I talk about this every year. It’s the dog days of summer, and I’m feeling it. Every single August, I get myself into a rut. I feel unrested, I feel unmotivated, and I start feeling so blah. It’s like clockwork every year. All I’ve wanted to do is hang out with the dogs, bake, go on walks, and stay off the internet. This is why I haven’t been posting. Every time I get on my computer, I find something else to do. My new 1969 film camera arrived in the mail this morning, but I told myself I am NOT ALLOWED to play with it until I get this recap up. I also have some recipes to share, some travel blogs to catch up on, and some pre-fall gardening posts. I know I’ll find motivation here soon! Does anyone else feel the same way during the dog days of summer?


One thing I’ve been doing a lot of lately is baking! I’ve become obsessed with Sally’s Baking Addiction blog. Every time I make one of her recipes, they come fantastic. I decided to use up some apples I had in the house and made apple crumble cake. I also made the leftover batter into cupcakes. It was seriously delicious! I brought some over to the neighbors to enjoy as well.
I’ve been trying my best this year to keep the flowers alive. We had a super mild winter last year, which made bug season awful! The Japanese beetles and aphids have made their way through the entire neighborhood. I’m hoping we have a freezing winter and that my flowers come back stronger next year! It’s been work keeping them alive and blooming this summer. Now, my zinnias have been incredible! I’ll be writing a blog about them and talking about which seeds to plant for next year.
Another reason I haven’t been writing a lot because all I want to do is hang out with Tux and Leo! It’s just so hard not to go out and play, walk them, or sit and pet him. He’s officially lifting his leg now when you reach for his belly, and it melts my heart. If you haven’t seen the video of him wagging his tail and putting his hands on Kyle yet, please head to my Tux highlight on my Instagram! You’ll be in tears! It’s the sweetest thing. He’s settling into his new home better than we could have hoped for.

Remember a few months back when I planted sunflower seeds? Well, they’re blooming! I was really proud of my very first sunflower. Noo=w that I know I can grow them successfully, I’ll be planting rows of them behind my house next year. This year was definitely a trial and error for planting.
 We’ve been keeping our routine with Tux by walking him in the mornings. He’s starting to get used to all the noises around us, and he LOVES the trails. If we are on the main sidewalk, he’ll pull us near the trail. Now that it’s “fake fall” season and the weather drops to around 65-degrees in the mornings, I like to sit outside and read while the dogs play. I finished B.A. Paris’s book “The Therapist” last week, and it was amazing. I absolutely loved the twist at the end! I wait impatiently for her books to be released.

The past few days, all we’ve been eating is salmon or tilapia in the air fryer! It’s so good and easy to make. I have the recipe on my TikTok and my Instagram Reels.

And yes, that’s Tux sitting in the living room!!

Last weekend, I spent the morning organizing my closet and getting rid of more items! Back when I lived in the townhome, I had THREE closets filled with my stuff. Now, this is all that I own. Life is less stressful this way. Putting laundry away is so much easier now. If I want something new, I have to get rid of something I have.
Tilapia and roasted veggies in the air fryer!
 Tux has been SO PLAYFUL in the mornings! He makes these crying sounds, gets in his pounce pose, and runs around like a crazy dog! We love it!   This post is just filled with happy Tux moments! He’s our whole world right now.   Photos from Tux’s very first hike! He did so well.
 He’s more confident on the trail than on sidewalks. I think he likes how quiet it is. He was brave and jumped up on the rocks by the water, and he looked so mesmerized. I have a feeling this was his first time seeing a big body of water. Showing him the world has been the best part.  On Saturday evening, I took some engagement photos for a friend! I rode my bike out in the spot earlier in the day to check out the lighting/surrounding.

I’m glad I finally got the tires fixed on my bike because it’s been so fun to ride lately. I try to go early morning when it’s cooler outside. If you live in the Charlotte area, add Tega Cay Deli to your list! Kyle and I love this spot, and I can’t believe it took us so long to try it out. We got the Carolina sandwich with bacon on a wheat bagel. We also picked up their chicken salad and Italian pasta salad. We’ve already been back twice!


 

 The weekend was full of hikes! We try to go really early in the morning, so it’s not too hot for them. Leo has been such a good brother showing Tux the ropes! If Tux seems afraid of something, we usually have Leo do it in front of him to show him that it’s safe. He was hesitant about the wood bridges until he saw Leo trot across them.
 I’m back to my protein oat kick! I go back and forth between protein oats and yogurt parfaits.  Kyle and I tried out MADO Paris in Rock Hill last Sunday for our coffee spot. We’ve been trying to go to a new place each week. We had the oat milk latte, and it was so good! They had amazing French desserts in there too.  Last Sunday, I made chicken parm with cavatelli! I breaded the chicken with Italian bread crumbs, baked it, and topped it with tomato sauce, parmesan, basil, and garlic. I love easy 25-minute meals.

Some of you were shocked by this when I shared it on Instagram. I had Dairy Queen for the first time on Sunday! I had a mini Oreo and Butterfinger blizzard! IT WAS AMAZING!!! We had one growing up, but we never went there. I was always a McDonald’s McFlurry girl. Now, I get the hype!  We stopped so I could see the horses on the way home. I’m so obsessed with these guys! Our furniture we ordered back in January FINALLY arrived! I LOVE IT.

Last Friday, I finished my book and ended the evening making some apple pie pastries with streusel on top.
A neighbor was looking for someone who could make a Cinderella cake for their daughter’s birthday party. Does anyone remember when I started blogging in 2010? I was obsessed with baking, and I still love it. I actually wanted that to be my career before blogging took off. I decided to break out my old baking tools, and I made this Cinderalla cake on Saturday morning! I kind of loveeeee how it turned out, and it was so fun to be back in my element! Kyle’s birthday is this weekend, so I’m going to make him a peanut butter drip cake. Stay tuned!


Look at Tux go!!!
 Downtown Fort Mill now shuts down the streets during the weekends so that vendors and shops can bring their business to the main street! We loved walking around on Saturday afternoon. We had Chickpeasy on Wheels (my favorite) and some peanut butter gelato to end the perfect day! Waffle cone with peanut butter and cookies n cream geltao!

The weather was amazing last week! Leo had so many two a day walks. It was in the low 70s during the evenings, so after dinner I took him for a few miles. On Sunday we did a fun little painting project! We decided to go with Illusive green for an accent wall. I’ll show more photos soon! 
 It’s so cozy and warm!  My boys! We ended the weekend with a donut and peach latte from Rock Hill Coffee Co. I love that we have different food trucks and vendors stop by the neighborhood!

I hope you all have an amazing weekend! I plan to find my motivation to get regular on this blog soon. It’s just a different season for me!

Questions for you!

1. Do you ever go through ruts?
2. How’s the weather where you live?
3. What is one thing you’ve been trying to make time for on the weekends?

Since Grumples passed a few months ago, I haven’t felt complete. I’ve had a huge hole in my heart, and no matter what we did to fill up our time, things didn’t feel the same. Kyle and I talked about the possibility of growing our family with another dog but didn’t want to actively look. We agreed that the right opportunity would come around when we weren’t looking for it. Two weeks ago, I came across a post on a rescue page, and I saw him and immediately knew that he would be my dog. My heart was pulling me so hard toward him. I knew this guy was going to be in our family, and we were going to give him the best life he could ever wish for, and you all have no idea how much he deserves it.

Tux’s coming home day just happened to fall on what would have been Grumples 10th birthday. It couldn’t have been more meant to be.
We learned a lot about his life this week, and while so devastating and heartbreaking, we also learned some really great things, like how much he loves peanut butter and how he likes to let out a huge sigh before laying down to go to sleep.

Tux is going to be three in November. He was rescued from a horrible breeding situation, and it breaks my heart what someone would do to sell puppies at the expense of this sweet dog. What is even sadder is that the people supporting this breeder’s business have no idea what is going on behind the scenes; unfortunately, I cannot speak too much more because it could ruin the possibility of having him surrender other dogs in the future. This breeder was making $21,000 off of his litters but still treating Tux like a prisoner.

If you ever use a breeder to adopt a dog, please go there and meet the dogs, meet the parents, check out their surroundings, and don’t just let someone bring you a dog.  When Leo was adopted, we went out to the farm where he came from, met the parents, ran around the field with them, and their dogs that do have puppies are own by people and not imprisoned there. I’m not here to bash breeders; I’m here to tell you to do your research because after meeting Tux, I learned what we all fear. Tux was kept in a crate outside most of his life. He doesn’t know what doors are, what stairs are, and everything is new to him. Showing him the world is already one of my favorite things to do.

He’s extremely timid, and rightfully so.

He had his vocal cords taken out by the breeder, a serious surgery, and one of the cruelest things to do to a dog. He doesn’t bark, he doesn’t wag his tail, and he doesn’t know what love is. Taking away the main means of expression is unjustifiably cruel. I want to cry every time I think about this. I know this may offend a few readers, but there’s a special place in hell for people who abuse animals. There’s nothing that makes me angrier than someone mistreating an innocent animal. Our goal as his new parents is to help him learn to trust and become the confident dog we know he can become.

