Just Breathe.

As my friends and family well know – I can become stressed out easily. Stressors include a sink full of dirty dishes, my phone constantly flashing at me, a full inbox, a long to-do list, etc.

I love my cats, and as much as they can help relieve my stress, they also can cause some of it – knocking things over, getting into the trash, attacking on me when I'm trying to eat.

Getting myself to relax and not think about everything I need to do is difficult, but necessary.

I used to meditate more frequently, and it's something I intend to take up again. There's something about sitting there, focusing on your breathing and simply being.

Of course, when I try to clear my mind, I'm flooded with thoughts of things I need to do, memories, and other randoms. Never know what's going to come to me.

I meditated for a short time this morning and was actually able to get past most of my thoughts and let go. But meditation – I believe – is something that takes practices.

So this is me stating publicly my intent to meditate every day for the next week and see where I am then.

Organic Fruits and Veggies on a Budget

This morning I was watching "The Doctors" on ABC, and they were discussing organic fruits and veggies – when to pay the extra for organic.

I try to buy organic when I can, but being on a limited budget, I can't always justify it.

Turns out, some non-organic fruits and veggies have been found to contain more traces of pesticides and others.

According to The Doctors, it's more important to buy the following items (dubbed "The Dirty Dozen") organic because they usually have thinner skin and are harder to wash:

• Celery
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Nectarines
• Bell Peppers
• Spinach
• Kale
• Cherries
• Potatoes
• Grapes

 And because it's still important to get plenty of fruits and veggies in our diets, if we can't buy everything organic, the following items (named "The Clean Fifteen") are generally less tainted due to a thicker skin:

• Onions
• Avocados
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Mangos
• Sweet Peas
• Asparagus
• Honeydew Melons
• Cabbage
• Eggplants
• Cantaloupes
• Watermelons
• Grapefruits
• Sweet Potatoes
• Kiwis

I thought that this info was pretty interesting. Though unfortunately for me, most of the produce I buy fits into the first category.

Source: The Doctors, ABC 

Herb Garden

For my birthday in May, Matt gave me a flower planter with flowers, ivy and mint in it. I'd been meaning to add some more herbs to the collection and really get my balcony garden going.

Today, I took advantage of the holiday by hopping over to Trader Joe's and picking up some basil and oregano to add.

All the pots came from my parents' garage – they were sitting around collecting cobwebs.

Since May, the mint had strangled the ivy. I didn't want it to get to the flowers too, so today I re-potted it. Hopefully it'll grow back quickly so we can continue to use it. (Great for use in Pimm's!)

We chose basil and oregano since we can see ourselves using them in cooking. I'm also looking into trying to grow spinach since we eat a lot of it – so growing our own would actually save a lot of money.

As soon as I acquire more potting soil and get the new herbs re-potted, I'll have a solid start on my little garden! :)

P.S. We decided on Maggie for the kitten's name!

Name That Cat

We got a new kitten yesterday! She's incredibly cute and sweet. A month or two younger than Jozy, they look a lot alike, but this one is slightly smaller still.

We can't come up with/decide on a name though. Here are some of the ideas we've thrown around:

• Georgia (but call her Peanut) – like from Dead Like Me (plus Georgia peanuts)
• Dylan – like Bob
• Nessie – Loch Ness, guess who?
• Maggie (I'd say Maggie Mae a lot)
• Fiona

Also open to other suggestions! Thoughts?

I think Jozy's feeling were a little hurt at first, but they've been playing a lot and even napped together. Hopefully in a few days they'll start being really good friends!

Paint Décor

I'd grown tired of having such a bland wall over the bed, so I painted a tree with leftover paint from the living room wall.

All Cats Go To Heaven

I vanished from here for a while, but it's been a tough time since my last post. Last time, I was so excited about my newest baby kitten. I was excited to introduce Jozy and Sandy so they could get to know each other and be sisters.

Unfortunately, Sandy didn't make it through the week. She was recently spayed and slightly sick when I brought her home, but she kept getting worse. I took her to the vet several times, gave the medicine she was prescribed. But her little body just wasn't strong enough.

When I took her to the vet the last time a week ago, I didn't know I would be leaving without her. I knew she was in bad shape, and I honestly worried she wouldn't make it through each night leading up to it.

The vet told it to me straight, and though I wasn't surprised, it was still difficult to hear. I knew I couldn't let her be in pain anymore, and I could tell she had given up.

It's been a sad experience. Thankfully, Jozy (who was also sick) is feeling much better. We do intend to adopt another kitten before too long. This time, though, it'll be from a person or from the vet where I've been many times recently.

As much as I'd like to try to save another kitten from the shelter, I can't go through this ordeal again. At least we have one happy pound kitty – Jozy is sleepily purring next to me as I type.

Kitties, Kitties Everywhere

I've always been an animal lover. My family has had cats as long as I've been alive, and now Matt and I have two of our own.

Top is Jozy and bottom is Sandy. Both came from the Fulton County Animal Services. We chose to adopt from a shelter — somewhere where the animals weren't already in a somewhat pleasant situation. (Jozy was 1 of 4 in her cage, and Sandy was 1 of 5.)

Adopting a pet is no small decision — they require a lot of attention and care. Vet bills and animal medicine (read: sans insurance) are no laughing matter! But when adopting, most places will spay/neuter the pet before the leave to help with overpopulation.

I'm so happy to have a couple of sweet, furry companions now!