When it comes to everyday items like a bath mat for example, I have always had one thought cross my mind; there has to be something better out there. For anyone who uses a traditional bath mat like I do, you understand the upkeep of a typical cloth bath mat; the lack of ventilation causes moisture build up, the chances of mold growing are increased because of the moisture, they get dirty easily and you have to wash them every week, and they're also slippery. In the one place inside of your home that should be relaxing and stress free, that doesn't seem to be the case here.

    For the past few years, it has never occurred to me to look into a bath mat beyond what's sold in stores. Never. I simply have just put up with the current bath mat that I have by simply washing it whenever it became dirty and letting that be that. Over the years though, no matter how many times I have washed my bath mat though, I was never completely satisfied. I knew I wanted a different bathroom mat, one that was a bit more luxurious, so a few weeks ago I started my research and discovered Sutera.

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    Sutera is a rising company that specializes in creating innovative products that transform the home experience. They offer everything from pillow cases, towels, shower scrubs, and more. While their selection is rather limited, when I saw that they had a bath stone that claimed to beat traditional bath mats, I was immediately intrigued. After watching testimonials on both Amazon and YouTube, I was sold and bought one right away. 

    The Sutera Bathstone is a one of a kind bath mat. Rather than being made out of cloth or bamboo like most bath mats are made out of, the Sutera Bathstone is made out of Diatomaceous Earth; a fossilized type of plankton that is grounded into a fine chalk like powder. For those who have never heard of Diatomaceous Earth, it has recently been gaining attention for it's health benefits as you can take it as a supplement and even use it for cleaning around the house. It is eco-friendly too which is always a plus!

Sutera BathStone unboxed

Sutera BathStone Sanding Paper

    The sanding paper it comes with should be used according to how often you shower. If you shower daily, you should use the sand paper on your stone on a weekly basis. This helps the stone look it's best and even prevents breaks and stains. Just as you would with anything you are sanding down, simply use the sand paper on the entire surface of your BathStone, gently removing uneven surfaces or anywhere that shows stains from excess water. 

    Even though the Sutera BathStone has weight to it, you are provided with a slip-resistant mat that can be placed under your BathStone. This will make it even more secure on your floor, and make being in your bathroom a lot safer and enjoyable. Since I live in an older building and there are parts of the tile in my bathroom that are uneven, having this slip-resistant mat to put under my BathStone really came in handy!

Using Sutera's provided slip-resistant mat

The water test

After 20 seconds

After 40 seconds

    If you're the kind of person who jumps straight out of the shower without using a towel, this stone will need extra time to dry; you can place it near a fan so it airs out better. For those those who wrap yourself in a towel before stepping out though, you'll find that this BathStone will dry up within 5 minutes. As mentioned before, if you take daily showers, you will need to sand your BathStone regularly so that it doesn't break or stain. It may sound like a lot of work, but it's far better than stepping on a germ infested bath mat that needs to be washed every week; am I right?

"Do not pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." - Bruce Lee

    Meet Snickers & Twix; my two guinea pigs who have been part of my life for the past five to six years. Their names were recently changed from Gypsy & Tipsy because I thought their new names were cuter. Today I want to share my story with you all on how I met my little babes and what life has been like being a guinea pig mama. It's been interesting for sure, with the occasional moments of stress, but it has all been worth it. As unusual as it may be to have guinea pigs as an adult, I couldn't have asked for a better pair. 

     Growing up, my Dad always made having pets an essential for my sister and I. It allowed us to prove our responsibility to not only care for another species, but also because we genuinely enjoyed having pets. When my older sister moved to Texas though, she left my sister and I her guinea pigs to take care. Mine was brown and I had named him Fluffy, after one of my favorite books.

