Monday, October 21, 2013

Slowing down a bit

So, today I started my full time position with Alaska USA Federal Credit Union and as overwhelming as a first day at a new job is, it was a pretty great day! I am officially a girl with two jobs and I know I am going to be completely exhausted very very soon. For now I will be taking a little step back from the blogging world so that I can focus on my new job and try to balance all of the new things in my life a little better. I still cannot believe how much my life has changed in these past three months! It's insane, but it's a good insane! All of a sudden I am in a new state far away from everyone, I have a much bigger house to manage and take care of plus I have a full time job and a part time job! I am so thankful and lucky to have these challenges in my life, but I want to take the time to focus on them and find a happy balance in the midst of everything!

Once I get the hang of my new job, get the hang of working two jobs and learn how to balance both jobs with everything else going on in our life, I will slowly but surely make my way back to my third job, blogging! I really think that being a blogger is a job even if you don't get paid for it quite yet. It takes so much effort into one single blog post. Blogging means so much to me and I want to be able to really focus on it once my life finds normalcy again. If I really find myself wanting to blog one night or on one of my days off then I will. For now, I will just go light on the blogging! Check back for some posts from time to time and eventually I will make my way back to the usual grind!

Thank you for reading and thank you so much for all of your continued support!
 
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Sunday, October 20, 2013

Weekend stuff

Happy weekend y'all! I must say, I am just a tad bit jealous of all of you that have little kids and took them to the pumpkin patch this weekend! And also very very jealous that you get to dress them up in the cutest Halloween costumes ever too! Every time I got on Facebook this weekend I saw all the cute pictures of the kids dressed up and picking our pumpkins and then my baby fever kicked in even more. More on baby fever in a post to come over the next couple of weeks! Now, on to the weekend!
My weekend did not start out so good. It all started Thursday when I woke up with a very upset stomach! I had to work at two, so I was hoping that I would feel better, but no dice. I still went into work thinking that I would feel better once I got there and did a lot of stuff. Nope. No dice once again. I then took my break and grabbed a Sprite from the drink machine thinking that that would definitely help me get through the rest of the night at work okay. Haha no way that was happening. After my break I vomited twice within an hour and then I knew the stomach bug had hit me. Yeah I know, TMI, but that's exactly what happened! Finally work was over and it was time to go home and get to bed. I vomited twice in the middle of the night and knew that if I didn't go to the doctor on Friday that it could get worse!
I usually wait until the last possible second to go to the doctor, but I was starting my full time job on Monday and knew that I had to get rid of this bug fast before Monday came. On Friday I woke up and still felt horrible so I went to the hospital and missed out on work that day. Wouldn't you know it though that the day I get sick and the first time I have to go to our new hospital all by myself, it would be the day that they are having trick or treating at the hospital and that I had to fight through huge crowds of kids to get to the Family Health Clinic! It was insane! There were soooo many kids and I got lost! When I finally got through the crowds and made it to Family Health they took me back right away! They were so quick too! They ruled it a stomach virus right away and sent me to the pharmacy for my medication and before I knew it I was out of there! Thank goodness! The rest of the day I made a date with our couch and handsome little man. Leo was the best little side kick while I was sick.
Later on when Jarrett got home from work, I wanted to try to eat since I had not eaten in over 24 hours! He made me chicken noodle soup and it tasted like heaven. I was still hungry after the soup and ate half a bologna and cheese sandwich too of which I was able to keep that down along with the soup. Whew good! I was also able to get a good nights sleep that night without getting sick again. Saturday I woke up feeling so much better and went back to work at twelve. I went the whole day and night feeling pretty normal and my appetite came back in full force! I ate a little on my break and then I decided to be really brave and grab a cheeseburger and fries on the way home from work. I paced myself and only ate half the cheeseburger and fries. It was delicious and I still felt fine after eating it!
Today I woke up to another wonderful night of sleep and took on the day at work again. After I got home, Jarrett made a delicious steak dinner and I ate all of it! It's pretty much safe to say that it was just a little two day bug and I'm very glad it's gone! After dinner, I got to cuddle on the couch with my two guys and watch some football. Boo the Ravens lost to the stupid Steelers, but it's all good. We'll get them next time! Just watching football with my boys was the perfect end to a crazy, but good weekend.
I will leave you with the wise words of Si to start your week off with a smile or laugh! I start my full time career tomorrow and although I am pretty nervous and anxious, I am trying to just take it easy and let God take control. I am trying to just stay calm, cool and collective as I yet again, deal with a big change in my life. I have been able to deal with a lot over the past three months and now I will take this on too. One change after another I will get through anything that comes my way!
 
