Halloween Antics!

Happy Halloween 

This years costume was pretty simple, you guys know for me that crazy color is the main goal for sure, and this new painted wall in Baltimore City completely did the job. Because it was fresh, the colors were bright as can be. I also love the way that the pink and red worked so well together!! I had a costume for Piper which you will see in a couple of the pictures, we had to take it off because she kept shaking at which time it would shift around to being on backwards. We were the Queen and Pup of Hearts, as I said nothing to in depth just fun, cute and colorful.

The entire costume came from Party City, it consisted of the dress, gloves, headband and stockings. All together with tax it was just over $52. I just added a pair of Guess ankle boots that I had in my closet, along with some heavy pink and red blush, eyeshadow and lipstick. I wanted to wear my OTK boots but didn't want to cover the hearts on the legs. so ankle boots it was. Also keep in mind I had to return the original costume, due to stains on the dress where you could see it was obviously wore at some point. The costume in this picture was the second one I had purchased. I think someone returned the first one and they put it right back on the shelf where your girl then bought it. I just feel had they actually looked at it, they would have seen the disgusting stains. So naturally I drove up to return it on the day of, since I didn't see the stains until last minute. Naturally they didn't have anymore my size on Halloween afternoon, so I drove to another store in Towson where I luckily found another one that was actually new. My point being check the costume before you pay for it, especially with the current virus issues. I'm sure you agree that it's gross to buy something someone else has wore, especially with intimate items like stockings. I got lucky that the Towson store had one or I may have ended up with NADA. But come on, you figure when you buy something it's not used right? Yikes was that a mess...lol!! I'm just relived I was able to get everything sorted so I could catch these colorful fun shots!! 

Oh before I forget Piper did a fun growling lion impression on her Instagram page with some yummy Krispy Kreme donuts, you guys gotta see this... it's way to cute (CLICK HERE) to check it out. Please give her a follow and comment on what you think, she's just to precious in this look. I would also love to know what you or your pups or kids dressed up as this year? I know 2020 was odd as was Halloween due to our current world situations, but we have to remember to keep the spirit of any holiday in our hearts and it can be just as amazing no matter what!! 

Love You Guys & Merry Christmas to those that celebrate!! 

Read More

Our Stay in Ocean City with Aloft!!

(This post is sponsored by Aloft Ocean City, all opinions and experiences are mine and mine alone.)

"Our Aloft Weekend Getaway!!"

There’s nothing like a good weekend getaway to refresh you and make you feel like new again. I’ve had some craziness the last couple months and Our little weekend getaway was just what the doctor ordered. There is nothing like fresh ocean air, sand under your feet, hanging out poolside and just enjoying the sun on your skin. Everyone knows that your trip is just as good as the hotel you stay at which is why we’re more than happy we stayed at Aloft Ocean City. Because the staff greet you like family the atmosphere is fantastic and we felt  super comfortable, plus they’re very pet friendly which is a big think with us because Piper always joins us. The rooms were beautiful with a sleek modern decor, I really loved the colorful rugs and wall hangings. You guys know how I love a good splash of

color, plus they even provided a bed and bag of goodies for Piper. It had cookies and toys, which automatically made her feel right at home as well. The rooms have little refrigerators, a safe, WiFi, smart TV’s, boy I could go on and on. Our balcony looked over the back of the property which was a stunning view, especially in the evening when the sun set you could see the beautiful colors over the water. There was also a view of the bay and swimming pool area, as well as their private beach where you could do some paddle boarding and kayaking from.

After we settled into the room and unpacked we then put on out swimsuits and headed for the pool, there’s a great little bar out back where you can order food and drinks, as well as swim and lay out. They also have live music at different points during the day and it was great!! I definitely recommend the Bavarian soft pretzels, omg so so good. There is also a little food counter in the hotel where you can order breakfast lunch or dinner, along with some great snacks and drinks. Everything Rob and I ordered we enjoyed so I’m gathering it probably all was. I saw this yummy corned beef hash selection on the breakfast menu, but due to my recent stomach issues wasn’t able to get it but Rob did and wow did he love it. After we ate dinner we took a walk to the beach and checked out a few stores, then after a long day of driving we retreated back to the hotel and turned in early to rest up for the next day. 

