This gorgeous cat was definitely not planned. We woke up Sunday morning with no intention of bringing home a new member of the family. By the end of the day we both found ourselves laying on the floor swooning over the cutest little kitten. What a very crazy turn of events.
To be fair, Alex and I have been considering getting our six-year-old cat Tardis a friend for a few years now. So when one of our neighbors posted a week or so ago about having Maine Coon kittens available, we started to really think about it. We’ve both wanted a Maine Coon since we discovered the amazing breed about five years ago. They basically are the dogs of the cat world. Seriously google them. They’re massive.
It seemed like fate that out of the blue there happened to be a litter in our neighborhood. But we just didn’t know if getting one was the right move for us. I’m sure you’re aware by now that we’re pretty cautious decision makers and enjoy extensive research for nearly every choice we make. We can’t even decide where to eat without serious googling first.
We avoided our neighbors’ house for about five days. We told the owners it just wasn’t the right time for us and tried hard not to swoon over the photos of the kittens. One by one the litter found homes and we thought we managed to escape the allure. Then on Sunday Alex randomly suggested we just, “Go and see the last kitten. And at the very least make some new neighbor friends.” So off we went.
We spent the majority of the time at the neighbors’ getting to know them. Alex did all that he could to avoid looking at the kitten and I knew as soon as I walked into the door I wanted this little guy in my life. I’m a sucker for a good ol’ kitty.
Fifty minutes later we started walking back to our house and knew it was over. By the time we reached our front door we were texting the owners that we wanted the last kitten they had left. We picked Gallifrey up about an hour later after shopping for supplies.
He’s perfect. He’s so playful, spunky, and already has Tardis chasing him around the house. The two have been getting along famously but I have yet to sang the perfect profile picture for their shared instagram account. Prepare your eyeballs for cuteness if you head over there for a looksie.
This week has been one blur of kitty cuddles and sleepless nights ever since. Who could possibly blog when there’s such cuteness trying to electrocute itself on my laptop cord?
On the rare occasion that I do leave the comfort of my bed for any extended period of time, I can’t go anywhere without my planner. I’m the type of person that wouldn’t know where I am going or what I am doing without my trusty sidekick. I manage to refrain from bringing every planner supply I own by sticking to a basic formula and focusing on the must-haves.
No matter what I bring with me, I always carry it in my Oh, Hello Stationery Planner Case. They’re way more affordable than the Erin Condren ones and are literally identical apart from the Oh, Hello ones being an inch or so bigger. I use that extra inch to pop in some back up pens just in case I lose any or they die. Plus the case acts as a guide to how much I can bring. If it can’t fit inside the case, it’s too much.
My planner pops right in there and then on to the more rotational bits.
I like to use the Erin Condren Planny-Pack to hold any colored pens I’m using or random bits so they’re not flying around inside the larger planner case. Then I collect only the stickers I’ll be likely to use depending on where I’m going. It’s usually whatever kit I’m using that week and some coordinating colors for the next few monthly view months.
Lately I haven’t been without one of the new Oh, Hello Traveler’s Notebooks. They’re the perfect size to pop literally anywhere. I’ve been using mine for all sorts of different notes from daily to do lists to shopping lists. They’ll be live on the Oh, Hello website Sunday, September 10th in limited design quantities.
And that’s it. Just a few things all zipped up nice and neat in a planner case. No fuss and no frills. Things change a bit if I’m travelling or going on a longer trip, but daily adventures don’t require too much in the planning department.
What planning supplies do you bring with you on a daily basis?
Since weekly plan with me videos fell to the wayside a few month’s back (I explain it all in this blog post) I’ve started to really miss sharing what’s new in my planner with you lovely lot. So introducing a new somewhat semi-regular post about what’s been going on in my planner lately.
As soon as there was even the slightest hint of fall I switched my planner into full on autumn mode. I’ve been itching to do fall spreads for months now since we design for seasons and holidays anywhere from two to four months in advance.
The hourly layout just speaks to me lately. And surprisingly enough I haven’t felt the urge to hop back into the vertical even though I’m approaching the usual time that I would make the switch. It’s when I’m feeling truly frazzled and stressed out that the hourly shines. Sure I still don’t pay attention to most of the time slots, but having each day in one nice long block just clicks with me.
I’ve also rekindled my love with putting photos into my spreads to keep the memory saving going strong. There has been a ton of events lately so it’s been easy to throw in a photo every few days. And since I’m basically rubbish at doing anything with the photos I take, this at least connects them to a date and gives them life outside of my phone or laptop.
I feel like I’ve really settled into my hourly groove. I’ve got my spread layout down pat and can whip together a new week in no time flat. And honestly I don’t miss the weekly plan with me videos. It’s just so much more enjoyable to slap stickers down in a robe from the comfort of my bed than the hassle of setting up for a video.
Are subscriptions no longer cool? I can’t tell and I’ve never been one for being very trendy. I’m still obsessed with Erin Condren’s seasonal surprise box and lucky for my wallet it only comes out once every few months or I’d be seriously broke. I’ve also reviewed all of the other boxes if you want to check those out.
I’m a bit biased about this box since fall is my favorite time of the year, but this subscription is seriously packed with goodness. Plus there are a ton of box exclusive items that make me feel oh so special. Like I’m part of the cool kid’s planner club or something. There is an exclusive set of three new shades of the colorful dual-tip markers that I use primarily for my gratitude journal so I’m pumped to add them into the collection.
There’s also a roll of thanksgiving-esque washi tape that I’m just not crazy about. I’ve gotten their washi tape in orders before and find it odd and difficult to work with. It feels more like actual paper with an adhesive back than washi tape. The enamel pin did get me pretty pumped though to add it to my always growing enamel pin board. They also included a few of their large gift stickers which are always gorgeous, but definitely items I forget when the time comes to wrap a gift.
The box just keeps on going. I feel like they’re getting bigger every time with more and more delicious products. Products can be delicious right? The leaf planner cover is probably my favorite thing from the box as my planner has been craving a revamp. There’s a skinny sticky note pack and an autumn themed dashboard. Plus a handful of greeting cards and a coupon code to save $10 off a coiled book. You can get $10 with this link too!
Phew. What a box. Sadly they’re always sold out by the time they ship out to everyone, so you can’t snag this one, but I highly recommend it for any planner addicts who are obsessed with Erin Condren products. It’s the best way to get a bunch of items for a really reasonable price ($35). Keep a lookout for a giveaway coming soon of the products I’m not interested in!
What are your favorite products from this season’s box? Did you order one?
Today marks one year of marriage. One year since the quickest day of my life flew by in a love-filled blur. When they say it goes fast, it truly does. This whole first year seemed to speed by and now here I am thinking back on what it’s like to be one year in.
Being married now is better than it was yesterday and countless times more than on our wedding day. Every day is better than the one before. It’s definitely something you can’t really explain to people who haven’t gone through it. This feeling of knowing you have a partner in crime by your side no matter what. Having a live-in best friend who just gets you. It’s basically the best thing ever.
So today we’re taking the day off. We’ve already rewatched our wedding videos and flipped through our photo albums. We started a yearly tradition of writing down what we’ve learned about marriage and each other and now all we have left to do is spend some quality time together. Plus eat a very gross looking year-old wedding cake. Wish me luck.
Years in the Benda household are packed full of change and excitement. I’m sure year two will be no different.
These are the two videos from that seriously awesome day. One is the professionally done one, but the other is our behind-the-scenes take on the entire day. Thanks so much for sharing in this with us!