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Friday, October 18, 2013

Friday's letters

Dear stomach virus, I think you are somewhat going away, but I still can't tell. One minute I feel better and then my head is in the toilet, so this is not cool! Hopefully my medicine will start to kick in soon and maybe I'll feel like eating something. Until then, it's the couch and a cute puppy in my lap for now. Dear Leo, You have been the sweetest thing today! It's like you know that mommy is sick and you want to comfort me. You have barely left my lap and you have just cuddled with me all day! What a sweet boy you are! Dear Husband, I am so glad you're home from work now! I have missed you so much today! Also the fact that you made me soup when you got home was the sweetest! You always take such good care of me every single day whether I am sick or not! I love you! Dear Mom, Ahhhhhh I want my mommy when I don't feel good and you are not here! At least last year when I had phenomena you were visiting at that time so you were able to go to the hospital with me! At least we got to FaceTime today and we get to every day! Thanks for being such an awesome mom! I love you!
 
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Monday, October 14, 2013

Weekend stuff

Hello all! Hope your weekend was awesome! Mine sure was! Last week I worked mainly night shifts so I didn't really get to see Jarrett much. I worked day shift Friday and Saturday and had Sunday off, so it was nice to finally have some evenings with the hubby for once! I also worked a short day shift today, I am off tomorrow and work till four on Wednesday so that is more time to spend with him and Leo! Yay!
Friday I got off at three then came home and waited for Jarrett to get off work. Once he came home from work, we went and picked up a couple packs of beer and picked up a To Go order of food from Buffalo Wild Wings. We are so glad that there is a BWW here because it is one or our favorite restaurants. We love to get To Go orders from there especially since they are always busy and it takes forever to get seated. After dinner I decided to go to the BX to get a little winter shopping done. I got two infinity scarves and one regular scarf, two pairs of gloves and a really cute hat to match a couple of the scarves. On my way to check out I noticed the Bath and Body works section and that there were a lot of items on clearance. Naturally, I had to stop and look because I am BBW obsessed. I ended up getting the new Love Love Love scent in a perfume and lotion and only paid $15 for both! Score!
Saturday I worked until five and then grabbed some dinner for the hubbs and I on my way home. Later on after dinner, we went and got ice cream at this awesome place called Marble Slab. They remind me a lot of Cold Stone Creamery and I actually think they may be better and yummier! Marble Slab is also in the same shopping center as Avalanche Frozen Yogurt so we are set on an awesome frozen yogurt place and ice cream place. Can you tell we are a frozen treat obsessed couple? Yes, yes we are.
Sunday I was off work! Woo hoo! Our Sunday started off with taking Leo to PetSmart to get groomed. Little boy got a bath with pumpkin scent, his nails cut and grinded, his teeth brushed and his ears cleaned. He also got a Frankenstein bandanna! It was hilarious and I definitely forgot to get a picture of him wearing it. He was a pampered pooch for the day and loved it! While Leo was at the groomers, we went to IHOP again for breakfast and it was oh so scrumptious! I need to stay away from the stuffed french toast because it will be my downfall if I don't! Haha!

Later on once we got home I did three loads of laundry then took a two hour nap. Now, I am not one to take naps, but when I do, you know I am completely exhausted and that I need the rest. That nap was so awesome! After my nap, we went grocery shopping at The Commissary. For dinner I made mini crescent dogs with mini smoked sausages and paired them with chips and cheese dip. Jarrett wanted football food for dinner and that's what he got! We both loved them! They were so good and so easy to make! You guys should try them!
After our football dinner, it was time for The Walking Dead to premiere again! We are a tad bit obsessed with that show, but it is just so good! We've been hooked from the beginning! Watching it together was the perfect end to our weekend.

Today was Columbus Day so Jarrett had today off too. I only had to work until three today so that was great knowing I had a handsome hubby and puppy waiting for me at home. When I got home those boys were just being lazy on the couch. It was too cute and it made me so happy!
 
