Ten Ways You Can Be a Better Friend! :)

“I found out what the secret to life is; friends. Best friends.” – Fried Green Tomatoes

It sounds simple. To be a better friend, you show up and support them. You treat them right and let them know that no matter what, you’ll be there for them through thick and thin. But I think there’s more to it than just being there. I think friendship takes work. Hard work. Even when you don’t see eye to eye, have very different opinions, you can’t give up on each other. Even when you both have contrasting interests and are going in different directions, you still need to make sure you’re in each other’s lives. You need to keep growing in the friendship even when life gets hard.

I found ten helpful ways to keep the friendships I have in my life still going strong through all the ups and downs life throws at us— including me moving across the country from them. I hope these are helpful and encouraging for you! 🙂

1) Make it a point to text or call your friend at least once month. If you can, once a week is better, but like I said, life gets crazy busy. Show them you’re still thinking about them and care about what’s going on in their life. By doing this, it will make them feel special and loved that you took time out of your day to reach out.

2) Meet up with them over coffee or tea to talk in person (hard for me right now, but when I visit Jersey— I 100% will). Let them vent to you about anything going on in their life and vice versa. It can be hard to always meet in person if you both have busy schedules, but if you can, it’s always better to meet up in person. And be open and honest about all that’s going on in your life and let them do the same. Trust is key in a friendship.

3) Put your phone away when you do hangout. Be fully present and give your complete undivided attention. There’s nothing worse than when you’re pouring out your heart to someone and they’re busy texting on their phone and half-listening.

4) It doesn’t always have to be serious conversations. Don’t forget to have fun! Get your nails done together, go to the beach, or go shopping and laugh and have a good time. When I lived close to my friend, Mel, we would go shopping at the Freehold Mall and spend time trying on pink, sparkly dresses then getting cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. We would have a blast and forget all about exams and papers we needed to get done for school.

5) DON’T JUDGE THEM. That’s a big one. Who wants to be friends with someone who’s judgmental and doesn’t support you even when you’ve hit a rough patch?? We need to feel safe to tell our friends everything— the good, the bad, and the ugly. Remember: nobody is perfect.

6) Pray for them. I always try and pray as much as I can for my friends— that they’re happy and content with their lives. And if they’re looking for a new job or having a tough time in a relationship, I’ll pray for that as well. Whatever they need help with, I pray for them. Prayer is so powerful and important and it’s always nice to include your friends in the conversation you have with God.

7) Be sensitive towards their feelings. When they open up to you, don’t shut them down or make them feel like they need to take your advice on a certain matter. They need to make their own decisions and need you to just say, “Whatever you decide, I’m here for you 110%.”

8) Words of affirmation. Show them love by saying they look great today— love the hair, love the shoes, etc. Tell them you appreciate them or any nice thing you want to say to them. Just make them feel loved by saying something positive about them every now and then. You can even do this on social media when they post a photo. Write a nice comment— make them feel fabulous!

9) Write them a letter! Letters are soooo thoughtful. Why? Because who takes the time to sit down and write an actual letter these days?? I do it every now and then and all my friends love getting one from me.

10) Stay loyal. Don’t ditch your friend to hangout with a boyfriend or other friend when you already made plans with them. It’s not only rude but shows them they are not top priority and not as important as the other people in your life.

Treating your friends right goes a long way. My three closest friends have been in my life for at least a decade now. And one friend I literally have been besties with since we were babies. Those are the best kinds of friends to have. Ones who see past your flaws and love you even at your worst. Go out of your way and show your friends some extra love today!

Two Years Without My Emma Girl

I’ll Never Forget You, Sweet Emma Girl

July 2, 2019, I lost my best friend. My sweet golden retriever. My childhood dog. I lost someone so dear to me. Tomorrow, it will be two years that she’s been gone. It still hurts thinking about how special she was and how she’s really gone. I’d give anything to spend one more day cuddling with her, eating snacks with her, and giving her a belly rub. She loved her belly rubs! She lived for them. I never met a dog who loved them as much as she did. She was funny like that. She had such a personality. I know, everyone says their dog is special and unique from all the other dogs. I get it. But, my Emma really was one of a kind. Anyone who met her, who knew her, could see just how original she was. She stood out. She made sure everyone she came across knew she was special, inside and out. When you have a dog like that, how could you ever forget them? You just can’t. They leave such an impact on your life. One that stays with you forever.

The Perfect, Dream Dog Everyone Wants

Emma was everyone’s dream dog. Easy going, silly, kind, and even a lil sassy. She had so much love to give and made me and my entire family so happy for nine years. I couldn’t have asked for a better first pet, first dog, than my sweet Emma. She was a gentle soul from the moment I met her. Even as a puppy, she would never bite down hard when we were playing. You know how some puppies don’t realize how sharp their teeth are? Well, Emma made sure she never caused any pain. If she thought she was hurting me, even a little bit when we were playing, she would stop right away. She was always good like that. Gentle and full of love and careful not to hurt anyone.

