Happy Monday, everyone!
I wanted to get on here and write earlier, but I’ve been struggling with some crazy migraines lately. Luckily, they only last a few hours. I find that once I get over a few pregnancy obstacles, new ones form. That’s the beauty of it, I guess! I am still in a better place than I was the past few months, though! I get sick less often, and I’m actually able to get out of the house without the fear of not being able to find a trash can.
I am so excited that Thanksgiving is this week. Now that my food aversions are gone, I can enjoy plates on plates of my mom’s cooking! Kyle’s mom is coming to stay with us, and that makes it even more exciting! I will take charge of the desserts (yay! I’m finally baking again!), the cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole. I’m making the non-mushroom version from a recipe I found online. I’ll share it if it turns out. I would love to hear all about your Thanksgiving plans in the comments below!
It has been the most beautiful fall season I’ve seen down here since moving here in 2013. Every single tree in my backyard is bright yellow, orange, and red. I love sitting out on the porch watching the leaves fall. It’s also been pretty chilly around here lately! We have some 70-degree days, but also mixed with low 30’s and 50’s! I have a feeling we’ll see some snow this year!
Speaking of snow and all things Christmas. I have yet to decorate at all. I’ve always been pretty adamant about decorating after Thanksgiving. I’m the type of person that gets sick of all my Christmas decorations cluttering my spaces by the time Christmas even arrives. I feel like social media puts the pressure to have all the Christmas decorations up and on display. But if putting your Christmas decorations up early makes you happy, then go right ahead! Life is too short to worry about what others think.
Update on my future of blogging and social media:
I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about my blog, my social media presence, and my videos. I know it may seem like I have thrown in the towel, but I haven’t. I’ve been blogging for over twelve years, and I don’t plan to give it up. I am currently giving myself a break from scheduling, sponsorships, writing recipes, hitting goals, social media, creating content, and so on. That stuff runs in people’s blood sometimes, and people are very money-motivated. I’ve been using the word “no” a lot lately. Right now, I’m motivated to take care of my health, my happiness, and my home. I will be back in full force when I feel ready. I’m just on the casual route right now. I do appreciate all of you who have stuck around all these years, especially during times like these! ♥️
One of the most asked questions I get is “how is Tux?!” and I wanted to update you! I love how many people are invested in his recovery.
We have had so many impressive strides with Tux. He’s not the same dog that we rescued back in July! He’s incredibly playful (even more than Leo!), loves food, gets excited about morning walks, has built trust with us, gives us his paw when we rub his belly, and comes sprinting to us when we get home. He’s officially become our sweet dog, and he knows it! One problem we’ve had with him that we are currently working on is his extreme anxiety when new people come around him. Since July, we have had only a handful of people come to visit us because we are very protective of him, and we want to give him time to heal in his home. We don’t want him to feel like this isn’t permanent for him. Sometimes, we’ll have issues with him coming inside because something gives him anxiety, and then other times, he sprints in like he’s been doing it for years. Sometimes he loses control of his bladder/bowels when meeting a new person. He shuts down so hard that he pees himself from shaking so badly. It’s so sad to watch, and we wanted to see if we could do anything to help him with anxiety when a new person came into the house.
We made a vet appointment (we had to get a new vet since his old vet left) to chat with the doctor about getting him some calming chews for him to take before meeting new people. From the moment we got there, it was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had in my life. The vet didn’t listen to much of what we were saying about him and went straight to “well he’s probably a lost cause,” and I’m sorry he doesn’t “fit your lifestyle,” and then proceeded to tell us that we were not qualified to rescue him in the first place. Even her vet tech looked at me with the “omg, I’m so sorry she is saying this look.” This was after we spent over $1400 at her clinic the past few months getting Tux into perfect health. I was so ready to walk out of there, but I kept my cool. We are the type of people that would do ANYTHING for him. There’s nothing he could do to make us love him less; we just want to help him feel his best. The lifestyle comment made me laugh. I can admit I’m such a boring person who says no to almost every social event, and my kind of entertainment is watching Hallmark movies in my pajamas. I’m sorry, my lifestyle? I talk to my dogs more than actual people. The misjudgment was terrible and incredibly rude. She also kept asking us about his aggression, and we had to remind her about 100 times that Tux has ZERO aggressive traits. He’s the type of dog that cowers and shuts down if he feels like he’s in harm. He wouldn’t hurt a bug, and even when you give him treats, he’s so incredibly gentle (unlike Leo, who will bite your hand off.) I was on the verge of tears in that room, listening to her rip him apart. I’m just going to go out on a limb and assume she was having a bad day.
