with the fall breeze in the air, leaves changing and pumpkin spice in our coffee, i thought it would be the perfect time to bring out one of my favorite fall flavored cocktails, spiked apple cider!
this cocktail will bring out the magic of the season and be a hit among family and friends! the best part– it’s so easy to make!
combine all ingredients and shake vigorously. garnish with cinnamon stick and/or an apple slice, serve and enjoy
i’ll be escaping for a little catskills cabin getaway with some close friends for my birthday weekend and can’t wait to make a large batch of this cider for everyone to enjoy! you can spice up the recipe by warming the cider up, and adding all the ingredients, plus a few cinnamon sticks and apple slices to not only taste amazing, but to also make your home smell like an absolute fall paradise! adding a personal twist to a fun recipe is always one of my favorite things to do! i’ll definitely be using this recipe on its’ own and as a base recipe to explore my mixology skills!
i’m sharing everything you need to know to properly prepare for a new puppy or dog to join your family.
i feel like i’ve been preparing to get a dog my whole life. so naturally, when my moment came, i started researching like crazy. i started researching the things i already knew, you know just fact checking myself, then started researching questions that popped up as i was researching the first things. i took tons of notes and read everything i could find because i wanted to make sure that i was giving our new puppy the best life i could.
we found moose from a breeder, and he was actually already claimed by a family. but i still called and spoke with the family raising him and asked if any of the families that had decided to get a pup couldn’t, to call me immediately and i would swoop in to give them a home. and two days later, she called. a family decided they weren’t ready to bring on a puppy and that’s where david and i came in.
each person was able to pick out their dog via photo and video. so moose, formerly named flipper because of his one white paw, was already claimed as ours. but as i walked up to the playpen where all the puppies were playing, little flipper ran right towards me. he was easy to spot because of his “flipper”. and that moment made everything truly feel like fate. moose was meant to be a part of our family.
getting ready for moose to come home was a little bit stressful, especially considering all storefronts are closed due to covid-19. so we had to rely on getting everything we needed from our local grocery store or online. i only had about a week and a half from the time i got the call letting us know we were getting a puppy to actually bringing moose home. so i ordered everything i could as fast as i could and stayed up most nights researching how to make moose as comfortable and happy in our home as i could.
here’s everything i did to prepare:
things to ask the breeder/foster family/etc…
what is the dogs current schedule?
ask about feeding time, nap time and how often they are taken to potty.
what is the dog currently being fed?
make sure to take home about a weeks worth of whatever food they were feeding the dog. if you choose to feed the dog a different brand, be sure to slowly wean the dog off by mixing the old food with the new food to prevent an upset stomach. we started with 50% new food and 50% old food and slowly decreased the old food. luckily we had no stomach issues.
what time and how much is the dog being fed?
find what their feeding schedule was like so once you bring your new pup or dog home, they won’t have major changes. you don’t have to stick to their original schedule, but you can slowly transition to what works best for you.
what vaccines has the dog had?
make sure to collect all medical data available.
shopping checklist
dog bed
kennel/play gate
collar
leash
harness
dog tag
food bowls
we will be switching these out for rised food bowls once moose is big enough.
food
toys
be sure to choose different textures, shapes and materials.
treats
we started with variety pack to make sure we knew which flavors moose liked best. turns out, he is not a picky snacker!
brush
towels
we made sure to choose a different color than the ones we already have so they will always be easy to find.
puppy pee pads
we did not train with these but brought them along on the car ride just incase.
dog blanket
read below for how we used this to comfort moose.
dog shampoo
cleaning products
***i chose not to splurge on items like collars, harness, etc knowing that moose will grow out of them quickly.
what to do on pick up day
i was so worried that moose was going to be scared and sad when we picked up him so i took a couple extra steps to try and ease the process. i had david and i both lay with moose’s new blanket the night before. on the day we met him i brought his blanket and a cloth material toy with us (his lamb chop).
upon arrival i greeted moose’s mother, the sweetest golden retriever and briefly spoke with the breeder. then, i let moose’s mother and all of his siblings play, lay on and tug the lamb chop and blanket while i finished asking the breeder my questions above.
after about 10-15 of play, and after rubbing the blanket on moose’s moms coat, we picked up the toy, blanket and moose and headed home.
i sat in the passenger seat and laid the blanket on my lap and had moose lay on top the whole car ride home. we stopped every 1.5-2 hours to let moose go potty (he immediately did at both stops) and rode home like the little champ he is!
letting the other dogs play with the toys and blanket allowed for us to bring their scent both in the car and home. dogs have a very strong sense of smell, and i wanted to provide comfort and familiarity to moose on what could be a very scary day for the little guy. moose still LOVES his blanket and his lamb chop is his favorite toy of all.
hopefully these tips and shopping list have you feeling more prepare and ready to welcome a new little puppy or dog into your life!
