Happy Friday 11/15/19

Happy Friday! Goodness…this week was a doozy!

This is not what I was expecting to share today, but we recently had to rehome our puppy, Gibbs. Have you ever had a regretful, trapped feeling after making a big change in your life? It doesn’t happen too often to us (I like to plan, plan, plan before making changes), but over the last month I was wishing we could rewind our decision to get a dog. I hate saying that, because I really do love dogs and Gibbs was a good companion, but he was hard to handle around our kids and it left me totally overwhelmed.

We worked on training and socialization (with the close instruction of a vet), but the kids couldn’t be outside without an adult for fear of getting barreled over by 65-pounds of playful puppy. Gibbs’s playfulness left the kids with bumps and bruises and completely changed how we spent time outside. We were all a bit anxious and overwhelmed by this new charge. After a full-speed dog-kid collision, we made the decision to rehome him. It was definitely not a decision we took lightly, but one we knew was right for our family. We found Gibbs a great home with a really nice family and our kids are back to exploring outside.

The Farmhouse in Fall 2018

More from the week…

Warren Buffett says this one simple habit separates successful people from everyone else. Hint: it starts with a 2-letter word. (getpocket)

This 712-square-foot apartment is absolutely STUNNING! I’m taking notes, especially on the pattern play. Wowza! (cocokelley)

The kitchen trend Nate Berkus says will never go out of style. It’s also one that will help your big investment stand the test of time. I just wish I had read this before our we started our kitchen remodel! (domino)

An interesting talk about finical independence/FIRE from the BBC and Mr. Money Mustache. Whether you’re trying to retire early or not, there’s lots of great ideas in this one. (bbc)

My simple, inexpensive holiday decorating style. We’re waiting until after Thanksgiving to decorate the Farmhouse (who am I kidding?!…we’re waiting on the kitchen remodel!), but we’ll be doing something really similar to what I show in that post!

11 painless ways to save money that you probably haven’t tried yet. Okay, I’ve tried #2 more times than I’d like to admit (it always turned out fine, btw) and we still do #5 a few times a month, although I’ve never looked at it from a financial perspective before (I just really love breakfast). (thefinancialdiet)

Some cities are banning natural gas in homes to save the planet. And what that means for our beloved gas ranges… (usatoday)

This kitchen progress shot stopped me mid scroll. Swoon. And I can’t wait to see this large project finished (it’s for a really awesome cause)! (instagram)

Self-partnered: the sudden, surprising rise of the single positivity movement. I found this super interesting. (the guardian)

I have a ‘winter’ Spotify playlist for you! You can listen to it below or here. BTW, I had a few technical difficulties with Spotify and had to re-start my account from scratch. So if you follow me over there, you might want to hop over and double check that you still do! (Spotify)

Have a great weekend!

-Cathy