Emma Girl will hold a very special place in my heart, forever. No matter where I go, I know she’s watching over me. She’s my guardian angel pup. I know she is. She sent another great dog into my life – Sedona. I think Emma would be proud of me for helping out another dog in need. And if she had gotten the chance to meet Sedona, I’m certain they would have been the best of friends. Emma would have taken her under her wing, and they would have bonded over their love of naps and cheese.

Dear Emma Girl,

I think about you every single day. But, I don’t get so upset like I used to. Now, when I think about you, I remember all the fun we had together, and I smile over all the beautiful memories we made. I think about how you loved your daily walks and would pull on the leash every time, eager to walk around the block and sniff everything we passed. I think about how you would bark until you got what you wanted. There was no way you were walking away from the kitchen until someone gave you some table food. I think about how no matter how deep of a sleep you were in, if you heard the sound of the refrigerator door opening, you’d come running. I think about how much you liked it when mom had days off from work and would spend it watching Hallmark movies and eating turkey sandwiches and chips with you. You would sit right by her side on the couch, eager to relax and have some yummy food with her. I think about how you hated going to the groomers but loved how nice and clean you’d feel afterwards. You would do zoomies around the backyard when you came home, ‘cause you were so happy and felt so refreshed. And, I think about how you always knew what to do when I was having a bad day. You would find a way to make me smile over how cute you were. You would insist I be happy again, giving me your paw or barking at me to take you for another walk, or even rolling over for another one of your many belly rubs. You were something else. You were so wonderful. One of the best dogs to walk this earth. I miss you so so much. Love you forever, my best girl. Xoxo ~ Your Chea

10 Things I’ve Learned as a Pet Parent

Dogs – They Teach Us so Much

I’ve learned so much these past 11 years from three very special dogs; Emma, Doodles, and Sedona. Emma was my first dog, then I fostered Doodles for a bit (until she found her forever home) and now, I’m permanently fostering Sedona. These three pups have taught me a great deal of wisdom in how to be a better and more loving person. And I wouldn’t be who I am today, if it weren’t for my furry babies.

10 Things I’ve Learned as a Pet Parent

1) How to be responsible. You can’t just adopt a pet and expect not to do any work! With paws, it’s a little tricky for dogs to feed and walk themselves. So, that’s where I come in! I learned at a very young age to be responsible and do all I can to take great care of my pups.

2) How to be happy. I noticed with dogs, they tend to always be in a good mood, and it takes a lot to upset them. And if they do get sad or even angry, it’s only for a hot second and then they’re over it. How amazing is that? Imagine always being happy? It wouldn’t hurt if we tried to stay positive, even through the biggest challenges life throws our way.

3) How to be friendly. My golden retriever; Emma, would go out of her way to say hi to every single person that passed her on our walks. She would try and pull me over to them and her tail would be wagging (super fast) the whole time. It was so cute! It was adorable and taught me that it wouldn’t hurt to go out of my way to smile at people more.

4) How to LOVE. All my dogs have loved unconditionally. You could be the meanest person in the world, and they’ll still adore you regardless. And it doesn’t take long to bond with them either! I started fostering Sedona at 10-years-old, and it took about a day for her to like and trust me. Within three days, she LOVED me and hasn’t stopped since (loves our entire family, actually). Doodles was the same way! She was a little 4-month-old pup, who was sick when we started fostering her. My family and I helped her get back on her paws, and she appreciated it so much! She loved us instantly too, just like Sedona. We miss her but are so glad we were able to foster her until she found a forever home. Dogs show us the right way to love someone – unconditionally, with no strings attached.

5) How to have fun. My dogs can have a blast doing anything! They get hyped every time I get up in the morning, or come back from being out all day, or if I say the word walk and grab their leash. It doesn’t take a whole lot to brighten their days! They find joy in even the smallest things, and we should too!

6) How to live carefree. Dogs don’t think about the past or the future… they live in the present. If only us humans could do that more! Imagine just waking up and saying, “Okay, today is gonna be a good day no matter what happens!”

7) How to stay healthy. I’m more active because of my dogs. They need those daily strolls around the block or park, which gets us both moving around and burning those calories off. Walks aren’t intense cardio but still, I’m less likely to workout without a pup to encourage me.

8) How to be comforting. All my dogs know exactly when I’m happy, angry, sad, you name it. Sometimes, I think they know me better than I know myself. Each of them will come over and stay by my side, until I feel better or will start acting silly to make me laugh. Emma used to bark at me or ask for a belly rub to take my mind off things. Canines are pretty smart, am I right? They’re even better than a therapist!

9) How to be loyal. Dogs will never betray you and will stand by you through thick and thin. Once their your pet, they want to stay your pet/best friend forever. No matter what! If us humans acted that way more often, we’d have better relationships with each other.