Fluffy's Valentines Day

    Well, one day we ended up having to move and we couldn't take the pets with us; I was so upset about it because I had found out in the worst way possible. I had come home from school and discovered that the guinea pigs were gone. Just like that. So, I told myself from that point on that when I was able to, I'd get a guinea pig of my own that no one would be able to take away. Years later I found myself at Petco, a local pet supplies store in the USA, and I was introduced to two older piggies that were up for adoption.

    The sales associate told us that the two were brothers and that the owners insisted that they were adopted together. They were much older than the rest of the guinea pigs in the store, but they were cute. We were also told that the darker guinea pig was a bit "wild," since he was known for biting if he didn't get his way. Weirdly enough, they were also free and came with accessories and food; all I needed was a cage. So, I signed the adoption papers and the Associate put them in a box carrier  for me to take them home.

    I still needed a cage for them and I had no intentions on buying one from the pet store; they were way too small! Instead, I was going to build a C&C cage but I needed the supplies first. So after dropping the piggies off at the house, we went to Home Depot to get our supplies. For the first week, we made their C&C cage small - just until we had time to make it bigger. It was definitely an upgrade from their pet store cage!

First week setup

Final cage

    The piggies loved their new home; they ran around, popcorned often, and made noises that I had no idea guinea pigs could make. I was so pleased with their setup because I could see how genuinely happy they were. Store bought cages have nothing on making your own cage, and I will always be the first to tell any first time guinea pig owner that it's best to make a C&C cage; they're cheaper, customizable, and so much better for your guinea pigs well-being. 

    I learned quickly though that my piggies would catch on to treat time; or any feeding in general. There were times where Snickers would wheek at me if I made the slightest movement at my desk, giving me the impression that he was hungry despite having a full rack of hay, so I'd feed him pellets. After doing some research, I learned that guinea pigs are great at guilt tripping their owners, and mine were no different. Even today, they still try to guilt trip me and of course I give into it every now and then.

    Also, my piggies weren't used to being outside of their cage. There were times where I'd set up an enclosure outside of their cage for them to explore on their own and each time I did, they would be completely frozen. If there were any tubes out for them to play with, they would both just hide inside of them. I tried coaxing them with treats and veggies even but it didn't help them move much. So I gave up on it.

Twix & Snickers hiding in their tube

      After several years of having them, I had a scare with Twix. He had stopped eating and would keep to himself all fluffed up. I monitored him for a few days to see if he would make any improvements but he only got worse, so I finally took him to an Exotic Animal Clinic. After all the possible tests the Veterinarian could do, they were dumbstruck and found nothing wrong with him.

    At this point, I had already spent over $500 for tests and lab work, so I decided to take him home and care for him myself. It was nerve-wracking because I had never cared for a sick pet before and I had read horror stories that made me fear the worst. When I got home though, I set a schedule to tube feed Twix every 3 hours and gave him double the amount of Vitamin C daily. I also secluded him from his brother every day for an hour just to see if his stools were improving. 

    After two weeks of keeping up with this schedule, Twix had finally gained weight and was back to his usual piggie self; a pooping/eating machine. I was so relieved!

Look how chunky he is!

    There are times where I will watch them both from a distance and it will shock me how loving and affectionate Snickers & Twix are to one another; they really are brothers and I'm only saying this because at first, I didn't believe they were. If one goes to the other side of the cage, the other one will follow behind. If one is sleeping, the other will sleep right next to him. They regularly check up on each other too, and while they do occasionally fight, it's rarely concerning and they're always great about "working it out."

    The best part about being a guinea pig mama is how they greet me. If I come home from being out, 9 times out of 10, they will know it's me and Snickers will do his usual wheeking. Sure, it's probably because he's hungry and wants to be spoiled, but they know my schedule just like I know theirs. I never had the opportunity to build such a unique bond with my previous guinea pig before, so I'm blessed to be able to do so now. 

