The Wedding Registry & the Ruff Life

It’s official, I started our wedding registry over the weekend. Chris was with his buddies visiting Ann Arbor, MI and Windsor, ON so my mom went with me to begin the registry adventure. We started at Kohl’s where it not only took forever but was incredibly frustrating trying to type all my information into the kiosk. Apparently they have a new system in place and the kinks haven’t quite been worked out yet. But we finally finished the setup and then it was time to start scanning. It took maybe an hour to get go through the store and pick my items but after beginning that whole process mom and I were hungry so we headed over to Panera.

Once we had a break and full bellies, we made our way to our second destination: Bed, Bath & Beyond. We met with the manager of bridal registries and she told me between both registries my items should total double the number of guests invited to the wedding. WHAT?! She explained that we want to have a variety of items at different price points. Sure, I can understand that, but putting over 500 items on the registry was just unimaginable to me. Still, we jumped on in with the scanner and although it was a little overwhelming at first, it was fun checking out the little things I never took the time to notice. My biggest concern was having enough items at reasonable price points but only registering for things we will actually use. Both Kohl’s and BBB had guide books to help narrow down things we might need in each category. But since I’ve lived on my own for several years now, there are many things I already have. Instead of registering for all new things or just scanning things that looked fun, I decided to it would be okay to have items at higher points that we really need and would use and hope people will go in on gifts together to keep the cost per person down. All in all it was a really fun experience.

 

The kids were all napping when I got home and I hated to disturb their beauty rest but Ares and Chaos were in need of baths. Chaos has come to love bath time because he knows there will be treats. He runs right into the hallway bathroom and waits next to the tub while I get the towels and the water running. He jumps in as soon as I ask and stands patiently while I spray and suds him up. He is also helpful with lifting his paws for me and turning so I can make sure to get him all lathered and rinsed. Chaos even knows to jump out onto the towel on the floor in front of the tub when he’s done so I can dry him off.

Ares on the other hand, HATES bath time. He knows when I come back to the living room that it’s his turn and he tries to run and hide. When I got him blocked in he resorted to attempting to shimmy underneath the coffee table. He made it eyeball deep before I scooped him up and carried him to the dreaded bathtub, snorting at me the whole way. Fortunately he didn’t try too hard to escape once the bath began but he did proceed to shake off several times, spraying me and Chaos (who was sitting next to me outside the tub) in the process. Can you tell baths are one of his least favorite things?

 

After baths Ares loves to fly around the place, I guess in attempt to dry himself off. This usually prompts a play session with all the furbabies, although Piper is always less than enthused by it. She perched herself on a barstool and growled her discontentment every so often just to let everyone know she wasn’t pleased. But once the boys burnt off some energy it was doggie snuggle time on the beds and rotating kitty cuddles with mommy on the couch. Chris came home Sunday afternoon and I think Piper was the happiest of all to see him, in her own very divalicious way. She quickly claimed her spot on his lap when he settled onto the couch and, as you can see, was rather possessive of her daddy the rest of the evening. 

Anyone else have an interesting weekend?

What to Wear While Walking Your Dogs: Winter Edition Part II

This past year has really been the first that I’ve consistently walked outside through the winter. Before I had dogs I had no reason to bundle up against the cold and trudge through snow and ice to exercise. The gym is now a distant memory but not only have I gotten used to spending an hour outside in the elements every day, I’ve come to enjoy it.

Getting out to walk is really important for our dogs because they don’t have a backyard to release all that energy from laying around inside. Exercise is important for physical health and mental stimulation and it’s also a great time to appreciate your surroundings and bond with your buddy. There really is nothing like the quiet stillness of walking by snow covered trees and feeling the icy cold air turning my nose pink with the dogs trotting along beside me.

A portion of our 3.5 mile walking loop follows a busy road where people we know often see us and honk or wave. I can’t count the times I received texts last winter telling me I was crazy for walking my dogs in single digit temperatures and climbing over snow piles. Sometimes I thought I was crazy too. But our walking routine can’t just stop because winter arrives. Around here it gets cold and we get snow and that’s just the way it is until late Spring.

