Yesterday was very special. We remembered our Veterans in the US, and it was also Kuma’s 12th birthday. He invited Riley and Tofu to his party, even though their energy is a little much for him.
Riley and Tofu, fighting over a ball
Kuma’s dad brought him over, along with extra gifts. I made him his silly hat. He enjoyed his doggie churro!
I am so lucky to get to celebrate with such a special dog! He was my first Shiba, and will always be my baby.
Does anyone else throw their dog a birthday party?
Jillian
I am not one of those people that has to do one holiday at a time. I’m excited for Thanksgiving, but I also love Christmas shopping. I like to multi-task. Part of it is that I create my budget in January, and put aside 1/12 of the amount every month. I’ve been doing it this way for a few years and I LOVE it. I have zero anxiety about how I will afford Christmas gifts, and I also can start shopping whenever I want. Ideally this would be all year round to get the best deals, but the minimalist in me can’t handle storing gifts all year. I usually start in November. I love gift guides, so I’m going to do a series of them this year!
I am in my thirties, which is hard to believe. Time goes by fast. Since that is the case, I have decided to write about it. If I can't slow it down, I can at least share with others and get help along the way! 
How To Be Myself 
One time, my friend MK gave me the gift of supporting a polar bear with World Wildlife Fund. I received information about the donation and polar bears, along with a stuffed polar bear. That was so cool, I adore bears and loved to know they were being supported. Gift cards are another popular choice, but of course that’s still contributing to general “stuff”. Even better might be a restaurant gift card and the offer to babysit while your friend has a much needed night out with their spouse.
You know what your grandma wants? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not another plant. It’s to see you. The perfect gift for her is to take her out for coffee or lunch and tell her about your life. Get her to tell you a story she’s never told you before. My sister took me for a spa day, and it was fantastic. My mom sent me a sweet message about how she thinks I’m amazing.
You can easily give a gift that has meaning and creates a memory- just think outside that Hallmark box.
One more thing- Mag also left a really cool site for registries (So Kind Registry). This site lets you register for intangible things as well as tangible gifts. Having a baby? You can specify what kind of meals you would love to have people bring by for you and when, or when you could really use a babysitter for your toddler. Getting married? You can register at So Kind Registry and tell people that you don’t need plates, but you totally need someone to officiate your wedding or set up chairs between the ceremony and reception.
On a side note- friends, I am so psyched!!! A reader emailed me and she is using my 2015 Exercise Log. She showed me what she has done, and it’s incredible. She did almost 40 miles and 17 days of exercise. I’m so happy that someone is using it 🙂 *insert absurdly ridiculous dance of joy here (followed by tripping and falling on the floor)*
Does anyone have any real cool gift giving ideas to share? Please let us know.
Jillian