She is a cutie! My dog was previously eating Merrick and loved it. He has new dietary restrictions, so we had to switch from Merrick to something more bland.
Also, another vote for Chewy, I've been getting my dog food there for years. We found out that my dog's diet had to change days after I placed a large order of Merrick products. Customer service refunded me the money and asked that I donate the food to a shelter/rescue.
I'm not too active on this board, but I wanted to reply. My dad is going on 7 years of being in remission from Diffused Large B-Cell Lymphoma. He was treated in our hometown of Houston at MD Anderson. He went through multiple rounds of chemo and received a stem cell transplant (he was his own donor) and thankfully been in remission ever since.
My best advice to you is to take things day by day. Your sister's main focused is on her health, so a great way for you to be involved is to go to appointments with her and take notes (if she will let you), buy groceries, maybe learn to make healthier meals. With my dad I immersed myself in finding ways to be a part of his treatment, it gave me a sense of purpose as a caregiver and allowed my dad to focus on getting healthy. Once you know her exact diagnosis, search Facebook to see if you can find any groups. I found one geared towards Lymphoma/Stem Cell patients/caregivers/survivors and got a lot of amazing tips and support.
Lots of prayers being sent to your sister and family <3
Nick looked MISERABLE!! He wasn't even trying to fake it on After the Final Rose. My sister sent me a clip of their interview on GMA and he looked just as sad and depressed about his engagement. Honestly, I think he got a taste of the "celebrity" single life and he wants to live that up. I doubt they'll last through this season of DWTS.
I absolutely agree that Rachel was supposed to be a distraction from this awful season. I'm excited for her, she was so cute last night when she started meeting the men.
I checked prices last night and it's closer to our budget now then it was previously. Just wondering what makes it so great? Is it truly beachfront, I don't want to have to walk too far to get to the water (and I don't want to have to call a golf cart for a ride). Also, what's included in the price, we will probably be more conservative and get the cheapest room available (I think it's the garden room). Last question, what's the best way to book? We will probably do the flights and resort together to get a bundle rate. We aren't members at Costco, so I don't think we can do it through them. Should we book through the resort website or can anyone recommend another reputable site?
Thank you so much for all of your help! I started steering away from Mexico and Jamaica and started looking into Costa Rica, but I think Negril gives both my H and me what we are wanting from a relaxing vacation!
If you choose MB, make sure you research where your hotel is in relation to the airport. Those planes are so loud. We did Dunn's River when it was a Sandals. The trip to the Falls was amazing and was the highlight of the trip.
I've read a lot about this, that's why I'm hesitant to stay in MoBay...
Now my H is saying that maybe we should stay in an AI that includes excursions, ughhhh... I'm tired of researching, lol.
Any thoughts? Even though it's a little pricier I'm looking at Couples Negril, but anyone know of other resorts worth checking out?
I also looked at Couples Tower Isle since it's closer within our budget, but it looks a little TOO outdated for me :/
Thank you so much jamaicam. Both Jewel Dunns and the Hyatt Zilara look nice and are within our budget! Just curious, do you have any AI recommendations for Negril?
A few weeks ago I posted and received a lot a great recommendations for a birthday trip to Portland, but looks like we've done a complete 180 in planning and now looking to do a more budget friendly beach trip. I have $200 of Southwest gift cards, so we need to go somewhere they fly to (leaving out of Houston).
As of right now, I've been focusing on Cabo, Puerto Vallarta or Montego Bay, as they have the best flight times (nonstop too which is a huge plus). I'm completely overwhelmed with Tripadvisor, so I'm looking for some help from you guys. Because of the gift cards, I will be booking the flights and hotel through Southwest Vacations, since that's where I think I'll get the best deal.
Originally I was leaning towards Mexico, with our budget being about $3,000-3,200 total, but I've reading that most AI resorts aren't on swimable beaches? Anyone have any more info. on this? My husband isn't interested in Cancun since we we went there already. Then I started looking into Jamaica as Couples Swept Away is highly recommended on this board (and looks awesome), but sadly out of budget for this trip. I was looking at Sandals Montego Bay, but we would get the 'cheapest' room and it doesn't come with all the AI perks. Anyone have any recommendations for a AI in MoBay that isn't Sandals?