I couldn’t believe what she was saying to us. We went in there looking to get him some anxiety relief with a freaking calming chew, and she started saying some of the most horrendous things. And I know she’s wrong. I think Tux is in the BEST CARE with Kyle and me. The amount of progress he has shown is unbelievable, and we will continue to build with him. We created a stable schedule for him, we give him so much love and attention, and we would never give up on him. It’s safe to say that we will never go back to that vet again. He’s our forever dog, but unfortunately for her, she’s not our forever vet.
As the weeks went on after that appointment, Kyle and I did some research and found some calming chews that had GREAT reviews. Tux hates the flavor of them but will eat them if we mix them with peanut butter. He is like night and day on those chews, and I’m happy to say that my mom came over to stay while Kyle was out of town for a few days, and he had absolutely no breakdowns with her. He took treats from her, played in front of her, even laid near her, and it was an amazing breakthrough. As for the backyard, we now keep his collar with a short leash attached to him. We’ve been training him to stop and let us grab the leash when we approach him, and it’s working! It has made everything much more manageable.
We knew adopting an older rescue with a traumatic past would be a challenge, but that’s what we committed to and will always put him as a priority! We love our boy. ♥️
A few other things we’ve been up to lately!
It’s crazy even to say this, but our nursery is almost done. I didn’t want to stress about getting everything put together later in my pregnancy, so Kyle and I made a list and started knocking it all out. We only have a few little things to get! I will do a nursery tour very soon with all the details on where everything is from.
We have basically been living at BuyBuyBaby lately. That store has EVERYTHING you need and more. I never thought I’d enjoy it more than Target, but I do. I love going in there. We are almost halfway there (which is crazy!), and I cannot wait. They always have the best discounts going on.
My cravings are all over the place. One of my favorites is pancakes with butter and syrup. Kyle and I made some last Sunday morning, and they were delicious!
It’s been so cold out on our morning walks, but now that I’m feeling better, I’ve been adding more mileage each time. Leo loves it!
The homemade ranch battle! A few weeks ago, I pinned two top internet recipes for ranch together. The winner was Chef John’s Ranch from All Recipes. The only thing I added was a pinch of lemon juice and more buttercream to make it creamier. It was delicious. And talk about wild cravings; last week, all I wanted was hot wings and Caesar salad from Killington’s.
More baking is happening over here! My blueberry muffins are always a hit. I made them without the streusel on top this time.
One thing that hasn’t changed is my cravings for cereal every morning! I had to stop adding fruit to it because fruit tends to make me nauseous, but I love frosted mini shredded wheat and the oat crunch cheerios!
Look at the Fall we’re having in our neighborhood! I can’t remember if I ever showed off what Kyle did to our office/piano room! I’ll do a post on it soon with more photos. He did a fantastic job with the built-ins!
I purchased a pedicure and foot bath on Amazon a few weeks ago because I have such a hard time keeping my feet warm, and it feels so good! I bought it on amazon, but I kind of wish it had actual food massagers. It has ones you have to do manually.
I also spent all last weekend power cleaning the house to make up for all the months where I did absolutely nothing. I went through so many things and had a huge carload to drop off at Goodwill. It always feels good to get rid of things! I managed to find a cute little minimal tree at Hobby Lobby to put in our guest room. It makes it so cozy in there.
My mom and I drove up to York a few weeks ago to walk the town and stop at their Christmas festival. I have been craving a funnel cake for this entire pregnancy. When I saw the flashing lights that said “funnel cakes,” I almost cried. It was worth every single bite! Sugar has made me pretty nauseous during this pregnancy, so I saved myself by only eating half, but I could have scarfed down ten of these babies! It was the perfect way to end our afternoon of shopping. York SC has some charming local boutiques that I love supporting. I bought more doggy books for the nursery and a few bump-friendly sweaters.
I ended my Friday night on the couch with my hot wings and salad. Kyle and I caught up on our shows! My parents came over last Saturday to help us pick up our order from BuyBuyBaby. That’s the beauty of your dad owning a truck 😆 We all headed out to Olive Garden for lunch afterward. Can you guess who chose Olive Garden? Yup, I don’t know what it is, but I’m currently obsessed with it all. It’s been years since eating there, but I love it the same. Something about the crunchy salad and garlic breadsticks keep me coming back for more!
