My husband has a few vacation days to burn so we were thinking of going a road trip next month/ early December. We will be driving from Houston. We can't take on anything too challenging because we probably will only have about a week total. We've talked about going to Gatlinburg, Sante Fe or Albuquerque, but I'm looking for other options. We want to keep about 14 hours maximum (one way). While I'm ok with the idea of Gatlinburg, I've already been there and would love to go somewhere different. Does anyone have any cities in the south that they love? I was thinking to really change things up and maybe head to Alabama or Georgia, but don't know of any particular cities.
We're pretty low key people, I think this trip we want to just enjoy the drive and head somewhere scenic, but nothing too incredibly off the beaten path. Oh, just as an aside, we're thinking of taking our dog with us. Earlier this year people on this board suggested we head to Sedona for a long weekend getaway and I LOVED it!! So, I'm hoping you guys can help me pick a great, beautiful destination once again.
I came to this board to ask about this exact same thing. My senior pup (about 12 years old) has them all over his body. Back in 2014 we had one removed from his chest and another from his side. Recovery for the one on his side was super easy, however the one in his chest was filling back up with fluid, so they had to put a drain. Thankfully, that took care of the issue. What prompted us to have them removed is because we were worried that the one in his chest would become problematic later on and wanted to tackle it early.
Since then he's developed so many more. The vet did a fine needle aspiration on 4 of the most prominent ones and thankfully each came back as true lipomas. Just last night my husband and I were talking because the one near his groin is growing rapidly and we're worried it may affect his ability to urinate if it continues to grow. Last week during a vet appointment, our vet measured each lipoma so now we have a gauge of how quickly they're growing. Our pup has a high grade heart murmur (discovered just this year), having him go under for surgery adds to our stress of whether or not we should have it removed.
Sorry to overload! My best advice to you is measure the lipoma either yourself with a tape measure or have your vet do it, so you can see how quickly it's growing. Also, just as a note, just because one mass is a lipoma, doesn't mean they all are. If it's starts to affect your dog in any way (struggling to walk, discomfort, etc.) seriously consider having it removed.
I think my jaw was open the entire time reading this. Why does this continue to happen? THIS IS NOT OK, THIS BEHAVIOR SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED!! The thoughts of how scared Daniel Shaver must have been My heartbreaks for his poor wife and children. That mugshot has me PISSED!!!!!! Screw the DA who thinks this scum deserves a plea deal.
I was at the grocery store yesterday speaking with the cashier, she was sweet, chatty and asked me if I'm pregnant. I'm not. Y'all this tore me up inside. My mom passed away very, very suddenly 3 years ago and I'll admit I put on so much weight. My grief has basically immobilized me. Earlier this year I started working out and trying to eat healthy, but saw absolutely no results. I feel awful about how I look, but at the same time have no motivation to do anything about it. My mom passed away 12 days after I was married (I was on my honeymoon when I heard of the accident) and I still feel so lost and upset without her. To be honest, that comment yesterday just really hurt my feelings
The area of the shooting is walking distance from me. I actually had plans to swing by the Petco in the shopping strip after work. When I left for work this morning right before 7AM, the entire road was blocked off by police and you could hear helicopters flying extremely low. From my understanding the shooter was aiming at random cars passing by. Witnesses say that they could see a red laser from the shooter's gun being aimed.
The car that the shooter was reportedly going back and forth to is registered to a lawyer. Local news is saying that his father reported that he was angry that his law firm had failed. Also, neighbors said that about a month ago the lawyer came outside with a gun in his hands, yelling and angry over some construction going on. Nine people have been injured, one person listed as critical and another as serious.
I cannot believe this happened so close to me. Absolutely terrifying.
Thank you so much for all the recommendations, looks like I have some research to do, but this has narrowed things down a lot.
Just as an FYI, I also order my pup's food from chewy and had received his newest shipment of his old food this morning. To rave about their customer service, I contacted them and they offered me a refund and told me to please donate the food to a local rescue or shelter. I thought that was pretty awesome
I don't post very often, but I'm needing some recommendations and I know there are a lot of dog lovers on this board.
My dog was at the vet earlier and she told us that his grain free diet is not doing him any favors, so we need to get him back on a grain inclusive diet. He's a senior dog who has developed some sensitive stomach issues over the past several moths and our vet believes that adding grain back into his diet will be beneficial (he started eating grain free several years ago due to skin allergies). He's been eating Wellness Core grain free food previously.
Thanks for your help and if I did it right, here's a picture of my sweet Riley! (sorry if it's huge)...
Thank you to those of you who recommended Sedona. We just got back earlier this week and had an amazing time!! Sedona was absolutely breathtaking. We stayed at the Amara and did a stargazing tour (which was awesome) and the Pink Jeep off roading tour. We also hiked to the top of Bell Rock, that was definitely the highlight of the trip.
