Losing a furbaby

FURBABY: 

A beloved pet, can also be fur-less (think reptiles and birds).
Typically used as a term of endearment towards an animal. 

A friend of mine recently lost her furbaby Snickers, she was a majestic and sassy 17-year old apple head Chihuahua, an absolute queen. It hit me pretty hard too because Snickers was a part of my life as well for about 7 years. I got to know her inside and out and she even let me into her very secluded circle of love and trust, the day she smothered me in kisses is a day I'll never forget! I knew what the owner and Snickers had been through together - their bond was stronger than anyone could imagine. They lived for each other and you could tell. They were #bondinggoals

^ RIP PIPPER 1998 - 2016

I'm writing today because I live pretty far away from her. I wanted to comfort her more than anything, to mourn with her, to hug her before she could collapse and cry, and I couldn't. Thankfully she did have support with her.

But what do you do when someone you love loses their furbaby?

It's really simple actually. To be frank, there is absolutely nothing you can do to console that person. Their heart is broken, a part of their soul is furever gone, they've lost someone who meant more then them than words could describe. So there's nothing you can do to really help resolve the heart break, because it's one of those things only time can heal; but you can make the healing process easier on them.

I've learned a few thing after the loss of this furbaby and my own. I worked hand-and-hand with animals most my life and have experienced countless loses, all of which are forever in my heart.

So here is what I think you can do, based on my experiences:

BE THERE
She called me almost immediately after it had happened, I was in shock and clearly so was she. In this moment I learned that my role to play here was the rock. What that person needs is someone to talk to. After she filled me in on what happened, I just stayed on the phone with her. My job wasn't to say anything. It really wasn't the time to say anything. She just needed someone to be there with her.

PROVIDE SUPPORT
After the loss my job now was to make sure she was always aware someone was there for her and thinking about her and her furbaby. I sent her virtual hugs, tagged her in funny things on facebook, and gave her non-invasive responses to her upset messages. It still wasn't the time for me to try and console her. She just needed little moments to breathe and that's what I was providing her with. Just a 2 second time out.

REMINISCE
This will be harder, there is a 99% chance that this will evoke tears. I remember whenever I lost a furbaby the best thing anyone could do for me was tell me funny stories about that pet, or tell me how spoiled they were or the time when... in snickers case one of my favourite moments is anytime I had a freezee, slushie or popsicle she'd be all over me, obsessed with the fruity icy slush!

SEND THEM ALL YOUR PICTURES
If you have pictures of the pet, then send them to them! All they have now are the memories, make sure they have as many of them as possible. The more pictures they have to look at, the better.

"Everybody is born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, animals already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long." 

- Unknown

Is there is something someone has done to help ease your pain? Comment below, I'd love to know!

SUNDAY FUNDAY #4

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE!
I had yet another very successful weekend, bought myself a new bedframe and built it myself, and I got a lot of content built for the next coming weeks! I apologize for not posting this past week as I was really busy but I promise I will try my best to make sure it doesn't happen again!

^ photography tip: When photographing an ice-cream cone, always remember to have your thumb facing the lens or else your hand ends up looking really whack.

The ice-cream flavour is Raspberry Thunder. Raspberry ripple with white chocolate and it's my all-time favourite.

Each SUNDAY FUNDAY list is 10 items long. The content will change but the categories will remain the same.

INSPIRATIONAL |  My time is money and I'm not going to sit back and waste it. MarieTV is something I've been watching for years. Marie keeps me so motivated and inspired to be my very best and most successful self. Check out this video of her interview with the amazing Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray Love) it has had me on such a high for a really long time now. Note to self: I still need to read Big Magic.

ANIMAL |   Common victims of tragedy, these animals are often killed for trophies and "exotic" cures.

FOOD |  Come springtime I'm always trying to find recipies that match the season and the beautiful weather. I came across this receipt for Cilantro-Lime Cucumber Salad and I am just blown away! So fresh tasting, it really tastes like a crisp spring morning.