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Saturday, October 12, 2013

Life lately through Instagram

Being silly with Leo / Leo eyeballing my silliness / great deals from BBW / a comforting quote from my Diane / our future family (three boys and a girl) / a blog post about Christmas (yay) / Leo's big yawn / a sleepy boy / a blog post about the company AAFMAA
A blog post about being an Overcomer / Leo and the printer / Leo loves to lay in clean laundry / Leo falls asleep in the weirdest places / yummy IHOP stuffed French toast / a great deal from verabradley.com / good morning from the doxie / a blog post about traveling with your pets / a blog post about Fall must haves (Vera Bradley edition)
Family snuggle session / sleeping on mommy's cheek / passed out / happy family / a Friday Five blog post / a Friday's letters blog post / a yummy after dinner dessert / a blog post about God's recent blessings / writing and sending thank you notes on my day off

Since getting to Alaska two months ago, life has finally slowed down a bit. We are settling in just fine in our house and getting use to our surroundings. Leo is also doing pretty good and settling right in with us! Jarrett and I are both very busy working full time and I am starting my full time position at Alaska USA FCU in a week while maintaining a part time position at Hallmark. Once I start this job I will be even busier, but I love it so much! Since we have been so busy, we have not had much time to really get out and go site seeing, but hopefully we will soon! We have though found some really good restaurants, awesome malls to go shopping in, sweet movie theaters and some delicious frozen yogurt and ice cream places all really close to the base. Also, we know our way around base pretty well and all in all really enjoy the luxury of living on base. Once we get a really nice day with great weather, we will drive around and get plenty of pictures of the base. I cannot wait to really see Alaska when we have the time and take some amazing pictures! I also cannot wait to share them with you guys, so please stay tuned for some more exciting Instagram pictures real soon!
 
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Friday, October 11, 2013

Friday's letters

Dear husband, This evening was perfect! Buffalo Wild Wings, Red's Strawberry Ale, shopping, a Walking Dead marathon and actually getting to spend time together! Pure happiness! We work too much and I feel like I never get to spend time with you, babe! I cannot wait to have off on Sunday so that we can spend the day together just doing whatever we feel like! I love you honey! Dear Leo, Why do you keep messing with my Halloween decorations when daddy and I are at work? You've never touched decorations until now! And what is with you hiding your bowls in my UGG boots? How did you even get them in there? You silly boy! Dear beautiful mountains, You guys make me so happy when I see you with snow on top! What a gorgeous sight for me to see on my way home from work! I cannot wait to see you all covered in snow for the first time. It will be amazing! Dear Alaska, Jarrett and I feel a little more comfortable every day living in your wonderful state. We are so lucky and blessed to get to live here and we love it! We look forward to all of our time here and we are excited for our future here!
 
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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Is it December and Christmas yet?

I don't know about you, but I am getting warm fuzzies just thinking about Christmas and the fact that it is two and a half months away! I'm sure a lot of you just want to get through Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving first and I get that, but for many people, Christmas is what we look forward to all year long. I know I do. Maybe it's because I work at a store where Christmas is burned into your brain more than half of the year, but I seriously cannot wait for December! When I see the first commercials for ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas is when it begins for me. Once I've seen that first commercial, I am a Christmas goner.
December is a magical month in my eyes. I am now living in a state where it will actually snow in December and we will more than likely have a white Christmas. I am stoked for a white Christmas this year! I cannot wait to deck our new house out in Christmas decor and maybe buy a bigger tree this year too. I think decorating the house for the holidays is so comforting. Being surrounded by the tree and all of the decorations give me some kind of hope for the new year to come. I just feel happy and alive!
December is also the month where Jarrett and I started dating and when we got married. We celebrate two anniversaries during this month so of course it's my favorite! December is the month where we get to relive everything. The first date, first kiss, first "I love you" and "I love you too" and four years after when we committed to be together for the rest of our lives on our wedding day! This month is everything to me and I cannot wait to celebrate eight years together and four years married really soon! I love the fact that we get to celebrate our love during the most magical time of the year!

Although this Christmas will be a lot different this year, it will still be magical. It will be hard being away from our family and friends, but I know it will be a great December and Christmas after all! With 25 Days of Christmas on TV, a decked out house, beautiful Christmas tree, an attempt at cooking holiday recipes by ourselves, a cute little puppy, a handsome husband and plenty of FaceTime and Skype sessions with everyone, our holidays will be just as wonderful as if we were really home!
 
