And they call it puppy love....

This is my new sweet baby, Molly. She came to us through a pet rescue based in Tennessee and Connecticut called Companion Pet Rescue. She is originally from Tennessee and made a long trip to Connecticut, where we met her at the PetSmart in Meriden (shout out!! they were so kind and helped make our special day even better). We fell in love immediately - of course! Look at that sweet face and floppy ears. We are told she is a Beagle mix, although our vet also suggested she has some German Shepherd. We are curious to see how she changes and grows, since she is only about 14 weeks old. She is the smartest little pup I've ever met! She crates herself, she learned her name in 1 day and is already learning how to sit, come and lay down! She is getting along with our kitties, too! We are excited to start puppy obedience class and meet some new friends! 

Check out my Pinterest Board: Puppy Baby On Board if you're looking for some tips that I found helpful on training, puppy proofing and life with a puppy. If you love that sweet face and want more, you can also follow Molly on Twitter @SweetMollyD.

Happy Labor Day weekend! xx....m

P.S. You can also find me on Twitter @maybeitsfate

Afternoon Chuckle

Road Trip Recap: Chicago

En route to our first major stop, we stayed at a questionable Red Roof Inn in Westlake, OH. The staff was super nice, but the clientele left something to be desired. With assistance from the MasterLock security door jam and some deep breathing, we survived the night! We were surprised to find an absolutely adorable area with shops and restaurants, while attempting to find Michael Symon's B-Spot. Of course, we gorged ourselves on big juicy cheeseburgers and heavenly chocolate shakes. YUM! 

Once we arrived in Chicago we decided to go straight to Millenium Park and found the Hunger Games cornucopia! There was an orchestra playing in there at the time, so thankfully, we were spared the gore and bloodshed. I highly doubt I could run for my life, especially in flip flops. 

After enjoying the beautiful Lurie Garden, we decided to head back to Greektown, where we were staying, and hunt up some local/Mediterranean cuisine. We stumbled upon Santorini and enjoyed delicious Greek cuisine. We missed out on their signature dish: flaming cheese. Nearby we saw the waiter set down his tray and light a square block of cheese a-flame table side for two men that looked strikingly similar to John Malkovich. These kind gentleman even offered to share and insisted that it was the best item on the menu. After stuffing ourselves and a couple glasses of wine, we decided it was time to turn in.

Our second day in Chicago started with a riverboat tour through the city and into Lake Michigan. The weather was simply perfect and the sights were spectacular. We then walked across the city, ate lunch at Millenium Park and spent the rest of the day at the Art Institute of Chicago. We took in the incredible works of Monet, O'Keefe, Pollock, Van Gogh, Toulouse and more.

One regret - we forgot to have Chicago pizza!! One of the many reasons to return. xx....m

Road Trip Recap: Planning to Hit the Road

The absolutely most important piece of planning a road trip is that you must have an excellent travel buddy. You will be spending all of your time in close proximity to this person and you will have many hours in the car. Most of your trip you will be quite content and excited about the next destination, munching on trail mix and taking pictures of the beautiful landscapes. There will be periods of silly deliriousness brought on by lack of sleep, frustration with traffic or freaked out by the lack of civilization for miles upon miles. Seriously, how did the pioneers EVER make it to California?! Even with air conditioning blasting, snacks and drinks at the ready AND emergency supplies, there were moments that I thought, "If we breakdown, how will we survive?"

Well, I lucked out and my travel buddy, K, happens to also be my aunt and one of my BFFs. Since we share very similar taste in music, audiobooks, cuisine and can laugh at just about anything together, our trip really couldn't have been smoother. 

How did we plan this nearly 8000 mile trip? Here are some of our planning tools and supplies:

Planning

RoadTrippers.com - This is a great website & app, even if you are taking a weekend trip. You can find points of interest along your route such as Roadside Attractions, Restaurants, Accommodations, Photo Ops, Gas and more. Each point of interest is rated by the users on "Rad-o-meter" and some folks leave reviews. You can then print your directions our or access from the road - just be sure you have service. There are still many rural places that do not or have a very slow connection. 

TripAdvisor.com - Before booking any hotel, we searched through TripAdvisor to see what folks had to say. We wanted to be sure we weren't staying at the Bates Motel. 

