I’ll be honest—in my home, every day is National Puppy Day. I inherited my tremendous love of puppies from my mom and now, I have the pleasure of being a pet parent. And the simple things, like hearing those little paddy paws running down the hall to wake me up each morning brings a smile to my soul. Making room in my life for a fur baby is a lifelong commitment I’ve always treasured. Mercedes, my Rottie/Shepherd mix rescue, became part of my pack when she was four months old. She stole my heart the minute I saw her. My other two pups were not so thrilled at first, but she quickly won them over with her happy-go-lucky personality.

All my life I've been fascinated by the way the Irish know the right things to say at the right moments. Those lucky sayings and blessings seem to roll right off their tongues. I've tried my hand at writing a blessing or two and sometimes.....I think I nail it. I use a few key guidelines to write an Irish blessing.

Spring is just around the corner, y’all. And with the new season comes warmer weather, trees and flowers blooming, the sweet song of birds singing. Oh, and Daylight Saving Time (DST). Springing forward can really wreak havoc on not only my life, but the lives of my pets, too.

As most of you know through your own faith or just hearing about it, Lent begins today. I was introduced to Lent as a teenager and had several friends that gave up something up (aka fasted) for 40 days to symbolize the suffering that Jesus went through before his Crucifixion.

So, as I'm sitting here chowing down on my version of the BK Eggnormous Burrito, I thought it would be meaningful to support my husband and all my Catholic friends by taking Lent. And okay, I may have an ulterior motive of using it as motivation to shed those extra pounds that crept on during the holidays.

Although our four-legged loved ones can't have chocolate like their humans, we can always bake them some homemade healthy treats to show our love. Besides, we all know the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, and that includes our pets.

So, today, I’m sharing a few recipes that are fan favorites and all made with one special ingredient—Love. I always prefer to steer clear from those fancy and expensive treats you find in the store because they may have ingredients my pets can be sensitive to.

This year, I get to celebrate the Super Bowl and my birthday in the same weekend! I just love a good game no matter who is playing. I also love everything that goes along with a good game--friends and good food! Now that my hubby and I are settling into our Missouri home, I hope to have some game day celebrations of our own. Hosting a game day party could be rather stressful like any big event, but, I'm going to break it down so that it becomes easy, tasty and fun!

Y'all, we made it to the final week of January. I hope you're hanging in there and working on your own resolves-or resolutions, if that's your thing. My final resolve for 2021 may be a bit obvious, but it is by far the most important.

I've lived with Hashimotos, an autoimmune disease, for the majority of my life. Ever since I was diagnosed, I've been in pursuit to find the purest, natural, organic and holistic approaches to a continued healthy lifestyle. And after what we experienced last year, one of my biggest takeaways is that we can't take our health for granted.

So, my final 2021 Resolve is being in optimal health--for me, my family and of course, my fur babies.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the next Resolve I’m incorporating into my life. The key to staying on track to accomplish your goals lies in choosing the right goal. For me, the steps to help me choose a Resolve is determining that it is a smart goal which means the goal is attainable, immediately beneficial and benefits my future self.

My third Resolve—clearing the financial clutter. Yep…this requires a little deep breathing and maybe some mediation to get ready for this venture. This is where I have to look at all the purchases of needless things I thought would bring me joy. Scary because I have to admit to making mistakes and not following through with whatever it was I purchased.

I have a slight confession (FYI, not my New Year’s Confession), I Love reading blogs about personal growth, mindfulness and just doing something different that’s out of your comfort zone. My philosophy is that you can only grow through the experience of others.

Now, y’all’ll (that’s 'you all will' for those of you not from the south) understand that to have growth, there must be desire and risk. Desire to make a change and taking a risk on something that you haven’t done before. Why this is so fun? Because you are the one who benefits and shines from “growth” foremost and then you can bless other's with your new self.

Whew! I am so thrilled we made it through 2020 and it's far in our review mirror. I’ll be honest, there were a few moments I was holding my breath and lifting up a few prayers to the "Big Guy" up there. The Big Question of the day is....did you make any New Year’s resolutions (NYR)?? What are your NYRs, pray tell? I must say that I did not make any NYRs.

I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had more than we thought we could handle this year and our 2020 holidays looked much different than they have in the past. So, it’s not surprising I’m a little late in wishing y’all a Merry Christmas.

Create Peace on Earth—or at least in your home. Step into a winter wonderland that will delight the senses and awake your mind and body with it's fresh, sweet, refreshing aromas while purifying the air. This Holiday Blend will make everyone think your twinkling Christmas tree was freshly cut and decorated.

Envelope your soul with this Three Wise Men Holiday Blend. It will fill the air with rich warm scents of ancient memories and ends with a spicy brisk kiss. Combining Frankincense, the 'King of oils' designed to uplift your spirit, Myrrh and Cinnamon Bark, it creates a woodsy-sweet inspirational energy.

The bright, spicy and soothing scents of Holiday Cookies Holiday Blend will float throughout your house, making everyone want to gather for a joyous visit. With both calming and uplifting abilities, Bergamot can dissipate anxious feelings while simultaneously providing cleansing and purifying benefits.

We could all use a cozy little pick me up just a couple days before the holiday. Wild Orange will energize and uplift the mind and body while purifying the air. The warm smells of Cinnamon and Ginger will sooth your spirits.

Once you turn on your diffuser with the Forest Trees Holiday Blend you will be transported to a lush forest while a soft snow is falling upon the tallest evergreens. The bonus is the fresh scent of citrus that lingers in the air.

You'll think you're in a real life Nutcracker Suite dancing with the Sugar Plum Fairy when diffusing this fun Holiday Blend. Warm, cozy and refreshing will be the words to best describe the feeling in your holiday home and no one will want to leave.

You'll think you're in a real life Nutcracker Suite dancing with the Sugar Plum Fairy when diffusing this fun Holiday Blend. Warm, cozy and refreshing will be the words to best describe the feeling in your holiday home and no one will want to leave.

I think we can all agree candy canes are a holiday staple and the minty fresh smell is rejuvenating. Extracted from bark, Cinnamon oil supports healthy metabolic function and helps maintain a healthy immune system when needed most. * Cinnamon is frequently used in mouth rinses and chewing gums.

Mmmmmmm, these warm and spicy flavors will fill your home and bring a smile to your face. Who doesn’t love the aromatics of gingerbread men, especially during the holiday season?!