Monday, March 31, 2025

What I Ordered from Amazon in March 2025

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hey, y’all!  As I stated in my post last Monday, I have recently started being more intentional about where I spend my money, and therefore, I have cut back significantly on purchases from Amazon.  While I’m not going to stop shopping there completely (there are several items that I use that are not sold anywhere else / are hard to find anywhere else / are less expensive on Amazon), I am currently being more mindful about the things I purchase there.  Therefore, today’s post is going to be short and sweet!  You ready to see what I purchased from Amazon in the month of March?   



 

Braces Flossers

These flossers are much less expensive than the Platypus flossers, and the only place I have been able to find them so far is Amazon.  It was time for a refill for Jacob, so I grabbed a pack.  I ended up grabbing two more packs during the spring sale at the end of the month because they are on sale.

These flossers are awesome for people with braces, and they make flossing with braces a breeze.  I hate flossing and so do our kids, but these make the job quick and easy.  Jacob and I both use these and Olivia will soon be using them, too, as she will have to get braces later this year.


 

Turmeric

I love my turmeric, and I take it daily, and it was time for a refill.  Amazon does usually have the best price on this, so I purchased a refill from them.  Taking turmeric daily has done absolute wonders for the inflammation in my body, which has, in turn, improved so many aspects of my health.


 

Magnesium Lycinate Glycinate

I also take this magnesium for muscle relaxation, and I love it.  Amazon has the best price, by far, and I was able to snag a bottle for 25% less than what I paid for it the last time because it was on super sale.


 

Flonase Sensimist

And finally, I needed a refill on my beloved Flonase Sensimist.  This is something I use daily for my allergies – I haven’t had a stuffy nose since I started taking this seven years ago – and Amazon almost always has the best price.  Plus, Walmart didn’t have it in stock at all when Brian checked the other day.

And that was it for me! 

Since my purchases were so few this month, I thought I would include some of Brian’s… he and I use the same Prime membership, but we have separate accounts, so I never post his purchases.  I do 90% of the purchasing for our home anyway, so he doesn’t purchase nearly as much as I do.  Here are all of his Amazon purchases from the last several months…


 

24-Inch Zip Ties

A huge portion of our privacy fence fell over in a storm back in February, and there was no way to repair it easily as one of the posts snapped in half.  Brian needed to get it back up, though, because it was laying in our neighbor’s yard, so he temporarily secured it with these 24-Inch zip ties.  It has been over a month and we’ve had a couple of serious storms with tons of wind, and I’m happy to report that it’s still standing.  These things are STRONG.


 

USB C Cables

Brian and I got new iPhones that have the new ports, so we had to replace all of our old cables.  He bought this multi-pack on Amazon and they are all working great!  I have one in my bedroom, one in my car, one in my office, one in our kitchen, and various other places.  This pack is great because it gives you different lengths that you can use for your different needs.  It’s also currently 15% off as a Big Spring Deal.


 

USB C Cables

This was another pack of cables that he purchased.  We use a ton of cables in this house!


 

Lock Laces

These lock laces turn any pair of shoes into tieless shoes.  Brian purchased these for himself, and he now never has to tie his tennis shoes... he can just slip them on and go.  They come in loads of colors and they would be perfect for kids who don’t want to tie their shoes!  They are one size fits all for kids and adults!


 

Wicked Blu-Ray

This was purchased for Olivia’s Wicked themed birthday sleepover.  At the time, it was about the same price to stream it as a rental, so he just went ahead and purchased it.


 

Otter Box iPhone Cases

Brian and I had to purchase new phone cases since we just got new phones and we will always and forever love Otter Box.  I’ve already dropped my phone two or three times (once was really bad because it was in the driveway) and this case protects it like none other.  It comes in tons of colors and patterns, too.  I opted for ballet shoes pink (surprise, surprise) and Brian opted for black.



 

Apple Watch Series 10

This was an early birthday gift for me as my Apple Watch was old and on its last leg.  I love it so much – it’s soooo pretty and the battery lasts foreverrrr!  It’s also currently on sale for 25% off.


 

Happy Monday, y’all!

And if you want to see everything that I ordered in previous months, just check out the posts below!


*Linking up with Living on Cloud Nine and Doused in Pink for Prime Purchases.

      

Friday, March 28, 2025

Five on Friday - Amazon Spring Sale Items I Have My Eye On

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Happy Friday, y’all!  Amazon has now added a third sale to the year and it’s going on now through March 31.  There are several items on my Amazon wish list that are included in the sale, and I thought I’d share them with you today. 

