Embracing the Charm: Romanticizing Life as a 30-Something Dog Mom

Being a 30-something woman with three fur babies (two doghters and one dog son) and living in a small apartment is a unique lifestyle that I dreamed about since I was a little girl. While it might not be the conventional storybook life, little me longed for a safe space filled with love and paws to create art in a sea of pink furniture - and that's exactly what I did! Coming from the childhood that I had, this life has countless ways to turn everyday moments into magical experiences. I'm excited to share some of the ways I romanticize my life and how you can incorporate the magic I create for myself into your everyday life too!

1. Embrace Cozy Living:

Living in an apartment was always my plan, probably because I always either lived in old farmhouses or trailers. In all of the movies or TV shows I saw, the successful and happy woman always had an apartment so I decided that's what I wanted to have too! Living in an apartment can feel cramped and restrictive or you can make it intimate and cozy. My apartment is on the top floor of my building and has slanted ceilings in every room. Slanted ceilings are generally not ideal, they restrict tall furniture space so it really challenges you to get creative with furniture placement and minimizes the wall decor real estate. I got creative with this problem and made the slanted ceilings a focal point of my decorating by painting them as accent walls or putting pleated curtains over them to give a unique cottage-core feel. I embrace my limited space with maximalist decor and by highlighting my favorite color in every room - pink! My pumpkin-flavored wax melts definitely add to the fairytale-ness of my abode as well.

2. Gift Yourself a Morning Routine:

Morning time is my favorite time of day. I'm talking like 6am when the sun shines through the windows in a way that makes the sun rays look like fairy slides in your peripheral view. Make a little space that reflects your favorite parts of being you; colors, fabrics, mindfulness practices, honor your body, or favorite sounds! I personally love to journal so I have a stack of various prompts and reflection books I use (shout out to The Artist's Way) along with a cup full of the most sparkly, pink and fairytale-looking pens. I put on some healing frequencies on youtube, do some yoga, and cuddle a soft blanket while my doggos hang out with me. Starting your day doing acts of kindness and care for yourself is the best way to not only live a good and fulfilling life and to start all your days off on the right foot but to help you love and appreciate the space you do these practices in. Never underestimate moments of reflection and connection with yourself.

3. Easy Ways to Make Big Decor Adjustments Without Permanency

I love the look of wallpaper but not the lengthy process or the fact that its not easily removed. That's where removable vinyl comes in! I purchase various floral patterns of removable vinyl and place them on walls as an accent wall. Another way I've used removable vinyl is in my kitchen, I covered my cabinet doors with a pretty white background with colorful florals and it really brightened up the room! When I moved into my apartment the kitchen was the saddest shade of blue with black accents every. where. It was not a vibe, I had to change it! The only black part left in the kitchen is the counter tops because I haven't found an inexpensive and non-permanent way to cover them. Another way I brightened up my kitchen and gave it a little AJMarie spice is by curating refrigerator magnets. I have so many that reflect my personal style from quotes, to photos from vacations or keepsake magnets from souvenir shops. Rugs are another great way to really change up the feel of a room. My entire apartment is hardwood or vinyl flooring so I've added rugs to each room and it not only helps with acoustics but also with temperature (my apartment LITERALLY has ZERO insulation).

4. Create Pet-friendly Spaces:

It's their home too, make sure you make it a place that they feel happy to be in! I like to make sure there are multiple big, fluffy and comfy beds in every room and an easily accessible toy box that all of my babies can reach. I keep multiples of each kind of toy available to them at all times, because once one doggo picks up a specific toy - the other dogs decide that is the exact toy that they also want to play with immediately haha! I keep two water dishes for them as well, so that they never have to walk too far to get a drink (humans can have a drink in any room they want, right?! haha). I have an oversized orthopedic dog bed that I move from the living room to the bedroom each day as well depending on what room we're in so that they always have a lil bougie lounging option. Their little paws can get cold so having rugs everywhere helps a lot with that! Having rugs in main walking spaces also helps reduce the likelihood of any slips or falls if you have hardwood floors. I never restrict them from the furniture because they spend just as much time in our home as I do, and it would be so weird if I put a piece of furniture in my home and then didn't let myself use it - so why would I restrict my fur babies from using a piece of furniture in their home?

I have found it very useful to have specific spaces for specific items for my dogs as well, that helps me know what theyre thinking or wanting when they go to that area. For example, I keep all of their treats in one spot in the kitchen, so that if they are barking at me and walk me over to the treat area, I know exactly what they are trying to communicate. Same with their bed time, each of my dogs sleep in a specific spot so when they start herding me into that area at night, I know its because they are ready to settle in for the night. Ideally, my dogs would use buttons to communicate their needs and wants to me, but that process has proven to be a lot harder than it looks on Instagram with all the other button-pressing dogs. One of my dogs in particular tries to eat the buttons (she has literally ripped them in half, exposing wires). If she sees or hears a button she goes into instant chaos mode, so training her on how to use them has not been easy.

5. Be Intentional With Your Space: Make Hobby Zones:

Living in a small space and being a dog mom doesn't mean I have to put my personal growth and development on hold. I have been using this phase of life to explore creativity. The internet makes it super easy to participate in hobbies that don't need to take up space; like having a website, reading, research, community connection, or digital art! But I haven't let my small apartment full of dog toys stop me from exploring physical creative endeavors either. Two great examples of this are my baking and crafting hobbies. I picked up hobby baking in 2017 and decided to become a self-taught hobby baker of everything that interested me! Believe it or not, that can require a lot of space (and it did! Haha). I set up one part of my kitchen with a rolling cart, bookshelves, and crafting storage units on wheels to hold everything I need to create baked works of art without needing the space available in a commercial kitchen. By utilizing so many kinds of storage options that you don't usually find paired together I have been able to store everything from hundreds of sprinkles sets, three Kitchen Aid mixers, countless cake pans, hundreds of cookie cutters, silicone molds, packaging (including cake pop pops and bags, cookie bags and cake boxes) and more all in a 4x6 foot space!

For my crafting hobby, I have used my living room space to make a little craft studio where all of the storage mechanisms can live. They are all spread apart as opposed to being all smushed together like my baking space to make the fixtures feel more like intentional furniture.

Engage in book clubs, join online communities, or even start a blog to share your experiences. Nurturing your passions and talents can be a truly fulfilling way to romanticize your life.

Romanticizing your life as a 30-something dog mom in a small apartment is all about being creative in how you cherish the little everyday moments, embrace your surroundings, and finding beauty and joy in the simplicity of daily life. By creating cozy spaces for you and your doggos, incorporating routines, and nurturing personal growth, you can cultivate a truly magical and fulfilling life with your fur babies. Embrace the charm, seize the small space opportunities, and allow love and romance to fill every corner of your small, but vibrant, world.