Anyone have any insight they can offer? Overall, we are just looking to relax on the beach this trip. It's only my second AI trip (the first wasn't planned by me), so I'm really not familiar with how this all works.
-Deciding between Portland or Lake Tahoe for my birthday (end of March) -Montana this summer to hike up to Grinnell Glacier -Puerto Rico to visit my family (most likely in September) -Lapland (Finland) end of December into January to try and see the Northern Lights
I saw it on Friday night and the theater was packed, not quite sold out, but more people than I had anticipated. You could hear a lot of people agreeing throughout the movie and when it was over rounds of clapping broke out. It was moving to watch and my friend and I sat in the theater for about 30 minutes afterwards just debriefing until we were finally kicked out to start cleaning up for the next showing.
For those of you in Houston, there are several different show times at the River Oaks theater!
How hard are you rubbing your eyes? Are you using a waterproof mascara? I would soak cotton pads in an oil based eye makeup remover and hold them on your eyes, pressing it into your lashes a good 30 seconds before moving the pads at all. Then just gently rub your eyes. If that doesn't work, I'd try a tubing mascara. They don't flake, but come off easily with warm water.
As far as the other stuff. I'd start with a good double cleanse and then a good SPF (50+) for daytime. I'd use that for about a week and then slowly starting adding in other products.
If you want exfoliation I'd try an aha or bha. An aha will help with th fine lines and the bha will help with the acne. Do not start them at the same time though and make sure to add them in slowly. There are a lot of options at a lot of different price points.
I wouldn't say I'm rough when rubbing by eyes, but I am using waterproof mascara. I've never heard of tubing mascara, but just looked it up and sounds like something I could really benefit from. When exfoliating, do I rub it in with my hands or do I need one of those wands like I've been seeing online? Really helpful information regarding the other stuff as well, thank you!
Thank you for the suggestion @pippin . Unfortunately Too Faced isn't CF anymore but I'll look into the Mascara Melt Off. I hadn't thought of coconut oil for conditioning, I'm going to start doing that as well.
I do wear make-up almost daily. Only eyeshawdow, mascara and blush. I don't wash my face daily with cleanser, but will at least do a towelette to get the make-up off. If I'm doing my full cleaning routine it's before bedtime- wash with YES to Carrots cleanser, KIKO eye make-up remover oil (using cotton balls to wipe off) and then Alba eye cream and YES to Carrots night cream. In the morning I just wash my face off with water and use YES to Carrots moisturizer that has some SPF in it. With the whiteheads popping up, I've exfoliated once or twice with a Burts Bees brand, but that hasn't helped at all.
Honestly, I try to use products that are cruelty free (Leaping Bunny approved) that's why I'm using so much YES to Carrots (and Burts Bees/Alba), but I'm open to trying different brands. If I have to invest in higher quality brands then so be it. The KIKO eye make-up remover is a random purchase when I was in Italy some time ago.
Regarding the eyelashes falling out, it would be so bad that I would have a bald spot on my top lash line. It would also alternate from my right to left eye. I went to see a dermatologist, but they said it was stress related. I will say it hasn't happened in several months, but I'm just weary about rubbing my eyes in any capacity because when it does happen I'm really self conscious about it.
I'm noticing that I'm developing these awful looking whiteheads on my forehead and the side of my nose. I'll embarrassingly admit that my skincare routine is horrible. I've always had clear skin, but I guess now that I'm in my 30's I need to do something to repair the years of not taking care of it. Can anyone give me breakdown of what AM/PM routine should look like? I have normal/sensitive skin.
This is probably silly to mention but... I have freckles and don't want to incorporate any products that will lighten them. Also because of stress I tend to loose eyelashes. How can I wash my face, but take care of my lashes? They tend to fall out quite a bit when I wash my face and that's part of the reason why I've avoided doing so regularly.
Please help a beginner out with any advice and product recommendations.