    Some time before moving, I had injured my back and it was hard to clean their cage; it was two levels after all and took roughly 20 minutes. My back was out for a good month and while Dimitar was able to help me clean it, I had no choice but to get rid of the second level so I could recover. It was upsetting since I knew how much they enjoyed running up and down the ramp, but it would only be temporary. Since they are older though, I often wonder if not having a second level would be easier on their joints; still not sure yet. 

Temporary cage setup

    Six years later, I am still happy to have them part of my life. They cheer me up when I am having a rough day and they make me laugh with their silly personalities. When I tell people I have guinea pigs as pets, they will often mistake them for hamsters or ferrets even, but I shake it off. To me, they're special in their own unique ways and any guinea pig owner will tell you the same. I really am a happy guinea pig mama.

Happy brothers

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

    As I write this, the temperature outside has dropped and it's starting to feel more like Winter. If all goes well, we may even get some snow this year! I may be getting ahead of myself, but it's healthy to have a bit of wishful thinking. Christmas is only in a few days and I thought I'd quickly share some of my weekly activities with you all. 

    To start off, I have been walking around town a lot because as much as I used to come to Old Town before I moved here, I never had the chance to really see the neighborhood in depth. Since I like to dress up when I am out and about, I've taken this opportunity to wear my new loafers that I bought from SHEIN; they're so comfortable and stylish. It's pretty hard for me to find shoes my size so I was thrilled when these shoes were a perfect fit for me. They're my favorite pair of shoes right now!

My new loafers!

    On one of our late night walks, we heard Carolers singing from somewhere nearby and Dimitar and I were afraid that we'd miss them. Just as we were finishing up our walk though, we found the group of singers near the water, singing Christmas classics. It was amazing to hear such talent up close and it was also the first time that I was able to listen to Carolers too. I was honored to have been able to see such talent in person, along with the crowd of people that were watching with us. It really made Christmas extra special.

The Alexandria Harmonizers

20ft Christmas Tree In Old Town Alexandria

The best Christmas lawn decoration

    Speaking of decorations, I had to make a payment for a bill and on my way to the bank, I  came across this historic building that had beautiful arches. I've shown it before on one of my vlogs, but this time the building had put out their Christmas decorations that really inspired me. I always told myself that if I were to build my own house, I would build it with the same arches and ornate designs because they really are stunning. It's architecture like this that make me wish more homes were designed that way. 

Victorian Arches

Hangry Burger

    At home, the Christmas tree is looking mighty packed this year with presents which has left me contemplating a lot. I think after this year though, Dimitar and I will focus less on buying gifts and instead focus more on making gifts ourselves or spending our money on experiences instead. As much as I love the idea of wrapping presents and the appeal it gives a Christmas tree, I am not very materialistic and I really enjoy the simple things in life. Traveling is by far worthy of splurging on, in my opinion. Plus, I think by focusing on the deeper aspect of what the Holidays are really about, it helps us appreciate what matters most in our lives.  Little things like a new house decoration, watching your favorite movie, pampering yourself, or just spending more time with those you love can really make a difference in our lives compared to material things.

    

First Poinsettia plant - so pretty!

    I am making Dimitar another art piece for Christmas. I made one for him last year of a bull with Tribal designs on it since he is a Taurus, so this year I am painting him a Mandala that has Bulgaria colors on it since he is Bulgarian. It is taking me awhile to finish it because of all the small details on it, but I am excited to see it completed. I am painting the Mandala on a wooden black board so the colors stand out really well. I am always nervous about gifting hand made items to friends or family because I never knew if they will like it, but I am sure that is just my inner artist critic breaking out. What do you all think of it so far? For those wondering, I am using my Artistro fine point paint pens.

   

Mandala designed by Sarah Lucas

    Since I am cat-sitting this Christmas and dog-sitting for New Years, I will make use of my time by pampering myself and working on my business. This year has offered me so many challenges, but also many opportunities that I am grateful for. I hope you all are enjoying your Holiday so far and I wish you all a Merry Christmas, from my home to yours! Cheers!

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas!