In September of 2020 we got a puppy!!! Greta the Golden was born on August 7, 2020 and came to live with us in late September. She is beauty, she is grace, she is Miss. Carroll County. She has many of the "standard traits" of a golden retriever. She's gentle, friendly, willful, outgoing, playful, and so darn sweet. She truly is everything we could have dreamed of is a dog.
As a first time dog owner, I knew that I wanted to ensure that we had an animal that was trained and listened. Living on 12+ acres, it was important to us that she would stick around, not run after wildlife, and come when called. We knew that we wanted to enlist in training as soon as possible with the ultimate goal her her being fully trained before she was a year old. After extensive research for reliable trainers in our areas we chose to work with Milligan Valley Dog Training in Minerva, OH. Whitney and her team's focus is building a strong, loving and respectful relationship between dogs and their owners, working with them together as a team. We decided to do the Puppy Training program when Greta was 12 weeks old and then later enrolled her in the Board and Train program. Both of these instilled key skills and commands into her day-to-day routine and gave us humans the 4-1-1 on how to manage our sweet girl. We are beyond impressed with what Greta learned at "camp" and how well behaved she is for just 15 months old. We are able to take her with us everywhere, walk her off leash, and bring her around children without any worries. It has been a dream come true having a dog that we can do everything with and that is so well behaved. Check out the video below showcasing some of her awesome skills!
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Low and behold it's that time of year where I can't help bust just be grateful all the darn time. It's the holiday season and, unlike last year, we have the opportunity to safely gather with family and friends to celebrate! By nature, I have always been one to celebrate all the sweet chapters of life and to remember to count my blessings twice each night, so not being able to do that for a year was TOUGH. It is Thanksgiving week and I'm feeling thankful as ever, so I thought I would share some quick notes of gratitude with you! E's 2021 Quick List of Gratitude
I would challenge everyone this week to take a moment to think of a few things that you're grateful for! My high level quick list doesn't even begin to hit on all the things that make me #blessed. Feel free to comment below and let me know what you're thankful for this holiday season! Header photo taken by LovelyInk Creative! Highly recommend them.
Well...the last time I wrote a post I was so #shocked that two years had passed since my last blog entry. The real shocker is that it's been ANOTHER two years since that post. But here I am...back again. I thought it would be best to give a *quick* update since it's been so long. Since January 2019 so much has changed and honestly I probably missed the opportunity to revisit this space in 2020 and use it as an outlet. Halfway through 2019 I started a new job and spent most of summer and fall celebrating friends and families as they got married. The year itself housed thirteen (1-3!!!!) weddings for us, which was crazy, hectic, and oh so amazing. Looking back it was such a great year for me and one that allowed for much needed change, growth, and the load of fun was just a cherry on top. Flash forward to winter and I, like all good millennials, was so excited for 2020. The term "20-20 vision" comes to mind as I recall looking forward to a year of more growth, settling into a new role on a new team at work, simply figuring out the next part of my life, and finding my 'place' again in the craziness of day to day life. Little did I know how much would change in just a few short months when the big c-word came to town. In March our whole lives shut down, we were forced to work from home, quarantine from stores, and wear masks. The worlds smartest people encouraged us to limit time we spent with our loved ones and to keep our physical distance from people to keep everyone safe and healthy. To say this was all hard for me is an understatement. By nature, I'm a busy body. I'm constantly moving, making plans, and over booking my calendar. Most weeks I'm spending more time away from home than I am at it, then all of a sudden I'm forced to do EVERYTHING from one place. I worked from home, exercised at home, socialized from home (shoutout Zoom - should have bought stock in that bad boy), literally did not leave my home. It was hard, very hard. After a few weeks and about seventeen breakdowns, I got bored. Surprising to none, I needed something to do. This would have been a great time to revisit this blog, but instead I started my Master's program and am happy to say that in six (hopefully short) months I'll be finished! Beginning the program during the pandemic wasn't the hard part, it was adjusting to the time commitment after returning to work, and a daily commute just shy of two hours, once I was back in the office. This program has challenged me and allowed for me to continue my education which is something I always wanted to do. I feel beyond blessed to be enrolled and to be able to learn and build my knowledge bank up for the future. I am currently in a social media marketing class, which is what prompted me to return to E's Guide To. In the coming weeks I'll be posting a few blogs to share with my colleagues and professor. I really do enjoy posting here and I hope that even after my MBA I can come back to this space and be creative. That's all for now - you'll hear from me soon, for real this time!! As always you can keep up with me on Instagram. P.S. I also got ENGAGED this year....but more to come on that late :)
It’s officially the last day of January (literally uploading this at 11:00 p.m. because holding yourself accountable matters!) and, like most people, I had set some pretty hefty goals for myself this month. One of them being to create a blog post and to then continue doing so throughout the year. (it’s officially out there, so I guess it’s happening) HERE. I. AM. She’s back (not better) and ready for 2019. Hi hello!