Tux is going to need a serious makeover, not for the cosmetics, but for his health. He currently smells like a Cheeto because he has a severe yeast infection and hair buildup in his lobes. The yeast infection makes some of his hair fall out in chunks, which makes me so sad. He still has a lot of mats and dirt buildup around his skin. I hate that we have to get him groomed so soon into his transition, but I can’t let his hygiene go any longer because it’s now harming him. We are working with a groomer specializing in rescues, and they get him groomed in a little over an hour and will do everything they can to make him feel safe. I will also be there with him the entire time.

I will pour all of my love and attention into getting Tux to become the dog he has always deserved to be. There are so many people in his corner rooting for him, and the amount of love he’s going to get will make up for all the lost moments.  On Thursday of last week, I got a call from Tux’s foster mom. We chatted all about him, and we both felt like he would thrive in our family. We planned to head to Georgia on Saturday to meet him and let him get to know us a bit before we came back to pick him up.

Meeting him was love at first sight. He even came up to Kyle, which isn’t something he does to people. I loved him so much I could cry.
 His favorite place to hide was under her desk.

We sat by him and talked to him for a little while, and then something incredible happened. He started to take treats from us. I know what you’re thinking. What’s so great about a dog taking treats? Well, he wouldn’t take treats from ANYONE. She would give him chicken, bacon, and everything a dog would want, and he wouldn’t touch it. He was eating treats right out of our hands. I couldn’t believe the progress we made with him just after an hour of being with him. I knew we were going to be able to change his life around. I’m confident we can do this.
Tux LOVES going on walks. It’s hard to get him outside for the walk because he’s still unsure how a house works, but once he’s outside, he walks so gently on a leash, and when he stops to look around at new things, it makes my heart so happy. Sometimes, when he stops, I like to go down and give him a big kiss, an ear scratch, and then he’ll continue to walk with me. He’s always looking around as if something will happen to him, but I’m working on letting him know that I’m his protector and that he’s safe with me. Kyle and I have been reading and learning a lot about things we should and shouldn’t be doing.
 Tux’s real name will never be spoken in our house because we don’t want him to ever think back on his previous life. He deserves a new beginning, and that is what we are giving him, and that is what he’s giving us. Tux’s foster mom called him Gus, which is the cutest little name, but when we chatted with a trainer who specializes in rescue dogs, he said we should give him a new name to create a new bond and a name he can learn to associate with us. We chose “Tux” because he looks like he’s wearing a tuxedo, and it just fits him. He’s in his tux, ready for his new fancy life!

Tux was so lucky to have been at the foster house. She is the most incredible women, and has rescued so many animals. When we got there, she was nursing a baby racoon. She’s incredible and we are so grateful for her and everything she does! I told her I want to be her when I grow up. Give me a big farm and bring on all the animals.

We took him on a long walk around the farm at his foster house before we headed out. He loved walking to see the donkeys, and nothing ever phased him. Tux is one of the sweetest dogs and wouldn’t hurt a fly. There isn’t an aggressive bone in his little body. 

We left him with Leo’s toys to smell that way we would be familiar to him. We made sure to fill him up with treats, and I told him everything he could look forward to next week. 
Leaving Tux that day was one of the hardest things to do. I knew he would be in good hands with his foster mom, and it gave us time to prepare for his arrival. After learning about him and watching his behavior, I decided to make the house spotless with nothing in his way. I also worked with my dad to build his own little hideaway house (just like the desk!)

We stayed in a hotel on Friday night to be up bright and early to see our new son and bring him home. We had breakfast with his foster mom, walked all around the farm, and after a few hours, we headed home! I sat in the back seat with him the entire time. He liked when I put my hand on his back. He would lay down and stop panting when I did it. After a half-hour, he was curled up in a ball and sound asleep the rest of the way home. He perked up when I told him to look out the window at his new neighborhood.
 Leo stayed with our neighbors so we could get Tux comfortable with his new house. We gave him a full tour, and my favorite part was watching him see his reflection in the mirror for the first time. He was so confused, and he went up and licked it. I was shocked at how curious he was inside our home. He wasn’t afraid and acted eager to see each new room. We haven’t brought him upstairs at all; he’s still not sure what stairs are. A few hours later, we introduced Leo to Tux, and it went perfectly. We did a little walk up the sidewalk and then took them to the yard. Tux doesn’t know what playing is yet, but I know Leo will teach him soon. Our neighbors made Leo the cutest shirt to welcome Tux home!


Last night, I got Tux to eat almost three plates of food! I made him grilled chicken, Royal Canin wet food, and some of Leo’s food for him. I was so happy that he was eating and had a large appetite because that meant he felt comfortable and wasn’t too stressed. I figured getting him to eat could take days, but nope. He was chowing down.

He feels really comfortable in our yard. He’s known for pacing, but he doesn’t pace or hide. He actually comes up to us. Today, he was following Leo around like he was the leader, and I was so proud! I spend a few minutes now and then petting him, but I’m trying to limit my time near him and give him all the space for the next few weeks. It’ll take a few months before he feels like this is his home. Every time he does something new, I get so excited I could cry. When I hear him drinking water, all I do is stare at him.

He has claimed his safe spot in the kitchen, which is great because he’s out in the open where we hang out and not hiding from us. We are cautious with our movements and noises. We don’t want him to get scared or feel unsafe. Now and then, I’ll drop a treat in front of him when I walk by, so he associates me with positive thoughts. Can you tell we’ve been reading a lot of Ceasar the dog trainer?
Last night, we took him out around 9 pm for his last potty and a little run-around. He went back into his kitchen corner, drank water, let out a big relaxed sigh (Grumples used to do this), and went straight to bed. I came downstairs around 3 am, kissed him, and went back to bed. He slept all through the night without any issues. He just looked so content when I saw him. He used to back himself into the corner, but now he’s laying down with about a foot of space from the wall. It’s the little things.

We took him for a short little walk in the morning, and then he had breakfast with Leo. Our first night with him couldn’t have been any better. This week, we are going to work on his confidence to walk to the door. He’s not sure what it is yet, so when we open up the door and go out with Leo, he takes three steps towards it as if he really wants to go outside but then walks back to his spot. He repeats this several times as we try to encourage him to go out the door, but then we end up putting the leash on him and guide him out the door. I know we’ll get there, and you can tell he wants to do it so bad. He gets closer and closer each time. I cannot wait to see him do it because I know he’s going to. Last night, I laid next to him, still keeping a few feet away, and just rubbed his belly. This was the first time he laid in a position where he was open. He lifted his paw and put it on my arm while I rubbed him. As his eyes rolled to the back of his head, tears came out of my eyes. I got emotionally thinking about how anyone could hurt this sweet boy, and I know it’s going to take so much to get him to feel happy again. I can’t wait for the day he wags his tail when he sees us. It could take years, but we’ve got nothing but time and love to give him.

We gave this bunny to Leo as a gift from Tux, and he is extra obsessed with it. He brought it up to bed last night and keeps taking it everywhere he goes. He is very much in love with his new brother, and I know he will be a big help in Tux’s healing process.

Today (monday) we are going to to get him groomed and then take him over to the vet for a full checkup and get him on some medication for his ears. I cleaned them out with vinegar yesterday and I had about twenty black cotton balls. He leaned his ear into me while I cleaned them out, so I know it felt good. This is the type of stuff that helps with bonding. I will keep you all posted on how his grooming goes and how the vet visit goes in this week’s recap post. If you follow me on instagram, I’ll try to do some updates there as well.  

Questions for you!

1. Do you have any advice for us?
2. Do you have a rescue successs story?
3. What are you most looking forward to seeing in Tux’s journey?

It feels good to be back writing on the blog again. It’s been an emotional month. Before I start today’s recap, I wanted to thank all of you for the kind words and prayers you all sent my way during one of the worst weeks of my life. I’m so grateful to all of you. Another big thank you to those who donated to the Morris Animal Foundation in honor of Grumples. It meant the world to me. With their matching, we raised $2631.40 to help fund science to advance the health of animals around the world! I hope we can keep the number going, and I will continue to donate each month. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Last week, Walt Disney World invited me down to experience the parks. The trip to Disney World was planned for a while, and I didn’t feel like going and having a good time when I felt like everything around me was falling apart. I knew that it was something I desperately needed. Sometimes, it almost feels as if laughing while grieving is wrong. But it’s ok to laugh, and it’s ok to be sad at the same time. Crawling up in a ball and pushing everything away (even when that sounds like the good thing to do) when your sad isn’t healthy. Even while grieving, it’s good to go out into the world and try to smile again.

This trip ended up being one of the best experiences of my life. I met amazing people and laughed harder than I’ve ever laughed before. I’m so happy I went, and I cannot wait to share everything with you all in the upcoming Disney blogs. I was so excited to be back with Leo and Kyle when I got home.

It was good for them to have their bonding time, though. Kyle sent me photos of him and Leo on walks, and they went almost everywhere together.