We woke up at 7am and started showering and getting dressed, we ate breakfast and headed out to the Boardwalk for a little early morning walk with the dog. Then we hopped in the car and headed to Rohoboth Beach so I could check out Mug & Spoon, a fantastic little freakshake spot. We had thee funnest shoot, the shakes were so colorful and absolutely amazing. They had 4 or 5 different shake choices and all types of amazing and unique icecream flavors, coffees and cookies. If you are ever on Rohoboth definitely stop in, your tastebuds will thank you. After lunch, milkshakes, alot of boardwalk and beach walking we retreated back to the Aloft hotel for some poolside rest and relaxation. Piper sat on the sun chair with me while I ordered some soft pretzels and together we enjoyed them and the amazing weather. To be honest this is what we did most of the trip, the hotel was so relaxing we really didn’t want to leave, at least I know I didn’t. There are so many amazing amenities and comfy common areas, they also have pool and game tables for adults and kids alike. 

By the time the day came to an end I had a nice tan and was more than recharged, sometimes you just need to get away for a couple days. The daily stresses of life in general can be exhausting, so I was more than sad we had to go home the next afternoon. We did get up early so we wouldn’t miss a single minute, and we were also meeting my mom for breakfast. She lives about 20 minutes outside of Ocean City, so every time we go to the beach we have this little thing where we always meet up for breakfast. I always love seeing my mom, I sure wish she still lived right down the street from me. It’s tough with her living 3 hours away because I don’t get to see her much any more. 

You guys know no matter where I go that I always find you the best of the best when it comes to icecream and shakes, so after breakfast I wanted to make sure I got a shoot in with my all time Ocean City favorite... Kohr Brothers, they have thee most amazing frozen custard. Their cones are covered in chocolate and sprinkles, then to add an extra pop of color I added a delish Boardwalk lollipop 🍭and wow was it cute. After our little photo shoot we had a little lunch and Doughroller and started back for the hotel to pack up and check out. I was sad to leave Aloft, it was so nice and will definitely be the only place we stay from now on when we go to the beach. I for sure recommend it to all, you will more than love your time there.

All in all our beach trip was amazing, all three of us had an amazing time. It’s something that we do every year because like I said above it really helps to just get away for a few days and refresh yourself. I definitely think we will more than love Paris, I’m more than excited to be going in September. I also think we will be taking a little DC staycation between now and then, something fun to mix it up!! Well here’s to a wonderful weekend, enjoy the weather and stay cool. 

Read More

Spring Cleaning with Adams Flea & Tick!

(This post is sponsored by Adams Flea & Tick, all experiences are mine and mine alone.) 

Time to get the house ready!!

Hello my friends, spring is here and it’s about that time to start spring cleaning. For most people this is just inside of the house, but we do things a little differently, we like to do the same to the outside as well. We start off by pressure washing all the sidewalks, driveway, patios and porch. The we wash down the siding on the outside of the house, kind of like you wash a car. This keeps the white siding looking bright and new, then we move onto the yard to get it ready for summer. We make sure to fertilize the grass, and spray all of the rose bushes for bugs. Otherwise the beetles will have all the leaves looking like swiss cheese by June…they sure are destructive little things. Then there are the fleas, another annoying summer pest we have to worry about because of Piper.

(They love to nest in the soft plushy areas which are perfect for the Carpet & Home Spray)

During the summer we are out and about doing a ton of activities and many of them include other dogs. We go to the dog park on a regular basis, we go to the dog festival, and we love to go on hikes up by Liberty Dam. All of these activities carry the risk of Piper coming home with one of these nasty little critters on her, and we want to make sure that we are protected in every way so that our home doesn’t become a flea infestation. How fleas work is they attach themselves to your dog or cat (the host) and as gross as it sounds suck their blood. Then the flea will lay eggs all over your pup, then he or she walks around your home dropping these eggs in every area of your home, kind of like a little salt shaker. All over your rugs and floors, on your favorite chair, in his or her bed, on your bed, and even in the yard and car. Then these little critters hatch and jump on a host and start the cycle all over again, until your home, car and yard are swarming with fleas. This is why flea-proofing your pup, yard and house is so important. They are thee nastiest little critters in so many ways and i just don’t want them chewing on us or the dog, so I take steps to keep them far far away from us, Piper and the house. I keep a small arsenal on hand at all times, and we ONLY use Adams Flea & Tick products which we so conveniently get from the pet section of Walmart. The products consist of both immediate and preventive measures, because let’s face it all summer we are around other dogs. Whilst we can’t control fleas on everyone else’s dogs, we can’t stay held up in the house all summer either. With these products I can calm our fears and keep us all and the house pest free, that way we can enjoy fun summer and spring events like Pawject Runway a fun little pup fashion runway show that raises money for Barcs. Every year we love to go and help support Barcs, it’s always teaming with pups of all kinds from all over. 

