Monday Funday! (That means a giveaway, people.)

Let's face it, Monday's usually suck.

But when you have the opportunity to win $$ to one of the cutest shops found on the Internet...

Monday turns to Funday.

Yep. I just said that.

Ashley, the talented designer behind Ramsey Street Designs, is offering one of my readers the chance to win $30 to her shop! She specializes in sweet, rustic handmade signs that add charm and character to any home. Recently, she even started creating adorable lace and burlap necklaces! (I definitely want!)

The winner will be announced next Monday! So make sure you take advantage of all the Rafflecopter entry options below between now and then to improve your chances of winning! 

And good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Letters

Pretty new necklace from Linked Designs

Dear Yeast Free - I'm teetering between 6 and 7 lbs. lost and I'm feeling great! I can really tell that my energy levels have increased greatly, but the best part is how my pants are beginning to sit a little lower on my hips! Dear Husband - Thank you for being so great and doing this diet with me. I know I couldn't do it without you (mainly because you'd be drinking beer and eating ice cream right in front of me and I'd die of temptation). And thank you for cooking dinner a few nights this week so that I could go to hot yoga after work and then come home to a nice meal. You really are the best. Dear Bedspread - I thought that once I put you on the bed you would eventually become unwrinkled on your own. Well that's not happening! You need a good steaming. Dear Friends - Does anyone have a  steamer I can borrow?   Dear March 1st - So March may not mean Spring time in Seattle (it's still very rainy here for another few months), but it simply sounds more spring(ish) than February. And that just makes me happy. Dear Husband - Traveling for work is overrated. What am I going to do next week without you?!? I think Huckleberry, Herschel, and I are going to miss you very much. Dear Herschel - One thing I know for sure daddy won't miss is you waking him up at 5 am! Seriously kitty, what is your problem!?! This has got to stop.

Hope everyone is pumped up for the weekend! I'll see you Monday! And guess what? I have a pretty great surprised lined up for each of you!

"A Dog, A Heartbeat At My Feet"

It’s no secret around these parts that I’m a crazy dog lover. Where most bloggers have a “love story” page under their header, I have a page dedicated to Huckleberry. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband, but he won’t let me take nearly as many pictures of him. ;)  

And if you've been following for a while then you've probably sensed my passion for dogs through reading this post and this one. (Although I warn the last one is graphic.)

My love for animals is something that has just always been a part of me. Growing up, I tried to save every animal that I saw in need. I feed a baby blue jay by hand that had fallen out of it’s nest and begged my mom to let me take in any stray dog abandoned on our street. One of those abandoned pups, Haley, found her home with us until her last days.   

To this day Homeward Bound makes me cry and I worry about the horses that are falling down in war movies. I know to some it sounds silly, but I genuinely have a passion for animals. And it breaks my heart to see them mistreated and in need.

I obviously inherited this trait from my mother. While I was in high school, she began to foster dogs. Basically this means that when the local rescue had no more room for another abandoned, abused, neglected dog, she would take them in. She provided them with shelter, medical treatment, socialization, and love until they were adopted and ready for their new home. When that adoption day never came for certain dogs, she decided to keep them herself.

Maddie and crazy Jackson

 In college I volunteered at the local animal shelter. I quickly learned that what my mom did was draining –physically, emotionally, and even financially. There was such a need for volunteers and very little interest. The animals’ living conditions were terrible and the adoption rate was low. Honestly, the situation seemed hopeless. But week after week I went to the meeting and heard amazing stories from foster moms and dads about how the process had changed them, about how their lives were actually saved through the simple act of opening their homes and hearts to an unwanted mutt. 

I genuinely admired these people and were blown away by their commitment, empathy, and steadfast love for the cause they believed in: rescue every dog you can and hopefully one day there will no longer be a need.

Unfortunately, that need is still very much alive. 

Luckily, there are some amazing people who have dedicated their time and hearts to rescue some of these unwanted fur babies. One of them is Jen, the sweet and loving, girl-next-door behind the blog Konjo. Go ahead and read her explanation as to why she has a heart for dog rescue and the rewards she's discovered through fostering dogs.

"Dog rescue is my main passion. Growing up, my dog saved my life and showed me what love really is and before she passed away last year I promised her I would rescue dogs in her honor. It is what I have been doing ever since. I teamed up with a local rescue to help them out, and I recently started fostering for them since they are shelterless. Last week I said bye to my first foster as she went to her forever home. It was extremely difficult and I cried my eyes out, but receiving pictures from her new mom has made it so worth it! She sends me updates on the dog and pictures of them snuggling together. That's when I know I am fulfilling my purpose by allowing others to experience the love I have known from dogs and to bring their new best friend into their family. Learning the stories of the dogs we rescue each day as well as the awful statistics from shelters is heartbreaking. But seeing the dogs that we are able to save placed into loving homes and seeing the lives they lead from them on makes me happier than anything else in the world."

