on HEAR YE, HEAR YE, SHE RETURNS.

Oh hey internet. If it seems like I disappeared, that would be because I did. This whole running your own business thing.. was that my idea? Here's what I didn't factor in.. you ready? because this is a big time super amazing piece of advice: running a business centered around dogs and running a business centered around humans are very different.

More on this brilliance after an update on my life via instagram pics:

Tell me that's not some genius shit. No, but really, when I was running my own dog nannying business for the past 2.5 years, it was pretty easy. The dogs were perfect company, didn't mind if I had to take a phone call, were on a pretty solid routine, and were okay with sometimes not talking. People are very different. That being said, I'm pretty obsessed with coaching and am able to do it right alongside acting. Add in my other social media gig with, you know, life, and that should explain the disappearance. But today I realized that I really miss reading blogs and writing my blog so hopefully I'll be able to blog more frequently.

If you want to learn more about my coaching/consulting business, visit here.
The website is being redesigned soon so keep your eyes peeled for a re-launch!
If you're a blogger and want to be a part of a test run for a new part of coaching, write me.

Have a beautiful week, friends.

on SEEING WITH THE HEART

"Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; 

what is essential is invisible to the eye." The Little Prince

Switching my computer off, and leaving it in another state for two days, helped me remember what's important.

Running with them in the park, joyous smiles spread across their little faces, helped me remember what's important.

Playing scrabble, my favorite Halloween movie on in the background, my phone silenced, helped me remember what's important.

Sitting across from my favorite human, marveling as he took the same words from earlier, and shook them around like real-life boggle, spilling them back out in front of me until it all made sense, helped me remember what's important.

Weaving through the aisles of the grocery store together, continuing our life long conversation in a way that only best friends can know, helped me remember what's important.

Seeing updates on Facebook as a friend was losing her dog, my heart breaking for them, helped me remember what's important.

Watching as she went to help even though she was already tired and would have preferred to relax, helped me remember what's important.

Taking a cab across town, to a part of Manhattan I rarely encounter, just to give him a hug goodbye, reflecting on the great lessons he taught me the whole way there, helped me remember what's important.

Resting, instead of working just-a-little-more, helped me remember what's important.

Hearing the crunch of leaves under my feet, navigating our way through the pumpkin patch, helped me remember what's important.

Watching as he stretched out his body, relaxing, trusting, knowing he is safe here, helped me remember what's important.

Sharing my truths honestly, instead of covering or worrying, and having them received with love, helped me remember what's important.

You never know when you're going to get a boatload of lessons delivered to you. Might as well stay open just in case.

on MUCH MORE THAN ME (& a GIVEAWAY!)

Sometimes you just stumble onto something so cool, you can't believe you hadn't heard of it before. That's what happened with Much More Than Me. As soon as I got to the website I was in shock I hadn't ever been there before.

Much More Than Me is an amazing company that was founded "out of a joint desire to give people a creative way to advocate for acting with greater compassion toward human beings and animals". To that end, Much More Than Me has a shop full of awesome t-shirts, and for each one purchased, a percentage of the sale is donated to a cause. And even cooler yet, is that you get to select what organization to donate to, from a great list of options. While MMTM was founded from the core passion to advocate for rescue animals, they support and promote lots of organizations. So, in short, you pick your tee, and you pick where you want your donation to go. Plus, you get to join ranks with the celebrities and actors that support the company. Win-win-win.

One of the co-founders of MMTM was incredibly generous and sent me the Rafferty Reasons t-shirt, which I (honestly) wore four days in a row. Yes, that's right, four. Mainly because it's so incredibly comfortable, but also because I was so honored to wear such a great message around town.



You have a chance to win your own t-shirt from Much More Than Me! If you win, you'll get to select the item you want. Make sure to enter below, and to follow them on their Facebook page and Twitter (definitely find the coupon code currently being offered, too).

Please note: this giveaway IS open to International followers :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

