Happiness Projects, Dog Beaches, and Atlanta Housewives

About two weeks ago, I started a happiness project. Inspired by a book with the same name, I decided to embark on a mission to improve my life and work to become just a bit happier. While I have a wonderful life - a fantastic partner, good friends and family, a job that I enjoy - there is always room for improvement. I will be tackling a different goal every month, continuing to build on previous goals each month so that it is a cumulative effort.

My first goal? Improve my mental and physical health.

I can be a bit of a ball of stress, have a bit of a coffee addiction, and need to get off my lazy butt most days. I am working to exercise fives time a week, meditate and/or count to 30 when I'm stressed or anxious about something, remind myself of five things for which I am grateful on a daily basis, and limit myself to one cup of coffee a day.

So far, I'm doing OK. I've been exercising four times a week (trying to get to that five!) and I've been sticking to my one coffee drink a day. I am trying to go to bed earlier, so that I'm not as exhausted the next day (and so I don't need as much coffee!), and that has been hit or miss. Some days I'm able to fall asleep by 10:30, while the next day I'm up until midnight. As a night owl, this will be the hardest goal for me to achieve, but I think it will be the most satisfying.

I've been doing yoga again and I'm not sure why I stopped doing it in the first place. While it's hard to drag my butt off of the couch, I feel so much better after a class. Working out more has been lowering my stress level, which is incentive enough for me to continue practicing yoga. This week, I am going to start running frequently and I hope that will only continue to improve my mood.

In other news, I continue to be obsessed with my sweet baby Nicco. Tom and I have been taking advantage of the warm weather and bringing Nicco to the dog beach. When Nicco goes to the dog beach, he thinks it's the best day of his life. We're able to take him off the leash and let him run around with the other dogs, and he's sporting a serious doggy grin on his face the entire time. My only wish is that we could find a dog beach or a huge dog park a bit closer to us, although it's been a ton of fun meeting other dog owners up at Montrose.

Can we talk about the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion? Momma Joyce is just drunk the entire time now, right? I seriously thought she lost her mind on tonight's episode. And why does Nene seem to think she's so above these women? Is it because she's been on a couple of episodes of Glee? Does she seriously turn down acting roles? Because last time I checked, she seems to just be playing herself when she's on a TV shows besides Housewives.

I just can't watch this show after the reunion. This season was ridiculous to watch and I just need to cut a Housewives series from my TV lineup.

THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to my Team PAWS page! I am overwhelmed by all of the support and I am just incredibly grateful. I am halfway to my target and it's still early, so I think I'm on track to have a party in the fall for all of the fabulous donors :)

See you in two weeks!

-LC

Running 26.2 - The Second Time Around

Remember that time I ran the 2013 Chicago Marathon and said that I was going to run it again in 2014?

There was a part of me that thought about putting off the marathon until 2015. Training for the race was a fantastic experience, but it was a huge time commitment. I was tempted to sleep in on Saturdays this summer and be able to enjoy a couple of beers at Friday night happy hours, but something (or rather, someone) made me change my mind.

His name is Nicco.

The day we adopted Nicco, cone and all.

 

When Tom and I moved in together two years ago, we started talking about the idea of adopting a dog. We both realized that taking care of a puppy would be a great deal of work, and agreed to put it off until we were really ready for the responsibility. I began pushing a bit harder for a dog last year, and when I signed up for the marathon in 2013, Tom said that we could get a dog when I finished the marathon.

 

Best. Motivation. Ever.

 

As you all know, Tom and I adopted our sweet baby Nicco right before the new year. Judging by the hundreds of photos I have on my phone, I love our puppy quite a bit, as does Tom. We have PAWS Chicago to thank for helping us find our wonderful dog.

 

PAWS is a no-kill shelter in Chicago that saves the lives of nearly 6,000 homeless pets every year. Started by a DePaul alum, PAWS takes in animals off the streets and from other shelters, treating those with illnesses and providing spay/neuter services to those in need of them. Animals are kept in a cage-free environment and the wonderful volunteers provide them with love and support as they find their forever homes.

 

I am eternally grateful to PAWS for the care they gave Nicco as he waited for us to find him. I sometimes wonder how Nicco felt in the days leading up to his adoption, if he was scared, hurt, or alone. But I know that PAWS provided Nicco with everything he needed, and because of PAWS, we found the best part of our little family. The day we adopted Nicco, the volunteers tied a red PAWS Chicago Alumni bandana around his neck as we prepared to take him home. As we walked down Clybourn Avenue with our little buddy, a number of people walking down the street congratulated us on our new dog. It's exciting to see the impact and reach that PAWS has on the community, and I've met countless dog and cat owners who adopted their pets from PAWS.

 

When I decided to run the marathon this year, I signed up to run as part of Team PAWS. If you've watched a big race in Chicago, I'm sure you've seen the Team PAWS members in their navy tanks, often with the names of their pets written on the back. Team PAWS raises about one third of the funding that PAWS needs to carry out their valuable work. As part of being on Team PAWS, I will be working hard to raise money to support this wonderful organization.

Running a marathon takes a great deal of dedication, from committing time to training to mentally preparing to making it through the race. Last year, this seemed like a daunting task, but it ended up being a wonderful experience. I'm even more excited to train this year, especially as a member of one of the best teams around.

I will be posting blogs every two weeks, talking about my training, new developments with Team PAWS, and sharing cute pictures of Nicco. I may also dish on my favorite Bravo shows, as I anticipate spending many more nights in, catching up on my DVR shows.

To donate to Team PAWS, please visit my fundraising page here. If I hit my goal, I will wear a tutu on race day and if I exceed my goal, I will throw a party to thank all donors. Let's save some animals!