As my first blog post in TWO YEARS (yikes, didn’t realize I procrastinated that long…), I thought it would be most fitting to bring a little awareness into your life. Ladies, I am talking to you on this one (sorry fellas). I want you to think about an area that, if you’re like me, you don’t necessarily think about often. You just go through the motions DAILY; open it up, pick one out, put it on, move forward with your day. No active thinking really goes into it. I want you to think about you underwear drawer. Odd...I know, but bear with me. I thought it was odd too until I really started to think about it. Now if you’re someone that is super into getting new panties every six months, has an Angel Card for Victoria’s Secret, or just really like buying lacy panties on the reg - this isn’t for you. But if you’re like ME and don’t really think about your underwear often; you try to match your bras and panties, put on ones that can’t be seen in your favorite LuLuLemon Align leggings for yoga class, and generally don’t think about it when you open your drawer this IS for you. This all started at the end of December. One of my best girlfriends told me that she had gotten rid of all her underwear and purchased new, cotton only, ones. Naturally, I went home and opened my drawer and stared down at the disorganized mess that laid before me and thought "how old are these puppies?" I really started to wonder when the last time I splurged on new underwear was... So I picked up a pair of my favorite, go-to undies (they really don't show in my favorite naked sensation yoga pants!!) and looked at them. I stared at them like they would give me some sort of answer that I was looking for. Low and behold, they did. In that moment I realized the tag, of said favorite pair of undies, had a date printed on them. Now I was either born under a rock or am just oblivious to the world...but I had NO idea that clothing companies put dates on their products? So I started digging through my drawer and realized, indeed, clothing companies do put dates on their products. I was shocked, I was scared and then I talked myself out of it and forgot about it for a month. Typical. A few weeks later I saw an article from my weekly Glamour email called “I Got Rid of All My Old Underwear, and It Was Life Changing.” Seeing the title I thought "this is my sign from God to take all my underwear and throw them away." Once my naturally dramatic ass calmed down I realized that the article talks more about doing something that is solely for yourself, riding the underwear that no longer serve you and wearing sexy things to boost your confidence and treat yo’ self. Who couldn't get on board with that?! It had a lot of really great points, but it started really making me think about the hygiene side of our underwear drawer. Next thing you know I'm texting my best friends and we're all going through our panty drawer in horror at the secret dates on these little pieces of fabric (for myself and all those involved, I will not be releasing any of the dates...........okay 2011 was my oldest "I went to high school with that thong" said my best friend....HIGH SCHOOL. UGH.) We (obviously me included #nojudgement) have got to start thinking about our underwear more. I mean they’re the closest, at all time, to our most precious part of our body. They're on us for extended periods of times; at work, the gym, church, during our half-marathon, then washed, then put back on our body. Last night after throwing away 35 (THIRTY FIVE PEOPLE) pairs of underwear, I decided that I was going to start prioritizing my underwear choices more. Ladies, join me in making sure that you're wearing new, breathable, and yes even sexy underwear! According to Good Housekeeping, we should purge our panty drawer every six to twelve months...but my ladies and I decided that as long as they're less than two years old, you're gucci. I challenge all of you to go throw away you undies, BURN THEM ALL Okay, that's dramatic...but seriously, throw them out and invest in yourself. Get some new undies that make you smile and feel sexy! I've officially deemed January the month of my #annualpantypurge Ta-ta for now - you'll hear from me next month! \When you’re as Type A as I am, it’s really hard to have your long-thought-out-strategically-placed-exact-plans about the future fall through. Over the past year, I constantly found myself wondering where I was going to be in the future. Honestly, I consumed myself with these worries. At first, I didn’t know where I was going to go at the end of fall semester for my spring internship, then I didn’t know what to do when that internship was over. Would I move again, would I stay in Columbus? Was I in a position to determine the next step of my life, or did I still need some time to really know what I wanted. I was scared, a little lost, and very confused. Growing up in such a small town, I always felt like I should get away. I wanted to get out there and see what the rest of the world had to offer. I wanted to understand the views of others from different walks of life. I basically had all intentions of leaving and never coming back…and that wasn’t my reality. Although my feelings about my small town changed…my concerns for what others might think didn’t. Let’s face it, when you graduate and tell people that you are moving back in with your parents there are a ton of thoughts going through your mind. If you are sitting there thinking “ugh, this is exactly what I’m worried about,” look no further because here are my tips for anyone thinking about moving home: 1. STOP CARING ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK I’m going to say this again, because it is just that important…stop caring what other people think. At the end of the day and every morning, you are the one living your life. Don't live it for someone else. You are (hopefully) thinking about the best decision for YOU; financially, emotionally, and realistically. So do what’s best for you and stop caring about what other people are thinking. 