and gives insight into the many lessons-learned and growing pains-encountered along the way. 

Learn more at therapeutic-bodywork.com and/or BuiltonCapeCod.com. ​This episode is sponsored byRogers & Gray Insurance and Cape Cod Home Remedies.

How to Listen: Apple Podcasts |  Stitcher  | Podcast Landing Page  | Stream below...

Thanks for listening! Just 2 more episodes of this season to go...!

What a week. Time change + darkness, election, more horrible violent tragedies (when will it stop/when will our government do something to make these shootings less frequent?), phew. It had all of the makings to be a hard week but wouldn't you know it? Simple joys to the rescue; it was still a really nice one. 

Also, on a lighter note: Daylight Savings when you have a baby/toddler. It really is THE WORST. I have been so tired this week and it's all because Charlie Mae is waking up way earlier every day because of DST! Fellow tired parents--I feel you. 

Now lets talk simple pleasures, shall we? What brought you happiness over the past 7 days? My #SJOTW are below...

HEAR: Old T. Swift albums
I went down a Taylor Swift wormhole while I was working this week. I wanted something fun to listen to and her music just felt right. I went back 3-4 albums and worked my way up and it was just what the Dr. ordered. Thanks for all the years of great music, Taylor! Keep it up! 

SEE: Fall leaves
The fall colors finally burst onto the scene here about two weeks ago and man, are they beautiful! It took a long time for fall to arrive but now that it's here I'm doing my best to soak up every second of it that I can. 

TASTE: WTR MLN WTR (Cold-Pressed Watermelon Juice)
One of my students gave me this treat after a sweaty class on Tuesday night and it was SO so good. Have you tried it? It seems like watermelon juice is everywhere right now and I see why--it's super refreshing. I'm such a beverage gal and love trying new ones--especially when they're as yummy as this one. 

SMELL: Simply Sugarless Homemade Blueberry Muffins
Do you remember this recipe that Sara shared for my old column "Simply Sugarless"? Well, it's become a staple around here (when I can find the time to make them) and both Charlie Mae and I are obsessed. I think she ate like 6 min-muffins yesterday and that's about it (whoops). At least they're super healthy and sugar-free!

TOUCH: My new sweatshirts! 
As you may have seen on social media, my new sweatshirts came in and I LOVE them. This is the comfiest sweatshirt I've ever owned--hands-down--thanks to the vintage French Terry. I've been wearing mine all week (honestly, I just make this stuff because I want it). There are a select # of each size still available in my Etsy shop, but when they're gone, they're gone, so snag yours soon! Thanks to everyone who already ordered one :) 

And there you have it. I hope you have an amazing weekend and I'll see you back here next week!

​I am very happy [+ simultaneously very heartbroken] to report that as of last week, Sayde has a wonderful new home. 

In fact, this new home is *SO* wonderful that I actually feel like this horribly sad situation ended with an overall win for Sayde. I might even go as far as to say that this new home is an even better fit for her than ours has been!

Despite all of the low points over the past 4.5 months--and the calls and emails to 15+ rescues that would not work with us--she is now in a crazy loving home with two new moms who have spent much of their lives rescuing and doting on what they call the "troubled teens" of the dog world. 

And as you probably know by now, Sayde is, indeed, a troubled teen. But she's a very lovable troubled teen who just needed the right place in order to flourish again, and I am 100% sure that we found that place. 

Since the horrible incident on June 10th, I have spent hours upon hours emailing, calling, and crying about Sayde. I've taken Sayde to meet multiple possible new owners and Ben and I have had tons of heart-to-hearts trying to decide what to do and how best to navigate this emotional situation.

Our house became a home marked by separation and gates; so much energy has been spent keeping Sayde and Charlie Mae apart despite the tears (on Charlie Mae's part) and the barks (on Sayde's part) asking us to allow them to be together. It was very stressful.

But now, it's finally over. While I'm devastated that Sayde is no longer with us, I am overjoyed that her new owners wanted an "open adoption" and have promised that we can see her whenever we want. Not only that--they live on Cape Cod and have asked if we could dog sit every once in a while when they travel. Um, YES!!!

I miss Sayde's presence around our house and my days at home feel so empty and lonely now, but I look forward to watching Sayde thrive in her new home and seeing her when we can. The fact that this isn't a forever goodbye has made the entire process SO much more manageable.

I also want to give a huge shout-out to the "dog adoption by owner" site, RescueMe.org, which made it possible for Sayde's new owners to find her. Without this site I would have lost hope in the re-homing process a long time ago and I have no idea where we would be right now. 

Also, thank YOU so much for all of your support as we navigated this challenging and sad loss as a family. I am truly grateful for everyone who reached out, shared my post about Sayde, and sent ideas/links/referrals. You guys are the best.