Obviously we try to take the best care of Ares and Chaos so safety is a priority for them and for us. We’ve cleared it with our vet that the dogs can be outside for their 45min -1 hr long daily walks down to 0 degrees, assuming they have the proper protection. Dogs can get frost bite just like humans so when the polar vortex rolled through we played it safe and stayed inside. If snow blows in we still walk as long as visibility isn’t obscured because the pups have waterproof, fleece lined coats. We take the necessary precautions to make sure our short haired dogs are dressed appropriately and we are too.

I posted about the layers I pile on for winter walks earlier in the year, but as the temperatures have dipped back down this season, I’m going to reshare what still works and a couple updates I’ve made. I’m all about looking cute and trying trends, but when it comes to braving the elements, practicality rules. This girl gets really cold really easily and turning blue is not my best look. I have found, though, that I don’t necessarily have to sacrifice one for the other.

I recently discovered Cuddl Duds clothing and their Fleecewear with Stretch Leggings may be one of the best gifts of my life. These suckers are the real deal, completely fleece inside and out. It’s like wearing a blanket tightly wrapped around your legs when you put them on. I have a black pair and a gray pair and I could honestly have one for every day of the week. It’s pretty awesome that leggings are in style because they are so easy and comfortable. But their practical purpose is that they keep the lower half of my body toasty even below freezing. Boots pull right over the top and with some warm socks, you’re good to go. Shipping is always free on the website and the brand is now sold in Kohl’s department stores. At $28.00 a pair they are worth every single penny.

Keeping your core warm is important to keep your blood pumping and circulation up but it’s easy for layers to get bulky fast. While dressing like Randy from A Christmas Story might keep me warm, it’s not going to do me any good while walking my dogs. I need range of motion to maneuver around ice and up snow banks. And as I’ve told you guys before, I’m less than graceful in general so adding ice and snow doesn’t always bode well for me. If I start to slip I usually can right myself after a grand scene of flailing limbs, but if I can’t move them, I’ll go down every time. That’s why thermals, fleece and Columbia Omni-heat are awesome for staying warm without pulling a Randy.

I continue to wear thermal tops from Old Navy and Target because they are inexpensive, practical and cute. Not only do I wear them as my first layer of dog walking attire, I sleep in them, run errands in them and stick them under a vest or jacket and I can be stylish and comfortable. Winning all around.

Last year I purchased a fleece jacket from Old Navy and wore it as my second layer over a thermal when temperatures dipped below freezing. But I wore it so much the zipper broke. I still wear it around the house but it’s not as effective at keeping me warm without the zipper so this year I found a similar jacket in white at Target for $15. Steal!

My final layer varies depending on how cold is it. Another recent online discovery is Marleylilly.com. If you are like me and go crazy over monogrammed items, get your butt over there now to check it out. Since my monogram will change after Chris and I are married next year and my mom generously gifted me 2 new vests from the site, I’m rocking my new monogram early. Throughout the fall I’ve been wearing both my gray fleece vest and my brown puffer vest, sometimes just over a thermal and sometimes as a third layer over the fleece jacket. Since vests are very on trend right now it’s perfect that they are also very cozy!

My Columbia Omni-heat coat is my not so secret weapon for fighting off the winter days that are just biting cold. And at least if you ask me, we have a lot of those, especially when you consider the wind whipping through these KY hills. A Christmas present from my parents last year, I still can’t over how it’s so thin but so warm. The swishy outer material is water proof and the inside, which looks like something from Xenon: Girl of the 21^st Century to me, works to trap my own body heat and use it to keep me warm. Genius.

I’m still wearing my awesome fleece hat I found at baby Gap 2 years ago and my infinity scarf and glittens that were also Christmas presents from last year. I’m not really concerned with who will see me or what they will think when I’m out walking my dogs, but it is fun to feel cute in my bright colored coat and hat with my leggings and boots. I guess it’s just lucky that clothes designed to be warm are very in right now. Yay!

