Deborah

How to start the New Year off right?

January 8, 2018

Around the world, everyone is wondering how they will begin 2018. They will reflect on all of their past resolutions that never happened, the 2017 elections, constant media of natural disasters, child neglect, animal abuse and much more.

For me, I try to focus new goals, look on how I can reduce my anxiety in my own mind and home along with giving back to my community even more. Here are a few things that I do to start my new year that might help you turn things around and begin this 2018 with a bang.

Create a vision board. I create a vision board. One side has all the things that I want to accomplish. I cut out words, pictures or ideas and place them on the goal side. Once I have completed those goals, I moved them to the other side of the board, Accomplished! Then, at the end of the year, I have something tangible to look at; something, visually, that says I did so much.
Purge. Purging your home of all the clutter will definitely help in feeling better and relaxed to accomplishing those goals. If you haven’t worn it or used it in six months or longer, please feel free to donate or throw it away. Also, purging doesn’t have to be exclusive to your home. You can clean out those emails, junk mail boxes, unsubscribe to all those digital subscriptions that you haven’t or don’t have time to read and unfriend, unfollow or unlike anything that might not be in tuned to your new goals.
Financial Goals. While I purge and clean my home, I create better systems to ensure that I pay my bills on time. I make sure that my credit report is up-to-date and doesn’t have any errors. I can request a free credit report yearly. Yes, I know that you can purchase a credit report through many online credit reporting agencies and have monthly monitoring but why pay $40 dollars for something that you can get for free! Additionally, I review my expenses. If I am paying for any subscriptions electronically that automatically renew, I update my renew dates and modify any auto renew settings to ensure that I don’t forget. Many companies look forward to you forgetting about what is being charged on your credit card. Lastly, life hiccups can hit us at any time. That is why it is so important to have some type of emergency fund, a retirement fund or long term savings plan. I save to maximize my IRA contributions, be ready for that unexpected emergency and that day that I can retire in a new home on the beach. The new trend should be being in the black not the red; Debt free is the new BMW.
Take care of yourself. The one thing that I have noticed about myself is that when I don’t take time for me; I become extremely distracted and unmotivated to accomplish anything. I make sure to incorporate time in my schedule for getting a haircut or my nails done, talking to life coach, scheduling those yearly checkups with my physician, going to the gym and even having a date night with my husband. All of these little moments are what keeps me from becoming overwhelmed, so do what you need to do to take care of yourself and start your new year on the right foot!

Let me know how you start your new year. Please feel free to email or comment below.

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Food & Drinks

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

December 13, 2017

Sweet potato pie is a Southern tart that will make you hum with every bite. This wonderful pie was developed by African-American slaves but, historically, it appears to go as far back to the early colonial days.

I learned this recipe from my Carolina grandmother, Ma’ma Cockrell. The one thing that I can’t even replicate is her homemade crust. Thank goodness for Pillsbury pie crust, because I would be lost without it. Without further ado, here is the recipe for this delicious, subtly spiced treat.

Ingredients

1 (1 pound ) Sweet Potato ½ teaspoon Nutmeg

½ cup Butter (softened) ½ teaspoon Cinnamon

1 cup White Sugar 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

½ cup Whole Milk 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

2 Eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚
Bake your sweet potato at 350˚ for 20 to 30 minutes until done. Peel the skin off the potato in preparation to mix with all the other ingredients.
Blend your cooked, skinless sweet potato with all the other ingredients.
Prep your baking dish or glass with your uncooked 9 inch pie crust. Pillsbury pie crust is a wonderful crust that has worked for me every time without an issue.
Pour your blended ingredients into the pie shell and place in the oven.
Your pie should cook for about 55 to 60 minutes until the knife comes clean from the center.
Let it cool for about 5 to 10 minutes to settle; slice and serve.

I look forward to hearing how your sweet potato pie turned out. Now, get to cooking!

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Lifestyle

A Mother’s Christmas Wish

December 7, 2017

Christmas is right around the corner. It’s such a wonderful time filled with traditions and family, but not for everyone – every year. See, Christmas and other holidays are hard for many people including myself. My son lives far away and this, along with many other things, have caused a disconnection.

Each year, I try working through the sadness by being a Secret Santa for a family in need, gift buying for my Chihuahuas and something small for my husband. My true wish is to have the one thing that isn’t in the cards right now; my son home for Christmas. I would love to hear his voice and reminisce about all the skateboarding, playing video games and good times that we had with each other.