O N E – Charging Station

Now that Jacob has a phone and a watch that need to be charged + both kids have school laptops that have to be charged nightly, the countertop next to our refrigerator is a nightmare of clutter and cords.  I have been looking for a way to organize everything, and this charging station could just be the answer.

This charging station has five ports that can be used to charge five devices in one place simultaneously.  It comes with seven charging cables that are short, eliminating my “cords everywhere” issue and I think it would look much better on the counter than our current setup. 

This item is currently 29% off + there is a coupon you can clip for an additional 5% off.  It has nearly 10,000 reviews with 4.4 / 5 stars, so it’s highly rated, and it also comes in eight different colors if white isn’t your thing.

 


I also love this bamboo version that has a spot for an Apple Watch, Earbuds, and a tablet pen.  You can hide all of the cords inside the box and it's also included in the sale.


And this one has eight ports!




T W O – Weighted Vest

I’ve seen soooo many people adding weighted vests to their daily walks and I’m dying to try it, too!  I recently stopped running because my knees have been bothering me when I do, but I don’t feel like I get as good of a workout when I just walk fast.  Adding a weighted vest would provide a more strenuous workout, and therefore burn more calories, as well as provide improved strength in my legs, so I think it would be awesome to have. 

This vest is filled with iron sand and the weight is distributed evenly to decrease the risk of injury while working out.  It has adjustable elastic straps and reflective stripes for safety while outside, and it has dual storage pockets for you to store your cell phone and keys.

It comes in various weights from 6-30 pounds, and it comes in three different colors.  It’s highly rated with excellent reviews and it’s currently a Big Spring Deal at 15% off.  I am currently holding off on this until I resolve my neck tension/vertigo issue because I don’t know if it would irritate things more, but you can bet I will own one of these as soon as I get that resolved.

 


T H R E E – Rotary Cheese Grater / Vegetable Slicer

I used to grate my own cheese before we had kids, and then once we had kids and I had less time, I eventually started using pre-packaged grated cheese.  The pre-packaged grated cheese isn’t nearly as tasty, and it’s way more expensive, so I’ve considered returning to grating my own cheese again as it just tastes better.

I’ve seen this rotary cheese grater (that also slices vegetables) all over blog land this past year, and everyone just raves about it.  It does have nearly 30,000 reviews on Amazon with 4.6 / 5 stars, so it must be good! 

It’s currently 15% off and it comes in 10 other colors besides white.

 


F O U R – Pressure Washer

We have to borrow a pressure washer every time we need to use one, but it would be nice to have our own.  I searched for pressure washers last spring, and I’ve had this one sitting in my wish list since then.  This one has 4.6 / 5 stars with over 5,000 reviews and it’s supposed to be fabulous. 

There is a 15-inch and a 20-inch version, and rather than cleaning with a tiny stream of water, this one offers a commercial-grade hover experience that covers large amounts of surface in just one swipe, cutting down the cleaning time significantly.  While I love pressure washing (it’s so satisfying!) I do hate how long it takes to do our entire driveway since the stream is about the size of a fingertip.

It’s currently 44% off as a Big Spring Deal, making it insanely affordable.

 


F I V E – iPhone Wallet Case

This iPhone case is gorgeous, and it offers maximum functionality.  The case not only protects your phone, but it has a wallet on the back that has four card slots for credit cards, IDs, and cash.  It has a double snap clasp that holds it in place, so you don’t have to worry about it popping open and losing your valuables. 

In addition to that, it also has a ring holder and a kickstand feature so you can keep a good grip on your phone and prop up the phone.  It’s made from premium PU leather that looks high-quality, and it provides full-frame protection for your phone that prevents surface scratches. 

It comes in four different colors and it’s currently 16% off.  This is also a highly rated item, and it has rave reviews.  It would be great to have for times when you just need your essentials (workouts, hikes, outdoor activities, etc.), and you don’t want to carry a bag with you.

 


Friday Funnies





 

On the Blog This Week

 30+ Unique Easter Basket Stuffers from Small Businesses

Our Week – The One with a St. Patrick's Day Party, a Massage, and the Mother Son Dance

Sweet Little Maui, December 2, 2009 – February 23, 2025


Happy Friday, y’all! 


*Linking up with A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites.




Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Sweet Little Maui, December 2, 2009 - February 23, 2025

This past Sunday marked one whole month since we said goodbye to our sweet girl.  I’ve been wanting to do a tribute to her on the blog ever since, but it took me quite some time to get everything together as I had 15 years’ worth of pictures to go through.  I didn’t go through every single one (it would have taken weeks), but I did get a really good sample of pictures from every stage of her life, and I thought I would share them all with you today, along with a few stories about her.

I grew up having a dog in the house, and after Brian and I moved into our forever home on October 16, 2009, I started thinking that it would be awesome to have a dog in the house again since I’d been living without once since I’d moved out of my parents’ home almost four years prior.  Brian didn’t grow up with pets in the house, so he didn’t seem to be 100% on board, but I just knew he’d love having one and I begged him to consider it.

On December 4, 2009, Brian and I went to our city’s annual Christmas parade downtown with a bunch of friends as we always do, and one of our local shelters was there with a few dogs that they had available for adoption.  I fell head over heels for a little blonde terrier mix, and I was convinced that she was the one.  On my lunch break on Monday, I went straight to the shelter to find that she had already been adopted. 

I. was. crushed. 

Little did I know, our sweet little Maui had just been born on December 2, 2009, just two days prior to us falling in love with that other dog… she was already out there, just waiting for us to find her.  God knew exactly who we needed, and soon enough, she would be ours.  <3

After I wallowed for a couple of days, I decided to make it my mission to find a sweet little baby for us to love.  I frequented our local shelters, searched ads online, and pored over social media for weeks hoping to find exactly what I was looking for (something small and in the terrier family) with no luck. 

In early January, my friend Lauren came across a YouTube video of three of the tiniest, cutest Yorkipoos rolling around and playing with each other, and it turned out that those babies were up for adoption just 45 minutes from us.  I contacted the owner, and the rest is history.

On January 16, 2010, we met up with the owner at a random Sonic Drive-in because it was a central location for both of us.  She had those three sweet babies all snuggled up in a pink and white striped blanket in a laundry basket, and they couldn’t have been cuter.  All three of them were still available, so we were able to choose the one we wanted… there were two girls and one boy from the same litter… their dad was a poodle, and their mom was a Yorkie. 

Maui was the runt of the litter… twice as small as her brother and sister, and I knew immediately that she was the one.  I didn’t even have to think about it. 

This is the first picture we ever took of her…

And this was my very first picture with her… it was truly love at first sight.

We weren’t able to take her home that day as she was still being weaned from her mother, but we set a date – January 22, 2010 – to pick her up and take her home for good.  We met the owner again on January 22, this time in a Walmart parking lot (LOL), and we took our baby home for the first time.

She clocked in at just 0.9 lbs. when we took her home and she could literally fit in the palm of your hand because she was so tiny.   I could not have been more in love.  This was her first night at home.





Brian and I took forever to name her because we couldn’t agree on anything.  I loved the name Nugget along with a couple of others that I can’t remember now, but Brian wasn’t crazy about them.  Then one night as I was trying to fall asleep, Maui popped in my head as that’s where Brian and I had gone for our honeymoon.  It was actually a disaster of a honeymoon (you can read that story here), but for some reason, naming her Maui just felt right, and Brian agreed.

And so, our very first little baby had a name… Maui.  <3

Maui was the best girl anyone could ever ask for.  She was the absolute sweetest thing, she was gentle, she never knew a stranger, she loved to snuggle, and she literally NEVER barked.  We probably heard her bark, like, five whole times in her 15 years of life, and every single time she did it, it always surprised us and made us laugh because every time she barked, she surprised herself, too… it was like she had no idea where the noise had come from and it startled her every time.  It reminds me of the scene from Lion King where baby Simba is learning to roar and Mufasa comes up behind him and roars and it startles him.  Haha.

My favorite thing about her was that she smelled EXACTLY like my childhood dog, Bill, who we had just lost one year prior to when Maui was born... almost to the day.  After he died, I thought I would never smell that scent again, and I couldn’t believe it when Maui smelled exactly like him.  It was such a blessing and a comfort to me because I still missed him so much.  Sometimes I swear Bill trained her in heaven before she was born and then he sent her from heaven straight to our arms. 

She had some of his same weird quirks, one of which was getting into trashcans in the bathroom to eat everyone’s old, snotty tissues.  It was disgusting, but it was so funny and random that both of my dogs loved to do that.     