One food I’ve been loving is my chicken salad wraps! 😋 I make a huge batch of them and keep them in the refrigerator. Sunday mornings are my time out of the house because it’s when Kyle does his meal prepping. I WANT ZERO PART in the smell of it. I usually go to Target or get the weekly grocery shopping done.
While I was out, Kyle asked if I could make banana pudding! It’s so easy to make, so I picked up all the ingredients and made it when I got home. He loves banana pudding, and I love the oreo version of this.
You stack banana pudding, whipped topping, bananas, and wafers in layers! Such a quick and easy dish to take to a potluck. For the Oreo version, you make it the same but use Oreos instead of wafers, and the cookies n cream pudding instead of banana.
Before Kyle left for out of town, we ordered sushi and fried rice for dinner. Our local sushi spot has pregnancy-safe sushi on the menu, so I ordered the vegetable tempura and the crab tempura. It’s so good!
My mom and I spent our time together watching the two seasons of Dead to Me and making peanut brittle for her winter orders! She sells so much of it during the holidays. We also headed out to breakfast at First Watch. I had been craving bacon with maple syrup all morning, and it was so good! I also helped her finish that mean-looking pancake on her plate 😋
The weather was so perfect last week, so we headed out on a long trail walk! It was the longest walk I’ve done in a few months, and it felt so good to get out there. On Friday night, Kyle surprised me with tickets to see my favorite Christmas Musical, The Grinch! This was the first time we went out in months, and luckily, I was feeling good enough to stay awake and not nauseated at all. It’s CRAZY how much my bump has popped in the past few weeks. I love it, and I’m officially wearing maternity leggings, and they are a game-changer. I’m going to post a blog about the purchases I’ve made for myself so far!
The show was amazing! Every actor did an incredible job, and the singing was out of this world! If you live in Charlotte, definitely get tickets to go! You won’t regret it.
Leo has become a fan of my pregnancy pillow 😆 I may have to get him his own! This was my third pillow purchase until I found the perfect one. I’m a back and stomach sleeper, so the doctor recommended that I purchase one sooner to train myself to sleep on my left side. It has helped me so much!
On Saturday afternoon, I made a childhood favorite stir fry. It has peppers, carrots, onions, steak, stir fry sauce, black pepper, classic stir fry sauce, rice, and topped with sweet red chili sauce. It tasted amazing! It was one of the first meals I’ve cooked since my food aversions went away!
Saturday night was cut short because after going weeks without getting sick, I decided I’d stop taking my Unisom and B6 (which has saved me from throwing up), but unfortunately, it seems my body still needs it. I’m back on it now and feeling much better again. The doctor told me it’s safe, so I could if it’s something I need to rely on during my pregnancy. I may try to stop it in a few weeks to see how my body responds. And after a night of getting sick, I needed a hefty dose of carbs to make me feel better. I picked up Olive Garden for dinner and started watching Love Life on HBO. It’s such a good show! If you’re wondering what I ordered, it’s on the brilliant side. The fettuccine is kind of bland at Olive Garden, but the noodles are so good. I get the fettuccine and a bowl of chicken and gnocchi soup and mix them. It’s the best combo ever, and you have to try it! Pregnancy has brought out my creative side 😉 It’s been fun navigating each day as they come.
I know this blog is long and all over the place, but what’s new? 😉 I hope you all have the best Thanksgiving Holiday, and I hope to get on here before Thursday with some of my favorite recipes I made last year for Thanksgiving! xo
Questions for you!
- Are you traveling anywhere for Thanksgiving?
- What is your favorite part about Thanksgiving?
- What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Taylor says
Hi Taralynn! What chews did you get for Tux? I’ve been on the hunt for good calming chews for my pup.
Taralynn says
I linked them in the post! They are the Zesty Paws.
Kristina Walter says
Congratulations Taralynn!
I have followed you for so long and enjoyed every moment shared.
Pregnancy takes a lot out of us and it is so important to take the time when we need to rest or acclimate.
I am overjoyed for you!
Thank you for all the inspirations.
With Love,
Kristina Walter
Taralynn says
Thank you, Kristina!!
Jennifer says
Ahhh!! You gave me quite a fright when I read “the future of my blog” LOL – so happy you’re staying! Also so glad you’re taking the time you need to recoup. 12 years is a long time and you never get true vacations!!