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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

By military, for military: A look into AAFMAA

Today I am spreading the word about a great website for active duty military, veterans and their families. Last week, Kara Carlson, Marketing Coordinator, contacted me from AAFMAA in hopes that I would share their story on my blog. I could not pass up this opportunity to share something so important to my fellow military families. Below is an article that Kara wrote on the Facts page of the AAFMAA website:

Secure our Military Families during Reduction in Force

In my job at AAFMAA, I get calls from friends in the military seeking guidance about what to do for their families if they are affected by the drawdown—big choices about life insurance, retirement benefits, survivor services and much, much more. Many military members across our country face choices in the days ahead that could have a permanent impact on the security of their families. The costs of poor decisions could be high and they know it.
As a blogger on the issues facing our military service members, you know that poor decisions are caused by bad information. You can help protect these men and women by informing them about their rights and their options. We at AAFMAA believe that the only way to combat uncertainty is with certainty.

I’ve assembled a few potential story lines below about the questions many will be asked and how
AAFMAA can help answer them. Any of these stories could be the difference between a secure financial future for your readers and one that is less so.

I hope you can help spread the word that members of the military do have rights and they do have a choice.

I know I speak for many when I say that if you served your country—if you put your life on the line for your country—then household budget issues like higher life insurance premiums should never stand in the way of family security. Have a look and feel free to borrow anything you like, or to contact me if you need any additional information.

Thank you.

Kara


AAFMAA offers so much to members of the Armed Forces and their families. They offer stability for families, low-cost insurance, low-cost loans, spouse services, wealth management and plenty of member benefits to their members. Below is a little introduction into each of these categories:
 
1. Stability
-AAFMAA was found in 1879 after "Custer's Last Stand"
-More than $1 billion in assets
-90,000 members
-Membership Eligibility       
-All ranks of Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force who are:
          Active Duty (or within 120 days after separation)
          Guard or Reserve (full or part time)
          USMA, USNA, USMMA, USCGA, and USAFA cadets or midshipmen
          ROTC contract/scholarship cadets
          Retirees
          Honorably Discharged Veterans residing in Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, or Virginia.
- Notable AAFMAA members include:
  • General John J. Pershing
  • George C. Marshall
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Carl A. (Tooey) Spaatz
  • Omar N. Bradley
  • William C. Westmoreland
  • Creighton W. Abrams
  • Walter T. “Dutch” Kerwin
  • Michael S. Davison
  • H. Norman Schwarzkopf
 
2. Low-cost Insurance
AAFMAA offers some of the lowest-cost insurance in the business. The details of our plans, our costs and our benefits are considerably different than anything available in the commercial marketplace

And yet, price should not be the only comparison. All insurance policies are not the same and military families have to understand what they are getting for what they pay. Many commercial plans have exclusion clauses that mean they don’t have to pay if the policyholder dies in battle, by an act of terrorism, or in an aircraft crash, for instance. Not only are AAFMAA life insurance policies less expensive than the competition, they also have no exclusion clauses. AAFMAA coverage is available up to $1,000,000 regardless of the dangers faced.
 
All AAFMAA Life Insurance Policies Include:
-Competitive rates for service members and military spouses
-Survivor Assistance Services for members’ spouses
-No war, terrorist or aviation clauses, exclusions or surcharges
-No coverage limitations based on deployment status
-Coverage available up to $1,000,000 ($800,000 term)
-Continuation after separation or retirement from the Military (as policy allows)
 
3. Low-Cost Loans
Everyone knows the feeling of being stretched a bit too thin at times. AAFMAA offers low-cost loan program known as CAP, which dishes-up as much as $4,000 in cash at just 1.5% interest to help service members get through hard times. These loans are for AAFMAA members who are on Active Duty, including Guard and Reserves in pay grades E5-E9, WO1, CW2 and 01-03. Other requirements apply.
 
4. Spousal Services
The loss of a loved one is the greatest challenge a military family will face. Dealing with these decisions would be hard enough, but to make life-long choices in a time of anguish can be overwhelming. AAFMAA Survivor Services is there with sound and caring advice and a steady hand in navigating the maze of benefits and entitlements.
Losing a loved one is never easy. AAFMAA’s Survivor Assistance Services Team helps with immediate, personal and knowledgeable assistance.
 
-Notify DFAS of the member’s passing and assist widows and widowers with all necessary forms
-Initiate the life insurance policy death claim and discuss settlement options
-Notify the Veterans Administration of the member’s passing and assist with all necessary claim forms when applicable
-Claims Initiation and continuous follow-up
SpouseLink.org by AAFMAA
6. SpouseLink.org
The military is more than a collection of individuals. When they serve, their families serve, too. Only AAFMAA offers SpouseLink.org, an invaluable online tool connecting and strengthening the broad network of military spouses who hold these families together. For advice, the latest news from the military community or just a sympathetic ear, SpouseLink.org is the place for military spouses.
 
