Does it feel good?!?!?

Every Friday I get asked by my gang of friends from work to go out for happy hour. I used to go pretty regularly and always had a great time. Lately I've been turning down invites so I can go home and hang with hubbin. To say Eric and I are homebodies would be a gross underestimate. We've cancelled our last two vacations because we'd rather be home. There is absolutely nowhere we'd rather be than in our adorable (if I do say so myself!) suburban track house. The minute I walk into my house I immediately feel a sense of calm come over me and I just feel better.



The constant goal for any place we've ever lived is that whatever space we have lived in, big or small, it's a sanctuary. Not just for us, but our guests. I've always described my decorating style as "an invitation to curl up with a blanket and a book" and just relax. I want folks to feel at home and good when they come over. I think of homes I went to as a kid where you just immediately felt good when you walked it. They weren't the most expensive homes, even the biggest, but they always felt right.



Lately I've been doing a little research to further my efforts at making my home feel perfect and I've come up with a few things. I get my decorating ideas anywhere from feng shui to my favorite Real Housewives on Bravo. If it feels right...who cares where it came from or how "granola" it is?



The first thing I did when we moved in was commit to making my bedroom a place that is soley for sleeping and spending time with my husband. Before minds start wandering too far into the weeds, when I say spending time, I mean genuine time. *wink* I know this is going to sound crazy for a lot of you, but we don't have a tv in the bedroom. Shock of all shocks! We debate every now and then about getting one but at the end of the day I stand firm on no tv. It's been great for us because time we would've spent watching tv is spent talking about our day, making plans, reading, or sleeping. Imagine that?



Another recent addition to the bedroom is one of those handy dandy machines that make various nature sounds. I got it from my sister in law who had intially bought it for her newborn. I am the world's lightest sleeper, and this thing is my holy grail. OMG! I love it! For those of you who are into feng shui you can sympathize with this. My air conditioner unit is right outside my bedroom wall in the backyard. When you're married to a man who prefers the temp to be somewhere around 72 degrees and you live in the desert you can count on that thing always running. It's a nightmare! On top of the electrical currents that are involved, the thing is noisy! This little machine has insured a restful night's sleep for me since I got it. I prefer the ocean sound, but it also has rain, thunderstorm, babbling brook, it goes on and on.



My last tip for making sure your bedroom is a sanctuary is to regularly dust and vacuum. I know those of you that know me are thinking "easy to say when your husband is OCD" but it's so important. Vacuuming can lift the energy in any room immediately and dusting makes a huge difference as well. Allergies and congestion can be combated so easily by a good dusting once a week. Plus, it feels better. When you walk into your bedroom you should immediately start to relax and unwind. Who can do that with crumbs in the carpet and an inch of dust on the furniture? I have two cats, a dog, and dry skin. Not a recipe for spotless furniture do those conditions make! It takes me about five minutes to dust my room once a week and with the conditions described, it needs it once a week. Sometimes I get busy and I skip a week and I get tell a HUGE difference. Commit to doing it for two weeks in a row and I PROMISE you will feel a difference!

I'm on a roll folks!

Here's a pic of my blog's namesake and her name is Wicket. I rescued Wicket about a year and a half ago and she is my ideal dog. I found her running down the street in our neighborhood and when I pulled over to see if she had a collar on she jumped right into my arms. The neighbor whose house we were in front of was shocked because he and his kids had been trying to catch for about three days. He said all they'd managed to do was get her to drink some water from a bowl they left out, but only when they were inside.

The subject of getting a dog was a tricky one in my house. Eric never said no, but he always did a great job communicating that he really didn't want another pet. When I brought Wicket home I had every intention of taking her to the local shelter. Being that she is a full bred shih-tzu and had recently been groomed I knew she had an owner somewhere. She wasn't wearing a collar, but I never got my hopes up. The first thing Eric said when he saw her was "she looks like an Ewok". OMG...this could be my ticket to getting a dog! Eric is a huge Star Wars fan and I figured this might be my big moment. My casual reply to his statement was "Yeah...you're right. She's pretty cute...like an Ewok. She's well behaved too".

Here we are over a year later and she's a member of the family. No one claimed her that week so I promptly made an appointment for her to be spayed and microchipped. She is my napping buddy, walking buddy, and the first thing I see when I walk in the door. Don't get me wrong, we've had a few rocky transitional moments. I am happy to report that our rough patches are over and we are a happy little family. She is terribly camera shy so I don't have too many good pics of her...but here's her best shot:















Adorable, eh?

Here's my first born Murphy. Murph is my shadow. He's not big on cuddling but I sneak it in sometimes since he sleeps like the dead. He's not keen on Wicket either. His favorite pastime is laying in front of the doggy door so she can't get in. I love him though, and recently spent a small fortune to keep him alive after a hunger strike he decided to go on.















Last, and sometimes least, Tucker. Ahhh, Tucker. Tucker and I have had our differences. He is my husband's cat. My favorite joke is that Eric breastfeeds Tucker because that cat is so codependent. He can be a jerk, but when he's not crying incessantly for Eric, or hissing at a guest who got too close, he can be pretty cute.















Eric and I don't have kids so we are pretty crazy about our pets. I decided to post a blog about them because on the blogs I follow...my favorites are always pics and anecdotes of family pets. They are irreplacable members of the family and I think I speak for us all when I say they are worth the chaos and stress they can sometimes create!

Green...more than just my favorite color!

Thought I'd share one my favorite ways to get my veggies in, since there are very few I like to just eat raw. Eric and I are complete opposites in our veggie tastes, and I've developed this little treat to get my fiber and vitamins in. There are as many variations of this as there are vegetables and fruit, but here's a few ideas to get you started.


First ingredient...and I never make green juice without it. Spinach! I use about two huge handfuls.

















Blueberries...I prefer frozen. It helps in giving the juice that smoothie coldness that feels so refreshing and healthy.

















Strawberries...never met one of those I didn't like.




















Banana...gives it an oh so creamy consistancy.


















These are the things I always use without fail. I've also been known to throw in a fuji apple, the occasional carrot, cucumbers, the list goes on and on. When I convince Eric to have some I throw in a tablespoon of agave nectar too (he has a sweet tooth!). Throw this all in the blender with a few ice cubes and your favorite juice or some ice cold water and you have a delicious green treat that will treat you right! The sky's the limit on this juice...so if anyone tries it and comes up with something delish let me know!

Trying this on for size...

So, I have a blog. Hmmm...what should I do with this blog? I follow about 25 other blogs varying in themes and I enjoy every single one. I think I will "follow" my friend Liz to support her new endeavor and we'll see where this goes. Hopefully inspiration will hit and I'll do something inspiring like all the other folks I follow. Later gators!