It sounds like it’s been such a fun fall for you!! And I agree – the colors were phenomenal this year! They’re already all gone here 🥲
So excited for Thanksgiving- so excited to truly enjoy the holidays with no extra side work or school for me. Still getting used to the free time 😆
Taralynn says
So so so many people have asked me if I am quitting 😢 I had to address it a bit! SORRY FOR THE FRIGHT!
This is going to be a good stress-free thanksgiving for the both of us!!
Kara says
Sucks to hear about the vet. Love that the chews worked for him though. The little trip pics are so cute. Maybe since you can’t really do fruit with your cereal you can try the fruity flavored cheerios. Also, now I want soup after seeing that pic.
Taralynn says
Thats a great idea! Love me some fruity pebbles!
Milena says
Hi Taralynn!
Your post made my day 🙂 I’m really happy to read that your will keep writing because I can’t imagine not reading your posts. I’ve been doing it for so many years! 🙂 But I also understand that you need to give yourself a break and slow down a little. Of course there is nothing more important than your well-being 🙂
Here in Spain we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but I have a trip to Paris with my boyfriend planned for this weekend and can’t wait to get on this plane!
I wish you and your family happy Thanksgiving full of love <3
Taralynn says
Thank you, Milena!!
I can’t wait to hear about your Paris trip!! so fun to go this time of year!
Julie says
When I saw “the future of my blog” in the title, I jumped right on here to find out what was going to happen. I’m a long time follower, and I swear if you were still doing this at 70 years old and talking about retirement homes and hip replacements, and I would still be here for it! I love all of your content, even the stuff that doesn’t apply to me. Glad to hear that you will still be blogging and doing so on YOUR timeline. That’s definitely the way it should be. I will be staying in for Thanksgiving with my husband and stepson. I’m looking forward to having some time off to relax and get a few things done at home. My favorite dishes are the dressing and sweet potato casserole. And since none of us are fans of roasted turkey, we’ll be picking up BBQ which makes things easier. I’m happy that you are feeling better now. Enjoy your holiday!
Taralynn says
😆 I just laughed so hard at that! I truly hope that is my future.
Sounds like you have a delicious and relaxing Thanksgiving coming up this year! xo
Heather says
Love it. Just wanted to say unisom has a withdraw period and you’ll be sick for about three days and then you’ll be feeling good again! Google it, babycenter has some good posts about it but if your past 20 weeks and feeling better it’s most likely withdraw from the unisom.
Taralynn says
OHHHH that makes sense! THANK YOU!
Shelby says
I got a rescue border collie and was told by a dog trainer that he is beyond aggressive and will never be able to be around other dogs. 7 years later I still have him, and he’s the happiest and friendliest dog ever. I can take him anywhere with me, but he loves the dog park the most because of being able to run around with the other dogs. Often you know your dog best, so don’t take every piece of advice to heart. It takes a special type of person to rescue in the first place, and you and Kyle are doing an amazing job. Patience is key, and even if Tux doesn’t recover from all of his issues, he still came into your family for a reason ♡
Taralynn says
Love that you didn’t let that dog trainer change your mind!!
Thanks for the kind words and I agree with you! ♥️ I know Tux was meant to be with us!
Adaline says
Hi, so sorry about the vet experience. I rescued a beautiful Cavalier named Leopold and he has anxiety. I was told by the first vet I took him to after his adoption that he was “a lost cause” and that I was selfish for choosing to adopt him despite him not being aggressive and needing a loving forever home or he would be put down. He was two when I got him, he is now eight.
After years of work he has a best dog friend up the road that he plays with every day although he still doesn’t like other dogs or the dog park. He loves me, my wheelchair bound disabled sister and my family. He likes children and women, though he can be wary of men intially. He has never once bitten or snapped in the six years I’ve had him.
He has made so much improvement though he will likely never the most social or amazingly well trained of dogs but he is happy, healthy and receives all the love and care in the world.
I know how hard it hits you when someone says things like that but at the end of the day, the vet sees a dog for 30 minutes tops and we see them all day every day. Very few dogs are truly “lost causes” and most of the time hard work, love and commitment make the world of difference.
Thank you for choosing to adopt a dog in need and giving him a home, a family and the best second chance at life that he has always deserved.
Taralynn says
Hi, Adaline!