On Saturday morning, we took him to the Fort Mill SC Farmer’s market to visit Megan Jayne’s bakery stand! My friend, Caitlin, her sister make the most amazing desserts, and we were so excited to pick some up! Not only are they cute, but they are so so so tasty! I believe her next trip to the Farmer’s Market is June 22nd, so if you’re local, make sure to stop over! We bought the iced sugar cookies, vanilla cake, chocolate cake, and pistachio macarons. The cakes are so cute because they come in a single serving-to-go container. After the farmer’s market, we took Leo over to Napa to have lunch by the water. We have been bringing him everywhere to keep him busy and upbeat. I ordered the lemon & shrimp gnocchi. It was so tasty! We stopped at Starbucks on the way home to get him a puppuccino. He loves them! Leo has been getting so much love from other pups on our walks, and we’ve been setting him up with playdates with the neighbors. I know we are so extra annoyed with him, but sometimes when he’s alone, he seems sad and confused, and it breaks my heart. For dinner on Saturday night, I made a delicious kale salad and roasted carrots from the produce I picked up at the Farmers Market! My salad had kale, my homemade vinaigrette, pecans, avocado, and roasted tomatoes. I also added crumbled black bean burger to the top. On Sunday morning, I headed to hot yoga. I have been doing yoga 3-4 times a week this past month, and I really love it. But Sunday’s class was the first time back in a while, and holy moly, was it tough. I have to remind myself to drink more water before going.

When I got home, I had a smoothie with raspberries, peaches, unsweetened almond milk, and vanilla protein powder.

For dinner, I made another delicious kale salad! I’m going to sound 100-years-old right now, but I’m really excited about the new addition to my backyard. I picked up a stone birdbath this morning from Lowes to place next to the climbing roses, and I can’t stop watching it. This was Grumples favorite spot to pee ( ) so it’s in honor of him. A few bluebirds have taken sips, and it made me want to cry happy tears. It’s the small things in life.  We struggle to water the flowers every morning when Leo thinks he needs to help. But these moments make me so happy. Just in case you needed another Leo photo!  He went on a walk this morning with his new girlfriend.

Thank you all for the patience with me on this blog. Things will start to all into place once again. As of right now, I’m doing much better than I thought I was going to be. I can look at photos of grumples and smile and laugh at the memories we had together. I’m starting to move forward without forgetting, but things are starting to hurt a little less. Time heals all. xo

Questions for you!

1. What is one small thing in your yard/home that brings you joy?
2. Does your town have farmer’s markets?

As many of you heard, I lost Grumples to a silent Cancer on Monday. How does the sweetest and most energetic dog just get taken from this earth so suddenly? I think that was the hardest part to understand.

I’m not ready to write a story about how it all happened because I’m trying to move forward, and it pains me. Grumples passed away from hemangiosarcoma. In his case, the tumor planted itself on his spleen and ruptured, forcing us to make a gut-wrenching decision that day. The survival rate is usually 3-6 months after surgery and while going through chemotherapy. Grumples lived the absolute BEST ten years of his life.  He was never in pain, and I didn’t want his last few months to be painful and scary for him.

Grumples was weak but strong enough to know who I was, and I spent a few hours talking and praying with him in a room at the animal hospital. Kyle and I told him stories, made promises with him, and prayed over him so many times. I asked him if he wanted to fight this, and I asked him to give me a sign when he was ready because I was never going to be ready. While Kyle and I held hands and prayed over him once again, he looked up and licked both of our faces and then rested his head back down into my lap. We both knew at that moment that was God helping him let us know that he was ready.

The hardest part is being afraid of what death will be like for our pets. One of the most important things you can do for your pet is to be with them on their last breath. I think it’s helped me in this healing process. Grumples was still laying his head in my lap, and I kept looking him in the eyes and talking to him. I prayed that God would help me be strong in this moment. I rested his head in my palms, and I rubbed his eyes and said I love you so much, and I’m going to see you so soon, and I kissed him. I made sure to keep looking into his eyes as he fell asleep. I was scared of this moment because I didn’t know how long it would take or if he would be in any pain. He went so peacefully in my arms, within seconds. Please, if anything, be with your dog or cat in their last moment of life. It will add a bit of comfort to your healing process. This was so hard to write, but I think it’s so important.

The next few days are the most painful. It’s important to cry, get mad, let everything out, and never bottle it up. Just when you think you can go a few hours without crying, the tears come back when little reminders show up. Often, we think we need to get rid of all the reminders in the house to heal, but I don’t think that’s a healthy way to grieve. I want to face him everywhere. I put my favorite pictures up, his paw print stones are on my counter, and his bed will always be next to me, and if Leo wants to lay there, he can. I don’t want to forget him to make it easier. I want to remember him so much that those memories of him soon turn to laughter. I have so many reminders of him, and I want to keep it that way. He was my first dog, my best friend, and he got me through some of the darkest times in my life.

Grumples loved food. That boy could eat! He loved chasing bubbles in the backyard, all he wanted to do was sit on the porch, especially with his Grandma, and he loved chasing bees! He always gave me a heart attack when he caught one. He loved going for car rides to bark at cows, stealing the tops of ice cream cones, and he always wanted to be rubbed. He loved playing with his brother, and it scared me how hard they would play. He and Leo were two doods in a pod.

A kick to the heart is how Leo is doing. Leo doesn’t know anything other than having his big brother around to play with, torment, and steal food from. Grumples didn’t like very many dogs, but he instantly fell in love with Leo. I’m doing everything in my power to keep Leo busy. Even though I want to curl up in a ball and cry, I’m making sure to walk him, play with him, cuddle with him, and do everything I can to keep him from heavy grieving. He’s starting to look around, losing a bit of interest in play, and seems confused. Leo has always been a happy and energetic dog, so I know he’s going to bounce back and be himself again. One of the things we did while having Grumples was leave Leo home with him all the time. Grumples didn’t do too well in public, so we didn’t take Leo too many please because we felt bad. Now, we are going to pour our hearts and attention into Leo. He’s going to be going everywhere with me, going on walks, restaurants, pet-friendly stores, and we also made the easy decision to have him at our wedding now. He’ll be coming with us, and I know he’s going to look so dapper in his suit. Leo is so important to me because he gave Grumples the best companionship, and I think he kept him younger.

It’s really hard not to feel guilty about laughing or fighting the urge just to shut everyone out. That’s not how Grumples would have wanted me to be. In fact, if I were crying, Grumples would always bark at me to tell me to knock it off. I’m going to do everything I can to move forward, try to smile, and live each moment thoughtfully as if he’s watching me.

In honor of Grumples, I will work hard at advocating for other pets who are fighting cancer. The Morris Animal Foundation is a nonprofit organization that funds science and advances the health of animals around the world. Their studies have led to significant breakthroughs in diagnostics, treatments, and preventions to benefit animals worldwide. I’m so excited to share that we hit the $1000 goal to honor Grumples yesterday. It’s not too late to donate, and even $1 helps. All donations will be doubled up until June! It’s an incredible cause, and I want to continue to help other pets. A big thank you to everyone who donated. It means the absolute world to me; all of your messages about Grumples made my heart feel so warm. He was so loved by everyone, and I bet he felt that. Now that our local shelter is slowly getting back to normal, I will get out more to volunteer. I think Grumples is up there pushing me to be better. I feel that.

I will continue to work on my healing and moving forward with all the good things in life to come, but I will never forget Grumples for one minute of it. I truly love all of you, and I’m so grateful you got to be here with me during all of the years we spent with my sweet GG.

If you are struggling with grief or recently lost a loved one, I want to share an article that Kyle shared with me. My heart goes out to you, and I pray you have the healing you need to smile a little more each day.

I love you so much, Grumples.Luke 3:6 “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

I love to spoil my dogs. There’s nothing better when their tails are wagging, and they’re hopping all over the place. I’m always looking for the best ways to entertain them, keep them cool in the summer, and make my life as a dog mom a little easier (and cheaper.) I wanted to share a list of products I purchased on Amazon that I absolutely love and my dogs go wild for (ok, maybe not the grooming products.)

Dog Pool + Balls (dog pool link) (balls link)

Their dog pool is one of my favorite purchases. I’ve had it for a few years now, and it’s super heavy duty. It’s made specifically for dogs, so you won’t have to worry about nails ripping the sides or bottom of the pool. It comes in different sizes, and it’s big enough for my dogs to lay down in it comfortably together. Honestly, I think this pool would be good for kids, too, since kids are just as likely to pop something! You can fold the pool up and store it on a shelf in the garage. We usually keep the pool on the downhill so that the water runs right off into the drain.