7. Member Benefits
As one of the AAFMAA family, you have access to a range of services to help you through every stage of life—in the military and beyond. Our Member Services Team offers expert guidance on military benefits and entitlements. Our Survivor Assistance Services Team offers compassionate and caring assistance in difficult times from the moment of death notification through the surviving spouse’s entire life.
  • Digital & Physical Vault Document Storage
  • VA Disability Claims Coordination
  • Military Benefits Analysis and Transitions Readiness Assessment
8. Wealth Management
For over 134 years, AAFMAA has had the best interests of its members at heart. Our Wealth Management experts work closely with you to develop and implement a plan appropriate for your—and your family’s— specific financial situation and goals.
Financial Planning:
Buying a home. Saving for college. Retirement planning. We all have financial goals we want to achieve. From financial road maps and cash flow analysis to retirement and estate planning, we can help you plan for a secure future
Investment Management:
Managing and growing your hard-earned money is key to a secure future. Our experts help determine your optimum investment strategy, define and manage a portfolio customized for your goal
Trust Services:
A well drawn trust manages and distributes assets on behalf of its beneficiaries. As your trustee, AAFMAA Wealth Management and Trust works to ensure that your wishes are carried out.

- See more at: http://www.aafmaafacts.com/#Introduction

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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

You're an Overcomer

The song "Overcomer" by Mandisa has definitely been my life line since getting to Alaska. I have dealt with so much over the past few years and God has been with me every step of the way helping me to become an overcomer. I've mentioned previously before that I have been trying to obtain a career for a while now. I've been out of college for three years and because of the economy, my fears, my mistakes and the military life all rolled into one, I haven't started a career yet, until now that is. I really think Alaska is a place of dreams because my dreams are coming true one after the other.

So, after interviewing with Alaska USA Federal Credit Union three times, I was offered a position with their company as a Member Service Representative at the branch right by base. I am so excited to be working for a very reputable company where I will be making a decent salary, be able to have many advancement opportunities in the near future, really good benefits and paid time off so I can have visitors and be able to fly home for visits. This is basically everything that I have been looking for in a full time position! I might still be working part time at Hallmark just because I love the store and I love my discount, but I am still trying to decide if I want to or not. Having a little extra money would be pretty awesome, but we will see. This job just offers so many opportunities for me in the future. There are a lot of things that Jarrett and I want to do and accomplish and this just puts the icing on the cake for those things to get accomplished!
In the midst of feeling like an overcomer, my favorite radio station K-Love is doing their Fall pledge drive to keep their station on air. I have pledged in the past, but it has been many years since I have done so. Today I decided to pledge $20 a month and have it taken out of my account every month. The pledge drive started on October 1st and ever since it started I have been pondering pledging monthly ever since it started. In the past I have just pledged a one time $20 gift, but today, I felt so compelled to do more and do a monthly gift instead!

Today was my day off from the store so I decided to do some Fall clothes shopping. As I was on my way to Kohl's, Mandisa's Overcomer came on the radio and I just lost it in the car. K-Love is using this song as their motivation for the Pledge drive, so I hear it on the radio almost every day, but today was different. I cried and prayed at the same time. I don't know about you, but I sometimes pray in the car! Being in the car by myself gives me private time with God so sometimes I just let it all out. Listening to that song just made me so emotional. I had a moment of feeling overwhelmed by God's blessings! I prayed and thanked God for everything that he has done for me over these past couple months! God has sent a flood of blessings to my family and I could not be more grateful to him! While I was sitting in the Kohl's parking lot, I decided then and there to call and do my pledge to K-Love! I talked to an awesome gentleman on the phone and gave my monthly pledge. God was calling me to give. I am only comfortable giving $20 a month for now, but I hope to raise my pledge to $40 a month soon. I know we are supposed to give until it hurts and I want to eventually give more each month! I urge you all to give too. It is the best radio station and I could not live without it every day.
I also urge you to listen to Overcomer. We all have obstacles to overcome and if we just hold tight and fix our eyes on him, we can overcome anything! There is nothing that we cannot do and there is nothing too big for God!
 