Blog | Twitter | Instagram

I think Jen is inspiring! And I am so glad there are people like her who are willing to give so much of themselves to animals in need! To hear more of Jen's story and to keep up with her fostering adventures, make sure to follow along, here!

And if fostering a dog is something you're interested in, check out your local animal shelter. They can help you get started on the right path!

Now go love on a dog!

“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.”
– Karen Davison

Currently

Loving that my fireplace mantel is ready for Spring with hydrangeas and antlers. (Because those things mean Spring, right?)

Drinking green tea with lemon and amazed at how easily it has replaced my morning cup(s) of coffee.

Reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I'm only on chapter 2 and I already think it is amazing.

Needing a haircut. Badly. I honestly can't remember the last time I cut my hair. Maybe September?

Stressing over some new rash that has appeared on the back of my neck. I have a feeling it's from my yeast free diet and my bodies telling me I'm allergic to eggplant or some other vegetable I've recently introduced it to. Or maybe it's caused by stress. If that's the case I'm screwed and it will be there forever.

Excited for hot yoga tomorrow night. I went to my first hot yoga class in over a year this past Monday. It was amazing...

Laughing about am email I received this morning titled, "Do You Poop Enough?" Kind of made my morning.

Anticipating Spring. Did I already mention that? Unfortunately Washington has rainy Springs. Who would have thought ;)

Currently posts inspired by Megan.

Yeast Free Update

I've mentioned here and there that Steven and I were planning on doing a 30 day Yeast Free diet soon. Well, it has been one week and we're still going strong! In a nutshell, Yeast Free means no yeast (duh), grains, diary, sugar, or fermented drinks. 

But it is a little bit more complicated than that even. You have to stay clear of fruit and butter for the first two weeks.  

For a more in depth list of what you can and cannot eat, visit Steph's blog. You'll find links to helpful posts and yummy recipes. Plus, she's the one who inspired me to give Yeast Free a try, and I'm so thankful!

In just one week I've noticed the following benefits from being Yeast Free:

- Increased energy and alertness. I no longer feel super sluggish at work and have more energy when I get home in the evenings to work out, clean up the house, cook, or whatever is on my to-do list for the day! 

- A feeling of fullness in between meals. This one is kinda crazy because I've always been a "snacker," but I've noticed that when I eat healthy, balanced meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner I am full until the next meal. My desire to snack while at work or watching TV in the evenings has almost disappeared altogether. Don't get me wrong, sometimes the urge still strikes and when it does I eat a healthy snack. 

- Variety in my meals. Steven and I have had some of the best meals lately and they have all met our Yeast Free guidelines!  

- Weight loss. I lost 5 lbs in 7 days. That's almost a pound a day!! Needless to say, I'm a happy camper.

Why Yeast Free is working for me?

To be honest, this is the first "diet" I've ever tried in my life. Why? Because I'm lazy! Diets make you count calories, or carbs, or even weigh your meat...no thanks! With Yeast Free there is no counting and no food scales. All I had to do was clean out my pantry of the foods we couldn't eat and stock up with the foods we can. Easy peasy. 

That doesn't mean it's been a cake walk. (Mmmmm....cake. I want cake.) I still have my cravings. The hardest part for me has been the fact that I can't have my three morning cups of coffee with french vanilla creamer. YUM! (Doesn't that sound good?) 

I'm not a huge fan of black coffee, so I have decided to give up coffee all together. And it. is. TOUGH. But I'm surviving. (Steven would probably say the hardest thing for him has been giving up beer.)

My lifesavers?

- Green tea with lemon. Never been a fan because I'd never tried it before ;)

- Peanut Butter. A few pieces of celery with peanut butter on them or just a dang spoonful of peanut butter by itself always hits the spot if I'm feeling like I may die of a sweet tooth craving.

Must be no sugar added! The only ingredients in this brand are peanuts and oil.

- Trying new delicious foods at dinner. It's almost like we're going out to eat and ordering something we've never had before! 

Stuffed eggplant. DELISH!

All in all, Yeast Free for Me has been great! 

I hope to give a weekly update on my progress (I promise I won't make it as long as this post though!), so be sure to check back next week! And if you have any questions feel free to ask!

Happy Tuesday, friends! =)