Saying Goodbye to the Home That Raised Me

 Hi moonbeam 💖

This week, something big and emotional is happening in my life:
I’m saying goodbye to the home that raised me.

The house I grew up in. The place where I learned to draw, cuddled with my cats, celebrated birthdays, and decorated for the holidays. The one that held me through every version of myself. 🌙

I wanted to write this post — not to say goodbye forever — but to honor her. My cozy, lived-in, memory-filled little home. 🏡💕

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

✨ A Place Full of Memories

I’ll never forget the smell of home after my mom’s cooking, or the way the sunlight came through my favorite window. The hallway filled with little pawprints. The walls that knew my laughter and my tears.

This home kept me safe through every heartbreak and held me close when I was figuring out who I was. I’m so thankful for her.

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

🎄 The Holidays, the Seasons, the Small Things

All the holidays spent here felt like something out of a dream.
Twinkling lights, warm drinks, sleepy pets curled up under the tree.

And the little seasonal rituals — decorating the porch, lighting incense in winter, letting the breeze in during spring… all those things I’ll carry in my heart wherever I go. 🌸🍂❄️🌞

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

🐾 My Cats, My Sanctuary, My Family

This home is where I met my first cats. Where I heard the tiny mews of newborn kittens. Where I cried into their fur during hard days, and laughed as they chased each other through the hall.

I can still hear their paws on the tile.
I can still feel the quiet warmth of family in every corner.

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

🌙 What I’m Taking With Me

Even though I’m moving to a new place — to build a new chapter, to chase my dreams — I know this home will never leave me.

She’ll live in the way I decorate, the way I care for my space, and the love I bring with me.

And I hope that wherever I go, I can create a home that feels just as warm and full of heart.

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

To my old home:
Thank you for sheltering me.
Thank you for loving me.
Thank you for being my beginning.
You’ll always be part of me.

With all my heart,

Chiisai Tsukiko aka Tiny Moonchild 🌙💖

 

Goodbye, My Little Guardian — Petro's Last Chapter🕯️

A tribute to Petro, Jasper, and Canelo

Moving out was never supposed to be this hard.

Sure, I knew it would mean saying goodbye to the only home I’ve ever known—familiar corners, aging walls, memories soaked into every creak of the floorboards. But I had a vision of a new beginning. A fresh start... with all of us. My cats. My dogs. My family. My little Petro.

But life doesn't always wait for us to be ready. And on June 1st, 2025, at 8pm, my brave, cuddly baby Petro passed away.

Petro was a long-haired chihuahua with the soul of a protector. He stood tall (on his tiny legs), always reaching up for hugs, craving closeness. He loved plushies—not to destroy, but to have. A little guardian with a comfort plush. He buried his food like he had secret treasure maps. He lounged lazily in his dog house or got into silly mischief. He was sweet, strong, loyal—and completely irreplaceable.

He was 9 years old. And he was my heart.

But this grief isn't just from one goodbye.

In the months before Petro passed, I also said farewell to two of my beloved cats. Jasper and Canelo. One in April. One in May. Back-to-back losses that I never saw coming… and now Petro, too. Three cherished souls, gone before I could take them with me to the new home I dreamed we’d all share.

I buried Jasper and Canelo here, in the soil of the place that raised me. I’ll carry Petro’s ashes with me, close to my heart, as I step into this uncertain new chapter. And though I know we’re leaving out of necessity—San Diego has become too expensive, and our home too old to repair—it still feels like I’m grieving more than pets. I’m grieving a lifetime.

The house is full… but it feels incomplete.
Just one less of us. But everything is different.

To my Jasper, my Canelo, my Petro…
I’ll never stop loving you. You made me laugh. You comforted me in silence. You were my soft place in a hard world. You are all part of me, forever.

And to anyone reading this:
Hug your pets. Hold them a little longer today.
Because sometimes, the smallest hearts leave the biggest spaces behind.

Thank you for reading this tender part of my heart. Even in grief, I believe love finds a way to bloom again 🌸 I carry their memories with me, and maybe, through these words… you carry a little of them too.

With love and moonlight,

Chiisai Tsukiko, aka Tiny Moonchild 🌙💜

 

5 Little Things That Make Me Feel Cozy When I'm Overwhelmed✨ 

Hi there, moonbeam. 🌸
Today’s post is a gentle one.

Lately, life has been so full — full of change, full of tasks, full of emotions I can’t always put into words. As I get ready to say goodbye to the home I’ve lived in my whole life, I’ve been holding onto the little things. The tiny comforts. The soft rituals that make me feel just a little more okay. 🌙

So today, I just wanted to share 5 little cozy things that help me feel calm when I’m overwhelmed. Maybe they'll spark a little peace in your heart, too. 💖

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

1. A Warm Mug of Tea 🍵

Something about holding a warm mug — especially one of my cute ones! — just settles me. Whether it’s chamomile, rose, or green tea with honey, it makes me feel grounded and soft again.

2. Watching My Cats Nap 🐾

Their tiny curled-up poses, the sound of soft breathing, and their little dream twitches… It’s like therapy in real time. Even when the world feels noisy, they are calm — and they help me remember I can be, too.

3. Drawing Without Pressure 🎨

Sometimes I open Procreate and just… scribble. Not to make something “good,” just to feel the brush strokes, blend colors, and play with sparkles. It feels like breathing again.

4. Lofi & Ghibli Music 🎧

I love putting on soft Ghibli piano or cozy lofi when I feel stuck in my head. Music can be such a mood blanket — and it always helps me gently refocus.

5. Lighting a Candle or Incense 🕯️

Scents like rose, lavender, or sakura always help me slow down. I like turning off the lights, lighting something small, and letting the room glow. It turns the moment into something sacred.

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

These aren’t big things. But they help me return to myself. And maybe they’ll help you too. 💕

If you’re going through something hard or just need a little calm, I’m sending you moonlight and stardust.
And if you want to share — what comforts you when you feel overwhelmed?
I’d love to hear in the comments. 🌸

With softness and stars,

Chiisai Tsukiko aka Tiny Moonchild 🌙💖