My dogs also love having the balls in the pool. They find it more fun to go fetch them out, and this makes for amazing exercise (for the both of us since I have to run and throw it back into the pool.)Paw Cleaners (link)

These Mud busters are amazing for a rainy day. We get a lot of red dirt in our backyard because of the clay soil in South Carolina. We fill these up with warm water and run their paws through them before drying them off with a towel. It helps get the mud and grass out of their paws and away from our floors. Hose/Faucet Attachment (link)

Kyle’s mom bought us this doggy bath hose attachment for bathing the dogs, and it is the best dog accessory we own. It has different settings on the wand to change the water pressure, making it so much easier to get every spot clean. I used to have to use buckets to wash them! It makes bathtime so much more enjoyable for the pups too. Bubble Machine (link) + bacon bubbles (link)

My dogs have been obsessed with bubbles for years. They will chase them around the yard for hours! I would say the bubble machine is the best investment. We get them bacon-flavored bubbles that are non-toxic to make them taste better. This is a great exercise to tire your dog out while keeping them in shape. Rain Coat (link)

Rain jackets are a must! If you have long hair dogs, you know the struggle. We love putting their rain jackets on when it’s rainy outside to keep our house less messy and them less stinky! We bought these a few years ago to use during the hurricane, and we’ve been using them ever since. Splash Pad for Dogs Doggy Splash Pad

I had to try out the doggy splash pad after purchasing the pool, and it’s just as a hit with them. It’s also made with heavy-duty doggy-friendly material. You hook it up to the hose, and huge water splashes come out. If you watch my video in this blog post, you can see it. Fabric Dog Frisbees (Hyper Pet)

If your dog likes frisbees, you need to try the fabric frisbee. It is easier to throw and softer for them to catch. Leo loved to chew the frisbees, and chomping on plastic was so dangerous. We found these, and he loves them. They’re much safer, too, since he cracked his tooth on a plastic frisbee a few years ago. They are indestructible, and we love playing with them! Paw & nose balm for dryness (paw butter) & here’s the link to my shaver!

My dogs get dry, cracked paws in the summer from walking and being outside. We love using the Burts Bees paw and nose butter! And I would definitely invest in a good clipper and grooming accessories for your dog. Essential oil for ticks (oil for ticks)

I’m not a big fan of oral tick medication for dogs, so I keep them sprayed as well as the boarders of my fence with the Zuba Flea and Tick spray! You should also keep your grass cut on the regular.Popsicle maker for dogs (paw link)

These little popsicle molds are one of my favorite investments. The best way for your pup to cool down after a day out in the pool are these homemade two-ingredient doggy popsicle treats. They have peanut butter and banana!

I hope you enjoyed this post. 

Questions for you!

1. What do you spoil your pet with in the summer?
2. What is one item you think every dog needs?
3. Do you have a dog?

this blog post contians affiliate links. 

For the past nine years, you all have seen Grumples pop into my blogs, and for almost four years, Leo has made his appearances. I thought I’d change things up today and share a fun “day in the life” all about them! I do a lot of recaps about my life, but I’ve secretly always been curious about how other people’s dogs spend their days. My dogs make my life so much more complete, and that’s why I’m partnering up with Solid Gold to share my dog’s day in the life and chat a bit about their products. Since my dogs live a pretty active lifestyle, I want them to stay healthy from the inside and out. Solid Gold supports pet’s systems by creating holistic food designed to help cleanse, balance, and fuel the gut so they can achieve that healthier lifestyle. For the past 45 years in the pet industry, Solid Gold has an impressive and well-developed line of natural and holistic dry foods, canned foods, treats, and supplements. My pups LOVE them! And no worries if you’re a cat person, Solid Gold makes their products for cats, too!
Every morning around 6:00 am, I am greeted with a wake-up paw to the face. It’s usually Leo telling me that he’s ready to go downstairs, have breakfast, and head out on his walk. If I make any movement or eye contact with him, his demand for me to wake up gets more intense. That paw to the face turns into aggressive face-licking and pouncing as if he’s a cat.

As soon as I get out of bed, Leo and Grumples run to the top of the stairway and sit there waiting for me. This is my only opportunity to make the bed before heading down with them. Sometimes while I’m fluffing the blankets, Leo will come in hot with a pounce if I’m too slow.
They like to sit and wait for their food on the rug. It’s the cutest thing. Grumples and Leo are served different formulas because of their age. They have different needs that call for different food to keep them healthy and thriving.

I like to keep Grumples on weight-control food for adult dogs with whole grains. He eats Solid Gold’s Fit & Fabulous with Alaskan Pollock. Depending on the time of year, Grumples is prone to putting on a few extra pounds, even with all of the walking. Weight is a serious issue with a dog’s health, and the Fit & Fabulous food is designed especially for weight-control with a low-fat formula, added superfoods, an excellent protein source, fresh-caught omega-rich Alaskan pollock, and probiotics for a healthy gut and stronger immune system!
Leo has been crunching on Hund-N-Flocken Everyday Nutrition! This recipe has been in the Solid Gold brand for 45-years and was their first recipe. It’s been around so long because it provides the best natural nutrient profile with ingredients from pasture-raised lamb, healthy whole grains, and a blend of superfoods. And like most of their products, Hund-N-Focken has living probiotics and rich omegas to ensure gut health and proper immune support.

A sneaky way to add more nutrition to your pet’s breakfast is by adding SeaMeal powder to a couple of tablespoons of wet food and mixing it into their bowls. They think it’s an extra treat, but it’s just mom sneaking in a supplement to support healthy skin and coat, and immune system health! The supplement is made with all real ingredients made from earth’s original superfood, seaweed, combined with flaxseeds for their skin and coat and plant-based digestive enzymes for digestive health. Digestive enzymes are so important for a dog! Our vet has recommended them for years. I give SeaMeal to my pups twice a day to make sure they’re getting an extra boost of vitamins and minerals, amino acids, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants! The supplement is made in the USA, grain-free and gluten-free, contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. SeaMeal is for all ages, dogs & cats.

Gold Pet is offering $5 off SeaMeal for my readers! Click here to check it out  It’s a perfect supplement for both cats and dogs!
Early morning, we head out on our first walk of the day. We do about one mile, depending on the weather! The boys definitely feel cheated if we don’t take the usual route, and they’ll even start pulling me into that direction. I love that they like walking because it gets me out moving first thing in the morning.

As soon as they are done walking and taking care of business, I usually sit down with my coffee, and the dogs take a long nap on the couch. Sometimes Leo will sit on top of the couch and watch the birds out the back window.

After their morning walks and breakfast, they are the calmest, and it’s the best time of the day for me to get work done! 
Around 1:30 pm, they start getting a rush of energy. They are usually ready for their mid-afternoon walk or playtime in the backyard.

There’s no way I’m able to continue with my work when they sit in front of me and whimper until I take them out to blow off some energy. We usually do about 30-minutes of some kind of activity mid-day.

When we come back inside, I have a few hours where they are out like lightbulbs again. They require a routine and do not like it when it’s disturbed. After our mid-afternoon workout together, it’s always a surprise treat when I give them a cup of water with a few tablespoons of Bone Broth. It’s a low-calorie treat that they LOVE, and super good for their health. Since I have goldens, I have to focus on staying on top of their joint health. The bone broth has naturally occurring collagen, which helps with joints and gut health. The low-sodium broth is excellent for their skin and coat, immune system, and digestive tract.

If you have a picky eater or a dog that won’t eat their food, you could always try adding the bone broths with the dry food for extra flavor. My dogs love it, and it helps pets with sensitive teeth moisten their kibble. It comes in a few flavors: Beef Bone Broth With Turmeric, Chicken Bone Broth with Lavender & Chamomile, Turkey Bone Broth with Pumpkin & Ginger
Once 4 pm rolls around, Grumples and Leo head to the rug and just stare at me until I feed them. I told you, they do not mess around with it comes to their schedules. I love Solid Gold because they take pride in creating the kind of nutrition that will change a pet’s way of life in mind, body, and spirit. They aim to develop foods and supplements that can be combined for three important factors:

CLEANSE: products containing fruits and vegetable superfoods to boost gut microflora
BALANCE: 3 strains of living, protected probiotics to promote good bacteria.
FUEL: Omega Fatty Acids to boost the immune system, skin & coat.

I love knowing that eat kibble of food they eat with their food has a job, and an important one.

Around 7 pm, Kyle takes them out for their final mile of the day! They usually have a few wrestling matches before bed, but as soon as 8 pm rolls around, they dart upstairs and stake out their territory before shutting their eyes to fall asleep. And yes, most of the time, they sleep right in between us. It’s the best and then their day starts all over again.

Make sure to check out the Solid Gold products for your dog or cat’s better health! & don’t forget to save $5 off SeaMeal by clicking here!

Questions for you!
1. Are your dogs on a routine?
2. What is your dog’s favorite thing to do each day?
3. Which Solid Gold product would be a great fit for your dog?

This post is sponsored by Backcountry. Thank you for supporting, Simply Taralynn!

We all connect with nature differently, and what we take from it is all up to us. I spend a lot of time indoors writing, creating content, and as soon as I step outside, my mood changes, my energy increases, and my stress levels start dropping. You don’t have to go backpacking, rock climbing, or water rafting to connect with nature. It can be as simple as walking your dogs, sketching a scenery at the park, or roasting marshmallows by the fire. What makes you get outside is what builds your personal and unique relationship with nature. 
There are so many things that get me outside, and lately, I’ve been conquering new adventures that I’ve been afraid of like swimming at night with the manta rays, snorkeling in shark-infested waters, joining a local tennis club (where I knew absolutely no one), jumping out of airplanes, flyfishing, and even taking a surfing lesson. I’m always looking for new ways to connect with nature, and each time I try something new, I feel like the relationship between nature and I grows stronger.

This past weekend, I escaped to the North Carolina mountains to spend time in nature with the ones I love. Spending the weekend without social media distractions and waking up to the mountain views instead of my T.V. screen was very therapeutic. I’m excited to be partnering with Backcountry today to talk about what gets me outdoors, and I hope you feel inspired to plan your next adventure! I’m also going to be sharing some helpful tips for outdoor photography. 
With every trip, there’s packing. There are two types of packers. #1. The super neat and functional packer and #2. The packer that creates a tornado scene just to fill one bag with everything they don’t need. I’ll let you decide which one I am.

