pets

Mavis at Six Months

I can’t believe Mavis is halfway through her first year of life! She’s growing so fast and it feels like she’s been a part of our family forever.

New Things

  • Mavis passed her AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test and graduated from Puppy Level II! She starts her adult training classes to work towards earning her Canine Good Citizen title next week!
  • The brown spots of her fur are looking a little lighter as she’s getting older.
  • She can now jump into my truck! She has only done it twice, but I’m proud of her nonetheless 😉
  • She’s currently having her first sleepover at her my parents’ for a few nights (Jimmy and I are having a staycation!).
  • She continues to solve food puzzles like a champ, and it’s so neat to watch her figure them out.
  • She is getting better about being held and touched, and is way less fearful of other dogs. She did great with my siblings and parents’ dogs on Thanksgiving!
Petco Positive Dog Training Puppy II Graduation with cocker spaniel puppy

Mavis after her AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test and graduation from Puppy II classes!

New Likes

  • Chasing a laser. It’s hilarious to watch her run after it because she tries to grab it with her paws, haha.
  • Whimzees dental treats. These take her forever to chew and have been a lifesaver in keeping her busy when she’s being naughty.

Brown and white parti color cocker spaniel puppy six months old

Hard Things

  • Mavis is now in the adolescence stage of puppyhood and can really test our patience! She will act like she doesn’t know certain commands, or will bark at us for attention. The key has been to be very patient and make sure she gets a lot of exercise each day.
  • She and Malcolm get into trouble together!

Happy Things

  • She continues to pet sit with me (we walked six dogs together today!) and is my little working buddy.
  • She adores Lola and always wants to be with her.

Black lab mix and cocker spaniel puppy cuddling

I think that’s everything for Mavis’ six month update! She’s just a little ray of sunshine in our lives and we are absolutely loving her!

Things Our Pets Destroy + Trying Meal Delivery Kits

Add ceramic vases to the list of things our pets destroy 😉

Black cat with broken vase

I was in our basement doing laundry the other day while Malcolm and Mavis were upstairs playing. I heard a big crash and found the shattered vase all over the floor. I’m pretty sure Mavis may have ate some of it, too. I’m happy to report she’s alive, though!

Other things our pets destroy
– The ability to sleep in (<– Mavis)
– Unattended books, shoes, and rolls of toilet paper (<– Mavis)
– Anything that can be knocked off of a counter (<– Malcolm)
– Food that is literally sitting on my plate right in front of me (<– Malcolm)
– Our old couches (<– Lola)

Dog and cat playing in bathtub

See Instagram for more of their antics.

They’re worth it though. It’s all material stuff (except sleeping in…) that can be replaced!

So, have you guys heard of meal delivery kits? I know I’m super late to the game with these because I’ve been seeing advertisements for Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, and a few others for years now. I found a Groupon for HelloFresh and decided to give it a whirl since it was such a good deal!

HelloFresh Kimchi Chicken HelloFresh Kimchi Chicken

Sorry for the poor quality photos (daylight savings is killing my photography at night!). I have to say, we really enjoyed the whole process of picking out meals, not having to shop for them, and then having all the ingredients and recipes on hand to prepare them.

Jimmy and I were just talking last night and agreed that we want to try all the meal delivery services out there and pick which one we think is the best. It sounds like a fun experiment that will keep us out of dinner ruts! It’s probably not something we would do forever, since I think it can be a bit pricy, but I like the idea and all of the companies seem to have good deals for first-timers.

We are trying Home Chef next and looking into Blue Apron, Sun Basket, and Plated. Send any other recommendations our way!

Alright, enough about meal delivery services! Let’s talk about fun things like coffee.

Coffee in catfinated mug from Kirkland's

I tried Trader Joe’s coffee for the first time and loved it. I think I’ll have to add their coffee to my list of favorite foods from Trader Joe’s. What else is on the list, you ask? Their chocolate coconut milk ice cream and sunflower seed butter! Also, I painted my nails for once. Yay!

Mother and daughter

My mom and I spent some time together on Friday because she needed to pickup a 5k race packet on “my side” of Pittsburgh (she also made an appearance in my most recent vlog!). While we were out and about, I got a new candle from Bath and Body Works! It’s the cinnamon caramel swirl scent and I’ve pretty much had it burning nonstop for the past two days.

There’s just something about a lit candle that makes a home feel so cozy, especially in the fall and winter 🙂

Bath and Body Works Cinnamon Caramel Swirl three wick candle

Alright, I’m off to do some chores around the house and then Jimmy and I are heading back to our church’s evening service. After the service, we’re co-hosting a taco fellowship for everyone with my sister and her husband. Yum!

I have lots of questions today…

If you have pets, have they every destroyed anything?

Have you ever tried meal kit delivery services?

What is your favorite candle scent?