Photo by Laura
Wounded hands? Check. Puppy-proofed/extremely minimalist house? Check. Tears, frustration, and insecurity? Check.
My life has changed dramatically since bringing home my golden retriever puppy Nugget on December 9th, 2018. We’ve only been together for a little over 2 months but I feel like I’ve already learned ten years worth of lessons. Every day is a challenge, but also a learning opportunity!
Here are just 4 things I’ve learned since I became a dog mom:
Happy 2019!
Setting goals is something I like to do all year long, but I especially look forward to the New Year. It’s a fresh start and everyone is focused on self-improvement, which is always inspiring.
More like Document Your Puppies.
Music:
Devin Balram – Can’t Help Falling In Love/Pieces (Noisetrade)
When you decide to get a puppy, people tell you it’s going to be hard. But they don’t tell you it’s going to be this hard.
A new scratching post for the cat, dogsitting, the zoo, visits to the puppies, and more!
Music:
Tossing Copper – Still Small Voice (Noisetrade)
Just a little update on my service dog puppy situation… or a “pupdate”, if you will. 😉
The last update I wrote was about the birth of the puppies. Since then, we’ve visited several times and it’s been great to be able to see my puppy growing up from the beginning, even if I don’t yet know which of the little ones will be mine. I’ll find out on December 5th, when all the puppies will be tested on personality and temperament. A few days later, on December 9th, I will be taking her home with me!
According to TIME, Instagram is the worst social media for our mental health. (Source) It is associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying, and FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.”
I think this can easily be avoided by just not following people who make you feel inadequate or unhappy. (That may not solve the FOMO, though.) Most of the accounts I follow on Instagram are cats and golden retrievers, and I’m doing great! Although I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, I do my best to make sure things like this don’t trigger it.
In which I do a puzzle, try out cargo bikes, go on a boat tour of Amsterdam, and make pizza.
Music:
Jeff Pianki – If I Had My Way (Bandcamp)
Here is the truth: you don’t need more than a notebook and a pen to keep a bullet journal. You really don’t. However, some tools can still be really useful for making your bullet journal more personal and most importantly, to boost your productivity — the whole goal of keeping a bullet journal in the first place.
When the inside of my bullet journal is just a sea of black text on white paper, I get lost. I’m a visual thinker, which means I process things more quickly if they’re made visual. I color-code so I can see at a glance what area of my life a task or event relates to, and I use colored markers to fill in habit trackers and highlight important information.