tons of stores are having black friday kind of sales! rounding up all my favorite sales and deals below. just click on anything in pink to take you directly to that store to shop!
shop red dress: tons of new spring arrivals including in stock tie dye pieces!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pantene. All opinions are 100% mine.
the more i can minimize hair wash days, the happier i am. don’t get me wrong, i am actually one of the few that love hair wash days. it’s like my own personal spa day! but, the amount of time it takes to wash and style my hair just does not fit into my busy everyday schedule. and if i had to do it every other day, i don’t think my current relationship with hair wash days would be quite the same.
i’ve tried more products than i can name and have finally found what works best for my hair, what helps keep my hair clean and what adds moisture back into the ends.
i recently started using the Pantene Cheat Day Dry Shampoo Foam to help absorb dirt and oil from my hair which allows me to have clean hair longer. the dry shampoo has pro-vitamin B5 and wild mint, giving my hair a fresh start without having to wash it. both are also sulfate and paraben free!
my favorite part of the Pantene Cheat Day Dry Shampoo Foam is that my hair actually feels and smells clean after using it. i’ve tried other brands in the past that would give a clean look, but leave my hair feeling sticky or heavy. even worse, i’ve tried a couple brands that made my hair feel even dirtier than it was before adding in product. so i guess you can call me a dry shampoo snob, because i’ll shamelessly admit that i set my standards high! make sure to spray the dry shampoo onto your fingertips, and rub into your scalp and then brush it out.
i couple the dry shampoo with the Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist. adding in a dry conditioner is a step that i skipped for far too long. my ends tend to get dry quickly and using the dry conditioner helps my hair to soak up some much-needed nourishment. it also helps my naturally frizz-pone hair to stay manageable and tamed since it offers 24-hour frizz protection! make sure you focus the product on the ends of your hair.
using the Pantene Waterless Collection i typically can keep my hair looking fresh and clean for about 5 days. sometimes even longer!
scroll below to see how i style my hair and keeping it looking clean and fresh for 5+ days!
day 1: wash day
because i have naturally curly hair, i let my hair air dry until it is damp, then blow dry with a round brush. i then straighten and add curls back in.
on day 1 i try to add minimal products to keep my hair as clean as possible. this is a big help in my hair lasting for 5+ days without having to wash it.
if you have curly hair as well, you can also try out the Pantene Curl Affair Curl Reshaping Cream to instantly boost your curls back to shape. it provides anti-frizz hydration that works to block humidity, so curls stay smooth all day long. it’s infused with argan oil, amino acids, omega-9, pro-vitamin B5 and is free from alcohol, parabens and sulfates.
day 2: repeat day 1 style
on day 2 i touch up any curls from day 1 but add very minimal heat to reduce any damage to my hair. i protect my hair style overnight tying it up in a very loose bun using silk hair ties. i also use a silk pillowcase to help reduce frizz and damage.
day 3: half up half down
on day 3 i change up my hairstyle and usually opt for a half up half down look. the hair on the crown of my head is usually the first part to get greasy. the half up half down style helps me hide any greasy areas as well as helps me keep my hands from touching my hair, which could add in extra unnecessary grease.
on the evening of day 3 i add the Pantene Cheat Day Dry Shampoo Foam to my fingers then work it through my roots, section by section. once completed, i tie my hair up in a loose bun and head to bed.
day 4: flip the part
on day 4 i wake up and switch my part from the middle to the side. the product that i put in my hair overnight helps add volume to my side part and gives a sneaky illusion of clean, cheat day hair. there are days where my side part is loud and proud
and days where it could use a little help. on the latter, i add a quick and loose side braid to help my hair look fresh. because my hair is naturally on the drier side, this is also when i add Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist to add a little life back to my ends. i start spraying from about halfway down to help hydrate and de-frizz my hair.
day 5: power pony
on day 5 i choose to #banthebun by pulling my hair into a power pony. i like having the front pieces left out to frame my face. this does mean they need to stay looking and feeling clean to accomplish the look. this is where i cheat hair wash day one more time and add in Pantene Never Tell Dry Shampoo Spray . specifically, the front roots to help my hair last one more day before washing. if needed, i will round brush and quickly blow dry (about 10-15 seconds) the front pieces. the last step before being ready for the day is to add a little Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist to the ends of my ponytail for a shiny look. i’ll work the spray through my pony with my fingers and be ready to go!
and there you have it! my 5-day hair routine to keep clean, styled hair going without having wash it in between.
be sure to check out the other products from the new pantene waterless collection here!
the holiday season always brings such a beautiful sense of cheer, kindness and joy. with an open heart and an open mind, this joy becomes contagious and spreads throughout.
this holiday season, i’m partnering with Frost Bank to help spread the contagious joy and kindness that is inevitable with the season. the season does also bring the stress of gift giving, travel and planning so i wanted to partake in random acts of kindness to brighten people’s days, whether they were bright already, or needed a little extra light.