She LOVED to run, and she was so dang fast, y’all.  You wouldn’t think a girl as tiny as her would not be able to run that fast, but boy, could she fly.  She maxed out at 4 lbs. and was officially the tiniest dog at our whole veterinarian’s office for the extent of her life, and they all loved her so much.  When we got her, we had no idea that she was going to end up being that tiny... I thought for sure she'd max out at 9-10 lbs., but, nope, she never made it past 4!

She loved to chase birds, so when our back yard was full of them, we would fling open the door and she would run after them as fast as her little legs could go.  She never caught one (thank goodness), but it was one of her favorite hobbies.

The funniest thing was that she had the most crooked little run and walk.  I don’t even know how her body did that, but it was like she would move forward while her body was walking sideways.  We have videos of it, and they make me laugh every single time.  I loved her crooked little walk.

She also loved to chase tennis balls when she was a puppy (we had to buy mini ones because she couldn’t fit a real one in her tiny mouth), but she would never bring them back.  Instead, she would take them somewhere away from us and attempt to eat the fuzz off of them.  Haha.

She loved to play with her toys.  Her first love was her giraffe (Raffles, as we called it), and she also loved her squid, Squidly.  She loved to play tug of war with Squidly!  Her time with her stuffies was short, though, because she inevitably would tear them open and try to eat the stuffing out of them. 

We had a whoooole issue one time with some of the stuffing passing through her digestive system – and I won’t get into too much detail – but let’s just say that it ended with us literally pulling stuffing out of her after it had already passed through her digestive system.  Lol.  She was totally fine, but it was so gross, and needless to say, after that, we took all of her stuffies away and she wasn’t allowed to have them again.  Haha.

She was always cold, so she had a massive collection of sweaters that she adored, but once she hit age 14, she decided that she didn’t want to wear them anymore.  It was so bizarre.  I loved every single one of them, though, and they are all still sitting in her cabinet in the kitchen where I’m sure they’ll remain for a long time.

She was crate trained from night one (with the crate door open) and she looooved her “bedroom.”  She had her own little bed and fuzzy blanket in her crate, and we kept her crate in our guest bathroom downstairs.  During the day, she had free reign of the house, but she always stayed in her room while we were gone.  And at night, we would leave the bathroom door open along with her crate door, and we would put up a baby gate in the bathroom door so she couldn’t get out of the room… not that she would have tried anyway.  That gave me peace of mind because it allowed her to be open to the rest of the house without being able to escape.  That worked beautifully every single night of her life and I can’t even think of a time when things didn’t work out.

Several people asked me why we never let her sleep with us and the main reason was because she was just too tiny.  We have a massive bed and it sits really high off the ground, so she was never able to get up and down from the bed on her own and it would have been too dangerous for her.  I probably would have been willing to buy her a little set of stairs to get up and down on the bed, but Brian drew the line with sleeping with a dog and I was okay with that. 

Besides, she looooved her room and she always loved when it was bedtime.  We rarely ever had to carry her in there because we would just say, “Maui, are you ready to go night-night?” and she would hop up and go snuggle up in her bed in her crate.  She loved it.

That bathroom has always been known as “Maui’s bedroom,” and since she hung out in there whenever we weren’t home, that light has been on every second of every day (aside from nighttime when she slept) for the last 15 years.  It’s been over a month since we lost her, and we are still accidentally leaving the light on in there for her.

I did worry sometimes about her being cold in there during the winter (even though I’m sure she was perfectly warm), so a couple of weeks after we brought her home, we bought a little stuffed animal that had a bag of rice inside.  You could warm the bag of rice in the microwave, seal it in the Velcro pouch of the belly of the stuffed animal, and then we could put it in her bed with her and it would keep her warm. 

One night, she must have gotten curious about her “Warmies” as we called it, because the next morning we came downstairs to find that she had ripped Warmies open, eaten half of the stuff inside, and left the rest for dead.  Haha. 

And that was the last time she was able to use Warmies.  Hahahaha.

That girl!

Later in life, she discovered my electric blanket as I used to use it at my desk during the winter.  One day, I put her in my lap while I was using it, and when she realized that it was emitting heat, she always wanted to be in my lap after that.  Eventually, she started standing by my office chair and looking at me longingly like she was trying to tell me that she wanted the electric blanket in her bed, and eventually I caved and it officially became her electric blanket.  She completely took it over in her last few years of life while I sat at my desk, cold, wrapped up in a random non-electric blanket.  Hahahaha.  I wouldn't have had it any other way, though.

