Traveling While Leaving Pets Behind

We travel a lot, and one of the hardest parts of those trips is the pets we have to leave behind. Our pets are like an extension of our family, and we want to ensure we do everything we can to make them comfortable and safe while away. It has taken a lot of experimenting, but we have found various options perfect for traveling when we need to leave our pets behind. Here are some of my best suggestions, and I hope they help you too!

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5 Reasons Why Guinea Pigs Make a Great First Pet

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kaytee, but all opinions are my own. I wouldn't telly ou about something I didn't love. Promise.
Getting a pet seems like a rite of passage for most kids, but sometimes a family doesn't want the responsibility of a cat or dog. Why not consider a guinea pig? Several years ago, my pre-teen son wanted a pet of his own and he did a lot of research on what would be best. He kept going back to guinea pigs and after having Norman and Cooper in our home for more than two years now, I'd have to agree that guinea pigs make a great first pet. Here are five reasons why your family should consider getting a guinea pig as a pet.

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Frozen Dog Bones Recipe

Everyone loves a frozen treat when the weather starts to warm up. Everyone. Including your dog. Imagine wearing a fur coat all summer long! So why not treat your furry friends to a nice healthy frozen treat when the sun starts to beat down. These frozen dog bones are made with everything your puppy loves. The ingredients are safe for your pooch and they are so easy to make! They will leave you and your pooch feeling pretty darn cool.

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Our Dog Has Cancer-Starting to Say Goodbye to a Family Pet

I begged and pleaded for a family dog for the better part of three years. I'd pick up lost dogs and what I thought were strays but turned out to be coyotes too many times to count {well, I only tried to "save" a coyote once, I'm not a lunatic!}. But my husband told me that if the Obama's could wait to move into their new home to get a dog, we could too. A few days after moving in, I got a response from an inquiry I placed about a 12 week old golden retriever puppy that was for sale and two days later we brought Sophie home. And now she's dying. Sophie has cancer.

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How to Pose your Dog for a Family Picture

Our three year old Golden Retriever Sophie is a part of our family.

It didn't even cross my mind that we wouldn't include her in our impromptu trip to the park to try to take photos for our Christmas card.

My husband set up the tripod and got the camera ready while we all tried to pose and hold his spot.

Unfortunately, Sophie didn't get the memo that you are supposed to turn towards the camera, smile and look your best.

We ended up with these pictures of Sophie.

She's looking at the camera, but we can't get her to sit.

Here she is sitting, but the kids are all laughing because she isn't turned toward the camera.

Our attempt to just let Sophie chase squirrels in the park, left her to actually photo bomb us at the last second.

Trying to get a family picture for our Christmas card with her in it, just wasn't working.

If only I had remembered that she will do anything for a treat.

Sophie is partial to the bacon and peanut butter flavored kind.

I just take the treat bag out and she immediately sits and is ready to do anything I ask of her!

Behind the camera, this is what I am holding to get Sophie to sit in position for Christmas picture attempt 2.

I ended up getting this very dignified looking picture of her by the Christmas tree. 

Man, why didn't I think of bringing her treats along to the park when we were trying to get a family picture?

Live and learn.

Next year, the five of us and the dog will be gracing the family Christmas photo card.

Of course, I'll make sure I have dog treats in my pocket.

I would love to see your cute pet Christmas photos.

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The 5 love languages for dogs

I'm a dog lover. I know there are cat people and dog people in this world. I am a dog person. Our golden retriever Sophie came into our lives almost five years ago. We adopted her as a 12 week old puppy the week after we moved into our new home. Our kids were all switching schools mid year and we all had to make the transition to a new home and to a new town. I had no idea how much it would help to have Sophie as an ice breaker.

We moved less than a mile from the elementary school, so when classes resumed after the Christmas break holiday, the kids and I started walking to school. People stopped to ooh and ahh over how darn cute she was, and we had a chance to meet so many new friends because of her.

Sophie continues to make friends everywhere she goes because of her constant smile and her sweet personality. She is such a treasured loyal companion to all of us which is why we like to do what we can as her dog family to speak her love language.

Back a zillion years ago when my husband and I were first married, we did a book study by Gary Chapman together called The 5 Love Languages.  It was a fantastic book for us as newlyweds.  One I have referenced many times in our nearly two decades of marriage. The author went on to write a book that looked at the 5 love languages as they relate to children. 

We all know how our sweet fur babies become like one of our children {though Sophie keeps me up far less and is the most low maintenance of all the ladies in our home} so I thought I would write a spin off myself and create the 5 love languages for dogs.

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Show your most loyal family member some love

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sponsored by Purina for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of the best things that we have done as a family was adopt our nearly five year old golden retriever, Sophie.  Sophie was a Christmas present for our family less than a week after we moved into our new home.

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Improve your child's reading skills and self confidence

I have always loved reading.  One summer as a young teenager, I picked up a hammock at a garage sale for a few dollars, recruited help from one of the toddlers that I babysat and cleared out a spot between two trees in my backyard and spent my summer reading The Babysitters Club book series.

Once I had children of my own, that love of reading continued and some of the best memories I have of my three kids are of them on my lap reading book after book after book before naptime.

We have always had a house full of books {thank you local library!} and a never ending supply of reading material. I'm thankful that all of my children love reading and almost always have a good book or two that they are knee deep into.

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