So many sweet pictures of senior dogs. I have a mutt my husband and I adopted about 12 years ago. Over the last several months it seems like he's just aged a ton and we've been in and out of the vet. He's had ongoing stomach issues (vomiting and diarrhea) and didn't have much of an appetite. I didn't read through all the comments, so I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, but maybe look into a sensitive stomach canned food. We did this for our dog and not only does his stool look better, but he's eating normally again. At first we were buying prescription food from our vet, but lately I've been purchasing a different brand from Petco and it's been fine.
Just something else to possibly consider. Hope your pup gets back to her normal, hungry self soon.
I use Leaping Bunny and have come across some really great products thanks to it.
Just as an FYI- not all products that are listed as cruelty free or no animal testing are 100% animal friendly. With Leaping Bunny you can rest assured that no ingredient used to make the product as well as the final product were ever tested on animals.
We had a destination wedding in Rome and I wouldn't change a thing. Definitely the best decision for us and both sides of the family were very supportive (and excited). A destination wedding isn't for everyone and there are some things I had to compromise on, but overall I am so happy with my decision. It's been almost 3 years and people still talk about how fantastic our wedding was.
Can I ask a few questions about destination weddings you've attended or hosted?
1. As a guest, were you excited to attend or did you feel upset that you had to spend your vacation time/money on a wedding? I've never been to a destination wedding, but all of our guests loved the idea of going away for our wedding. We had a 2 year engagement to give everyone adequate time to make plans/ save money. I'll admit my H was hurt that some of his extended family members didn't go, but we both knew going so far away we couldn't EXPECT people to be there.
2. Did you get any sort of discount on your room due to it being part of a wedding (as a guest/for your guests)? We had a travel agent who we referred all of our guests to which made making travel arrangements incredibly easy. We received a discount on the hotel, but I can't remember how much.
3. What did the wedding consist of and how many people were there? Ceremony/cocktail hour/formal dinner/dancing, or something simpler or more casual? We had 34 guests (not including H and I) which was a lot more than we anticipated considering how far everyone traveled. A few nights into arriving to Rome we had a dinner with everyone where we gave out goody bags (with a map of Rome, battery operated fan, translation book, etc. and a few wedding itineraries so people would know how things were going to go on the day of). We also gave everyone a ticket for the hop on, hop off double decker bus tour which they really loved. The day before the wedding we had a welcome dinner which was full of amazing food, wine and a DJ. We danced all night long and it was a fun way to move into the wedding the next evening. For our wedding day we had a Catholic church ceremony then afterwards a dinner reception on a rooftop terrace. We wanted to have an Italian style wedding, so the reception was all about the food... it was an 8 course dinner (not to mention the cocktail hour beforehand)! We had a pianist, and music played over the restaurant speakers, but since we had so much dancing at the welcome dinner, we wanted the reception to focus more on food and company.
4. What did you like best about the destination wedding? What did you find a hassle or wish was handled differently? Honestly, I loved everything about our destination wedding and would do it again. I would recommend travelling to your destination beforehand if you can. I had a wedding planner and my mom and I went to Rome several months prior to the wedding to confirm the church, reception space, meet with the florist/ photographer and I even did a hair/ make-up trial. That's also when I selected the hotel for our travel agent to book. Originally I had selected a different church, but when I saw it in person I didn't like the area it was in (kinda far out). Since we still had plenty of time before the wedding, I was able to contact my wedding planner, get other church options and look at them in person. I'm so, so happy with the church we got married in, so travelling out there beforehand is something I'd definitely recommend if you can swing it.
I lost my mom really suddenly 2.5 years ago in a transportation accident and I'm having a really tough day today, so I actually appreciate your post and being able to sit and reflect on this.
If I had one more day with my mom I'd just sit and talk to her- ask her questions about being a wife, for tips for when I become a mom myself. Like others mentioned I'd also want her to show me how to cook her delicious Puerto Rican food. Also, she lost her mom and although the circumstances were different (my abuela was in her 90's and she passed peacefully in her sleep) I would just want to know how she dealt with that loss. I'd want to hear about what she envisioned for my life, things that she would want me to accomplish...
More than anything I'd just want to lay in her lap, have her rub my head, tell me that she loves me, that she's proud of me and she'll always be with me. I miss my mom so freaking much... nothing compares to a mother's love.
This happened to me a few weeks ago, but after a day it went back to normal on its own. Maybe try calling the customer service line? A co-worker said they have really good customer service. I have the UP3 FWIW.
I'm glad you both mentioned Arizona, because the more I think of it the more I'm leaning towards Sedona. Any specific spa recommendations? Also, any must see/ things to do orangello ? Finally, how long is the drive from Phoenix to Sedona?
Thank you!!
It's about an hour and a half to Sedona - it's mostly through the middle of nowhere so it goes by fast and there's not that much traffic, but there are pretty mountain views along the way. Not sure of your price range, but if you can swing it, I highly recommend The Enchantment Resort spa. We always stay on property as well, and they have fantastic hiking in their canyon and the views or the red rocks cannot be beat. At minimum, head here for sunset cocktails or dinner - food and drinks are delicious, and their outdoor patio has amazing views.