(Adams Flea & Tick products are very easy to find in the pet section of Walmart)

I basically use the same routine each year and it starts off with a bath using the Adams Flea & Tick Cleansing Shampoo, this gets Piper clean, smelling fantastic and flea free. Next up I put the Adams Flea & Tick Collar Plus for Dogs & Puppies on Piper as a preventive measure, to keep any future fleas from trying to catch a ride. I always find that being preventive is much better than reactive, because it keeps it from happening all together saving me a lot of stress and headaches. Then there's the Adams Flea & Tick Spray which is wonderful for spot treatments and the Carpet & Home Spray is great to keep your home flea free. The flea and tick spray is great for those days we go on hikes in the woods by the dam, Piper loves to explore all the trails with us for hours and hours. While it’s lots of fun, I never forget all of the risks that these days can offer when it comes to fleas and ticks. Due to Adams Flea & Tick products we are able to enjoy our summer of fun activities without a care in the world. They also carry great products to spray your yard with, we use them too. 

Right after we finish planting the annuals and turning the mulch in the flower boxes, we spray down the outer yard and Piper’s area as well. She loves to run in and out of her doggie door into her yard, she also loves to lay in the grass spread eagle and sun bath. It’s the cutest thing in the world to see her enjoy her little space in such a comfy manner. By the time we finish up the yard everything looks quite beautiful, and it’s just in time for our annual family cookout. It’s so much fun to relax with the family, eat delicious food, talk, and just enjoy each others company. Yes it’s a ton of work, but nothing is more satisfying then pride in your work and home. After all it’s home, our very own little part of the world, and it’s a reflection of us as people, so we have to keep it looking nice and clean, as well as pest and flea free. The only thing left to worry about is those darn deer eating all my flowers….I definitely need a cry emoji right about now…lol!!

Well here’s to a beautiful flea free summer with Adams Flea & Tick Products!!

Read More

Our Cabin Getaway!

Recharge With Wellnesste

I’m so excited about finally getting this post finished because it’s been one of the cooler trips I have went on in quite a bit, if you follow me on Instagram then you already know we went to Central New York. Why you ask? We found the most amazing little spot called Wellnesste, it’s the true cabin experience. Mind you the day we arrived there was already several inches of snow on the ground, then that evening a huge blizzard started and continued all day the next day. I remember saying I sure hope it snows so it’s super cozy and nice…..ha ha…be careful what you wish for. Seriously though the snow made it that much more amazing. The entire property was snow covered and absolutely beautiful. The Wellnesste Lodge’s 5 rentable cabins that are set back in privacy on 60 acres of land, it’s covered with animals, beautiful trees, trails, rivers, creeks, ponds and streams. 

The cabin we stayed in was called Wilson’s Cabin and boy was it comfy, homey and clean. It included all of the comforts of home like a fully stocked kitchen (all you need to do is bring the food), a full bathroom with a hot shower, comfy beds, books, games and much much more. If you’re like me and can’t live without your connections don’t stress, wifi is available and there are tons of plugs in the cabins so you can bring a radio or a small TV and some DVD’s. There was a wood burning stove in our cabin and plenty of wood right on sight. We kept ours burning the entire time so it was super warm and cozy, Piper loved it too because she posted up right in front of the fire the whole time we were there. Yes Piper went with us, I’m so pleased to say that Wellnesste is 100% pet friendly. She’s a member of the family so she goes with us everywhere, and wow did she really love running and playing in the snow. We honestly had no idea she loved it so much because we have never gotten more than an inch or two at home in her 1.3 yrs of life. 

Once we got to the cabin and settled in we headed right back out to grab a quick bite to eat and go to the grocery store because a blizzard of epic proportions was set to start that night at 10pm and we did’t want to get snowed in with no food. They were talking about white out conditions, and that’s something we didn’t want to be out and about driving around in the next day. The cabins are set back on a driveway way off the road and then down a hill, needless to say not the best drive to do on ice and snow. After we got back from the store we put everything away, started a fire and settled in for the night, and boy did we sleep good. It was an 8hr drive because of the weather and we were exhausted, I was also looking forward to the morning so I could explore the property with my camera. I would say we woke up at about 7-7:30 to thee most insane snow I have ever seen, at some points in the day there was no visibility due to the snow and wind. The word white out was thee perfect description, mind you they called for 70mph wins with the snow and 19 degree weather. Once the sun was fully awake and showered I cooked us a big breakfast, then bundled up and set out to get great shots of the area, my first choice was the tree house cabin. It wasn’t far off from our cabin, just across the property snuggled back into the woods..It was so beautiful capped with snow and tucked in the tall trees, next to a stream with the snow falling from the sky…wow was all I could say. We definitely have to go back in the spring or summer, I can only imagine how green and lush it is then.

