Thirteen for Thursday

1. After watching Ellen and seeing Brandon McMillan I knew I needed to start recording Lucky Dog. McMillian used to train wild animals (sharks on Shark Week and the tiger from The Hangover), but once he found out how many shelter dogs were being put down each year he started training shelter dogs to show they are just as great as breeder dogs. I can get behind that! My shelter dog is the BEST so I'll support him showing people how great they are too. Seriously, watch this show. It's so sweet. It is making me want to adopt another pup, uh oh!

2. If you follow me on Instagram (learningtobeawife) you already saw this picture. Flowers are my happy. They seriously brighten me up as soon as I wake up and see them in the kitchen as I make coffee. It is worth the $10 a week to buy grocery store flowers because they brighten my mood and my home. They truly are my happy. It really is the little things!

3. We got to meet our friends' sweet new baby girl, Hattie, Tuesday evening. Is there anything better than the newborn smell? The newborn cuddles? So precious. It is so fun watching friends grow their families and become such awesome parents.

4. This past weekend was kind of a bust. Friday night was fun. We had dinner with my boss and his wife and their sweet daughter, Elena. Saturday and Sunday I had the worst headache that wouldn't go away no matter what I did. We had fun plans too and none of it happened. I just laid on the couch trying to get the pain to go away. Major bummer. 

5. Monday was better. I trained a new employee all day so the day went fast. That night I met good friends for chips, salsa and margaritas to celebrate a birthday. How about that for a last meal before I start the meal plan?! It did not disappoint.

6. I'll talk more about the meal delivery plan tomorrow, but so far so good. The food is surprisingly REALLY good. I don't miss carbs like I thought I would. I am a bit hungry, especially at night. This is harder than I thought it would be, but it's worth it!

7. Check out these crazy storm clouds we had going on last weekend. Speaking of the weather, it has been kinda rainy and chilly this week. It's tough to go from sunny and 70s back to 40s and windy. Summer is coming though, I feel it!

8. We had our first big thunderstorm Tuesday night and surprisingly Manny wasn't scared. He was fascinated and staring out the window. The lightning was fierce so I kept having to call him away from the window! That little storm chaser.

9. I have been up until midnight the last few nights reading The Fault in Our Stars. Oh my gosh, it's so darn good I don't want to put it down!!! I love it so much. It breaks my heart but it's beautiful and it's funny. I don't want it to end. 

10. I loved American Idol Country Night last week! Country music is my jam and the contestants did so well. I'm not the biggest Jessica fan, but I loved loved loved her rendition of "Jolene" by Dolly Parton. Excellent song choice. Also? Gena is still in it and that makes my Farmington Hills loving heart happy!

11. Training someone is hard work! I talk more than I've ever talked before alllll day long and it's exhausting! And I'm a talker so that is saying something. When G and I leave work I am tired of hearing myself, ha!

12. We have no plans the rest of the week or next week and I'm super excited to finish my book and have lazy weekends. It's a nice turn of events and feels good to enjoy our home. I'm loving this new season of life. 

13. We had a work retreat last Friday on conflict and it was so good. I got really good at conflict resolution with G, but at work I shy away from it. This retreat helped me learn how to get better at it. As a co-worker told me, "Conflict is healthy. If you don't have conflict it means you don't care about that person. You don't want to help them reach their full potential." MIND. BLOWN.