There's also a really nice Hilton and a Kimpton in the area - I think both are in more in town than the Enchantment.
There are a ton of day spas in the area, lots of restaurants and shops, and gorgeous views everywhere. I also highly recommend driving up into Oak Creek Canyon, and check out the Montezuma Well Monument (Indian dwelling) and the V-Bar-V Heritage site (Indian petroglyphs). If you're into hiking, Devil's Bridge is fun to check out, and you can scramble around Bell Rock and check out the vortex.
Thank you for all the recommendations! I looked at the Enchantment and it's beautiful, definitely will be looking to stay there if we can.
I'm glad you both mentioned Arizona, because the more I think of it the more I'm leaning towards Sedona. Any specific spa recommendations? Also, any must see/ things to do orangello? Finally, how long is the drive from Phoenix to Sedona?
For my birthday my husband told me I can pick a getaway for us! We will be under time constraints since we both have limited time away from work. We're thinking of going in September over labor day weekend, so 3-4 days maximum. We live in Houston, so I'm looking for an easy, non-stop flight. Places I've considered are the Carolinas (I know NOTHING about the area, so I don't have a specific place in mind) or Arizona/ New Mexico. Again, I know that's broad, but I don't even know if that's somewhere worth looking at. We already have trips planned for Portland, San Francisco and NYC for later this year.
Really, I'm just looking for something pretty, with touristy things to do. I want it to be a relaxing trip, so more so sightseeing, shopping, good food... not so much into the bar scene for this trip. I'm completely open to any other recommendations you guys may have. I realize I'm starting to plan early, but I'm excited to getaway and need something to keep me busy at work
My sister had a baby 4 months ago and being an aunt has the best thing ever! I'm completely over the moon in love with my sweet little niece. Now that she's starting to smile and giggle it just melts my heart. I can't wait for her to really know me and spend time quality with her. It's my secret mission to be her favorite aunt But jokes aside, I didn't grow up with a lot of extended family around, so it's important for me to give her the love and support I didn't really have.
I have 1 nephew and 3 nieces on my husband's side, and even though I care for them, the connection is just so much stronger now that it's my sister who made me an aunt.
My mom passed away suddenly July 2013. She and I worked together in the same building and one day her old co-worker came to my office with flowers. She said that she had been hearing my mom's voice telling her daily for about 2 weeks that she needed to bring me sunflowers. I couldn't hold back the tears as I told her that sunflowers are my absolute favorite flowers. I asked her a million times if it had ever come up in conversation while my mom was alive, but she swore that she never knew beforehand that I loved sunflowers. I saw her again a few weeks later and she said that ever since she delivered the flowers to me she didn't hear my mom's voice anymore.
I like to believe my mom knew exactly what to do to put a guaranteed smile on my face.
You mean for while you're doing snow activities, or afterwards/in the evenings?
Yeah, I mean for while we're out doing snow activities. With the bulkiness of snow gear I wasn't really sure what to bring and more than likely my husband won't be carrying any sort of backpack. I figured afterwards I'll just carry my usual purse.
Like I said, silly question, but this Houstonian has very little experience in snow!
Ok, so this is probably a silly question so I apologize in advance. We have a trip to Banff booked for next month (yay!!). We will be doing a lot of outdoor winter activities. What kind of bag/ purse do I carry?
I know I'm going to need something to stick a few essentials like my phone (camera), Chapstick, wallet, etc.
I didn't think about Lake Tahoe... That's a great option! Thanks for the ideas listed above, I'll add them to our list and start doing some more research. Whichever location we pick, we're trying to book by next week. Thanks everyone!
My husband and I are looking for a snowy getaway. The dates we plan on traveling are 2/6-2/14 from Houston.
Originally, we planned on going to Banff/Lake Louise, but I wanted to look into domestic options as well. We're looking to enjoy outdoor activities- I'd be willing to do one day of skiing, but probably no more than that. Just to give you some ideas in Banff we were wanting to go ice skating on Lake Louise, ice walking, dog sledding or horse drawn sleigh ride, snow tubing, snow mobile tour...
I would like to go to a town that has shopping (not a priority though) and good restaurant selections. We've considered Park City, Utah but the hotel costs are outrageous. Just wanted to see what destination ideas I could get from you guys.
This article was posted when I needed it most, my anxiety about this has been making me feel crazy. Yesterday I was out shopping at Target when I suddenly had this overwhelming feeling of there possibly being a shooting. I was in the pet aisle and saw this open employee door and thought to myself I'd stay near that area so if someone started shooting I would run back there. When I heard about the San Bernardino shooting last week I was at work (a government building) and I just started to cry uncontrollably. I actually had to call my husband because I was so panicked over the idea of the whole scenario. People living their daily lives and then such horror breaking out... We don't do intruder drills at work, but I myself have come up with a plan of different escape routes if there were an active shooter in my building.
WTF kind of world do we live in?! It makes me so sad and sick to think that so many of us live in fear of gun violence and mass shootings.