SARITA'S LIFE

Dimitar and I had the rare (but nice) opportunity where we both had the same day off. As usual, we slept in until 9am, gave Amigo a nice long walk before munching on some blueberry muffins for breakfast. That's when we decided to go to the park. We haven't been to one in awhile because of our schedules so we thought about checking out a new park that I have been eyeing for over a year now.

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Since starting my new job where I work even more hours, I have been desperately in need of spending time outdoors. I often get body aches from sitting too long at my work desk so making time to walk has been a big priority of mine. To combat this, I have invested in new sneakers, bought a Fitbit, and upped my intake on electrolytes. It's been an adjustment for sure but finding small ways to help myself physically have really paid off. Also, the benefits of working in a clinic is that you can often get drops of advice on how to improve your life like how drinking fermented drinks before bedtime can improve the quality of your sleep.

Once all of the pets were taken care of, Dimitar and I changed into our walking clothes, filled our water bottles, and headed off towards Huntley Meadow Park. It's a cute park honestly that is a combination between a park and a wetland. It's also the first park that I have personally been to that has allowed me to walk over water; something Huntley Meadow Park has incorporated so well!

Weird Blaire Witch structure

The park was about 15 minutes away from our house and it was tucked away behind a cute neighborhood. To our surprise, the park was smaller than expected but filled with people. We managed to find parking though and headed off towards the trail that was quick to introduce us to the local wildlife, history, and the map of the park. I also learned about certain invasive insects that immediately sent me down memory lane of when I used to go fishing with my dad.

We didn't get very far on the trail before we came across a path leading us over the wetland. There was a dock that stretched across the water and allowed us to get up close to see all kinds of wild life; fish, tadpoles, snapping turtles, and tons of frogs. It was easy to get lost in the beauty of everything that we often stood in one place to take it all in!

Snappy Turtle coming up for air

Once we walked across the wet land, there is a lookout tower that allowed us to look over the entire wetland. It was a cute area where you could get a panoramic view of everything or just sit down and relax on the bench. Maybe it was because I hadn't been to the park in a long time, but it really was a peaceful place that helped me unwind after a long week!

No matter how much time I spend outdoors; it feels like my inner being is recharging and purifying itself. I know many of us live busy lives in rushed cities, but finding time to slow down and reconnect with earth is a humbling experience that I hope to never take for granted.

Overlooking the wetland

Once we hit the end of the dock, we entered a regular trail that took us into the woods. I really wanted to see a snake (since I saw just about everything else I could see) and sure enough, I saw one! Sort-of. Unfortunately, Dimitar saw it first but his reaction to the snake made me freak out and the snake got scared by both of us and slithered away into a bush. I was hoping to take a picture of the little guy but maybe next time.

The trail from that point on lasted about half a mile or so before it took us back to the beginning near the Visitors Center. I knew the trail was going to be short but part of me wished it was much longer. Overall, this park was the cutest park ever and I'll definitely come back again during the Fall time to see the foliage change color.

Until next time! - Sarah xoxo

The Visitors Center

Having both a cat and a dog means finding ways to make caring for them easier and faster. Amigo, my 8 month old Pembroke Welsh Corgi, isn't a picky water drinker but he is active so he drinks more of it. Pearl on the other hand, my 7 month old kitten, enjoys playing with her water and making a huge mess every chance she gets. So naturally, this led me to investing into a water fountain for them both.

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I couldn't just get any water fountain though. I needed one that both Amigo and Pearl could use together so it had to be a decent size and a good weight. I also needed it to have a fountain spout and give off a cue when the water levels were low. An added bonus would be that it was cute and stylish which was really just for my own enjoyment. I didn't mind if there was sound that came from it as I really like the sound of running water.

My local Petsmart had many water fountains to browse from but they were all way overpriced! They had a cute Catit Pixi water fountain for $40 dollars but I knew I could find a better deal elsewhere. So I continued to search around other stores but found none I liked. Finally weeks later, I was walking through Marshalls and BAM! There was a Catit Pixi water fountain on sale for $19.99 and in the exact color I wanted too! Talk about manifesting huh?