For now, my wish is peace on earth, peace for others and hopefully, for me, peace within. As the song says, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” For this Christmas and for each day after, I wish for peace within your mind, body and spirit but, most importantly, within your heart.

My Christmas Wish For You

My Christmas wish for you, my friend
Is not a simple one
For I wish you hope and joy and peace
Days filled with warmth and sun

I wish you love and friendship too
Throughout the coming year
Lots of laughter and happiness
To fill your world with cheer

May you count your blessings, one by one
And when totaled by the lot
May you find all you’ve been given
To be more than what you sought

May your journeys be short, your burdens light
May your spirit never grow old
May all your clouds have silver linings
And your rainbows pots of gold

I wish this all and so much more
May all your dreams come true
May you have a Merry Christmas friend
And a happy New Year, too.

-author unknown

Merry Christmas!

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Advice Column

Ask Ms. Deborah ~ Girls don’t chase boys.

November 27, 2017

Dear Ms. Deborah,

I have a wonderful, brilliant daughter but there is one thing that drives me nuts; chasing boys. How do I stress to her not to chase boys? I keep telling her that courting is an art form that is lost among boys or men today. Her response is that I am old school and times have changed.

Deeply Frustrated,

A Devoted Mom

Dear Devoted Mom,

Although I don’t have a girl, I do feel your frustration. As a mother of a son, I would try so hard to teach him how to court a girl and he would look at me like I had three heads. He would say all the time that it sounds like too much work. For example, opening a door or car door didn’t even come close to happening. Mind you, he did it for me but he would say that girls don’t want it and of course, he gave up. On one particular date, he described how he would get to the girl’s front door of her home, she would run pass him to get to the car, hop in and say, “Let’s go!”

Today’s dating trends are so hard to understand but teaching your daughter that she is much more important than what the world is throwing at her as a standard for the moment. With that said, here are a few ways to throw in a conversation about dating and how it includes her.

Chase your dreams; Never boys

Girls are so much more mature than boys anyways. Reminding your daughter that boys are great companions but never needed to make her life great. It is important for her to find herself first, accomplish all those goals, explore and travel the world and then when ready, open her heart to find that perfect match. Every daughter must understand that they are a great catch and when it comes to the matters of their heart, patience is a virtue.

Capture their heart; Not their attention

When girls chase boys, they don’t work as hard to talk, write special notes or coordinate those amazing dates. I am not saying that girls shouldn’t socialize or start a conversation with a boy, but there is nothing wrong with setting a standard of how they are going to develop a friendship that just might lead to something greater and long lasting. Dating is a way of building a friendship. Friendship leads to romance and then to a long, lasting marriage.

Communication; Not Texting

Texting is the new form of communicating and dating. I have seen many couples out on a date that are continually on their phones texting friends and to each other! Although texting is a tool for quick and easy conversation and checking in, it does not replace face to face conversation. Texting is not meant to workout arguments or make life decisions with each other. Your daughter should understand that dating includes conversations and life experiences.

I hope my thoughts on dating helps you. Please feel free to reconnect with any updates. I would love to hear from you.

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Dog Training

Teaching “Leave It”

November 8, 2017

When welcoming our newest addition, Virginia into our home, I knew that I had to show her the ropes and teach her some cues. All I thought about was the fun ones like high five, weaving and sit pretty. Until, I noticed that Virginia was a confident girl and was challenging for hierarchy in the home. I already had one confident girl that ran the roost before her arrival, but, now, I had to manage any moments so they didn’t escalate. Both of my Chihuahua girls don’t have any teeth. Well, let me correct that statement; Virginia has no teeth but Meg has three left and one being a canine.

As I incorporated some fun cues, I was so very thankful that I taught the cue “leave it”. Leave it is a cue that I think all families should teach their dog. It immediately tells your dog don’t even try to eat it, touch it, growl at it or run for it.

One day, I fed both my girls peanut butter Kongs, separately. Once they were both done, I removed the Kongs to ensure that nobody got an attitude or possessive over a high value item. Little did I know that some peanut butter residue was still on a blanket. Virginia crept up while Meg was licking. I thought Meg cleaning herself but nope, it was a little bit of high value peanut butter left on that blanket. Within seconds, the ruckus erupted. See, I didn’t yell out their names or get angry when that moment happened. I yelled “Leave it”! It worked. They both jumped off the blanket as if a snake was about to bite them. Calm was instantly restored.

How did I teach the cue “Leave it”?