When you’re going away for the weekend, you only need one or two small bags. For this trip, I packed my clothes in a lightweight Patagonia duffel. I had been looking for a duffel bag this size for so long. It’ll fit perfectly on the airplane with me, and won’t be too large to carry around. It fit all of my outfits comfortably and kept me from overpacking. I struggle with packing way more than I need. I kept all of my toiletries in the large side pocket to remain separate from my clothing.

I chose a matching backpack to carry my laptop, camera equipment (chargers, tripod, extra lens, sd cards), and other essential gadgets. The bag has a padded pocket for laptop protection which I liked.

There are countless duffel bags and backpack options to choose from on Backcountry. If you have a trip coming up, make sure to browse their selection.
Once it cools down here in the Carolinas, Kyle and I are going to go on a camping trip with the dogs. You guys know how seriously I take my coffee and snacks. I don’t function well without either of them. Backcountry has a section with non-perishable food, camping kitchen supplies, and everything you can imagine. I especially loved all their coffee and teapot options. The Kuju Pocket PourOver Coffee is great for outdoor camping, but to be completely honest, I’m planning on using these for when the power goes out during the hurricane later this week. Actually, a lot of the kitchen supplies on Backcountry make for smart hurricane preparation.

If you need something last minute, Backcountry offers free 2-day shipping on ALL orders over $50 across the country!

Their backpacking food selection includes all kinds of options! They have trail mix, oatmeal, mac and cheese, biscuits and gravy, couscous, and more! I’m excited to stock up on all of these fun goodies before we take off for our camping trip.
We took the dogs down to the lake for an afternoon of fishing on the dock. I love seeing the dogs in their element. They’ll do anything to be outside, and nothing makes me happier than seeing them run around and get dirty. Dogs only live a short time here on earth, and it’s important to let them get wild in the mud, swim in the lake, and expose them to nature daily. It fuels their souls and makes them the happiest dogs in the world. The dogs and I start every morning at 5:30 am with a mile and a half dog walk around the neighborhood. We also end our nights the same way. 
The Muir Woods Redwood v-neck shirt I’m wearing is perfect a hot day out in the sun. It’s lightweight, and great for layering if you wanted to add a flannel on top. Backcountry has a ton of stylish, yet technical, clothing from different brands to wear for your everyday activities. Whether it’s yoga, hiking, running errands, they’ll have something that fits your lifestyle. Backcountry supplies items from the best brands such as Arc’Teryx, Patagonia, Fjallraven, Black Diamond, and more! I’ve been introduced to some new brands after looking at their website.
For the past two years, we have been big fans of Ruffwear for the dogs. I get asked about these heavy-duty harnesses daily! If your dogs are active and love being out in nature with you, then you’ll enjoy the dog section Backcountry provides. You’ll be able to find Ruffwear dog beds, boots, collars, leashes, portable bowls, doggy medical kits, toys, blankets, and more. The harnesses that Grumples and Leo are wearing come in different sizes, colors, and have a pocket on the top to store things like keys, treats, doggy bags, or an emergency kit. Plus, they look so stinkin’ cute in them! The dogs put these harnesses to the test! They’ve swam with them in the ocean, the lake, and have worn them on some pretty rainy hikes. They hold up perfectly!

Since our dogs wear them several times a day, we wash them at the end of the month by soaking them in the sink with a drop of detergent, rinse them, and let them air dry. They always come out looking brand new. 
I’ve recently been diving into the YouTube world. Most of my adventures are now filmed, and its so much fun! I love watching back all of the special moments and reliving them all over again. I also found it difficult to carry around my camera for vlogging, a camera for photography, and my cell phone. This pocket purse is a lifesaver! The material is heavy duty and holds my vlogging camera, credit card, and cell phone perfectly. I don’t have to juggle everything in my hands or jean pockets anymore. It comes in more than eleven colors, and I wish I could have them all. I went with the plum color. You can also adjust the straps to make it fall where you prefer. I highly recommend this to everyone!

Backcountry has a lot of great apparel for men. All of the men in my life will be receiving gifts from Backcountry this year! I love their casual items that can be worn in their everyday lives. I was showing my mom all of the apparel for men on Backcountry, and she ended up buying my dad a few new t-shirts and shorts to mow the lawn in, build furniture, and even some new trunks for the pool. I believe they call these types of items #outleisure!
If you have a new adventure planned and don’t know where to start when it comes to packing or gear, definitely reach out to the gearheads available. All of Backcountry‘s gearheads are experts in their fields, whether it’s mountain climbing, yoga, running, skiing…and so on! The gearheads have tons of knowledge about what gear you’ll need for your next adventure.
What would a mountain weekend be without roasting marshmallows and making smores? You can find portable fire rings and roasting sticks available in the camp kitchen section. 
Backcountry loves to see their customers experiencing the outdoors and going on the adventures of a lifetime. I try to plan adventures and do things that make me happy, even if it’s small things. You all know how much I love my coffee and my crazy obsession with it. On this trip, my favorite part was waking up before the sun and having coffee on the dock by the lake. That moment was one of my favorites. Of course, driving cross-country and camping in national parks is #1 on my ultimate bucket list, but I’m just enjoying the small things for now! I’d like to know what your GOATworthy moment is? Or maybe something you’d like to do in the future. Wait, what the heck is a GOAT moment? Greatest Of All Time, moment. 
I brought these heavy-duty ceramic Backcountry mugs to the cabin with us for morning coffee. They are only $12.95! Backcountry also has my favorite brand of stainless steel bottles. I use the Hydro Flask to keep coffee hot and water cold! I don’t know what I’d do without mine. 
If there was ever a GOATworthy moment…
This Patagonia pullover has quickly become one of my favorite items I own. I’m heading back home to Iowa next month, and I plan on wearing these every single day. Every piece of Patagonia clothing I own has never let me down. They are made to last! This Patagonia is so cozy and made from soft organic cotton. The classic diamond quilted pattern works as an effective heat-trapping system, which is going to come in handy while walking the dogs this winter. I love that the collar stands up to keep your neck warm. Now, I’ll need to get this in every color, and I’ll be set.

One of my favorite parts about being out in nature is the photography.

You don’t have to be professionally trained, or have the most expensive equipment to enjoy taking photos. I think the fun part is learning, experiencing, and growing your talent each time you take a photo or play around with editing.

Here are ten tips for taking photos when you’re out in nature! 

1. Bring your tripod to stabilize your shots.
2. Always strive for natural lighting.
3. Take about five photos of the same shot.
4. Play around with artistic angles. Don’t be afraid to get down on the ground, or climb up a tree.
5. Play around with artistic filters to give your nature photos a personal touch.
6. Bring lens wipes to remove dirt or fog from changing temps
7. Rent new cameras and lenses to test out before you purchase.
8. Aim for candids; those always turn out the best.
9. Wake up before the sun to set up before the sunrise
10. Read articles or watch tutorials online from the pros!

Anytime I take a good photo out in nature; my whole day is made! If I were to ever camp across the U.S., It would probably take me years because I’d be so busy taking photos of everything I pass.



North Carolina is packed with the most beautiful hiking spots. I’ve always worn my tennis shoes out on hikes and complained about my feet hurting for days, so I think it was a smart choice to finally get hiking boots for Kyle and me. These boots are a gamechanger. 

My boots are the Danner Jag Hiking Boot. They are lightweight and made up of suede and canvas material. They are super comfortable and cushioned which makes it feel like I’m walking on a foam mattress. These are perfect if you’re hiking in a wet area because they contain waterproof lining to keep your feet dry. The waffle rubber outsole grip helps you walk safely across a variety of surfaces.

Last year, I’d come inside with ice-cold feet from walking the dogs, so I’m excited to see how these change up my dog walking game!

For me, these ran true to size. I didn’t order up or down, and they fit comfortably.

Kyle picked out the Vasque Sundowner GTX backpacking boot. He said they were the most comfortable boots he’s ever worn. They are also waterproof, full-grain leather, and have a midfoot stabilizer. The sizing ran true to size for him as well. If you’re looking to get a gift for your significant other, these would be perfect!

I think what makes these boots even better was the purchase of the SmartWool socks. This was one of the brands that I learned about after going through the Backcountry site and reading product reviews. These socks are super comfortable and cozy! They contain layered wool in high-impact zones for extra cushion, have an arch brace that holds the sock in place to reduce blisters or bunching, no annoying seams at the toes, and made from merino wool to keep the moisture away from the foot. 
We had fun testing the boots out last weekend. This hat pulled all the mountain weekend outfits together. It’s a khaki patch baseball hat that says “Made For The Mountains.”   
I can’t wait to come back in October when all the leaves on the trees start to change.

If you do find something you love on Backcountry, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute at checkout to Backcountry and The Nature Conservancy to help support its mission of protecting the lands and waters on which all life depends. Backcountry has been a partner with The Nature Conservancy since 2008. 
And just like that, we were home!