Thank you for your replies! I wrote him back and not surprisingly, no response. I hate getting into these Facebook debates, but I feel like it's up to "us" to hit people with the facts. Even though often times it proves fruitless 😕
It is true refugees were responsible for a bombing on the US military in Kentucky back in 2011? I'm now enagaged in a debate after I commented on a meme about, "why refugees... homeless veterans...". I'm sticking to the facts and that incident in Kentucky was brought up and I hadn't heard of it before.
I lost my mom really suddenly 3.5 years ago. If I was your SIL I'd appreciate any sentiment of finding a way to include my mom. My sister gave birth to a daughter November 2015, the first grandchild on our side of the family, so it was definitely bittersweet. I'm not sure what your budget/time constraint is, but my mom used to always say, "smile God loves you". I found a seller on etsy who wrote out my mom's phrase in watercolor along with lambs to match the nursery decor. It was beautiful! I had it matted, framed and gave it to my sister at her shower and she loved it.
Another thing, when my sisters and I lost my mom our cousin gave us a beautiful Willow Tree journal and told us the purpose was to have people who knew my mom write memories of her in it for her future grandchildren. I haven't had the heart to read through it, but I love knowing that when I'm ready, those memories will be there for me to read about. Plus, my niece and any other future grandchildren will have this journal to read and learn about their Abuela. I saw it was mentioned above; I also received a bracelet with my mom's handwriting and I love it.
My mom was my best friend and yes when I receive thoughtful gifts that include her I cry, but the gesture means the world to me. You know your SIL best, but I just wanted to encourage you to continue thinking up ways to do something special for her during this time. I'm sure it was mean so much to her.
I'm hoping to take a long weekend trip to Portland, Oregon for my birthday (last weekend of March). We would be there Thursday- Monday. I'm hoping we can drive out to Woodburn to see the tulip fields one afternoon, but other than that I think we'd pretty much stay in the city. I was just wondering if anyone had any recommendations of where to stay, things to do and opinions on whether or not we should rent a car.
As a side note, I enjoy anything nature-esque, so if there's anywhere we can go for a hike with incredible views (but not too far away), feel free to mention that as well.
You know, seeing the Obama family leave the White House would have been hard either way, but having that Cheeto come in after such an amazing man and first family is just gut wrenching. I lost count of how many times I yelled out please don't leave us during his farewell speech.
I'm biased towards S Africa but that's because I used to live there. I think you should do a lot more than safari if you do go. The food, the beaches, the hiking, the wine are all fabulous throughout the country. Planning really isn't bad at all. I'd do 2 days in Joburg to get a sense of the important history of the country, then 3 days on safari, then at least 3-4 days in Cape Town. I always use trip advisor as a starting point for all my international vacations and S Africa would be no different.
Good luck with your decision!
Thanks for all of this. I've traveled quite a bit, so I don't know why I'm so intimidated with South Africa. I guess since it's such a once of a lifetime trip, I want to make sure it's done right.
I've done both, and hands down, I enjoyed South Africa much more - it was the safari that really made it so memorable. We came back from that trip and immediately starting looking at other safari trips to plan!
We booked our South Africa trip through South African Airways Vacations. I researched the hotels in Cape Town and some lodges, but our agent at SAA actually booked all the flights and hotel reservations - so it was very easy! Also , you don't have to pick out a package on their website - the agent can help you create one.
With Iceland, there's no guarantee you'll see the Northern Lights. We didn't. Well, our tour guide said we saw them a little bit, but it was so underwhelming and a disappointment. The highlight for me in Iceland was the Blue Lagoon. We did Iceland for a long weekend - I couldn't imagine spending 10-12 days there. It was cold, sunrise was at 10:30 and sunset around 3:30. I've traveled extensively and that trip was the worst jet lag I've ever had, I think because of the lack of daylight.
I'm not sure where you're coming from, but one thing to note, our South Africa trip was considerably more expensive than Iceland. Do you have a budget?
Thank you moorea, this is really helpful. I'll admit, we are just in the very beginning stages of talking things out, but I think our budget is about 3-5k/pp. I would be so disappointed to go all the way to Iceland and not see the Northern Lights, but I know that's a risk with that trip. I'm happy to hear that you had a good experience with South African Airways Vacations, I'll do some more research into that agency. Any musts we should consider when planning? Also, what time of year did you go?