TUTORIAL | Because who doesn't want to know how to cut a strawberry to look like a rose!

FASHION |  I'll totally be rocking a Monokini this summer.

BEAUTY |  Once a week I love to give my entire face and body a deep and thorough exfoliation. I got Frank's coffee scrub because of the hype and was happily surprised that the hype was indeed justified. It feels like it would be really rough but it makes my skin feel like silk, helps reduce the redness to my skin and doesn't dry my skin out at all! This is my holy grail exfoliate and I will keep repurchasing.

MUSIC |  Halsey has such a lovely voice, like a raspy Ellie Goulding but a million times more interesting. Check out this amazing remix of one of my favourite songs of hers, Colors.

BLOG POST | I love SMEG fridges too but why is this so intense? and why do I love it so much?

ANIME |  So I just finished Natsuyuki Rendezvous. Let me tell youm that was a very unique one. It's a shorter series but the ending is amazing because the stroy really comes full circle and in my opinion the story neds really well. It only comes dubbed and is available on Crunchyroll.

DIY |  I loved making friendship bracelets growing up and I will braid anytime I get the chance. I cam across this simple Macrame Bracelet it it's very simple and can definitely fit in with my style. I will be making a white one. Shouldn't cost me more than $1!

SUNDAY FUNDAY #3

Good morning everyone!
Even after a night of hanging out with friends I still got my ass out of bed, made breakfast for myself and bae and got to the grocery store and back all before 10! Looks like another beautiful day with lots to do, I'm going to go outside and take all kinds of new pictures today.

Each SUNDAY FUNDAY list is 10 items long. The content will change but the categories will remain the same.

^ dragonfruit is the feature in my morning smoothie today

INSPIRATIONAL |  Really loving this artist lately.

ANIMAL |   Airedales are my favourites, and yes - I'm biased. I have an airedale, Higgins (11). I love them mostly because they were the #1 choice for dogs of War. Airedales were War Heroes, but so were many other dogs. Read a brief article about it here.

FOOD |   My first time making pizza I went for something I usually order. I'm really happy with how this Chicken Alfredo Pizza turned out, you could even Gordan Ramsay it and crack an egg on top!

TUTORIAL |  I have a couple of friends (one in particular) who do a lot of cardistry and magic. I've always been amazed by it and figured I'd learn to do at least one card trick of my own to impress them next time I see them. It's 5 minutes, worth the learn!

FASHION |  I will be ordering one of these puppies soon. Proceeds go to charity.

BEAUTY |  If you have dark thick brows like me then you want a product that really works. For far too long I used pencils, powders and palette gels. I have this weird little bald patch at the front of my eyebrow from waxing the entire fronts off when I was 13. Never grew back, so here I am.  The cult favourite is Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade. So after a long internal debate I got it, and I'm never going back. It takes practice but your brows will be super fleek after and it seriously lasts forever. Again, cruelty free.

MUSIC |  This song has been on repeat recently. Birdy - Keeping Your Head Up. Her song Wild Horses is also pretty amazing!

BLOG POST |  Not so much a blog post as one of my favourite bloogers. Taylor Abbott of Gray Aestheticis one of my biggest inspirations and she's such a genuinely sweet person!

ANIME |  Another classic for you guys - DeathNote. It's about a book, a book that whoever's name is written in it, will die. Sounds eerie right? Well it is. Demons, blood, etc. It's a golden choice. Comes in subbed and dubbed.
For those of you looking for something a little less well known try Elfen Lied. Very dark, very messed up, very addicting. Comes subbed.

DIY |  I will be making one of these Pressed Flower Phone Cases.

10 REASONS TO ADOPT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ADOPTION

Soon I will be celebrating Kiwi's adoption day.
This is a big deal for us both, as it's officially been 1 year since I adopted her, my very first kitty cat.

Kiwi was a rescue, she was dropped off at the Toronto Cat Rescue after her previous rescuer's dog attacked her. Her previous owner didn't want to give her up but the dog was adopted first and she needed to be somewhere safer.