10) How to appreciate the power of a good nap. Sleep is not overrated! All my dogs can easily sleep for a solid 16 hours a day. Just seeing them jump on the couch and curl up, getting all comfy, cozy and snoring for hours… it makes me want to sleep more! Okay, I’m not talking 16 hours like them but definitely a few extra hours would be nice. I’d probably drink less coffee is I got more sleep like my furry babies!

Our dogs teach us so many valuable life lessons. They really are the best! If you have a pup in your life, go give them a kiss and hug. They deserve some extra love for being so special!

10 Reasons Why Dogs are Better Than People

DOGS ARE BETTER THAN PEOPLE. For one thing, dogs are loving, kind, adorable, cuddle bugs, and know how to make us animal lovers smile. Yes, I know not everyone loves dogs. Take my brother for instance. He hates animals, especially dogs. He pets my dog Emma once a year (I wish I was kidding). I get it, dogs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but you’re definitely missing out on someone loving you unconditionally and making you feel like the greatest human in the world, every single day (believe me, they do that).

I could give a thousand reasons why dogs are better than people but if I did that, we’d be here all day. Instead, I’ll give you ten.

1) Dogs know when you’re upset and love to console you. Even if there’s no tears in your eyes and you’re playing it cool like everything is fine, they know. Pups are very intuitive. Whenever i’m upset Emma comes to me and let’s me pet her, because she knows all I need is her love and cuddles to make me feel okay again (these dogs have magical powers, they fix everything).

2) Dogs never grow up and leave you!! Isn’t that the best?! They are so dependent on you and make you feel needed/wanted always. It’s a good thing they can’t talk or text though. If that were the case, Emma would constantly be calling and texting me saying, “where you at? I’m bored, hungry, and in need of a belly rub! Stat!”

3) They are always down for a nap. Who doesn’t love curling up on the couch with your pup?? And who needs a blanket when you have a furry pooch to snuggle with?! It’s like having a stuffed animal come to life.

4) They keep you in shape! Our furry, baby pups need walks for fresh air and a good work out. Forget the gym membership! You walk the dog two-three times a day and honey trust me, you’ll start seeing results.

5) If you go out somewhere, they wait all day for you and when you get home, they greet you with a tail wag, bark, and big smile making you feel so special (who doesn’t love that??.. I’ll tell ya, crazy people)!

6) You can tell them everything..from all the gossip at work, school, etc..to what you’re having for dinner. And guess what?? They just listen! They don’t interrupt at all!

7) They are ten times cheaper than having a kid. If you’re not a big fan of kids, dogs are the way to go. In the future, if I decide to get married and start a family, it’s going to consist of dog children (I know, I’ll be a crazy dog lady ).

8) They never judge you. You could be the ugliest, dumbest, weirdest person in the world but it doesn’t matter to them. All they care about is that you show them love, and they’ll do the same.

9) They hate disappointing you. If they do something bad (for example, eat poop) and you say, “Bad boy or bad girl”, they act as if they committed a crime and apologize profusely. Most of them will put their tail between their legs and put their head down in shame (I know, so sad)..but you see, dogs always apologize and offer remorse, whether or not they did something. Name a human who does that consistently (go ahead, I’ll wait)?Also, if you don’t pay enough attention to them, they will bother you to no end trying to win back your love and affection (they’ll follow you around the house, give kisses, sit next to you, bark, etc). How sweet and adorable is that? Btw, if a person did that it would be annoying but when a dog does it, it’s just too stinkin’ cute.

10) Lastly, Dogs bring a ridiculous amount of joy, even to the saddest people. They’re so innocent and kind, you can’t help but melt when you look into their puppy eyes (yeah, even you animal haters might melt). They just want to see you 110% happy. Isn’t that the most beautiful thing you ever heard? They would even sacrifice their happiness, if met seeing you filled with joy and peace forever (brb, about ready to grab a tissue). I’ve even heard stories of dogs risking their lives for their humans, all because they love their people, SO MUCH. When a dog truly knows you love them, they’ll always have your back no matter what.

DOGS ARE THE BEST. HANDS DOWN. You can try to argue, but I won’t listen. Having my sweet, golden retriever senior pup makes me so so happy. I’ve been blessed with my girl for 9 years and can’t even remember life without her. If you don’t have a dog and want some extra love and happiness in your life, go adopt one at a local shelter. Go save a pups life. Trust me, it will be worth it. If you rescue a dog, it’ll end up feeling like they rescued you. Emma saved me. I wouldn’t even be writing all this if I never adopted her. I wouldn’t be who I am today, if I didn’t beg my parents for a dog. Dogs inspire us and bring joy that is rare to find these days. And to those who already have dogs, go give them kisses and hugs because their just so stinkin’ cute!