I just broke out the dogs’ winter gear this past weekend since they are a little tougher than I am. So far it’s only been either a coat or a hoodie, but soon they will need to layer up too. We still love our Zack & Zoey’s hoodies and alternating between our RuffWear coats and Boutique coats. I find it so funny that the boys love wearing their snoods and readily stick their heads through when I hold open the hole. Apparently my dogs also take pride in looking fashionable whenever possible. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Happy Birthday Chaos: Our Pittie Turns 2

I now longer have any puppies in my house. That sounds weird to say because I’ve had puppies in my house for nearly the past 2 years. But November 12^th was Chaos’s 2^nd birthday and since Ares turned 2 in July, there are officially 2 big boys in the house.

 

Since Chaos’s birthday was in the middle of the week and Chris and I work opposite shifts we decided to wait to celebrate until the weekend. Of course we acknowledged his birthday on Wednesday but the little party didn’t happen until Sunday when we were all together. I don’t know what it is about 2^nd birthdays but just like Ares began his birthday celebration this year, he vomited first thing in the morning. Good thing it didn’t seem to faze the birthday boy, who somehow knew Sunday was something special because he was wiggling all over the place with excitement.

I made tea and cookies for breakfast for the humans, which was shockingly healthy. Anytime you can have cookies for breakfast AND not feel guilty is a win in my book. Next up were apple pumpkin pupcakes I sort of made up the recipe for. I’m always taking different recipes and mashing them together, adding, replacing or taking out things to make them to our liking. It’s fall so apples and pumpkins seemed appropriate and Chaos loves them both. These really are more like cookies than muffins but I felt a pupcake was better suited for a birthday celebration than cookies. Add a little nonfat plain yogurt and top and you’ve got a dog friendly cupcake that both my dogs gave 2 paws up. 

After Chaos devoured his pupcakes he was ready for his present. We gave Ares a sleeping bag for his birthday but while Ares loves the silky fabric and getting all snuggled in his cocoon, Chaos would rather lay on top on something than underneath it. So we got a super soft Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle blanket that was very enthusiastic about. I couldn’t even get the packaging off before he was trying to get it out of my hands. Needless to say, his present was a good choice and he laid on it most of the rest of the day.

The birthday boy was very content to spend his Sunday lounging around, getting lots of attention and staying warm inside. Of course I had someone mention that Ares got to go get ice cream for his birthday and wondered how it was fair that Chaos didn’t get his own outing. It’s a good argument, but while Chaos does love getting to go places with us, he’s not a fan of the cold. Yesterday in NKY was pretty chilly, windy and cloudy and our 2 year old Pittie wanted nothing to do with going outside, even if it was just to potty. He was plenty happy snuggled on his bed with his new blanket, his brother and mommy or daddy throughout the day. Oh and chowing down on more pupcakes.

 

It’s not always easy having a Pit Bull. There will always be people with the stereotypical image in their minds, those who will make rude comments or defend their ignorance by stating “facts” from the media. As Chaos’s mommy, the sting will always be there because I know what a sweet boy he is and I have the privilege of spending time with him every day. But having him is a constant reminder not to judge anyone, human or animal, by one set of beliefs. Chaos may be the most sensitive creature I have ever known and he shows this all the time, in ways that continue to amaze us. If Ares is upset, Chaos becomes concerned and upset as well. He reads tone of voice and inflection exceedingly well and understands unspoken emotions. He is silly and sweet at the same time and never fails to get me to giggle when flops himself dramatically in my lap if I sit on the floor and pat my legs. This dog has been in my life less than 2 years but I can’t imagine how I lived without him. Happy Birthday, Chaos. Your age makes you an adult dog now but you’ll always be a wrinkly faced, rat tailed puppy to me.