I originally didn't want a cat like her, being so dedicated to animals as I am I was fully intending to adopt a senior black cat (the least adopted cat but the most commonly abused and abandoned). I saw her dainty little picture, with the name "Puff" (seen right) and for some reason I immediately drove 2 hours to get her. She was sleeping in a display cage and barely made a peep. She looked so lonely. I poked her and she hissed at me.
I was immediately in love. 

Kiwi has never hissed since, she also isn't quiet, she talks as much as I do - and that's saying something. She has such a variety of meows. She says "Okay", "No", "Why" and "Thank you". I swear to God she does, I'll film it one day. She also has a really bizarre vocabulary of meows and grumbles.

She's obsessed with snuggles and pets and would happily let me kiss her for hours. She head bonks you every time you feed her too, she's so polite.

Like shaggy says, I always tell her "You're a queen and that's how you should be treated." she agrees.

So these are my 10 reasons for why you should adopt!

1.You'll save a life.
Kill Shelters - I'm sure you heard of them, the name isn't to intimidate you, it's true. These shelters deal with over-population but putting animals down AKA KILLING THEM.  2.7 million dogs are euthanized in shelters each year.

2. They're likely already house-trained.
A great thing about shelters and rescues is that they will do as much training as the possibly can while the animal is in their care. What that means is the pet you're adopting is most likely already trained. This also translate into pets with poor behaviour as well, they take the time to help with behavioral issues and these animals can completely be transformed and rehomed.

3. You'll help control backyard breeding and puppy mills.
There are disgusting people all around the world that simply think quantity over quality. They just want to make profit off these living creatures. By adopting from rescues it's a safer chance that you aren't paying money for an animal bred in sickening conditions. Many many pet stores purchase animals from mass breeders and puppy mills and you'd be paying into that and helping it thrive without even realizing.

4. You'll help break the cycle of over-population.
I understand those who want pure-bred, but for all the people who are buying mutts and mixes off craigslist and kijiji are not helping the cause. Instead of waiting for a breeder to get thier dog to reproduce why don't you adopt someone who is already homeless. By adopting from a shelter rather than an independent or breeder you're discouraging the people who mass-produce and illegally breed as well as you're helping to lessen the demand of breeding in general. This in turn will help lower the population.

5. There aren't any major surprises.
When you adopt from a shelter, the animals are typically vet checked, neutered/spayed and groomed. The staff evaluates things like temperament, behaviour, energy level, bite history, age - etc.They try to provide you with every bit of information they can get up. Sometimes though, you won't know that pet's exact age which is the ONLY downside, but that's why you make their birthday their adoption date or intake day, like I have done with Kiwi. Most of the time when animals relinquished it actually has nothing to due with behavioural issues.

6. Variety.
There are sooooo many different types of animals in shelters, from huge fluffy black cats to teenie tiny Chihuahua mixes and bunnies. It's like walking through a museum only filled with original one of a kind pieces of art. You're guaranteed to find someone special who can match your personality and lifestyle (no matter how weird you may be!)

7. You've got a support team and knowledge resource furever.
Shelter employees love nothing more than a great adoption story, ask any of them or take it from me. Having someone come back in to thank you and tell you how amazing their pet is doing can sometimes bring you to tears. To this day, if any of the people I had adopted out to came back to ask me a question or advice or wanted to tell me of something good happening or even a pets passing. I'd still care. We had a lady who would bring in her Chihuahua Sarai back in to see us every once in a while, just because she knew Sarai loved us too. (She was with us for about 1 1/2 years before she was adopted). That little girl is spoiled now and we are SO HAPPY every-time we hear about it. Shelter staff will always care. Pet stores? Sold. Please don't refund. That's how they work.
(disclaimer: I am not saying pet store staff isn't dedicated - my team was - It's more of a generalized comment, so chill)

8. You help support a valuable charity and community. 
Animal shelters and rescues for the most part run on donations. So every penny counts. These people are the key to helping end animal homelessness and overpopulation and you can be a very valuable asset to that movement. For those who don't adopt (or even those who do) donating supplies like bowls, treats, blankets, towels and toys. It's all valuable, and when you adopt your pet, the money you spent is going to be used to help more animals find homes. Not into someone's greedy pockets.