2. Follow Your Heart Now, let me clarify this right off the bat…don’t follow a guy, follow your heart. When you’re laying in bed at night with a thousand ideas and worries running through your mind, what is your heart saying? Take a deep breathe, be still, and listen. There is a 97% chance that you will instantly know what to do. You may not know why, but you’ll know what. 3. Make a Budget You really know that you’re growing up when you have financial concerns. Before you make any decision, I highly suggest you sit down and crunch the numbers. Estimate how much you will be making, what percentage of that you want to put toward your student loans (aka the bane of my existence), how much your rent/utilities/parking/groceries/bills are going to cost you for the month, and whatever else you need to survive. Be realistic with yourself and your financial goals. Make a budget and see what is going to work best for YOU! 4. Look at the Pros and the Cons I get that for some people moving home is not an option, for one reason or another. If your biggest con is “cleaning my room when my dad tells me to” (me) or “having to worry about the toilet seat being up when you go to pee in the middle of the night” (also me)…then I really suggest you consider moving home. Always remember the biggest pro...moving home = RENT FREE. 5. DO YOU Life is too damn short to keep up with the Jones, ya feel me? Do what you want to do. Live where you want to live. Spend what you want to spend. Whatever makes you happy, do it! Don't break your budget trying to keep up with other people your age. In reality, we're all on a different path and that's OKAY! So if you’re in your 20’s and living at home, trust me when I say you're not alone. According to NPR 32.1% of yo-pros 18-34 are living at home. Consider your options and make the best move for you. *S/O to my parents for making this blog possible. I promise to pay you back someday...even if that means wiping your ass* CategoriesThat’s right mom, you read that correctly…I still need you. This past week was full of a lot of life changing decisions for me. In the near future I’m going to be moving to a new town, starting at a new company and *gasp* start paying rent and utilities. The first person I wanted to call (and have a panic attack) was my mom. She seems to always know the right thing to say to calm me down. After talking to her it made me realize how lucky I really am to have such a wonderful mother. I started to think of thing things I want to thank her for. So mom... Thank you for listening to me panic and not tell me I'm being dramatic. Thank you for coming to all my events and being the first person to tell me you're proud of me. Thank you for teaching me that having a voice is a good thing and that I shouldn't conform to something I don't believe in. Thank you for believing in my wildest dreams. Thank you for listening to me go off on rants and tangents about things I'm passionate about. Thank you for being 110% unique and carefree and trying to teach me to be the same way. Thank you for reminding me to be kind to everyone...even when it's hard. Thank you for showing me that family matters and that they're there when others aren't. Thank you for yelling at me when I say cuss words. Thank you for comforting me when I've lost someone special to me...and still today when I cry about it. Thank you for buying my books when I get a good GPA the semester before. Thank you for 'lending' me your car until I get my own (or Petunia dies for good...). Thank you for teaching me that if you want something done right...you do it yourself. Thank you for showing me how to be compassionate. Thank you for always showing me how important it is to keep your girlfriends forever. Thank you for wearing fur coats all the time...even at one point it embarrassed me. Thank you for giving me your (exact) looks. Thank you for letting me call you Toonz/Teenie/Tina and still Mommy. Thank you for letting me be me. And most of all, thank YOU for being YOU, I love you.
22. It's so strange to be living as a twenty-something in this day-in-age..
Older adults think you need to have it all figured out; graduate college, start your career, buy a house, get married, have a family, buy a new car, be responsible and the scariest one...grow up. But at the same time, half of them don't think you're capable or "ready" and the other half are just comparing you to the neighbor-girl down the street that finished her undergrad summa cum laude and is on her way to med school at Harvard. Now let me tell you, it's not easy being twenty-something and a Millennial when all the Baby Boomers and Generation X adults are breathing down your neck and critiquing your every move. To be honest, it's hard because everyone seems to be comparing you to some other twenty-something year old and what they're doing. News Flash: It's okay that we're all not on the same track! You can't compare an apple to a banana or you'll always be disappointed that neither one of them is a piece of dark chocolate. This summer I have been reflecting, stressing and really thinking about all of this and I've come to one solid conclusion...there is nothing wrong with where you're at & what you're doing because not all twenty-something's are alike...not all of us want the same things at the same time. I know that this may sound like common sense and for some people it is. But for others (like me) who are watching the people around them go in every possible different direction, it's not so easy to understand that it's okay to create your own path. It's okay to not be 110% sure what you're going to be doing in a few months. It's okay to take some time and reflect on what it is you want to get out of life, because it's honestly all going to be okay sooner than you think. But it's NOT okay to put it all off until you're 30 though. Recently my best friend shared a TED Talk with me that really pieced all of this together. It helped me understand that your twenties are so important for laying the foundation for the rest of your life, but also that you still have time before you have to commit to pouring the cement. Like Meg Jay said, "[make your] twenties a developmental sweet spot" & "decide your life right now." Take your twenties to find your "ah ha moment," change the things your don't like about yourself or your life and don't rush to grow up...it's more enjoyable if you just go at your own pace & make it count. With that being said I'm going to go back to being a happy, stress-free, 22-year-old-college-fifth-year who each day lays a new brick on her own path instead of stressing that it's not the same as everyone else's.
POSTED BY Elissa M. Prazer
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