I hope that everyone had a wonderful Father’s Day weekend, or if this is a holiday you’d rather not think about or celebrate, I hope it was just a pleasant weekend for you. Our weekend was filled with adventure!

On Friday, we went to a free outdoor concert at Durham Central Park with some friends, where the music was amazing and the food from the participating food trucks was decent. Sebastian loves running around with his friends and exploring his environment. He also thinks he’s a big kid so that means he can sit in the adult chairs, right?

It’s been raining a lot in North Carolina these last few weeks. Sometimes it’s a short summer storm but other times we’ve gotten it all: thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and even hail. Our local meteorologist made the comment one evening during his weather forecast that the purpose of a thunderstorm is to regulate the Earth’s temperature throughout the levels of the atmosphere so that the temps even out, achieving greater balance. This little nugget of information is really resonating with me lately.

I’m one of those people who has always considered my dogs to be my children. They were in every family photo, they were involved in as many activities as possible, and I love them fiercely. Some folks don’t like it when pet owners refer to their animals as “furbabies” and compare taking care of them to the hard work it takes to care for a child. But, look, I have both now and, while I agree that it’s definitely easier to take care of animals, I still contend that furbabies are a lot of work and are just as much a part of the family as human babies. I love both my two-legged and four-legged babies with all of my heart.

Sebastian & MIa

That said, here are some hilarious ways I’ve found that make my furbaby and my human baby even more similar.

Memorial Day Weekend came and went without much fuss. It was the one year anniversary of my heart attack and, because I was afraid that would trigger my anxiety, my therapist suggested I make plans to help keep my mind off of it. We decided to go on a little picnic, head over to the Museum of Life and Science, and then go to a cookout/BBQ at our neighbor’s house. MLS is one of my favorite places to take Sebastian because there’s so much for him to do and see, and every time we go, he’s a little bit older and a little more aware of the things around him. This is what I wore for our outing. I’ve been wanting a pair of scallop shorts for a while now, and J. Crew did not disappoint. These are great!

I love shoes but my natural preference is barefoot. Always has been. As soon as the weather shows the slightest bit of warmth, I kick off my shoes every chance I get: at home, in the car, at my desk, you name it. I’d rather not wear shoes when I don’t have to.

I once read an article about the positive effects of walking barefoot on the ground. This phenomena, called “grounding” or “earthing,” basically says that you will see some health benefits — such as decreased inflammation and stress, and improved circulation — when you put your body in direct contact with nature and the Earth. As new age-y and alternative medicine-y as it sounds, I have to say I agree that there are some benefits to reconnecting with nature. But then again, science agrees, too!