9. It costs less and encourages more.
With shelters taking care of things like spay/neutering, vaccinations and micro-chipping you're saving yourself a lot of money on a first vet visit. They usually have an on-staff or dedicated vet which allows them to make adoption more affordable and more complete. Also when you adopt, it encourages others to adopt - when you tell your adoption story, it makes others want to have an adoption story and feel the love that you feel!

10. It feels incredible and it will change your life. 
These animals want nothing more than love and comfort. It's so simple to help them, and the love and comfort they offer in return is something you can only get from a pet. Most often, these babies really do appreciate their new furever homes and will adopt you as well. I often look at Kiwi and think, "You are the best decision I have ever made", and it's true, she is.

With the opportunity to make such a huge difference in the world, why wouldn't you?

Remember, Adopt - Don't Shop.

SUNDAY FUNDAY #2

Happy Sunday everyone! I had a very productive weekend which means I have a lot more content to share with everyone in the coming weeks! There was a giant centipede in my bedroom last night and I tried to kill it but I lost it so I slept on my couch all weekend. I'm starting my day off with a huge cup of coffee and fried egg and spinach on toast. Drink your water and have a good day!INSPIRATIONAL |   Rapi Kaur is a poet that I've been following for a while, she has a way with words that just speak to my soul. I was lucky enough to see her at a reading in Toronto. I follow her on instagram as well. You've probably seen someone share her work at one point or another.

ANIMAL |   In early February it was announced that as of 2017 new laws are going to be put in place that will hopefully completely eliminate Puppy Mills in British Columbia. It's going to weed out all the bad breeders in the province. I hope this movement spreads quickly to the other provinces!

FOOD |   Purple is one of my favourite colours. Lavender is a great plant in the sense that it calms and relaxes. It's so incredibly fragrant and my go-to bath scent. So when I saw these Lavender and Honey Cupcakes, I knew I had to give them a try! I'm thinking I'm going to start posting some of my favourite recipes myself.

TUTORIAL |  My go-to style for lazy or bad hair days.

FASHION |  I want these shoes soooo badly.

BEAUTY |  As you know I only use Cruelty free products. One of my make-up bag staples is this Rose Water Face Mist & Setting Spray. I know it's pricey but one bottle will last you a long time. I bring it with me when I'm out and about so whenever my skin starts feel tight and dry, I just spritz a little on it. It's vegan and I need to buy more.

MUSIC |  Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove Anything with some groovy vibes gets me going. Disco is my favourite and this is a song I've been dancing around to this song as long as I can remember. Hopefully you already know it! Another fun song here.

BLOG POST |  Clean Mama has been a favourite blogger of mine for a while. Here's her post on how to clean all your bathrooms in 15 minutes. Thankfully I only have one, but this method is killer, if you don't have a bathroom cleaning kit I highly recommend you make one!

ANIME |  This week I'm going to again offer a suggestion for a Subbed & Dubbed anime that's again available on Netflix. Since I know many of my readers do not normally watch anime I figured I'd start out slow before I get deep into the world of anime. So this week I'm suggesting Durarara!! Obviously this is also available on CrunchyRoll. This anime is an action mystery with supernatural aspects. It's about a bunch of gangs of Ikebukuro and the members of them. It's one of my favourites and it's amazing to have it on Netflix now.

DIY |  Kiwi is a scratcher, she has completely ruined my pleather sofa and now she keeps attempting to ruin my rug and coffee table, even though she has multiple posts. I've since noticed she prefers flat surfaces, so I have opted to create two different cat scratch posts. Wall Scratcher (inspired by this one) and Lounge Scratcher.

Chairty Spotlight: Animal Aid Unlimited

WARNING: GRAPHIC.

A charity I have been following for a long time is Animal Aid Unlimited. Like most charities, it's run entirely on donations. This charity runs out of India and many connecting countries and is basically the only form of animal rescue and care they have over there. This group of people work tirelessly around the clock to help animals in need, they live and breathe for this charity.

Now why do I support a charity on the other side of the world and not per say one over here?

First, I support many charities in my own country and community.
Second, I support this charity because in many countries, India especially, the laws in place to protect and care for animals are practically non existent. Just think for a second the conditions some of the humans in that country have to deal with, now take that and apply it to the animals. Dogs are constantly being attacked and killed for fun, abandoned, tied up to one post their entire lives with the rope slowly embedding itself in their neck, getting stuck in traps, getting hit by cars only to have severe injuries that will slowly and I mean slowly, kill them. Even in a country where Cows are considered holy and sacred they still face abuse too. You name it, it's probably happened.

The work these people do is mind blowing, the video I have added to this post is one of their worst case wounds but there are many close behind. The people don't just give up on the animals either -they literally do everything in their power to save even the most unlikely of lives. That's something that really stands out to me, many charities are quick to give them the needle, but Animal Aid Unlimited wants to do everything they can first, and in many cases (like Kalu's story) it has proven to be a good decision.

I donate to this charity because they don't have the access to care for animals like we do here. They need medicines - even just saline solution to clean out wounds and powders to clear things up, the basics like gauze and food. Around here, I can buy a bag of dog food and drop it off at any shelter or in some cases even a pet store and it will find it's way to a needy pooch. They do everything they can but it's not so easy over there, so the animals need help from places like here.

I hope one day I'll get an opportunity to do more than just spread the word and donate. If any of these videos tug at your heart strings - think about donating. Their website has some great options for donations, from money to buying food or medical supplies - it's all up to you!

If you can't donate - at least give them a follow on Instagram and check out their website here: Animal Aid Unlimited.

Here is a video they shared on their Instagram the other day that I got absolutely giddy over and I thought was super cute and should be shared. It's a glimpse into the positive things that come as a result of this incredible charity and it's even more incredible people.

This is the cutest thing we've ever seen. Ramu thinks he is already swimming. Awww! Bless!

A video posted by Animal Aid Unlimited (@animalaid_india) on Apr 6, 2016 at 9:22am PDT

SUNDAY FUNDAY #1

I love Sundays.

Sunday is my most lazy day so I've decided to make it a bit more productive and create SUNDAY FUNDAY. If you're anything like me this weekly Sunday post will have some things to for you to check out while binge watching your latest show.

Each SUNDAY FUNDAY list is 10 items long. The content will change but the categories will remain the same.

INSPIRATIONAL |   I'm trying to inspire others to start becoming more of a minimalist. Maybe not in the same sense that I am but in a way that people begin to live within thier own means. The book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo is a book that really changed my entire world. I've started living with less and feeling more. This book gets pretty intense and might be WAY more than most people need. It's a good read and is available on Kindle as well.

ANIMAL |   As of 2016 the FBI has launched a new program for dealing with animal cruelty! It's going to change the results in courts as well as increse in information recorded on the subject. Big move America!

FOOD |   I make these Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breasts on the regs. I add Panko bread crumbs or crushed triscuts to make it a bit crispier. They're perfect for 1-2 people or more even. I cook mine in the toaster oven when it's just one serving- easy, healthy and quick meal!

TUTORIAL |  Do you take photos with a DSLR? Do you want to? Might be worth learning some of the basics such as Exposure. Something like exposure can make or break the light balance of a photo, if it's too dark it can be very difficult to remove the noise. Stay tuned for blog posts about photography.

FASHION |  I want to own clothing that will last me as long as possible and through as many seasons as possible. Since I'm a child in a woman's body I still love a good pair of Overalls! You can wear them through spring, summer and fall and are such an easy staple to just slip on.

