A Very Happy Announcement.

I am so, so, so beyond excited and happy to announce Rhyno and I are having a baby this October!

I'm officially in my second trimester today and I feel amazing (I've actually lost 8 pounds during my pregnancy because the baby loves fruit and can't have booze). I am honestly loving being pregnant and I am so excited for the adventure ahead--ever the impatient person I have already said numerous times that I can't wait for October. I want to see what the baby will look like, I want time to speed up so I can hold him or her, OH...and I can't wait to find out if the baby is a him or a her. We aren't finding out the gender until the big day!

After years of waiting, wishing, hoping, trudging through disappointment and pity parties (not to mention a scary E.R. visit last month) I am over the moon to welcome Babysaurus Guffey this fall (due an exact week after my birthday!). We found out around five weeks and after many more weeks of barfing and keeping a big, fat, precious secret we announced the news to family in person and later via social media on Easter. I could cry looking at all the beautiful congratulatory comments and texts and feeling the big hugs after Easter dinner yesterday. 

Happy Monday, indeed!

Currently.

Our little entryway table is my favorite--filled with photos, cute kitschy things, and the most delicious smelling candle ever.

I am currently...

 

....eating clementines all day long! The sunnier days and warmer temperatures have made me want to break free from heavy soups and have me craving light, crisp fruit. I love Cuties so much and eat at least three a day.

 

...making a big, fat list of what needs to be cleaned for Spring cleaning this year inside the house and out. I plan to start tackling the indoors while Rhyno picks up old leaves, cutting grass, and prepping our garden for a fruitful (literally...and veggieful) summer!

 

...listening to all the Fall Out Boy in preparation for their July concert in Chicago! I'm so excited to see them and their latest album, Save Rock and Roll, is one of my very favorites. I could dance around to it for hours.

 

...reading through the Oh She Glows cookbook finding new recipes to try. Everything looks so good that it's hard to find just one recipe to make at a time!

 

...watching The Mindy Project! Rhyno and I have been catching up on episodes we missed. Dang, I love that Mindy so.

 

...loving 100 Happy Days! I can't say it enough, it just makes me feel good every day to take a break from the social media complaints and enjoy small things in life.

 

  Have a fantastic weekend!

 

If you also partake in Currently posts, please link up in the comments!

100 Happy Days.

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As a lover of life and a chaser or complete happiness, I am loving all these posts related to #100happydays. I've seen friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posting photos of family, baked goods, sunny days, and anything that makes them happy. The posts are infectious--I feel myself smiling while cruising through photos of things that make other people smile and I'm happy to join in on the fun. I plan to jump in with both feet sometime this week.

I am lucky to be surrounded by lots of happy things and I look forward  to documenting little moments that bring me joy throughout every day. I plan to do a round up here every couple of weeks--feel free to link up if you do too!

Are you participating in 100 Happy Days?

Spring Cleanin'.

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I've seen people post those memes that say something like, "A clean house is a sign of a wasted life." Barf. Who needs to pay for therapy when you can clean? I actually look forward to spring cleaning this year.

I have been itching to rid the house of all the dust and remaining signs of the long, long winter. 

At least twice a year (usually more because I'm deranged) I scrub every inch of the house with a toothbrush. I always look forward to doing this in Spring because I can FINALLY open the windows again and get all the winter blahs out of here. I plan to start tackling this big, ol' project and doing some redecorating this weekend.

Do you Spring clean?

Semi-Pro Tips: Working from Home.

I don't do much yappin' about my work-life on this ol' blog. Here's the run down: I work in public relations: a field that I am super interested in, have years of experience in, and kind of really love. I am lucky enough to work 40+ hours a week from the comfort of my own home.

Now, before you think I sit on my couch watching movies all day and pretending it's work, let me tell you...there are days where I don't have much time to run downstairs to heat up soup for lunch let alone lay around on my bed. I got my first taste of working from home (aside from the occasional sick day or something) when I began freelancing in 2012. After years at a PR agency I switch to an administrative job at an industrial IT firm. I hated the admin job so, so much so I started freelancing PR/marketing/event planning on the side. I quickly made it my full-time job and was working from home constantly. 

 

So here, after about two years of trial and error, are some of my bumbling quick tips for working from home.

1.) Have a dedicated space for your work. At first, still living at our condo, I was working at a small desk in our living room. When we began looking for a house I knew I wanted my own office. For me, especially with client calls and what not, it is vital to have a quiet space where I can work uninterrupted. I've never been someone who can just sit on the couch with a laptop on my lap--I need an organized space to get shit done.

 

2.) Make sure there's an obvious separation. On the same note of having a specific space for work I think it is absolutely crucial to remember that work and personal are separate when you're home all day. Since there isn't a commute time during which to reflect on the day and decompress it can be insanely easy to take a stressful workday and turn it into a crabby home night. About a year ago I started forcing myself to take at least five minutes at the end of every work day to decompress before making dinner or hanging with Rhyno. Take a quick walk outside, do a few yoga poses, watch a funny cat video--do something every day that signifies "Work is over, my personal life is starting." On the same tip, in the mornings I operate the way I would if I didn't work from home. I am in my office by 8am without many exceptions.

3.) Communication is key. Since I'm not in the same office as my co-workers I try to stay insanely available via all means of communication during the day--email, phone, and instant message. I know some people that work from home who have no problem ducking out for an hour or so without letting anyone know. I'm too paranoid for that and I know if I ever tried it that would be the one hour where everyone needed me. If I have an appointment or need to be out in the middle of the day I try to act the same as I would if I were in the same office as my boss--keep open communication and let them know the situation.

4.) Avoid distractions. When I first started working from home the most difficult thing for me was getting my mind off of chores that needed to be done. I would begin writing a press release and think, "I should start the laundry...well since I did that I'll just quickly wipe down the bathrooms....okay I'll just scoop the litter box and then back to work." No. I wouldn't drive home from my agency to scoop the cat box and then drive back to work would I? Every night before bed I try to make sure anything that will distract me is taken care of and if not? Tough. It'll have to wait until work is over (for a neat freak like myself, this is killer). I shut the door to my office and ignore it until 5pm.

5.) Get out! Want a good recipe for instant cranky insanity? Work from home and then stay home all weekend. Every week. Forever. You'll resent it quickly. Rhyno and I are total homebodies but since I work from home full time now we make a huge effort to get out at least 4 times a week--a long walk, a trip to the mall, dinner at a local diner, bike rides along the river by our house, bonfires at a friend's house. I am not a hermit enough to be content being cooped up all the dang time. Get out, get fresh air, and enjoy time away from your "office"!

Do you work from home? Any good tips?