She was my constant companion, and she was truly the best girl.  She was right by my side after my miscarriage with our first baby, she was at the door to greet her baby brother, Jacob, when he came home from the hospital in 2011, and then again to greet her baby sister, Olivia, when she came home from the hospital in 2014.  Every big life event from the last 15 years, Maui was there, and Jacob and Olivia never knew life without her until just one month ago.

We took her everywhere with us that we could – to friend’s houses when she was a pup, to my parents’ house for every Sunday dinner and every family gathering, and to every Sunday lunch and family gathering at my mother-in-law’s and step-father-in-law’s house.  Her grandparents often took care of her when we were out of town, so we didn’t have to board her, and they always treated her like their own.  I was always so grateful for that because that meant that we knew she was cozy and happy and with people she loved rather than being stuck in a cold, hard kennel somewhere.

When I quit my corporate job to stay home in 2017, I bought a bed for her that stayed in my office, and she was always in there while I was working.  My constant companion.  Wherever I went, there she was.  And she was always in my lap when she could be.  I went fifteen years with nightly lap snuggles (even when we had newborns in the house) and I miss those snuggles so much that some nights I can’t even sit downstairs and watch TV now.  I miss her so dang much. 

She almost always laid on her right side, and I have literally hundreds of pictures of her snuggled up on her right side in my lap.  Although, in her earlier years, there were times when she actually preferred Brian's lap... we think because his body temperature was always so much warmer than mine.

But when we would come home from vacations, she would shun me for a day or two (I think to punish me for leaving her – LOL) and she would either lay on the couch next to me or she would go lay in Brian's lap.  She would refuse to lay in my lap.  She was a spiteful little thing!!  Haha.

She loved her Pork Chomps treats, and later Dentastix.  She loved cheese.  She loved blankets, and sweaters, and being cozy.  She loved finding a good patch of sunlight and laying down to take a nap.  She loved going outside in the sunlight and lifting her head to the sun, closing her eyes, and sniffing the air.  

She never ran away from us... she would always stay in the yard and she never tried to sneak out the door.  Although, we did lose her twice... once in the house when she was a puppy she got stuck behind our entertainment center and we couldn't find her for hours.  We frantically searched the whole neighborhood only to finally realize where she was after we tore the whole house apart.  She didn't make a peep the entire time, though.  Bless.  After that, we put a bell on her so we couldn't lose her again.  Haha.  She was also left outside at my parents' house one time just a few months ago, and when I realized she was missing, we found her just strolling up and down the streets.  

She would scratch a thousand times to go outside when it was sunny but cold during the winter only to ask to come right back in because the sunshine made it look warm outside.  She hated being held like a baby (much to my dismay) until her last couple of months of life.  I think letting me hold her like a baby was her last gift to me.  <3  And her favorite pastime (aside from chasing birds) was standing under the table waiting for someone to drop a morsel. 

As I said before, I went through 15 years’ worth of pictures for this post, and I was able to narrow it down to 196 for this post.  Is that a ridiculous amount of pictures to put in one blog post?  Probably.  Is that the most pictures I’ve ever included in a blog post?  By far.  But I think that’s pretty low considering that we have thousands upon thousands of her, and I have no regrets. 

Without further ado, here’s a timeline of our wonderful life with our sweet girl…

1/23/2010 - her first full day at home

1/24/2010 - one of my favorite pictures of her of all-time

1/24/2010

1/24/2010 - so sweet!

1/28/2010 - the first picture I have of one of our lap snuggles

1/28/2010 - more lap snuggles with Maui and Raffles

1/30/2010 - holding her before we left for the annual ball we attend every year 

2/1/2010 - hanging out in her bed with Raffles

2/1/2010 - can you even handle that sweet face?!

2/7/2010 - Her little pink collar

2/9/2010 - Brian and Maui tugging on a popsicle stick... one of my faves

2/12/2010 - her first snow... one of the rare snows for us!

2/12/2010 - all tucked in Mommy's jacket to stay warm
2/14/2010 - her first sweater.  OMG.

2/14/2010 - she used to love to eat my hair when she was a puppy.  Lol.

2/14/2010 - my verrrry favorite picture of these two.  OMG.

2/14/2010 - Maui with her new Warmies... the one she eventually ate.  Haha.

2/15/2010 - laying in her patch of sunlight with her new bell because we lost her in the house one day.  It was not funny at the time, but it is hilarious looking back.