BEAUTY |  The Tarte Amazonian Clay Matte Bronzer is my holy grail of bronzers. It's perfect for my sensitive skin and a little goes a long way. I love the shimmer version for the summer, adds the right kind of warm glow. My skin is neutral but it works well on both cool and warm tones even better. Not to mention it's cruelty free! it isn't vegan though, it does include dehydrated eggs.

MUSIC |  Zinc - Show Me. It's been one of my most played since it came out. The lead dancers in the video are actually this really amazing dancing couple from Tokyo, Japan - AyaBambi. I actually found the video because of them! Bonus.

BLOG POST |  Grey + Scout always post the best interiors. I've fallen in love with this micro home. It's so beautiful!

ANIME |  Now this has been very Americanized after being added to Netflix, but this was the manga that stole my heart and the anime that kept me glued to my computer for hours. NANA is this story of these two 20 year old girls both named Nana who meet unexpected and end up becoming each other's friendship soulmate. It's a slow paced anime but I find it really resonated with me and it was very down to earth, beautiful writing and amazing music. It would really edge well with this generations millenials. I'd say it's very 14A rating. Since it's on Netflix and also comes in a dubbed version, it's a good starting point for anime newbies! The only thing is that it's a very crude cut off ending because it was never completed - but you can still read the mangas! Check Netflix (available on Canadian and american) , it's also free on AnimeFreak and is not on Crunchyroll.

DIY |  By putting time and effort into creating certian things in my home they feel more worth it and I find myself more inclined to use them. After a coffee cup burned a ring into my beautiful hand carved one of a kind fish table I decided that I needed coasters. So I will be making these cute Hexagon Concrete Coasters. They're super minimal and very simple to make, so if they ever break or I need more, I can make more!

Hello blank space!

♥ ♥ ♥ Thank you for checking out my blog! ♥ ♥ ♥

Also thank you to all the people who encouraged me to do this, I would list, but there were so many of you, so thank you!

I was really inspired to make this blog because of my journey to becoming a minimalist. I know it's pretty much a tired topic at this point, but I hope to share my tips and insights on Minimalism. I really believe it has changed my life for the better, I feel more creative, inspired, productive, stress-free and just have a general feeling of improved health - all just by simplfying my life.

This blog is also lifestyle blog with posts about myself, food, plants, animals, photography, videography, as well as fashion and vegan beauty.

HERE ARE 20 MILDLY INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ME:

1. I love naming other people's pets but hate the pressure of naming my own. 

2. I haven't seen my own face from more that 1 foot away without glasses since I was 6.

3. I make a full cheesecake just for myself more often than I should.

4. I went through a phase where I pretended to be a hamster for almost an entire year, I was about 10.

5. I stand like a flamingo whenever I'm cooking & so does my Momma.

6. I use a lot of extra letters and exclamation marks for unnecessary emphasis when I type or text.

7. I love anything grape flavoured. 

8. I am determined to find myself in Japan at some point. Living there would be an absolute dream.

9. I prefer TV Shows over movies but anime over both.

10. I am painfully clumsy. Always a bruise or cut somewhere on me.

11. I pretty much love all music but am usually listening to disco.

12. I SLAY at Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on PS3. Play me. PSN: gooseyp

13. I think I've had every single type of Blackberry device except the Priv. 

14. My favourite food is potatoes, any style.

15. I love neutrals when it comes to clothes but I'm a sucker for a pretty floral.

16.  People are always telling me to slow down when I'm talking.

17. Speaking of talking fast, if I'm excited while talking I'll forget to breathe until I literally have to stop and gasp for air.

18. My favourite kinds of jokes are puns.

19. I've won 7 radio contests.

20. I will probably never respond to a text message quickly, there is also a 60% chance I'll forget I even read it.

I like these facts probably more than you do, if you share any of these with me, or have some weird traits about yourself, comment below!

Stayed tuned for the beginning of some pretty great blog posts.
Thank you for your support ~ ♥