on AN UPDATE FROM HENRY & LAYLA

Hello internets, Henry Elliot here. Thought I'd give you a little catch up since it's been awhile since I posted and--
AND LAYLA JUNE. Layla June here. Layla. Layyyyyla. Did you see my dress? Go see dress. GO! Layla dress. Ruffles. Rufffffles. Ruff-ruff-ruffles.
Yes, ahem, Layla is here, too.
LAYLA. Layyylaa.
Yes, we all know your name, thank you. Now. Moving on. For the past few weeks, something very exciting has happened in our world, as we--
Is it my poop? Layla make poop!
No, Layla, it's not your poop. Seriously? I'm trying to make a blog post here. Anyway, the exciting news is that we have been back with our mommy full time.
MOMMY!
Yes, she's your mommy, too, though lord knows why that is..
WHAT you say? You say hurtful thing to Layla? I poop on you.
Moving right along, we have indeed been back with our mommy and it's been very exciting. Lots of time in the park and visiting the touristy places, taking in the sights, and so on. We've slept in the big bed each night, and mommy doesn't mind that we leave her approxamately two inches of space along the edge of the bed. She likes snuggling with us, so we try to sleep as close as possible.
Layla sleep on her head.
Yes, Layla likes to sleep on her head, while I enjoy just a bit more space. Perhaps a paw placed gently on her face. I'm considerate like that. Aside from the big bed, we enjoy the big park, and we do not enjoy the big trucks. Did you hear that, city? No more big trucks.
Henry scaredy-cat.
What was that?
No, nothing, go on.
Anyway, yes, it's been lovely. Things have been going smoothly, you know, except for the big trucks and when Layla throws up in the bed, and eats things on the street she shouldn't be eating--
CHICKEN. LAYLA LOVE CHICKEN.
Sigh. No but really, does anyone want a little Chihuahua mix? She's tiny, you wouldn't notice--
YOU try to sell Layla?! You try to rid life of a Layla?! Brother. You pay for this. You sleep with one eye open. You never see it coming! Layla NINJA! You insult Chihuahua, you must pay.
Okay, internet, well it looks like we're just about done here. Please do feel free to send treats to me. Er, us. To us. Have a nice day and--
TREATS! I hear TREATS!
Henry Elliot, over and out.

on CAESAR MOVES TO THE MIDWEST

It took us a little while at first. We had to learn each other. One of us liked to pull the other one down the street, feet lifting up from underneath, hair flying in face, beagle nose on the move. We had to learn how to talk to each other, give and take, like any relationship. But the love had been there from the start.

Caesar taught me some really important things. Like what happens when we release control and push ourselves to go a little further. And that it's important to be held a lot. And that playing is a 24 hour a day commitment. And that trusting can be scary, but you just have to keep trying.

When C and his mom moved out of town last week, we had just wrapped up our last few days together. Long walks, and toy tosses, and couch time together. And a final "you're a good boy, Caesar, be good, I'll see you soon" and you better believe I started to cry as I left. These dogs that I get to watch, to take care of, they aren't just a job. They're furry bundles of lessons and love, and while the job sounds like an easy out for some quick cash, it's always me who ends up unbearably lucky to have gotten the chance. C was even more special as I'm currently taking a pause from the doggie-sitting world (we'll see how long that lasts) and he could very well have been the last. Plus, I have a soft spot for furry little boys with eyes that tell you they've seen things, and a need to know they're safe. C is lucky, he's got a great mom, who loves him so much, and has kept him through endless moves and changes and years. He is absolutely one of the lucky ones, and one of the sweetest, too.

You're a good boy, Caesar, be good, I'll see you soon.

on LATELY, LATELY

Instalife, over here. Lucky, lucky girl, I am.

Brooklyn Lunch / On the Hudson / Meditating / Henry Bear / Favorite Place

Reunited / Color Change / Girl Talk / Layla June / Stolen Toy

Follow along here.

on LAYLA JUNE IS DEFINITELY MINE

The captions for these photos are too easy. Just too easy. It would go a little something like this:
top photo: Henry: "Hi mommy! Hi mom, hi mom, hi mommy, I love you, hi mommy, pose!"
                 Layla: "You take out camera? You no ask permission? Bug NOT prepared.."
bottom photo: Layla (continuted) "..and now? I judge you."

This little girl just kills me dead. She drives me batshit crazy, I think that's important to note. We still haven't gotten the hang of correct behavior quite yet. For example, I'll hear a little ladybug jingle as she's running around somewhere she shouldn't be, and find her just as she's tearing through yet another garbage can, or pooping somewhere she shouldn't be. My girl loves to poop, plain and simple, and she'd prefer to do so on your wall, thank you very much. The legs of your furniture, the bottom part of your bedspread that's close enough to the ground to reach, those will do, too. When she hears me coming before I catch her, she zips past me, head turned the other way, eyes straight ahead, NOTHING TO SEE HERE, okay mom? She is whip smart. And a tiny devil.

But she is a mush. A lovey. A sweet little girl, who wants nothing but to be held and loved and relax in the knowledge that she is safe. She climbs up into my lap, resting her head against my chest, and looks up at me with so much love that I think I might burst. She gets yelled at all the time. I mean, all. the. time. And I find myself talking to her at night, realizing just how many times she'd been yelled at that day, telling her she's a good girl, as she nuzzles into my arms to fall asleep, laying just so that she's certain I can't leave her.