Wedding Diaries, Training Diaries: Divide and Conquer

Okay so I know posts have been few and far between lately and I do apologize for that. I know I said I would be working on my new website but I have to be honest, I really haven’t gotten much done on that front. Life has kind of gotten in the way. Of course there are the day to day activities like dog walking, cooking, cleaning and working out that take up a lot of my not-at-work time, but it’s really been the extra stuff stealing away much of the rest of the down time.

Chris and I recently had our engagement pictures taken, which was a little hectic in itself, but also really fun. I just received the pictures, which I’m very happy with, but that means it’s time to get busy on save the date cards. If any of you married or soon to be hitched people are familiar with The Knot, you probably know they offer you a free wedding website just for signing up. It’s very basic and user friendly and I thought, what a fantastic idea! It sounded like a great way to get all the information on our wedding we want our guests to know plus much more fun stuff all in one place AND free of charge. Well, don’t get me wrong, it is an awesome concept, but you pay with your time. Once I got started I quickly realized how much thought and effort were going to go into making the website exactly the way I wanted it. The plan is to list the web address of our site on the save the date cards so people can start checking it all out. But that means it has to be finished before the cards go out. So I’ve been working on that a lot lately adding, rearranging and editing. I definitely recommend it for any brides to be though.

The other wedding planning time sucker is planning our registry. It seems really overwhelming at first because it’s like, where do I start? Luckily I have some great friends who have recently been in my position and have offered some advice. I’ve also utilized some checklists from magazines and of course, Pinterest, to see what people normally register for and then tailored the list to what we actually would use. The last thing I want is to just go scan crazy on a bunch of things that will just sit collecting dust that our family and friends wasted their money on. My dad has been most helpful in sourcing out specific products so I’m not stuck guessing which blender to register for. But even with help, this is taking up time otherwise spent blogging.

So, why isn’t Chris helping with this stuff you ask? It’s his wedding too, right? Well, honestly, I don’t really want his help in these departments. He has given me free reign over just about all of the wedding planning and I’m more than okay with that. Sure it means more work for me but I’ve got help whenever I need it from my family and friends. And it’s mostly really exciting! Sure, wedding planning does have some stressfulness to it because there is so much to do and the time really does fly, but hello, I’m getting MARRIED! This is only going to happen once so I’m trying to enjoy it as much as possible. But back to Chris, he’s been using his talents in a completely different way from wedding planning.

I am proud to announce that Chris is now a certified dog trainer. He received his certificate last month and his first order of business is whipping our boys into shape before the holidays. Let me first say that we don’t think our dogs are actually bad or don’t have any manners. On the contrary most people comment that they are very good boys. However, they tend to get very excited going places or when people come to visit and all their polite behavior flies out the window until we can rally them back to listening to us. Chris has been spending a couple hours each day teaching them to be calmer and always respond to commands, no matter what. We realize that Ares is a high energy, wild Boston Terrier and Chaos is a Pit Bull who wants nothing more than to glue himself to people and we don’t want to change that. All we want is for them to cool the jets when something gets exciting instead of turning into jumping beans. Because Chris and I are on opposite schedules he works with the boys in the morning and I take the evening. But I spend a lot less time with it than he does, ya know, because of all the other stuff. I don’t know if boot camp is exactly the right term for it, but the boys are definitely in serious training mode until the end of the year so stay tuned on their progress!

Maybe you’re thinking oh boo hoo you’re busy planning a wedding and dog training, you don’t have problems. I know, I know, we’re all busy. I’m not trying to excuse myself or complain I just want y’all to understand that this is a busy, albeit, exciting time for me and I’m doing my best to keep posting when I can. I also wanted to share that although the furbabies are a giant part of my life, and the sole reason I started this blog, there are other aspects of myself that I rarely mention. I’d like to try and broaden my audience so I think future posts will start including more on fashion and healthy living, 2 things that are also big in my life (have you seen my Pinterest page? haha). So thank you for your continued support and I hope you stick with me because more fun stuff is on the way!