2/21/2010 - in my brother's boot... so tiny!

3/25/2010 - guilty of digging in our fake tree in the house.  Haha.

4/4/2010 - her first Easter... and not amused that we put her in the Easter basket

5/16/2010 - looking less and less like a puppy :o(

9/18/2010 - trying on her first Halloween costume

10/10/2010 - I had way too much fun having photo shoots with her, haha

10/10/2010 - her 1st football season!  Brian & I found a tiny UGA shirt for her in Athens!

11/13/2010 - our family Christmas card picture for 2010

11/13/2010 - I loved this little sweater of hers

12/2/2010 - her first birthday!  Yes, we went all out with gifts and a treat ;o)

12/4/2010 - napping with me on the couch when I was in my 1st trimester with Jacob

12/24/2010 - her first Christmas with us!

12/31/2010 - her first New Year's Eve with us

2/23/2011 - one of my favorite pictures of her

3/25/2011 - Trying to convince Daddy not to go out of town by laying in his suitcase

Easter 2011 - not amused at all by the bunny ears

5/13/2011 - lounging on our back porch

6/4/2011 - with one of her beloved Pork Chomps

6/13/2011 - maternity photo shoot for Jacob

8/3/2011 - snuggling next to an 11-day old Jacob

8/8/2011 - my lap was always big enough for her, even with a baby

8/14/2011 - & sometimes she had my lap all to herself even when the babies were there

8/14/2011 - trying to figure out what this new tiny thing is in the house

9/4/2011 - our first family picture together

9/11/2011 - another family picture together

9/15/2011 - guarding her new tiny human

9/15/2011 - couldn't resist the cozy blanket and she fell asleep

10/31/2011 - her first Halloween with her little brother

10/31/2011 - Jacob's first Halloween

12/3/2011

Spring 2012

5/14/2012

10/21/2012

Christmas 2012

2/10/2013 - Snuggling with Jacob



3/12/2013 - in Jacob's bedroom

5/1/2013 - Snuggling with a sick Jacob and Mommy on the couch

9/1/2013

10/31/2013 - themed Halloween costumes - Elmo and Cookie Monster ;o)

11/10/2013 - Family Christmas card picture... with Olivia in my belly

3/13/2014 - Hanging out with yet another new human... Olivia at 16 days old

5/4/2014 - Laying in Mommy's lap in the car

10/31/2014 - Themed Halloween costumes - Super Man, Bat Girl, and Wonder Woman ;o)

10/31/2014 - Olivia getting some Maui kisses... she has been obsesseed with Maui her whole life

10/31/2014 - See?  Look at that joyful baby Olivia!!

11/16/2014 - Jacob loved her, too... they had lots of couch cuddle time on Saturday mornings

12/7/2014




12/24/2014 - Maui and my parents' dog, Lily... Lily was like a momma to Maui




















2/22/2015 - She always hated the bows they put in her hair after she was groomed.  Haha.


3/31/2016 - Olivia used to LOVE it when we would put Maui in her crib <3

8/27/2016

10/9/2016

10/15/2016

2/3/2017

2/19/2017

4/2/2017

9/4/2017

9/4/2017

10/31/2017

10/31/2017

12/3/2017

12/23/2017

12/23/2017

12/25/2017 - Christmas naps with Mommy

1/17/2018 - As small as a cup of coffee

1/20/2018

2/2/2018 - Always begging for a morsel

2/4/2018

7/29/2018

11/21/2018

1/10/2019 - One of my favorite pictures of her ever

6/12/2019

7/28/2019

7/28/2019

7/28/2019

8/16/2019

9/14/2019

12/2/2019 - Her 10th birthday

12/2/2019 - Her 10th birthday
12/2/2019 - Her 10th birthday

March 2020 - Social distancing during Covid

5/24/2020

6/17/2020

6/16/2020

6/26/2020

7/17/2020

8/24/2020 - My friend, Amanda, painted her... I'll treasure this forever

10/27/2020

11/20/2020 - Snuggling with me in my electric blanket

12/2/2020 - Her 11th birthday

12/18/2020

12/19/2020 - A rare moment sleeping in Daddy's lap

1/17/2021

January 2021

2/13/2021

4/2/2021 - Putting her face in the sunshine and sniffing the air <3

April 2021 - A selfie with her Pop

4/27/2021

8/18/2021

August 2021
9/11/2021

10/31/2021 - Fall family photos

10/31/2021 - Fall family photos

10/31/2021 - Fall family photos

2/4/2022

2/26/2022

3/23/2022

4/21/2022 - Watching her brother play baseball

5/27/2022

5/28/2022

Summer 2022

10/31/2022 - The perfect Toto to Olivia's Dorothy

11/27/2022

12/17/2022

2/26/2023

4/16/2023

8/22/2023

9/8/2023 - Begging for food yet again

9/8/2023 - Trying to figure out where the popcorn went

12/2/2023 - Her 14th birthday... I Facetimed them from New York City so I wouldn't miss it