That makes me so sad to read you have dealt with the same experience, but I love knowing that he has succeeded with you!! You’re doing amazing. ♥️
Kim W. says
I wonder if it would be beneficial for Tux if you and Tux greeted visitors in the back yard. A few minutes outside might make him feel less surprised/trapped in his home. It might also ease his embarrassment of losing control inside.
Jodi says
Sorry your vet experience. That even upset me, reading about it. Glad the chews are helping Tux. Very happy you are sharing your pregnancy journey with us and seeing that pregnancy glow you have now. Hope you have a happy thanksgiving. My favorite dishes are yams, green beans casserole. Also my moms pies. She makes her own pie crusts and it makes a world of difference from store bought pie.
Taralynn says
Thank you, Jodi!
Gosh that sounds like a delicouos spread!
Marine says
Hi Taralynn,
I loved reading this post. Like everyone else, I was a bit scared when I saw the teaser xD but I’m glad to know you’ll still be around here for a while. It’s absolutely normal to focus on you and your health at this moment, just know that there will always be faithful readers over here 🙂
In my opinion, there is way too many “so-called” bloggers that are only here to make profit with meaningless contents and partnerships … They may be prolific but quality is definitively better than quantity ! I love the fact that you’ve kept this authenticity over the years 🙂
I’m so sorry to hear about this awful vet ! You’re doing such an amazing job with Tux, it’s obvious that you love your pets unconditionnaly ! It reminds me of a traumatic experience I had with a vet when I lost my 14 years cat. When the time arrived to say goodbye to him, the vet refused to take him out of his cage (which was so overhead that my sister and I couldn’t even reach it) pretexting that “any move could hurt him”. But my sister and I knew the real reason was that my cat once scratched and bit him because vet appointments usually made him very scared and nervous (he was the most loving and adorable cat at home), and it pissed the vet off. We were in tears and we could hear our cat mewing up there, so we grabbed the vet’s chair and stepped on it to reach him. As soon as he saw us, he came closer and laid his head on our arms …
After that, we told the vet that he would never see us again. I still think about it almost 13 years later …
Tux is lucky to be so loved after all he’ve been through, and that’s all that matters <3
C says
Can you relink them chews you purchased? The link appears to not work. You and Kyle are such great dog parents, I hadn’t no doubt you’ll be amazing with the new baby! I also had terrible sickness much of my twin pregnancy, so I know how hard and frustrating it can be to not feel “normal”. Hang in there!
Jacki says
Hi – could you possibly tell me what the sandals are that you’re wearing in the funnel cake picture??
E. says
My son is 9 now but I was sick the entire pregnancy. B6 helped a lot! If it gets worse or continues ask your doctor for Zofran – don’t suffer!! We women often just keep quiet about how awful pregnancy can be.
Ann says
You are so dang cute! Happy Thanksgiving! Take care of yOu!
Jess says
Got so nervous you were gonna say you are done blogging!! Been here since 2013 and am excited to hear about tour pregnancy journey! Love being part of the ride!
Kelly says
Hi Taralynn!
1. I am currently in STL for Thanksgiving this year visiting my family. It is such a blessing to be here since I spent last year’s Thanksgiving in quarantine 🙁
2. My favorite part about Thanksgiving is just getting to spend time with my family (or friends). And having a break from the everyday work life is also nice.
3. My mom’s mac & cheese and my aunt’s pumpkin roll are the absolute best! I look forward to that stuff every year 🙂
Congratulations on your pregnancy!!! How exciting!?!?
I am one of those people who has been following you since the very beginning and it’s so wild to think about how much life has changed over the years! I am so happy to hear that you are still planning to keep the blog alive! I second another commenter above… if you are still blogging in 50 years I will still be happily following you along the journey.
Prayers for you and Kyle and your baby! Happy Thanksgiving!
Jackie says
Will you do your Christmas volumes and videos? I also wanted to say how happy I am for you. Congratulations.
Carrie says
Hi Taralynn! I’m so sorry to hear about your vet experience, and I’m glad the chews are helping Tux. My boyfriend and I have an anxious boxer-pittie mix who also gets upset at new people inside the house or at the door. One thing that we’ve found to help a ton when new people are coming over is to ask them to call about five minutes before they arrive; we take the pup for a walk and meet the new people down the street. I make sure she sees how happy I am to see the new person, and I also give them some treats to feed her. That establishes that I know the people and trust them, so she stops trying to “protect” me. It sounds like Tux’s reaction is different, but maybe it could help? He’s a lucky guy to have you and Kyle to care for him!