The Catit Pixi water fountain comes with cool features that beat any pet water fountain I've seen so far. It has two stream options for cats that are picky drinkers, an alert system that lets you know when the water is getting low, a filter that lasts 30 days, and of course the fact that it's shaped like a cat with a cute design on the front that lights up is top notch. I'm obsessed with it!

I also love how big it is too. Amigo drinks much more water compared to Pearl and the size is perfect for them both to drink from-even if at the same time. The height of the fountain also puts ease on their throats and prevents them from choking. While Pearl hasn't had any issues with drinking, Amigo often rushes when he drinks water and later ends up either burping or puking it all up altogether. Yuck.

The filter only lasts 30 days but I can easily buy more so that I'm stocked up on it. I have read that water fountains can get pretty gross if they're not being regularly washed or if the filter isn't getting changed out as it should. Just so that I remember, and for my fur babies own safety, I've marked the calendar on my phone to remind me.

The back of the box

Setting up the water fountain was very easy. Not only does it come with a booklet that gives you written instructions, but on the box there is also an illustration with directions. Once it was assembled, I filled it up with water, plugged it in, and I was immediately shocked; it was fairly quiet! Of course in a quiet room, you can hear the water but it's very gentle and relaxing.

Almost immediately upon setting it up, Amigo came to inspect. With no hesitation, he began to drink from it and seemed to enjoy his new gadget. I wasn't able to grab my phone fast enough though because soon afterwards, Pearl approached the fountain and began to drank with him; a good sign that it's Amigo and Pearl approved!

The only thing I'll have to get now is a bigger mat to put underneath it though because Amigo makes a mess when he drinks. Pearl has has even developed impulses to dip her paw into the water and flick the water onto the walls and floor like a little toddler. She drives me crazy sometimes but I'm happy at least that she's drinking more water now.

Amigo taking his first sips

Pearl playing with the water...

Overall, I can't believe the crazy deal I got at Marshalls for this amazing water fountain. If you're looking for a stylish water fountain that is also fairly quiet, you will want to buy the Catit Pixi fountain!

Until next time! - xoxo Sarah

In my time playing video games (or just games in general), I have yet to come across one where the cat is the main character. I've played games with dogs and horses but none with cats - shocking right? I honestly like cats and find them highly misunderstood, but no game ever caught my attention enough to make me want to play it. That is, until I played Stray.

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I remember watching the trailer for this game back in 2022 and knew for a fact that it'd be a game I'd enjoy. To play a cat exploring a dystopian city? Yes, count me in! But, for whatever reason, I forgot to buy the game when it came out until one day my boyfriend, Dimitar, gifted me the game to play on Steam. So on one rainy afternoon up in my loft, I dimmed the lights down low and started the game up.

( If you don't like spoilers, I'd skip this post altogether but read on if you're still curious.)

The game starts out immersing you into a group of cats huddled up in a tunnel overgrown with vegetation. The atmosphere quickly gives you a sense of longing for something that you aren't aware of yet, but you oddly still feel safe. You also get the chance to interact with your group in a cat-like manner; taking your time to groom each kitty member and to even to play with some. It's a small heartfelt moment that could make anyone smile and it's a moment that you later end up appreciating even more.

Like any game, you quickly jump into the mechanics of how to play and getting used to controlling your kitty character. I was pleasantly surprised by how effortless it was to maneuver my kitty friend up and down beams and jump onto ledges without the movement being too choppy. It was a fun POV that I enjoyed more than I thought I would! It also made me wonder why more gaming developers weren't creating games with cats since it's now obvious by this game's ratings that there is a demand for it.

As you follow the tutorial, you quickly take in your surroundings. Seeing tall (and ominous) concrete walls surround you with overgrown plants and no humans in sight leads you to wonder how exactly the story will unfold. Everything appears so serene as the game highlights how resilient nature is. Just as you begin to make peace with following your kitty group around, the story takes a sudden turn and you're separated from them due to an unexpected fall; pushing you down into the darkness that the walls hide.