I wrote before about how similar we are (I mean, except for the pooping everywhere and eating garbage thing) but the longer we've been together, the more and more I see how very true it is. We even make the same little sighs and noises as we go through our day (no, but seriously, we do). We're both firecrackers, troublemakers, wily, free-spirited little girls. We just get that about each other. Determined to a point of recklessness. Seeking fun at all costs. More love than we know what to do with. Empathetic, but quick tempered. Fiery. Tough exterior, soft interior. And we both hop quite a lot. I remember when he looked at me, and then at her, and back to me, before smiling, "you two are so alike". I smiled, but didn't totally get it. No, I thought, it's Henry who is like me. And he is, my boy, my heart. But it seems as though my second kid has got just as many similarities, albeit different ones.

The other day, she bounced off the couch and started to play, as though this was an every day occurrence. She had never once played before (despite endless attempts). She understood fetch and tug-of-war and using her paws. She got in play position, and then...she started to play with Henry. Who has never successfully played with another dog. (You guys know I was crying by this point, right?) And then - her teeth came out, a sharp no! from me, and she was back on the couch, hiding, unsure. But the next day, she tried again, and again the next day, and now she plays. She had been watching Henry and I play all along. She had heard me explain and teach her. She just needed to do things in her own time.

After all, she is her momma's dogter.

on THREE YEARS WITH HENRY ELLIOT

On July 27, 2010, Henry Elliot Raleigh Alexander Anderson made his way into my life and picked me to be his mommy. This past Saturday, we celebrated three years together with a little outing to PetSmart. His sissy came, too, and he graciously allowed her to share in his day (as he was raised very well by his momma and is a polite and loving little bear). Check his face below, I just die.

Henry and Layla each picked out a toy. Hedgehogs for everyone! A tug-o-war style guy for Hens-El and a little pink one for La. Both mega-squeakers and good to toss.

Above: Henry: "Mom, this is the best day ever!" Layla: "I judge you."

Sleepiest bear in the world.

I don't know if you guys have caught on yet, but I love this tiny man with my entire heart. I still remember sitting with him on my dining room floor on that first day, how scared and small he was, and his foster mom asked if I was interested in keeping him or not. I immediately felt horrified that she even asked - this was my dog, my Henry. I just knew it. There's a bumper sticked commonly spotted on many a suburban vehicle, that reads: Who Rescued Who? (do note: I totally want one of these) and it couldn't be more true about my Hen. He saved me, he taught me what unconditional love looks like, what it feels like, and what matters.

Hen has taught me, you know, an exceptional amount of things. But this year, with the addition of Layla June, he's taken it up to a whole new level. Here's a few of the lessons baby bear has given me recently:

1. The people who love us are always there waiting for us. We can't be separated (truly separated) from those that share our hearts. Therefore distance ain't nothin but a different time zone.
2. We don't know what's coming next, but we can choose how we handle it. When I came home with La, Hen basically tried to eat her. He pouted and was hurt, but then.. he changed his mind. Decided to be friends. This past week, they attempted playing together (I cried). If my baby dog can choose the higher road, then I can, too.
3. Show your affection. Hen has taken to resting his head on my hand as he falls asleep. This gentle action makes my heart fill up and burst with love.
4. Treats are important. Have them often.
5. Fresh air is nearly always the answer. Leaping and playing in grass will also aid you in any decision making.
6. You have to play. You just have to. Daily. Often. Silliness and play time are clutch.
7. Get vocal about the people you love. This boy basically screams at the top of his lungs every time I come through the door. I could be gone 5 minutes or 5 days, and it's a freaking party up in here.
8. Sharing is cool, but sometimes you need to whine or gripe about someone trying to take your toys. Let it out, and then try to practice sharing again.
9. Naps. Naps, my friend. Very important. Fluff your blankets and pillows around a bit, too.
10. Words aren't as needed as we think. Henry tells me exactly what's up with his eyes, body, and actions.
11. Rejoice. Dance. Leap. Wave your front paws (arms) around wildly. Smile as wide and as big as you can. Show joy with your entire body. Wiggle. Shake your tail. Kiss the people you love. Roll around on your back. Stretch. Wear your love all over your body.

This is the story of how we came to be & this is what I wrote on our one-year of togetherness.
(Important to note that those years were really rough, and I was not in a great place. You'll catch on as you read some of the snark and hurt laced between those words.)

He is still, by far, the number one best decision I've ever made. He is my best friend, and I'm so proud to see him interacting with other doggies and people, and to see how much he's grown. The best lesson of all that he taught me, is that we all truly just need love and to know we are wanted, and trust that we belong. Those things heal us and shape us into our bravest, best selves.
Oh little bear, I love you so.