By the time the snow stopped falling the next day there was over a foot on the ground, so we decided to stay on the property and schmy around in the cabin until the next morning, That’s the good thing about Wellnesste, it’s thee best place to recharge and take a break from all the craziness of everyday life. Once the roads were clear we headed out into the surrounding area to explore all the yummy choices she had to offer. Of course you know I hunted down some local ice-cream…we also went to the Turning Stone Casino where there was a great restaurant called Wildflowers. It was about 35-45 minutes away from the cabin and so so worth the drive, the food was amazing. For an appetizer we ordered the hummus plate with slices of what looked and tasted like tasted pita, wow was it good. It had artichoke hearts, olives, feta, roasted red peppers and onions piled high onto of the hummus. For the main course I got the short rib and Rob ordered the chicken, again both were phenomenal, as well as the apple martini I ordered. Definitely the best dinner we had while we had the whole trip, now for breakfast we went to a place called Slims which was great as well. I love how it was only $15 for both of us to eat a huge meal, and the corned beef hash was very good. 

(Hummus App)

 (Short Rib at Wildflowers)

(Corned Beef Hash Breakfast at Slims)

After breakfast we checked out a great little local ice-cream spot called Mercer’s, they have wine infused ice-cream that I was more than eager to try. Who would have thought that wine and ice-cream tasted so darn good together?  They had favors like Cherry Merlot, Chocolate Cabernet, Peach White Zinfandel, Red Raspberry Chardonnay and more….like the Sparkling Strawberry made with Champagne which was ohhhhh so good. It doesn’t stop there, Mercer’s has tons of regular ice cream flavors as well as soft serve. I tried some of their vanilla soft serve and wow was it thick, rich and creamy. Happily I found out they sell their ice-cream all over the world with a couple locations in my area, I know where I’m going…lol! Just as we were leaving Mercer’s to head back to the cabin it started snowing again and really heavy, we had plans for dinner that night but decided to head to the grocery store instead and grab some stuff to make a big dinner at the cabin. I have to say thank goodness for the Mazda CX-3 that we drove to New York because we hit such a huge array of nasty weather and she plowed right through it like a champ. I definitely have a different opinion of all wheel drive now. See as most of you know Rob and I are currently car shopping because we plan to buy in about 6 months, this is why we tested the Mazda out for a week to see how it would handle. Not once did we slip in the snow, she may look a mess in the shot but wow did the CX-3 hold it's own. It's on the short list of serious contenders. Quick question that may help us out, what kind of car do you drive and would you recommend it? Let me know below because I really need some help, it's a big buy and will also be my first new car so as I'm sure you can figure I'm really stressed out about making the right choice.

(The Mazda CX-3 2019)

We didn’t want to drive in the yucky conditions at night, plus we had a couple of good movies so we just stayed in. It’s was definitely the coolest vibes….all cozy in the cabin with the snow falling and surrounding us outside, the fire burning while we at a great dinner and laughed at the movies. It’s an experience that I will more than try to recreate and know you guys will LOVE!! We were set to start heading home the next morning and were worried we may get snowed in, but that’s one thing I can say for central New York, they’re on top of their roads in the winter. the next day they were all clear for us to drive home. 

(Mercer's Vanilla Soft Serve Waffle Cone)

All in all we had a great 5 days at Wellnesste…we really loved how helpful and welcoming the staff was, they really know how to make you feel at home. We plan to come back in the warmer months when we can do more exploring of the trails and streams. There is so much to do in the general area, there’s also a book in the cabin that shows you all the good places for fun, restaurants, and museums, along with all the info you need to call or find your way there. You guys have to check out Wellnesste, there are so many amazing possibilities waiting for you in Central New York!!For more info check out their website www.wellnesste.com or follow them on Instagram @wellnesste. If you have any questions about Wellnesste feel free to sound off below or shoot me a DM on Instagram @DanaStargazerTruitt, also keep an eye on Instagram for more pictures on my feed.

(Tree House Cabin at Wellnesste)

 Luv you guys tons and have a wonderful week!

Read More