Grateful Heart Monday + The Adventures of Bug and Boo

Did you feel that? That was the weekend passing us by in a flash. Just like that it's over. And here we are....staring Monday down. Mondays aren't half as bad as they used to be, courtesy of Emily from Ember Grey. Today is the day we share our gratitude.

Today I am thankful for the rain. It stormed here last night. You knew a storm was coming because the sky took on that purply-gray hue that only means that the skies are going to open up.

Why am I grateful for the rain? It gives me the freedom to slow down. All of a sudden, putting pajamas on at 4:00 in the afternoon seems like a brilliant idea. Drinking another cup of tea almost seems like a requirement. As the house darkens with the sky, dimming the lights makes everything look softer. Sitting and relaxing is mandatory.

I love days and nights like this.

Know what else I am grateful for? The lovely bloggers that choose to sponsor Love the Here and Now.

Meet Rebecca, the blogger behind The Adventures of Bug and Boo. Rebecca amazes me....she just moved back to the US (about 2 1/2 hrs from me!) after living in England for awhile. She has an Irish husband and an adorable daughter (Bug). She's also expecting her second child. All of this together is enough to exhaust me but she keeps plugging on, chipping away at the red tape of getting settled in the US and settling into her new life all with a smile on her face.
She recently answered a few questions for me and I thought I would share her responses with you.
How did you come up with the name for your blog? When my daughter was born I called her my "Lovebug" and calling her that for ages eventually shortened into Bug :) My nickname as a child, courtesy of my dad, was Boo. It started out as Becca Boo Bear (my family - and any friends from pre 18 years old - called me Becca), then it became at times Becca Boo or Boo Bear, and eventually just became Boo. It's one of those special things with my dad, he still calls me that at 32! Because I started the blog writing about what my daughter and I were doing and what was new with us, I just called it The Adventures of Bug and Boo - it made me smile and it made my husband smile, so I went with it. :)
What are 3 words you would use to describe your blog? Three words I would use to describe my blog.....honest, personal, and a bit of fun. :)
You can go anywhere in the world...where are you headed? If I could go anywhere in the world, and assuming that I've seen all of my family and friends in all of the locations that they're spread out, I would have to say Thailand! I adore Thai food, I'd love to see Koh Samui and Pattaya and Bangkok....my friends just had their wedding in Pattaya and I was gutted that I couldn't go - I still want to go see it someday (and visit them if they're still living there)!
Name 2 favorite things about yourself, 1 physical trait and 1 personality trait. My favorite physical trait is my eyes - they look boring brown but they're actually all different colors. My irises are green, blue, and brown in different places with specks of gold :) (The official term is hazel ha but I love how they seem like a kaleidoscope up close!) My favorite personality trait is empathy. Whilst I am a really shy person in a big group, one on one I can almost always connect with someone and I think it's because I can usually put myself in someone else's shoes. It is particularly strong if someone needs a hug or a shoulder to lean on.
What's the best advice you can give a new blogger? I am a pretty new blogger too so I'm not a deep well of advice yet but my best advice from the last few months is to go out and connect with people! Make friends! Visit other blogs, comment on pages, participate in link ups - and email back and forth with people. It's a wonderful way to build relationships - I've gotten to know some pretty awesome people this way, Anne included :) - and in link ups you might boost a bit of traffic to your blog as well.

Seriously though...reread the answer to the 4th question. Does she not seem so kind and sweet?
You can follow Rebecca on Bloglovin', Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Just to make your Monday that much brighter I'm going to add in a giveaway as well.

Living Lavender // Dream Big And Buy The Shoes // Our Nashville Life // The Mile Advisor Love The Here And Now // Becoming Adorrable // Kasey At The Bat // Blogs Like A Girl a Rafflecopter giveaway
After you enter this giveaway, hop over to Ember Grey and share what you're grateful for.