Just like that, your journey as a cat begins and you find yourself exploring a dark abandoned city brought to life by neon lights and the dangers that lurk within it. It's not all gloomy though, as you later encounter robots who end up helping you along the way towards your mission. One of these nifty robots just so happens to be on your back in the shape of a backpack and the two of you rely on each other every step of the way until the very end. You also quickly learn the true story about the unfortunate events that took place before the city was blocked off from the outside world.

Apart from the amazing layout of the city you can explore, the game itself has various puzzles in place that help you develop the story line. Since I'm not the best with puzzles, it was a relief to find that most of the puzzles were user friendly but engaging. Sometimes you had to complete missions for the local robots to obtain certain desired objects, allowing you to move past the yearning of your kitty group from the very beginning.

The best thing I liked about this game though (apart from you playing a cat) is the interactions between each and every robot. Most of the robots talked like a human would, but then there were others that seemed more distraught and unable to cope. Many spoke about their long search for a way back up to the surface but settled with the idea that it wasn't possible. You end up sympathizing with them and hanging onto the story even more because of this.

Also, as simple as the gameplay may be, your ability to play as a cat is never taken away from you and it's not oddly distorted in some weird way. I say this because many games have a habit of overpowering the main character that they believe lacks excitement. With Stray though, you can be a cat and utilize everything that makes a cat special and I appreciate the developers of this game so much more because of this. Cats really are unique and this game does a fantastic job getting that point across.

I honestly don't have much to criticize about this game apart from the fact that it was too short in my opinion! This game was able to capture my attention with a cat, neon lights, and a superb soundtrack. If more games came out with a similar style like Stray's, I'd jump on them in a heart beat! The fact that this Indie game didn't win Game of The Year is wild to me but it still holds a special place in my heart and in the fans it garnered.

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

As I type this, it's currently storming outside and it has been raining for the past four days - four days! It's pretty nice when you can relax in the house and watch it all from the comfort of your own home but not so much if you're running errands. April showers are no joke, but, at least it means warmer weather is on it's way. Despite the cold fronts we often get here on the East Coast, I think Spring is here to stay.

Now that the weather has started to improve, I have been taking Amigo on longer walks. At first, he was not happy about it and would often throw a typical Corgi fit! He would whine and pull in the opposite direction to the point where our walks took forever. But now, Dimitar and I both walk him consistently on the same path and he has slowly started to welcome it. We even managed to take some cute pictures of him on one of his good days!

Amigo is a big boy now!

Also, can you believe how big Amigo has gotten though since I last wrote about him? He's only 7 months old now and he's almost 20lbs! Our Vet told us to feed him as much as he wanted until he was an adult and sure enough, Amigo has grown so much since then. I often forget how heavy he really is until he plops down on my lap; something he has always done since he was a puppy.

I didn't write about it much but we also adopted a kitty. Funny enough, we had no intentions on getting a cat but Dimitar really wanted Amigo to have a cat companion. We applied to adopt one cat through a local Petco but the adoption process was so frustrating that we went to a shelter out of state where we were quickly approved for Pearl. She was very shy at first but after two weeks, she warmed up to us and her new "brother."

We were told that Pearl was about 8 months old at the time of adopting, but she seems much smaller than that and undeveloped (her teeth are tiny) so our guess is that she's about the same age as Amigo. It's worked out great though either way because both of them are learning from each other and it's the cutest thing ever!

Amigo & Pearl bird watching

Apart from the animals getting used to one another and them literally becoming partners in crime, I have been staying busy with baking. I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to start a home bakery and I underestimated just how intensive it was! Buying everything is the easy part but perfecting the recipes has taken up the most time.

Since I'm baking Keto baked goodies, they're a bit different than traditional desserts. For starters, the sugar I use (Monk Fruit sugar) is much sweeter than regular sugar so I have to have the perfect amount of it to make sure my desserts aren't crazy sweet. It's tough figuring out the measurements. Also, Monk Fruit sugar can sometimes leave a weird after taste in my desserts, something that effects each recipe.