Here are my steps to teaching the cue, “Leave It”:

Leave a small item that dog might desire some distance away you.
Place the dog on leash by your side. If the dog looks, pulls or shows unwanted behavior, wait for it to be calm and return a look at you.
When the dog ignores or disengages, click and treat. Once the dog has mastered this behavior, you can add the cue.
To strengthen this cue, you can slowly get closer to the item and again, repeat that process of clicking and treating for leaving the item alone.

Another way of teaching “Leave It” is by having a treat in one hand, opening that treat hand to show the dog the item to engage his senses and then close your palm. If the dog stops pawing, licking or nudging and removes himself from the item, remove the hand/item away and then click and treat with other hand. Please note that the dog should never be rewarded with the item you are telling him to ignore.

“Leave It” is a cue to have in your tool bag. Imagine how many baths you won’t have to do because you yelled “Leave it” before your dog rolled in that high smelling horse, dog or rabbit poop! Wait, even better… How about saving your dog from ingesting medicine that fell off the counter or nowadays, a possible poisonous treat left behind by some sicko while your walking the neighborhood or local trail.

Victoria Stilwell ~ Teaching “Leave It” Video

Let me know how your training session is going. Feel free to comment below or email. I would love to hear from you.

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Rescue Spotlight

Mila

November 7, 2017

Photo Credit: MSCPA at Nevins Farm, Methuen, Massachusetts

Mila is a beautiful 10 year old Pit Bull Terrier located at the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen, Massachusetts. This darling girl is full of energy and loves to eat. She tends to be a Tigger and bounce, so a home with older children would be best. Let’s pass this along to find her forever home quickly.

10 years of age, Pit Bull Terrier
From Puerto Rico
Walks nicely on leash
No Cats, please
For a multiple dog home, meets and greets are necessary to ensure the right match.

For more information, please contact the MSPCA at Nevins Farm at (978) 687-7453. Their shelter is located at 400 Broadway, Route 28, Methuen, MA 01844.

MSPCA Adoption Center

Mila’s Petfinder Profile

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Lifestyle

My World of Blogging and More

November 4, 2017

First of all, who would’ve ever thought that I would be trying this thing called blogging. Reaching into the depths of my soul and sharing my thoughts, tips and tricks of dog training, Southern advice and of course, my many adventures with the loves of my life, Meg and Virginia.

The things that I have learned from starting this blog is that opening up into the social media world is extremely hard for a private, Southern girl but exciting all the same. It does take time to create articles that are fun, inviting, uplifting and that inspire thought provoking conversations.

I have been out of the corporate world for 8 months. Being a Stay at Home Chihuahua Mom/Blogger has allowed me to pick and choose my schedule, projects such as personal/corporate service jobs and volunteering and for that, I am grateful. The downside is that there are some days that I have a very hard time motivating myself. A lot of things crept into my world and distracted me lately. These distractions made me lose focus of what was important, me! With that said, I have created new goals for myself and I inspire you, my viewers, to do the same.

Health & Fitness

Of course, the most important goal is to take care of myself. Fitness has been the one thing that has been consistent during my life hiccup. I take pride in working out or going to the gym 5 to 6 days a week. However, I have lost about 7 pounds because of stress and now, it’s time to gain the healthy fluff back. It is important to track my food and ensure that I am getting all the necessary nutrients to fuel my body and grow those muscles. Additionally, I will be working with my trainer to set new personal record goals and track my progress.

Blogging

I truly want to share new thoughts, advice, my rescue spotlights and more at least 3 times a week. I always say, never over promise and under deliver. Again, it’s a goal and well, I will do my darndest to make it happen.

Personal/Corporate Services

I truly love mixing up my day or weeks with creative projects. I am lucky enough to have connections with a variety of people that have been very kind to throw fun and challenging projects my way. It is my goal to reach out a little more and make a little more fun money too.

Volunteering

I am very honored and privileged to be a hospice volunteer. I have done many vigils and got to know some beautiful people this year. It is my goal to connect with other volunteers or resource groups to share my stories of loss and find other ways to give back to my community.

In Closing..

I love being a Stay at Home Chihuahua Mom/Blogger. I am truly grateful for this opportunity. When any hiccups comes my way, I am proud to say that I have such amazing group of people in my life that provide such a support system that I can’t fail. So, thank you for hanging around while I figure out my new adventure.

Do you have any tips and tricks that keep you motivated? I would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts by commenting below or via email. I would love to hear from you.

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Lifestyle Random Acts of Kindness

A Little Halloween Fun

October 19, 2017

Halloween is one the most enjoyable days of the year for me. Here lately, I have become so intrigued with Disney female characters that I have chosen one each year to try to recreate and put a smile on my face but on others as well. Mary Poppins was one of my favorites but this year, it has to be Snow White.