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Friday, October 4, 2013

Friday Five: Leo Edition

Yesterday was my day off and I got some really good pictures of Leo. I decided to do a Friday Five all about him just because he is so darn cute and I love him! So without further ado, I give you five sides of Leo!

1. Hard to get up in the morning Leo. Lately, Leo has been the hardest thing to get out of bed in the morning. I mean, it's hard enough for Jarrett and I to get up and then we have to deal with Leo being all cuddly and cute in the bed. How am I supposed to get out of bed with him crawling over to me and laying on my chest? It's basically impossible. I literally lay there for fifteen more minutes every morning until I finally decided to force myself away from all the cuteness! Madness I tell you!
2. Sleeping on mommy Leo. Nothing makes me happier then taking an afternoon nap and waking up to this sweet little smiling boy also napping in my lap. Look at that face! I absolutely love when he smiles in his sleep. Melts my heart. There is nothing like a sleeping smiling puppy. Well, I will say that for now until it is a sleeping smiling baby I am looking at instead of a puppy!
3. Laying by the window Leo. I am so glad we have a window in our living room because my mom has one and Leo use to lay on the top of her couch in front of it all the time. I swore then that we would have a window of our own one day so that he could lay in front of it in his own home. Dogs and cats love to lay where it is light so a window with the sun coming in is perfect for them to really feel at home. Sometimes he will even rest his neck on the window seal and just look out the window then he'll fall asleep! Precious!
4. Stretched all the way out Leo. Leo loves to do his morning stretches. He is so freaking long. He looks like a real hot dog when he stretches all the way out. Sometimes he'll just stretch and then be done with it, and then sometimes he'll stretch and lay his head on the ground like in the picture below. Why is he so cute? I mean, seriously, I can hardly deal with how cute he is sometimes!
5. I made a mess then got tired Leo. Yes, this happened during my day off. He tore up his bed then decided to stop and take a little breather in the bed he was tearing up. That is just how he does things. He'll do something bad and then lay down and take a nap to avoid getting in trouble. He'll lay down and be all cuddly and cute and then I'm done for. I can't be mad at him for destroying his bed when he looks this sweet!
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Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Traveling with a pet 101

When we first got our orders to Alaska I had a million thoughts running through my head and most of them were about Leo and how he would deal with the long move and transition. Like literally my mothering instincts kicked in with how would our little puppy deal with moving so far away. I know I am not a "mom" yet, but I am a fur mommy and Leo really makes me feel like a real mom especially during the move and even now living here. Today I want to talk about traveling a long way with a pet and share my advice about my experience with traveling 4,000 miles with our little guy!
1. Use Dramamine and calming pills for car sickness. As I've said before, Leo gets car sick a lot. He has ever since we brought him home. Our vet recently told us to try Dramamine tablets to use on our trips to Maryland. They actually worked pretty well for him for except he would still whine from time to time. We then found calming pills for animals on long car rides. Our vet said we could try those with the Dramamine tablets to see if they would keep him calmer. I hated having to give him pills on the trip, but they both really did their job. Leo barely whined at all the whole way. He would either sleep or lay there and play with his toys. Perfect little angel. I would however talk to your vet before trying any of these techniques. Every dog and animal has a different body and you do not want to give your dog any over the counter medication without consulting your vet first.
 
2. Use a pet seat belt if necessary. If you have a dog that likes to climb in your lap when you drive, you might want to try a pet seat belt. Ours worked wonders for us! We use to crate Leo in the car, but it enforced his car sickness so we stopped using the crate on small drives and our trips to Maryland. We then use to just let him roam free in our laps, but then he always wanted to get in Jarrett's lap while he was driving and no matter how many times I pulled him off of Jarrett's lap he would still try to climb over to him. Hence the seat belt. We bought it, tried it and loved it. We took our F-150 truck on the trip so we were able to have Leo in the middle of us with the seat belt on. The seat belt kept Leo in place while being comfortable at the same time. He didn't fight it or try to get out of it. He basically just laid down and went to sleep.

3. Make your dog comfortable. I don't know about your dog or pet, but Leo gets a little whiny in the car sometimes because he is so stressed out thinking that he is going to the vet or that we are leaving him. This trip, we made sure to make him as comfortable as possible so that he was not as stressed as usual. We brought his favorite blanket and wrapped him up in it and gave him a couple of his favorite toys to keep him a little busy. These favorite items really kept him happy and comfortable the whole way. With his favorite items, his seat belt and a little medicine to help with sickness, he was wonderful on the trip! 
 