I have been enjoying my new hobby though and Dimitar has also been enjoying it too. He likes being the guinea pig to try everything I make; sometimes he enjoys them and sometimes he doesn't which is totally fine; Keto isn't for everyone after all. Since he usually doesn't eat Keto, I figured it would be a good idea to let him try everything to get his honest opinion.

Keto Chocolate Cupcakes - I didn't like this batch!

Since my goal this year is to be financially stable and to save up enough money to buy a house (hopefully in Florida), I've also started working a full-time job at a clinic as a receptionist. I didn't think I would like it at first since I'm an introvert by nature, but I actually do. The pay is great, my coworkers are decent, and it'll help me achieve my financial goals much quicker.

My time is much more limited as you can imagine now so I try to fit time into my day where I can write on this little blog of mine or catch up on house work like finally repotting the money tree we have. Poor thing. It was so root bound that I finally went to Home Depot and bought a bigger pot for it. I also discovered that I had planted it in the wrong soil too! I'm not sure if I planted it right but it's been a few days now and Billy is still holding up...fingers crossed.

Billy the money tree enjoying it's new pot

Until next time! xoxo - Sarah

When it comes to baking, I didn't start until later on in life. Like...much later. When I was little, I used to save recipes on my computer that I'd want to try baking one day or I'd watch baking tutorials on YouTube for fun. I even remember watching Cake Boss back in the day when the show first started and I was hooked. Despite all of this though, I never thought about baking...until now.

My desire to start baking started out with me being frustrated in 2019 about not finding Keto friendly desserts while out in public. All of the bakeries and stores sold traditional baked goods that were loaded with sugar and carbs so I learned to carry a Keto friendly snack with me at all times. Eventually I was happy with this little fix, but I still wanted the convenience of shopping for Keto baked goods while traveling.

Fast forward to 2023 and I get the wild urge to start baking more Keto desserts. So I started gathering up a list of all the recipes I liked and began baking them. Dimitar had tried some of them and was really impressed by tasty they were that he even mentioned that I should start selling them. I brushed it off at first but when I thought back on how there weren't any Keto bakeries in my area, it really made me consider the idea.

Sweet Keto Fix - Snickerdoodle Cookies

On one late night, I stayed up putting together a menu, my logo, researching the laws in my state, and trying to put together a plan on how I could bake from home. With a full-time job on my hands, I was worried that my time was too limited to consider starting a home bakery. Before I knew it, all of these limiting thoughts had cluttered my mind and I ended up putting off the home bakery planning until 2024.

I still had the itch to start a home bakery though no matter how busy I was. I continued to bake at home and even began designing my own website. I wasn't sure if I would start a home bakery, but here I was...checking off my to-do list. I even saved a shopping list on Amazon and browsed stores for the best deals because I couldn't stop thinking about baking.

When starting a home bakery, it's important to research your food cottage law because every state is different and some are more strict than others. In Virginia, you can sell baked goods just as long as you sell them in person and you aren't selling prohibited items like pickles. Knowing this allowed me to plan ahead but I eventually hit many road blocks despite my good intentions.

Sweet Keto Fix - Vanilla Whoopie Pies

Even after my website was done and my recipes were all tested and approved of, I kept having a horrible experience trying to break through on social media. Facebook Marketplace wouldn't allow me to market myself due to getting flagged, Twitter suspended my account after it was hacked into, and Craigslist wouldn't allow me to advertise my services either. It was frustrating and discouraging but I wasn't going to give up that easily.

Eventually I ended up turning to Nextdoor, YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and word-of-mouth. I also created a Google Business Profile Page so that locals would be able to find me a lot easier. Even though my business is currently not open to the public yet because I still have supplies to get, I had the idea of starting a waiting list. One that locals could sign up for while incentivizing them with freebies and yes - it worked! I was able to build up waiting list of five potential customers which really boosted my confidence!

With this waiting list, whenever I was ready to launch my business to the public, I could alert these potential customers with the hope of making my first few sales. The important part was staying consistent with advertising myself and not being afraid to reach out to strangers. I've also started giving out samples to coworkers, friends, strangers; while I don't have business cards yet, if I did, I'd do give this out as well.

Sweet Keto Fix - Pistachio Cookies

While baking and gathering up the supplies is the easy part (at least to me it is), advertising and making that first sale is the hardest. Since I bake specialty items, it does put me into a niche area that would be easier to be discovered amongst all of the competition. However, committing to daily advertising myself is time consuming but worth it if it pays off and leads to regular customers.

My goal with starting a Home Bakery is to not only offer Keto friendly desserts to those either doing Keto or on a restricted diet, but to also bring in some extra income. Working a Full-time job is ok but having extra income is a thousand times better. I'll be working more at the end of the day but who knows - maybe I can someday replace my job with baking!

Either way, I've found a new hobby that I enjoy and I'm excited to see where it takes me!

Until next time!

Before getting Amigo, my life consisted mostly of having small animals like guinea pigs, birds, rabbits, etc. When I grew up and I started working with Animals, I began interacting more with dogs. I didn't understand dogs very well and since I was much more introverted, I never thought about getting one either. It took about 10 years later for me to finally muster up the courage to get a dog and having one in my life made me happier than I thought it would.

I mostly put off getting a dog because the timing was never right. I was either living with someone else or our apartment didn't allow dogs in general. I was also worried that I wasn't responsible enough for a dog so I mostly gravitated towards small pets that I knew I could manage. After all, I knew having a dog was like having a child and my life wasn't prepared for that!

When 2024 rolled around, Dimitar and I found ourselves talking more and more about how having a dog would lift our spirits. The previous years had been rough on us and we wanted a companion that could grow with us. We were also at the point where we were heavily considering having kids so getting a dog seemed perfect. Sure enough, about a week later we ended up getting a Corgi puppy and named him Amigo.

Amigo's favorite sleeping spot

Now, I'm not going to lie; Dimitar and I had no idea if we could make having a dog work out after we brought him home. Our lives were already hectic and with us even considering moving to a different state next year...we were nervous. But, we knew we had to get out of our comfort zone because if not, we'd constantly make excuses on why we couldn't get a dog even though we wanted one. So to be proactive (and responsible dog owners), we developed a training plan for Amigo and with each day, our puppy started to feel like our new family member.

Training Amigo was just like having a child though! We had to get up early to walk him and feed him. He needed a strict schedule of training and was rewarded with playtime. We also had to make sure he had naps so we'd put him in his crate to make sure he slept enough. Our day consisted of walking him at least 4x a day and while it may not seem like a lot - when you live on the fourth flour of your apartment with only stairs, your legs definitely start to feel it!

Amigo after playing

As we began to learn more about Amigo and he was learning to trust us, we realized that he was teaching us just as much as we were teaching him. He nudged us to live more in the moment, be more selfless, and offered us new ways to have fun. Our regular routine of working and coming home became much more exciting because now we had a dog that loved to to be with us no matter where we went.

Amigo's innocent and playful nature quickly rubbed off on us and we welcomed it. Coming home from work and seeing him waiting for us made our day sparkle a bit more. When I wasn't feeling my best, getting out of bed and playing with him made the day seem worth while. If the weather was nice, his excitement to go outside gave me something to look forward to. I never understood the love a dog owner had for their own dogs until the day Amigo came into my life.

So having a dog (as an introvert) has really improved my life in many ways that I underestimated it would. While Amigo is still growing and learning and life still seems unpredictable, we know having Amigo part of our family now will only make us stronger. He's the friend we all needed and seeing him bring joy to others around him as well reassures us that we have many happy years ahead of us.

Amigo & Pearl bird watching

Until next time! - Sarah xoxo

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MY KETO ESSENTIALS

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