Dog Training

Mia has been featured in more than one blog post, so you probably roll your eyes at the thought of another post featuring a dog.  Trust me, 6 months ago I would too but now I'm invested and I can't help myself.  I love Mia to death on some days but she is spoiled like crazy and completely out of control most of the time.

So last week when Crowd Cut offered an in-home dog training session, I coughed up the $35 bucks without thinking twice. Looking back, I think it was the best $35 that I have spent in a long time.

We had gotten so desperate with Mia's training that she had been wearing diapers for the past few weeks.

I referred to the dog trainer as the "Whisperer" for a week before the appointment and I was prepared to be trained myself instead of the dog. However, it was actually Mia that was focused on and the lady was incredible informative. 

Towards the end of the session I still wasn't sure how to handle the over-night dog potty issue so I asked her. The response rocked my world - crate her!  What a genius idea!  After she left, Bryan and I were on the road in minutes to hit up our closest Fleet and Farm.

Believe it or not Mia loves it too!  We did a little "doggy" shopping spree and also picked up a harness, treats and a yard stake.  The recommendation was to train with her for 5-10 minutes, 5-10 times throughout the day.  Well, for 2 people who had 14 hour workdays a piece yesterday..that did not happen but we are still making some progress.

Now look at our little thang, so on-track and focused.

Now for the real question, do they offer in-home child-training session for $35?  I have been scanning the Crowd Cut deals and have come up empty handed so far :)

Certified Personal Trainer

Its official!  After hours of studying..especially in the last two weeks...the test is over and I have passed.  I rolled into the testing center around 1:00 this afternoon full of nerves but they were all relieved by 2:45 when I received my test results.

I'm ACSM CPT - so now what?  Good question. I will be sure to let you know when I find out.

Garage sale find & my amazing bargaining skills

Last weekend I was on a Saturday morning run when I breezed through a garage sale and came across this beauty.

 I halted in my steps and went to check her out. The price tag?  $10!!!  There was a bit of dirt around the bottom so I bent over and tried to scratch it off with my nail. As I looked back up I was surrounded by 3 gawking women, "That will come right off honey!"  "Isn't this piece just beautiful?"  "And $10, what a great deal!"

My response was nothing but positive, I was impressed with the price - but, before I could ask to buy it the ladies had talked themselves down in price!  "You know what?  We can give it to you for $8, does that sound okay?"  I again offered to pay the $10 but they insisted. I learned a valuable lesson, bargaining is all in the way you look at the treasure, no words necessary!

Some day I imagine it will be perfect in a nursery, for now it is going to brighten up our dining room area.  Five minutes of wiping it down & two minutes of nailing a piece back on that my precious father broke off - now she is as good as new!

So...what do you think about a gallery wall around the mirror?  I'm thinkin' its a perfect place to display some candids from the wedding!

DIY Mossy "P"

I saw a super neat project in another blog and wanted to give it a try. Check out my inspiration here.

The project required a trip to Hobby Lobby and a giant piece of Styrofoam from my dad's shed.

First, I printed off a large "P" from Miscrosoft Word. The curvy portion wasn't big enough, so I went with a "D" and traced it into a "P".  P is for Pearson, in case you were wondering.

 

My original thought was to use scissors to cut but I quickly resorted to this bad boy. 

 

I clamped the Styrofoam between my legs and sawed away.  Don't worry, I pointed the saw AWAY from myself.  Thank goodness for having brothers who were boy scouts. Unfortunately I got a little carried away with the saw and sawed OFF the loop of the "P".

 

Nothing some hot glue couldn't fix!  At Hobby Lobby I found some bright green moss. 2 packages for $8, if I were better at planning ahead I would have printed a coupon offline. 

 

After tearing the pieces off and fitting them over the "P"...

 

You end up with this!  My camera doesn't do it justice, I promise. It is cute, homey and was made for the grand total of $8!

Unruly

Unruly, describes the picture perfectly, right?  Well, it also describes Bryan and I's last couple of weeks.  Things have been really great, they have just been busy!  

Our floors look as if they have never been swept, there are heaps of laundry seeping out of the closet, and at this point...Mia smells better than I do!

But Bryan and I are happier than we have ever been. We are LOVING all of the "firsts" we are getting to experience and we have so many things to look forward to.

I've also got a couple of things to share - come back tomorrow for a DIY "Mossy P" and you'll never believe what I got garage saling last weekend!

Our Wedding Video

We got our wedding video this past weekend and LOVE IT!!  In case you are interested, here is a link.

I think we've watched it a dozen times...or maybe a hundred :)

All credit goes to Nels & Ole Productions. Thanks Adam & Jami. You two did a great job, we really appreciate it!

Green Grass!

I grew grass!! It worked!

What a fabulous pop of color, don't you think?

Now for the master bedroom.

Our bedrooms aren't very big. Therefore Bryan and I have a bed, nightstand, and one dresser. Guess where things get piled and pockets get emptied?  The dresser. It didn't help that my jewelry was sprawled all in heaps.

In this picture Bryan had already left for work, taking with him his dresser-top contribution.

I have an old shelf that I got from Goodwill for a few bucks. It is still painted bright yellow to match my old room but nothing a little spray paint can't help with!

It is nice to finally have something on the walls in the bedroom and I love the way I can organize my little trinkets on the shelf.

Yeah decorating!

The Travel Room

I have never been one for themed rooms...but I have ALWAYS been one for traveling. This past weekend I had some fun gathering souvenirs that I have collected along the way and organizing them on a shelf...then I found myself whipping out the world map and using other gifts from China to add a little something to the desk. And here you have the travel-themed guest bedroom!

When I have some down time I find myself browsing through design blogs. They have SO many great ideas and the final products all look amazing...but rarely do I find one that has that many memories packed onto one shelf. I love it.