My husband and I are making plans for our "big trip" for next year. I keep going back and forth between Iceland and South Africa. I really wish we could do both (HA!). Either trip would be fall of 2017 for about 10-12 days.
Typically we are drawn to mountainous, snowy areas (this years big trip was to Banff), so I was leaning towards Iceland, especially since it's been a dream of mine to see the Northen Lights. The more I think about it, I think I like the safari idea. Ugh, I'm torn!!!
I will admit, South Africa seems like a more intimidating trip to plan... if anyone has any suggestions, or can point me to websites/blogs with helpful information for either locations, that would be amazing!
Thank you everyone for your responses. It's given me a lot to think about. For whoever asked, we have been to Denver before, but we said we would head out there 2 times throughout 2017 to spend more significant time there (and with more focus).
I know I said the move would be "just for fun" and while we aren't in a position where we HAVE to move, we want to live somewhere that's more beautiful nature wise, with more to do, better weather (and experience all 4 seasons). We are outdoorsy people and Denver is definitely more geared for that than Houston.
My biggest fear of moving is definitely leaving my family. I mentioned my mom, but I'm also very close to my dad and sisters. My H and I always said that if we moved we wouldn't live more than 1 plane ride away and Denver checks that box. With that, flying back and forth would be easy, but I know will add up fast.
I liked the mention of focusing on creating new things to look forward to than so much on what I'd be missing out on. I almost wish the move would be for job reasons, then it wouldn't feel so optional... Thanks again everyone, I've enjoyed reading about everyone's experiences.
So my husband and I have been considering an out of state move over the last few years. Some background (PDQ), my mom passed away very unexpectedly while we were on our honeymoon 3 years ago. Home just hasn't felt like home without her, even though all of my immediate family still lives here. I'm ok with my job, but would be lying if I say I haven't considered leaving.
More recently my husband and I have been waffling with leaving Texas and moving to Denver. Neither of us have jobs where we could relocate, so we would be required to find something new. I work in the law enforcement arena and my husband in finance, so I like to believe there's ample opportunity for us both. My husband and I feel like this move isn't in the immediate future and realistically wouldn't do it until 2018 (because of H's current career). The plan is to rent for a year to figure the city out and discover which neighborhoods best suit us. The move would purely be just to do something new. We have no ties to Denver other than an old high school acquaintance who now lives there.
I'm just curious for to hear from those of you who upped and moved. Were you happy with your decision? How did you handle homesickness? I'm nervous at the thought of leaving my family behind (especially now that I've recently become an aunt for the 1st time), but at the same time the idea of starting somewhere new excites me.
ETA: My H and I have no kids and are currently renting, if you're curious.
My BIL sent me a snapchat (he "voted for Gary Johnson") referencing something about white privilege. I commented back saying, you mention it like it isn't real. He wrote back saying that I'm Latina, but born in Texas so not to be "so dramatic". Now I know how he's felt the last 8 years.
Are you fucking kidding me?! I'm so sick of white people being so, oh our hardships... Obama blah blah blah... All Lives Matter blah blah blah...
When I reminded him that Hillary losing means Trump is our president he said he'd prefer it that way. He has a one year old daughter with my sister (who obvs is latina too). I have a feeling he's one of those closeted Trump supporters.
Trump hasn't officially won yet and this shit is already starting. America, we are a global embarrassment. Good job.
Y'all, I have shed actual tears. How is this happening? I honestly believed that we had it.
Fuck you white people. Fuck you rascists. Fuck you bigots. Fuck you every single person who voted for this piece of shit Donald Trump. I'm so angry, hurt and disappointed.
Asheville, NC may put you a little bit above your max distance, but the Biltmore House will be decorated for Christmas and it is quite the experience. Asheville also has some of the best food in the country.
Charleston, SC is another choice that might be a bit farther than you are thinking, but such a cool city and amazing food.
Thanks! I'll talk to my H about Asheville. I looked it up and definitely seems like somewhere we would enjoy. I thought about Charleston too, but I think that's pushing our time limit a little too much. Thanks for the recommendation.