Now, there are two types of unpackers….#1. The unpacker who does it right away and #1 an unpacker that unpacks a year later. I’ll let you decide which one I am

Backcountry is offering 15% off your first purchase with the code TARALYNN15

I hope you find something to take with you on your next GOATworthy adventure! If you have any questions about the items I wore or used in this post, let me know in the comments!

Question for you!

1. What is a GOATmoment you’ve had?
2. What is number one on your outdoor bucket list?
3. What adventure would you like to see me go on?

I’m so excited for today’s post because I get to talk about one of my favorite topics ever, Grumples and Leo (my dogs!) If you’re familiar with my blog, then you know how obsessed I am with them. My dogs bring so much light and happiness to my life, and I want them around as long as possible.

I spend several hours walking them each day to make sure they are physically and mentally healthy. My dogs get so excited for our walks. As soon as I say “get your leash,” they jump up and start wagging their tails. It’s so important to let your dogs explore new places, new smells, and interact with other dogs. And there is nothing better than sleeping dogs after a long walk.

About a year ago, my older dog, Grumples, weighed in ten pounds overweight at the vet. After that, I made walking three miles a day part of our daily routine. He’s back down to a healthy weight, and we still love our walks together. It’s good for the both of us.

Physical activity is necessary, but so is the food that they eat. I make my health and food choices a priority of mine, and my dogs are no different. I am so proud to be partnering up with Earth Fare (my favorite grocery store ever) to talk about Tender & True, a healthy dog food that you can find right in their pet aisle. It’s the only USDA Certified Organic and Certified Humanely Raised pet food on the market. It’s important to set your dog’s food standard high, as you would for yourself.

When I heard about Tender & True, I was pretty intrigued because it almost seemed to good to be true. It ended up being so great that I have made the switch, and my dogs are pretty happy about it. Let me tell you why I made the switch.

One of the biggest factors in making the change was that Tender & True is Global Animal Partnership(GAP) certified. Gap uses a 5-step program that tells you exactly how the animals have been raised, and every farm partner is audited by an independent company every 15 months. There are no antibiotics, animal by-products in the feed, or added hormones. I love knowing that the meats I’m feeding my dogs, or myself, are from farms that ensure animal welfare.

The Tender & True ingredient list was very impressive, which also convinced me make the switch. Whenever I’m purchasing dog products, I make sure that they are always made in the USA, so I loved seeing that being made clear on the bag.

What makes Earth Fare one of my favorite stores is their Boot List. It’s a list of harmful and unhealthy ingredients that you will never see in your food, OR your dog’s food at Earth Fare. Tender & True is held to the same standards as human food. Why shouldn’t it be? 
Along with the healthy superfoods found in Tender & True, it’s grain free, which is so great since my dog’s both have grain allergies.

When you look at the ingredients, you’ll see that organic turkey is the first one listed. That’s already a good sign! All of the ingredients are natural, organic, and you won’t find any harmful dyes, hormones, artificial flavors, or fillers. There are added vitamins, which is great for keeping my dogs healthy.

I love shopping at Earth Fare because of their Food Philosophy. I don’t have to spend too much time reading over the labels because they do it already. And if any ingredient is on their Boot List, it gets the boot!

Earth Fare pledged to keep their food free of added hormones, artificial fats, and trans fats, artificial sweeteners, bleached or bromated flour, antibiotics, high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, or artificial colors or flavors.

If you head to their Food Philosophy, you can get more information on their departments and how they meet their Food Philosophy.  
I’m not sure if he likes the chicken or turkey better…

If you have an Earth Fare close to you, make sure to stop in and pick up a copy of The Clean Plate! It’s their healthy lifestyle quarterly magazine. It’s filled with great deals and healthy tips to help customers “Live Longer with Earth Fare.” Leo and I had so much fun shooting these photos for The Clean Plate, and we’d love to see you pick up a copy!

While you’re there, you might as well pick up a bag of Tender & True for your pup I promise they’ll love it. It was nearly impossible to get their heads out of the bags.

Questions for you!

1. Do you pay attention to what goes into your dog’s food?
2. What is your favorite activity to do with your dog?
3. I get a kick out of names. What is your dog’s name?

Thank you guys for reading. This post was sponsored by Earth Fare and Tender and True, but ALL opinions are my own!

I hope you all had a great weekend  Thanks for stopping by to read my weekly recap! Can you believe it’s already mid-January? It’ll be Spring before we know it! Thank goodness I love a chilly autumn and snowy Christmas, but anything after that has to go! Bring on the fresh flowers, sunshine, and poolside breezes. I can see why people travel somewhere warm this time of year. It doesn’t sound like a bad idea…

I feel like I accomplished so much I needed to do this week/weekend. I created a lot of content for the blog (that’ll be published later this month), did some decorating around the house, cooked delicious food, spent time with friends, and had a very successful training session with the dogs.

Let’s get this recap post started
After finishing up my recap post last Monday, I threw together a delicious protein bowl. I mixed vanilla bean plant-based protein powder (Orgain) with unsweetened plain coconut milk yogurt (So Delicious). It tastes like a delightful vanilla pudding. I crumbled up my leftover chocolate matcha muffins on top with some toasted pumpkin seeds. 
For dinner, I had a delicious veggie bowl while I read more of my book for the January book review. My bowl had arugula tossed with Tessemae’s Green Goddess dressing, baby carrots with roots sriracha mango hummus, toasted plant-based seeds & grain bread (from Little Northern Bakehouse), sliced avocados, and a tangerine La Croix!

I walked the dogs a couple of miles on Monday evening and then headed straight to the couch to watch the Bachelor. I’m not sure I like Arie. I haven’t decided yet, and that “Pretty Woman” style date was just weird. Thoughts?
After typing up some last minute work to submit on Tuesday morning, I made a delicious breakfast. I had an omelet (4 egg whites + 1 yolk) stuffed with roasted spaghetti squash, fresh fruit, and sliced avocados.

The doctor’s appointment I had scheduled got canceled because the doctor couldn’t make it in, so we reschedule it for next week. I decided to hit up a Pilates class instead. When I got to the gym, the instructor couldn’t make it in because she had the flu. I was two for two! I ended up leaving the gym and taking the dogs to the park instead. 
My dinner wasn’t that pretty, but it was still tasty! I heated up some leftover spaghetti squash and chicken/turkey meatballs and tossed arugula, green goddess dressing, and avocado together for a salad. 
I shared this smoothie on my Instagram on Friday! I was so excited about the new discovery. Frozen bananas have always been my go-to for smoothies. They make the smoothies so creamy and thick like a milkshake. I ran out of bananas on Wednesday morning, but I wanted a smoothie when I got home from yoga. I found a container of frozen pears that I chopped up in November so they wouldn’t go bad. I thought I’d just give them a try as a replacement.  The pears turned out to be a smoothie game-changer! It was creamy, sweet, and thick! This is a great swap if you don’t like bananas.

This smoothie had •1 cup almond milk, •1 cup frozen pears, •1/4 cup oats, •3-4 ice cubes, & •2 scoops vegan vanilla bean protein powder (Orgain)
I had eggs and sauteed veggies for a late lunch. I sauteed bell peppers, red onion, and zucchini with one tablespoon of olive oil. I cooked my eggs over medium, and they turned out perfect.
I sprinkled black pepper and red chili flakes on top! This is one of my favorite high protein/low carb meals to make! I make this for dinner a lot. I usually don’t make it pretty enough to photograph, and it ends up getting tossed in a bowl. You know the eggs are cooked perfectly when they ooze out once the fork stabs into them.

I went through an intense cleaning session on Wednesday afternoon after finishing up my work. I always dedicate one day a week to scrubbing/cleaning/vacuuming/mopping/ and so on! The dogs hate when I go through my cleaning episodes. They get confused when all the chairs are stacked up on the table, and they HATE the vacuum cleaner. They try to hide under the pillows on the couch. Leo sometimes sits on top of Grumples.
We headed uptown to see Kyle on Wednesday night. We usually don’t see each other during the week, but we missed each other. I knew I was going to get stuck in rush hour, so I made my hot lemon ginger tea to go.

Kyle and I walked to the gym together. I decided to bring my book and ride the bike. I rode six miles, but only managed to get through two chapters. I found it more entertaining to listen to classical music with my headphones while watching big guys play aggressive basketball. The intensity was matching up with the music, and I don’t know why but it was just so entertaining. 
On the way back from the gym, I picked up a salad from Panera Bread for dinner. It had kale, romaine, pecans, roasted chicken, quinoa, onions, egg, and cucumber. We ended the night watching Mudbound on Netflix. It was a long and depressing movie, but still really good. 
I had a crazy busy Thursday shooting content for three upcoming blog posts.

I finished up around 4 pm! I needed to walk the dogs before it started raining, but I was also super hungry, so I made a quick piece of toast with peanut butter and honey.

I ended up walking the dogs four miles (2 miles apiece), and it felt so good to be outside. It did start raining on us, but it was warm enough to be tolerated.

I had a little salad and smoothie later on for dinner. I ate the salad while making the smoothie and didn’t get the chance to take a picture of it. That’s what happens when I skip breakfast. I made the delicious pear smoothie again, but added pumpkins seeds this time! I was in bed at 8:45 on Thursday night. I had the best sleep ever! 
My dad came over on Friday morning to help me install the new showerhead in the guest bathroom. He also helped me change all of the filters and hang up a few things.