4. Check to see if your dog is allergic to anything. This has become a huge deal for us. Before we moved, we bought some extra food, treats and more supplies to have just in case. We also bought silicone travel bowls thinking that they would be easier for Leo to eat and drink out of. Well, although they were much easier for him to use and for us to store in his travel bag, they were the worst thing for him. We found at later on that Leo's lip sore was caused by an allergic reaction from the silicone bowls. The sore progressed over the trip and we didn't even notice it until we got to Alaska. We didn't think much of it and continued to use the travel bowls in our new house because they had good suction to the kitchen floor and he could not spill them over. The sore got worse. After three vet visits for his lip, the last vet mentioned the bowls and that we should return him to his normal metal bowls. We changed his bowls and got rid of the silicone ones. His lip has gotten so much better since then. His lip is just about back to normal again! Thank Goodness!

5. Try to make stops every two hours. Obviously we had to make a lot of stops on this crazy long drive. We decided to stop every two hours not only for us to take a breather, get a snack and go to the bathroom, but for Leo to do the same thing. We wanted him to have plenty of potty breaks and plenty of time to walk around and get some exercise. We felt so bad having to have him all couped up in the truck, but he didn't seem to mind. Depending on how long your trip is, you can stop at different times that work better for you. If you need to stop with your pet every hour then definitely do it. We still made really good time with all of our stops and even with the day that we took off. You have to do what is best for you and your pet to make the drive more comfortable for everyone.
 
6. If traveling through another country make sure you have all of your documents. Make sure you plan a visit to your vet within a month of driving through another country. You must make sure your pet is up to date on all their shots and that they are cleared to cross into another country whether you are just passing through, taking a vacation there or actually moving to another country. You must have a pet health certificate clearing them for the drive and also all of their medical records. I also recommend crating them while going through customs just so they are not a distraction to the driver while speaking with the customs officer. We had no issues getting Leo through Canada and I am glad we were prepared.

I hope my experiences have helped and prepared you for traveling if you plan to travel with a pet soon. These are just my experiences and I'm sure we all have our ways of preparing our animals for a long trip. At the end of the day, you always want to consult your vet before going on a long trip. Get as many tips from them as you can. Eventually they get to know your pet just as well as you do, so they know what is best for them.

What kinds of pets have you traveled with before?
What are some of yout pet experiences in the car?
Does anyone else have pets that have had allergic reactions to silicone?
 
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Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Weekend stuff

This weekend was such a quick one probably because I worked all weekend! Saturday I worked until five and then I came home to yummy cheeseburgers made by the hubby. I wasn't feeling too well so I did not want to eat a huge dinner. A cheeseburger and some coke actually made my stomach feel better. I thought I might be coming down with something, but I seem to be fine now. Now if my throat starts hurting then I will definitely assume I'm getting sick. I know I'm going to get sick soon because Jarrett has been sick and some of the girls at work have been sick. Plus we just moved to a much colder state, so yeah, I will get sick soon!
Saturday night after dinner we just laid on the couch and watched the movie Shrek! We looooove that movie! When Jarrett and I snuggle on the couch, Leo always has to climb all over us! He did his climbing and then laid his head on my cheek and fell asleep! My goodness he is the sweetest thing when he sleeps! Especially when he's asleep with his head on my cheek! Love it!
I love how Jarrett and I are home bodies for the most part. I mean we love to go out to dinner, go shopping and find new fun things to do, but sometimes the best times with my husband are when we are lying on the couch watching a movie and holding each other. Ever since we got to Alaska we have been so crazy busy and I sometimes work the opposite shift as Jarrett, so we haven't gotten much time together lately! Any time that we have together at home to just be together is perfect for me!
Sunday I worked until six and then Jarrett and I got take out from Olive Garden for dinner. We ended up getting the out from there one night when it was taking ten thousand forevers for us to get seated and we were starving! Their take out is so cool! They give you your entree in a really cool container, each person gets their own huge container of salad along with croutons, dressing and parmesan cheese and they give you plenty of bread sticks and a couple of the little mints! Perfect! The Olive Garden is right outside the gate that is right up the street from our house so it is perfect to just call in my order and run up there real quick to bring it home to my hungry husband!
All in all it was a good quick weekend! Hopefully this week will be a good week and even though I have to work this whole weekend too, it will be a great weekend again!

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