12/24/2023
1/2/2024

1/29/2024 - That time she got stuck in her sweater LOL

4/22/2024 - Uncanny!

5/12/2024

Summer 2024 - We took her to the local brewery 

6/29/2024

7/2/2024

7/31/2024

8/4/2024 - Always with me... even when I'm trying to lay in the sun.  Haha.

8/27/2024 - Happily hanging out in her bed

9/6/2024 - Trying the "Hands In" trend with her... she was not amused.  Hahahaha.

9/27/2024 - Couldn't hang for a long walk anymore so Olivia was happy to carry her <3

10/23/2024

11/8/2024 - This was when she started showing signs of her age... she wasn't well this weekend

11/8/2024

11/9/2024 - Lots of snuggles for the baby girl

11/9/2024 - In her favorite place... her mom's lap <3

11/9/2024 - I miss those Baby Yoda ears

11/10/2024 - Giving Daddy her best ignore face

11/10/2024

11/25/2024 - Our last family pictures together and our Christmas card picture for 2024
11/25/2024 - I will cherish these pictures forever... her little tongue!

11/25/2024

11/30/2024 - Probably my favorite picture of her EVER.

12/2/2024 - Her 15th and last birthday ever

12/22/2024

12/27/2024 - I will miss the Christmastime snuggles more than anything

12/28/2024

12/30/2024 - The beginning of the end... this was when her eating really slowed down

12/31/2024 - Put me in your lap, Mom!

12/31/2024 - Her last New Year's Eve and starting the year where she would eventually leave us

1/5/2025

1/21/2025 - Her last snow day... what a treat to be able to have this with her one last time

1/21/2025

1/21/2025

1/28/2025 - Finally letting me hold her like a baby

1/28/2025

1/30/2025

2/14/2025 - I took full advantage of it

2/16/2025 - Our last OOTD picture together

2/16/2025

2/19/2025 - Spending every single second with her because I knew it wouldn't be long

2/21/2025 - Our last couple of days together... she slept all day and had to be carried everywhere

2/21/2025 - I will cherish every single one of these moments I spent with her

2/21/2025 - We snuggled all night

2/21/2025 - 1st time sleeping in our room since she was a baby... I didn't want her to be alone

2/22/2025 - I carried her literally everywhere with me on her last day here on earth

2/23/2025 (just after midnight) - Our last lap snuggles ever

2/23/2025 (just after midnight) - Her last picture... she was gone when we woke the next morning


I already posted this on Instagram and Facebook the day she passed away, but I wanted to add it here for her tribute post, too:

Brian and I lost our first baby in the wee hours of the morning February 23, 2025. Her health had been deteriorating for a few weeks, and on February 21 we knew in our hearts that it was time to say goodbye to her. We scheduled an appointment for February 24 as that was the earliest they could accommodate us, and then we spent all of February 21 and 22 snuggling her and loving on her. We made sure she was never alone for a single second.

I just knew before bed on February 22 that she was not going to make it through the night, so for the first time in her life, we let her sleep in our bed, and she passed peacefully nestled between Brian and me… her two favorite people.

Maui was the best girl in every way. She was well behaved, she had the most gentle spirit, and she loved EVERYONE. And everyone loved her. She brought me so much joy. She was my constant companion, and I am going to miss her so dang much. We are all grieving her loss - the kids have never known life without her - but we are so grateful for the 15 years we had with her. We are also grateful that God took her peacefully so we didn’t have to.

I have a million pictures of her that I could share, but I thought that this one from November summed her up the best - snuggled in a blanket in her favorite place (my lap) looking super cute. My gosh, am I going to miss the lap snuggles every night. Our evenings will never be the same.

Rest easy, my sweet girl. 


I hope you all enjoyed reminiscing with me… thank you for indulging me one last time for our girl.  She will always be in our hearts.  There will never be another one like her.