When my dad left, I headed out for a 20-minute run. I needed to start somewhere. I did five minutes on and five minutes off for twenty minutes. Even though I felt like I could keep running when the five minutes was up, I forced myself to stop.  I am going to do the same thing today but add ten more minutes. I think the intervals make the workout go by much faster, too.

After my run, I headed out to the grocery store. I needed groceries bad! I bought everything I needed and more. I don’t eat out at restaurants that much anymore, and I love it. A couple of years ago, I was a restaurant maniac. For the past year, I’ve kept the restaurants for special occasions, or vacations. It’s fun to grab brunch now and then, or convenient to pick up a salad at Chopt, but that’s about it. I find that keeping my fridge filled with healthy eats motivates me to eat at home. Even if you spend a lot on groceries, it’s still cheaper to cook at home! 
I have a lot of people ask me about my trips to the grocery store, so I laid the haul out on the table to show you what I got.

Strawberries, bananas, blueberries, fajita mix, sunflower seeds, grain free tortillas, vegan cream cheese spread (baking vegan/GF bagels for the blog), hummus, grapes, arugula, coffee beans, grain free tortilla chips, lemons, kale, onion, avocado, papaya, zucchini, kiwi, bell peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, coconut milk yogurt, coconut milk ice cream, green goddess dressing, apple honey chicken sausage, pizza, chicken potstickers, pumpkin seeds…
Eggs, chicken, RXbars, No Cow Bars, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, waffles, barista almond milk, Orgain protein powder, ketchup, mustard, lemon/ginger tea, strong dark chocolate, frozen peaches, frozen cranberries, Koia vanilla bean shake, and a lemongrass soy candle! 
I started raining hard on Friday afternoon. I decided to have some tea and read on my back porch while listening to the rain. It was so peaceful.
For dinner, I had some leftover blue apron mixed with arugula and a fried egg on top.

Kyle and I headed out on a long dog walk on Friday night and then hurried back to watch Dateline. I look forward to my Friday nights because I’m obsessed with that show. I also had some coconut milk ice cream with a scoop of peanut butter on top while watching the show!
I was up super early on Saturday morning. I headed out to walk the dogs and have coffee before meeting Becca at the Riverwalk at 8:30! Before we headed out, we stopped into the Grapevine for hot drinks. It was so cold out, so we needed the extra warmth on our walk. I had hot tea and lemon! 
I had three sweatshirts on to keep me warm. It was 28 degrees when we started walking!
Kyle said I looked like an 80’s ice skater when I walked downstairs. He wasn’t too far off…
Becca and I headed out to a new trail after our six-mile walk. We heard of an old abandoned house built 130 years ago that was barely standing in the middle of nowhere. The owners had a lot of the house materials imported from Italy. Apparently, the family as killed in a car accident and they never returned to the residence. This is what the man who works the trails told us. I’m not sure how true the story is because I can’t find anything about the house online. I did have a cellar, gorgeous river rock paths, and giant stone walls still standing. 
Becca went down into the cellar; I stayed out of it. I’m a chicken with that stuff! She’ll do it for the gram, but I’ll stay out for the survival.

On our walk, we decided that we are going to start a new podcast. More details soon, but we are incredibly excited about this new chapter! We’ll keep you posted.

After our walk, we headed to Hobby Lobby to pick up some craft supplies. I also wanted to find something to go above my headboard.
I had so many of you give me awesome suggestions! Thank you for sending me pictures and ideas. I decided to go with this dream catcher and my initials. The letters are a bit crooked, but I have to get the right nails to fix it. This will do for now!
Each letter was $7, and the dreamcatcher was $12.99! I got them at all at Hobby Lobby! Now, I need to find new end tables. I’m thinking about making creamy white ones. What do you think?
My quilted bedding is from Pine Cone Hill It’s so warm and high-quality.
I also made a couple of new coasters on Saturday afternoon. I wasn’t too happy with how they turned out because the stickers were made out of weird paper, so I’ll be redoing them! 
For lunch, I had Siete grain free tortilla chips with hummus, fresh fruit, and my vegan protein chocolate fruit dip! The fruit dip has chocolate Orgain protein powder, unsweetened coconut milk yogurt, 1/8 tsp vanilla extract, one tsp cocoa powder, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. It’s so good! 
I couldn’t stay up for the life of me on Saturday afternoon, so I broke my rule and had a little afternoon cappuccino. I had a lot of work to do, so I needed lighter eyes if I was going to look at the computer screen any longer. If I break this rule now and then on the weekends, then I’ll be OK with that. I’m still proud of how well I’ve done for the past three weeks with the one cup of coffee a day rule. I’m not going back to the amount of coffee I was drinking. My sleeping patterns have never been better.

I found this fantastic Barista Almond Milk while I was at the grocery store on Friday afternoon. I don’t like regular almond milk in my cappuccinos. Almond milk just tastes weird when it’s warmed up, but this barista almond milk didn’t have that odd taste. This tasted like creamy milk! It frothed up even better than real milk. This was one of the best cappuccinos I’ve had in a long time, and it was made at home
On Saturday night, I closed up the laptop and headed to the kitchen to make dinner. I had one more meal left in my Blue Apron box, but it had a lot of mushrooms, and ginger, which Kyle doesn’t like. I decided to use the meat, rice, bok choy, and radishes from he ingredients and add our own seasonings and a side of sauteed veggies.

In a pan on medium-heat, I sauteed sliced baby carrots, zucchini, onions, and bok choy. When they were slightly brown, I tossed a little black pepper and sea salt on top.
I cooked the steak in a pan on medium-low with one tablespoon of olive oil, chopped garlic, and 1/4 cup of gluten free teriyki sauce. I tossed Argula with honey balsamic and Green Goddess dressing and radishes. I’ve been all about the arugula lately. I’ve been going through three containers a week. 

Kyle and I played checkers while eating dinner. He finally got the revenge he’s been practicing for. He plays checkers on his phone constantly, and it paid off. He finally beat me. 
This is how our night ended. We started watching this weird movie on Netflix but it was too bad to finish. Blended ended up being on T.V. and that’s one of my favorite movies. It’s so funny and I love the chemistry between Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.
We out of the door by 7:15 am on Saturday morning! I mentioned in my last recap post that we have put our dogs in training, and that I’m going to keep you all updated. We are working with John from Holland K9 Services. He’s increidble, and we’ve already learned so much. It’s crazy how simple little changes can make a world of difference when it comes to your dog’s behavior.
We worked on heeling, sitting, and a lot of stay command exercises. It’s more than just getting a dog to stay. You have to get them out of a routine of simply “staying and coming”. Make them come towards you, tell them to stop and sit midpoint, throw a treat and have them stay put, and get them to understand what “no” really means. We also changed up a lot of our command words to make them single syllables. We are using “sit”, “quiet”, “stay”, “up”, “okay”, “heel”, “no”, “off”, “down”, and getting away from the handshake.
Grumples is a very dominant dog and loves to take the lead. It’s only been ten days, but he’s now walking on my side more and staying on my left side. It’s important for him to stop as soon as I stop, and we are going to get this down very soon! As soon as you teach your dogs commands and the simple rules, most of the behavior problems they have will be eliminated, or atleast under control. I’m excited to keep you all updated. You can follow along with their training journey on their instagram! I am going to take them out to my parent’s house later to do some exersices in their backyard.

If you have any questions for our trainer, please feel free to leave your questions below! He’ll be looking out for them!
It was finally coffee time when we got back around 10:30!

I made a latte with my Nesspresso Machine! It’s been a while since I broke out this baby. I bought one for my brother and Karlee for Christmas, and they are obsessed with it. They send me their coffee snaps daily and I love it. Speaking of them, I need to plan a trip out to California soon!

Look how creamy the almond milk cappucinno turned out. It was pure perfection. I’ve tried many different Nespresso pods, but my ultimate favorite is the Bestspresso/Lungo! I order them in bulk on Amazon. 
Awwwww perfection
Later in the afternoon, I made a quick lunch. I had arugula with green goddess dressing topped with avocado, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, leftover rice, and avocado slices. I also had my lemon ginger tea with the juice of one lemon.
On Sunday afternoon, Kyle headed to the gym, and I headed straight for a bubble bath. I made some tea, turned my infuser on, and read my book. What a perfect way to end a cold Sunday afternoon. 
Kyle and I decided to make fajitas for dinner on Sunday night. I love easy dinners that take only thirty minutes to make! Fajitas are one of the easy ones.

I sauteed peppers and onions with a little olive oil, and in a separate pan cooked up diced chicken.
I added the sautteed veggies to the pan with the chicken, and mixed in a packet of fajita seasoning. 
This meal was just too easy and so tasty!

I also baked up sweet potatoes with garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. I flipped them halfway through.
I chopped up some avocados for the side. Nothing better than fresh avocados The great thing about this meal is that there is a ton of leftovers. It’s perfect for tossing into your salads throughout the week, or mixing it into your scrambled eggs.

I headed to bed around ten and watched the new Revenge Body episode on E! It was one of my favorite episodes so far.

Questions for you!

1. Do you have any questions for John, our dog trainer?
2. What’s a quick & delicious meal you make often?
3. Describe your weekend in ONE word.