I started earlier in the year cruising the websites for the perfect Snow White costume. I purchased this particular costume off of Amazon. Knowing that I did not have the short black hair and not any wig would do, I hit the internet again to find creative ideas or vendors that might have the perfect solution. Etsy was one of many sites that I hit and well, it is starting to become my go to site for accessories that are unique and hard to find.

When my costume came in, I was so thrilled. At the time I ordered it, I was concerned about the sizing. I use to be 100% spot on with regards to guessing my sizes with garments and costumes. Ever since I started fitness training four years ago, I noticed a lot of changes in my body. I realized that I am no longer an X Small or Small any more. The muscles in my back have grown and filled out wonderfully which makes it hard to fit in some shirts now. I was truly keeping my fingers crossed that this lovely costume would fit! As I carefully placed it over my head, I did notice it was a little snug around my latissimi dorsi muscles (lats) but overall, it was perfect.

As I swirled around and around in this costume, I kept looking at it as though it was missing something. Of course, it was missing a red antique brooch. I hit my favorite site again and searched vintage red brooches. It was perfect. As each accessory arrived, I would try everything on to make sure it all fit together. The last thing to do was makeup.

As you know, the trend nowadays is makeup. You have seen them. Spoon contouring, perfect eyebrows, and the perfect black cat eye are just a few that are show continuously on Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube. I truly thought that I would be a Pinterest fail. I truly underestimated myself. See, if I took my time, miracles can happen.

Now that the costume was all put together (hair, makeup and all), I shared a picture of myself in full costume with many close friends and my husband to see their reactions. It was a hit and the responses were so kind that I truly couldn’t stop smiling.

But wait, there was one more creative idea in the mist. Maleficient! I retraced all of my steps to create another Disney female character but can I be Maleficient? She does have a very stern face. Come to find out, I can!

I look forward to sharing my many adventures as Snow White and Maleficent. Who knows, you might see me transform into another Disney character real soon.

What are you going to be for Halloween? Comment and share your costumes. I would love to hear from you.

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Lifestyle

Hospice Volunteer – My Story

October 5, 2017

A few years ago, I saw one of the friends post something about her visits as a hospice volunteer. I was so drawn to those moments that I would review her page often to see what she was up to next. She would bring her dog along for most of her visits to provide comfort and/or distractions during this difficult time. I was so impressed on how much she loved doing those little things for her patients.

I reached out to her to ask her a couple of questions. The wealth of knowledge that she provided me and how she felt about volunteering was so helpful that I reached out to the local hospice center to sign up for the next available volunteer course and orientation.

After graduating from the hospice volunteer course, I waited for my first assignment. My focus was nursing homes and patients with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. It wasn’t long before I got that special person.

Every Thursday at 10:30 a.m., I would go see my girl, (MG*) MG smiled every time that she saw me. She would gladly point to my head when my bangs were not styled down on my forehead. It was almost like she told me that clipping them back was not an option. I shared books, music and my doll with her. Each moment, MG would show different sides of herself. From throwing out a cuss word while taking a stroll around the hospital to pointing a finger and telling me the gospel in a rambling session to sitting quietly by my side, I smiled because I truly felt that I got her. Her smiles and laughter light up a room and truly warmed my heart. Over time, she did regress. She slept more. Her speech soften. Even though I knew that my time would be limited, I was so honored and privileged to be a part of each of those visits.

Then one Thursday, I went to go see MG. I walked quietly to the community room and I knew. I looked in the Community Room Assistant’s eyes and nothing else needed to be said. I mouthed, “Thank you” and left just as quickly as I arrived. I sat in my car for a bit and reflected. Yes, it broke my heart but in the same breathe, I felt at peace because I was so honored to be a part of MG’s life. It was truly a gift.

If you are interested in volunteering in this type of setting, I highly recommend you connecting with your local hospice or palliative care service organization. There are so many ways to give from administrative support, bereavement duties, arts and music enrichment and more.

What has been your most rewarding experience? I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to email or comment below.

*Due to privacy, my patient will be noted as MG throughout my blog.

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Rescue Spotlight

Nany

September 15, 2017

Photo Credit: Senior Pets for Senior People/ARF Harbor Shelter

Nany is a beautiful 10 year old American Bulldog located in Los Angeles, California. This affectionate beauty has nothing but love to give and a few kisses as well. She is the staff and volunteer’s favorite, so let’s pass this along to find her forever home quickly.