Expedia.com & Booking.com were our primary booking websites. One issue - when Expedia sends you an email with your itinerary, there is very little information and when you click through, you must sign in to get the details. When you are tired and road weary, this can be frustrating.

Supplies

• Small Cooler - Keep beverages cold, healthy snacks (carrots, hummus, grapes). Refill ice at hotel.
• Seat cushions - We found these seat cushions at Costco for $19.99 and they were worth it! We both noticed that we weren't as stiff and uncomfortable as we should have been after a full day's drive.
• Snap-top sealing food storage container with small bags for trash 
• Shower caddy - We found this idea online and instead of a traditional 2 compartment caddy, K found 1 compartment somewhat flexible plastic caddies that worked fabulously. More often than not, we would have snacks in the car instead of getting a more formal lunch and could put the trail mix, almonds, and bag of grapes into the caddy and it fit nicely on the center console for easy picking. 
• Audiobooks - We listened to 6 audiobooks during our trip. Most libraries offer digital downloads of audiobooks these days, so can be a cheap option. 
• Extra sheets & blanket - Should you find yourself and your travel buddy in one double bed in a wigwam and want a sheet & blanket of your own, this will come in handy. 
• Beach towel - You never know when you'll get caught in the rain, put your feet in the pacific or step in some mud!
• Drinks, snacks and  a corkscrew - You will get a much better deal on drinks if you buy them in bulk. We picked up some bottled water and Starbucks Frappucino's at Costco to keep in the car and restock the cooler. This worked swimmingly. We never ran out of water and there was always a cold beverage on deck. You will choose healthier snacks in advance. I found that as we neared the end of our trip, I was drawn to more junk food. I'm not sure why exactly. It probably doesn't help walking by chips and candy while searching for the restroom at the gas station. 

Do you have any travel tips? If so, please share! 

Safe travels. xx....m

Brush that dirt off your shoulder...

Anxiety is a stressor to our systems. We may be complex, well-oiled machines, but we are only human.  When I'm feeling anxious, I try to remember particularly pleasant memories or play mellow, but still upbeat music. If you can, try to step out of your environment for 5 minutes - even if that means hiding in the ladies' room. Force yourself out of the situation. You can do it. I promise you, whatever it is you are dealing with will be there when you return. Your mood will improve and you will breathe a teeny bit deeper. Fresh air and a tasty beverage never hurt! xx....m

by alissascheller.
Explore more visuals like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Sites to See!

If you have 5 minutes, check out these 5 awesome websites. Have a fab Friday! xx....m

Pocket

This website/app/service is pretty cool. You can put a website or news article in your Pocket and read it later - without wifi! Syncing automatically to all the devices that you would like, you could add an article on your laptop in the morning before heading to the office, hop on the train and read on your way. 

Boxagon

OK, I was just introduced to Boxagon myself, but I like the idea. Similar to Pinterest, but more or less easier to get to products that you want. You can search the boxes or create your own, linking directly to a site that offers the product. For instance, if you check out my new Road Trip Essentials box, you can click through to purchase the awesome Samsung camera that I'm in love with.

BrightNest

As far as home owning goes, I would say I am fair. I don't go above and beyond. I'm a mild DIY-er and my husband can set up a home server, fix an angry XBOX and other techie things, but we don't know how often you should have the air ducts cleaned. When should we seal the driveway? Is that something that we have to do? BrightNest knows the answer. They will help by asking questions about your home or apartment and give suggestions. You can make a home maintenance schedule, find recipes, make your own reusable dryer sheets and get tips on how to be happier at home. Also, it is a pretty site. :)

The Skimm

Do you ever wish the real news could be delivered in a witty, conversational fashion? Here it is. You can sign up to receive a daily email basically skimming big stories, which will seem more like an email from Jon Stewart than Diane Sawyer and less politically focused than the Daily Show. I love it. I'm glad I found it - check it out.

Visual.ly

If you have ever been to my blog before, you have almost certainly seen an infographic from Visual.ly. I quite like the way they look and that there is often a tidbit of knowledge wrapped in a pretty package. This is a place you can easily lose 15-20 minutes poking around. 

by visually.

Totally Trippin'

Hey pals! Over the last 3 weeks, I have been road tripping across America and although I had intended to continue posting, I just couldn't pull myself away from the sights! There will be more detailed posts coming soon, but until then, here are some shots from the road. xx....m