My week was great. I spent it Uptown with Kyle, and it was so nice to have that extra time with him. We usually see each other on the weekends because of work, so this was a fun change-up. The weather has been insanely nice here. We took advantage of it by taking the dogs on long walks during the evening. Speaking of the dogs, this week has been all about them. If you don’t like dog photos, you may not be a fan of this post because it’s full of them.
It was 44 degrees on Monday morning, and I loved it. After taking the boys on a long walk, I made coffee and finished up some work. This week, I enjoyed the Peet’s Coffee Peetnik Brazil Minas Naturais Blend, and it was so good. I will definitely be buying this again. I love trying new blends, so if you have any favorites (medium/or dark roast), feel free to send me links, or tag me in their posts. 
I love having late breakfasts/early lunch combos. I always have a snack with my coffee first thing in the morning, so I’m always hungry late morning/early afternoon. On Monday, I made a side salad that consisted of sauteed tomatoes, brussels sprouts, and kale. My omelet had one egg and four egg whites with a side of avocado. I flavored everything with garlic powder, chili red pepper flakes, black pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. 
A little later in the afternoon, I headed out for a walk Uptown with Leo. He did so well. 
When he got back, I was gathering my stuff to get ready to head to the park with Grumples. When I went into Kyle’s room, Leo was laying on top of Grumples, and it was so cute! They really are obsessed with each other, and it makes me so happy. 
We have been working with Grumples for a while now. I’ve had trainers tell me there was nothing they could do, trainers who worked with him and nothing clicked, and I’ve been in tears many times over some of Grumple’s behavior problems. Now, I blame myself. I was twenty years old when I got Grumples. He was my first dog, and I pretty much knew nothing about them. We spent almost every day together until we moved to Chicago, where I took up a nannying job. The first year of your pups life is the most important one. It’s where they learn, test, and try to be the dominate one. Not all dogs are like this, but Grumples surely was. His behavior started to change when he was two years old. I could hardly walk him without him ripping my arm off, without him wanting to attack someone, he lunged at bikes, UPS trucks, strollers, rollerblades, anything, and anyone! But the crazy thing? He was completely fine at dog parks. He just had serious leash-aggression. He’s fine inside the house; he’s never bitten anyone, it’s just the lunging and barking that is scary. Grumples isn’t a small dog either; he’s about 89 pounds and almost pure muscle. Monday was a big day; it was his first time going to a densely populated park and walking like a regular dog. He didn’t lunge, bark, huff, and puff, stalk, or do anything. We walked by other dogs without avoiding them, people strollers, and he is a completely different dog. He’s walking with confidence now, less anxiety, and I think he’s enjoying himself. Believe me, dogs don’t want to act like that, and it stresses them out just as much. I’m so excited to do an entire blog post on how we fixed the issue. I will be honest, we bought beeping/vibrate no-shock collars. There is a method of using them, and they truly made all the difference. This morning, I took Grumples for a walk in a crowd of people uptown, and I wasn’t even nervous to do it. It’s been a long battle, but never give up on your dogs! I am going to write a really thorough blog post and include some videos on how we did it. I had SO MANY messages from people experiencing the same, so I hope it helps! I’m hoping to have it up by next week. 
Not going to lie, happy tears started pouring down my cheeks when I texted Kyle and told him about our successful walk. That’s my boy! 
I guess Monday was all about walks. I met up with Meighan for a long Charlotte walk on Monday night. We stopped at Not Just Coffee for oat milk lattes first! I think I have her hooked on them too. 
Last Fall, Meighan and I would go on fourteen-mile walks because it was so nice out! We already have plans to do it again this year. We did about five miles before making our way back. 
I was so ready for dinner! I whipped up a quick dish and sat on the couch to watch Dancing with the Stars. I just sauteed brussels sprouts, tomatoes, and kale. 
I scrambled up about six egg whites to add to the top. For the brussels sprouts, I steam-cooked them in water instead of using oil. 
Tuesday morning coffee & blogging time! 
I spent all day Tuesday getting things done for the blog. I headed to the gym to walk/jog the track with Kyle that evening. We decided to head to the grocery store on the way back and pick up something quick for dinner. We ended up grabbing random sushi rolls and soup. I mixed organic tomato soup in with my leftover chicken and vegetable crockpot soup I made a while back. You can find that recipe here. 
I feel like I hit the lottery with this find on Tuesday night, and I’m wondering if I’m late to the game with this one? Dessert Hummus! Holy Moly…We picked up strawberries to go with the vanilla bean and fudge brownie hummus. This was one of the best desserts ever. So healthy too! If you can, look out for this at your grocery store. It’s called Delighted by Dessert Hummus! I can’t wait to find the snickerdoodle flavor. 
After running my errands on Wednesday, I headed out for a long walk and a trip to the vet for Leo! It was time for his yearly shots. He did so well! 
I headed back and made a protein shake for lunch. It had Chocolate Orgain, banana, coconut milk, and ice.
I made one of the best dinners on Wednesday night. Cranberry carrot chicken with roasted veggies! 
And I utilized the leftovers well on Thursday! Leftover roasted vegetables with some scrambled eggs. 
Cranberry chicken on top of some salad before the gym! How about that for a short Thursday recap? 
On Friday night, Kyle and I headed to the tennis courts to play. We hadn’t played tennis in a while, and we were excited to get back out there. We played until way late. When we got back, we made some random dinner because we didn’t feel like going out to eat or going to the store. We had chicken breast with gluten-free teriyaki sauce, rice, salad, and eggs! It was really good. We started watching a scary movie and then fell asleep, so I still need to figure out how it ends. 
We were so excited for Saturday morning! We took BOTH dogs to the Latta Plantation to hike. This was a big day for us because we’ve been dreaming of having well-behaved dogs that we could hike together for a while now. And it was a success. We walked by other dogs, runners, bikers, and Grumples just ignored them. Leo feeds off Grumples, so he was also a good boy! We can now plan more hikes with these boys! We did five miles, and they acted like they wanted to keep going. I was so proud of them. 
We took them on a back trail where it was very secluded and let them run back and forth for a bit. They were so cute side by side. 
This was honestly one of the best days ever. 
Kyle and I headed to the mall later Saturday afternoon so he could grab a new coat. I treated myself to a delicious cappuccino! How cute is this coffee mug? It was at the Nordstrom coffee shop. 
I didn’t plan on buying anything, but these shoes were sitting alone on the shelf and they were exactly my size…
They screamed my name, so I ended up getting them. I love them so much and I plan on wearing them for Christmas. They are called the Pearl Studded Slide Loafers!  
After the mall, we headed over to grab a late lunch at Whole Foods. My plate had a kale salad with eggs, onion, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, fresh fruit, and chicken. 
We decided to walk over to the Simmons Pumpkin patch and grab pumpkins for carving on Sunday. I had unsweetened matcha tea with coconut milk after lunch. 
There were so many pumpkins to choose from!

Some of you were asking about my shoes on my Instagram story. Here is the link! They are the “blush” color They come in so many colors and they are on sale!
Kyle’s goal was to find the ugliest pumpkin, but mine was to find the most-perfect pumpkin! 
After our little outing, we headed out to the tennis courts to end the night! It was 60-degrees and the perfect excuse to get out and play. We were going to go out to dinner, but I wasn’t hungry and so tired, so the guys ordered wings instead. After showering and walking the dogs, I made my favorite hot cinnamon tea! We started watching 1922, a Stephen King, movie. It was gross, twisted, and weirdly entertaining.  
On Sunday morning, we headed out to my parent’s house to carve pumpkins and have breakfast. My mom went all out! She made muffins, fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, apple crisp, tater tots, toast, baked honey pears with prosciutto, and more! She said she was just in the mood to cook. I didn’t mind because it was so delicious. 
The best part of the meal was the baked honey pears wrapped in prosciutto. This is something you must try! 
She made my healthy blueberry muffins with lemon! I love the mug Land O Lakes sent me! They also sent me pumpkin butter, which was incredible! 
Pumpkin carving time.
Can you tell we are obsessed with our dogs? Kyle made his pumpkin have paw prints, and I made a typical jack-o-lantern with paw print eyes. My dad hooked the electric mixer piece onto his drill gun and cleaned out the insides of the pumpkin. So genius! 
My parents also carved their pumpkins lol We saved all the seeds and I am going to roast them tonight! 
Spray tan my face orange and I fit right in! 
I found about 100 photos on my camera that Kyle took of the dogs. They were so cute! I think Kyle liked taking photos way too much. 
Leo modeling for Kyle! 
We ended up heading to the gym when we got back. I did some weights and walked the track.
I was so hungry and ready for a jumbo salad! I massaged kale with olive oil and balsamic and topped it with grilled chicken, avocado, cucumber, orange slices, figs, tomatoes, blackberries, and onions! SO DELICIOUS. 
Our pumpkins lit up at night! I was so excited to see them. When we were kids, we were too impatient to wait and see them at night, so my mom used to let us light them up in the dark bathroom. Carving pumpkins never gets old!

Questions for you! 

1. Have you ever had any issues with your dogs?
2. What are your Halloween plans?
3. Where do you like to buy jeans from? (needing new jeans)