Dear Skunks

Dear Skunks,

I do not care how cute and cuddly you may look, or how adorable you were in the movie "Bambi", I do not like you. If you come into our yard again, tempting my baby dog to play with you and instead spraying her face, I will have to wage full on war against you.

I warn you skunks, do not get on my bad side.

Regards,
TLee

P.S. You smell.

Best Puppy Friends

Today we had an impomptu puppy play date in our backyard! The pups had so much fun...

...r u n n i n g...

...a n d  p l a y i n g...

...a n d  r o u g h  h o u s i n g...

...a n d  c h i l l i n'...

True friends let you share a water dish!

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

This past weekend, hubby, pup and I packed up and headed to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for a weekend of sun, sand and camping.

When we first got there we set up the campsite. If you are thinking about camping here, get there early; campsites are first come/first serve. We stayed in the Mather Loop at campsite M34. It was nice, but not overly roomy--if we'd had more people joining us it would have been tight--but we didn't so it was perfect. If you do have your choice of sites, I thought some of the sites along the back of the loop looked really nice, and many of the sites were much bigger. Here is our site, to give you an idea of where we stayed.

After setting up camp, we went to check out Mount Baldy on the far east side of the park. There are two ways to get to the beach from the parking lot; a short hike up and over a dune, or a little longer hike over some smaller dunes. 

Now, the trail head clearly says to only take the trail over the large dune if you are good shape--we took that trail, and are not in the best shape--don't be scared. A rest or two on the way up and anyone in decent condition will be fine. Here are a few pictures from the top of Mt. Baldy...

Looking straight out at Lake Michigan

And looking east at the beautiful power plant in Michigan City

Now to go back up the same dune to the parking lot is much more steep, but it is ultra fun to go down!

Steep!

After climbing (and descending) Mt. Baldy, we walked along the beach heading west, and waded in the cold water of Michigan. 

Pup's first time in waves!

Looking down the beach

After walking for a while we took the trail through the woods back to the parking lot--it was really pretty!!

After that we hit up an incredibly crazy junk store (on the corner of second and central, if you are interested...it's a pickers paradise), brought some firewood, and spent the rest of the night playing Bananagrams, cooking and hanging out by our campfire.

Day Two started with a nice drive along Lakeshore Drive and eventually ending up at Central Beach. We swam around in the lake with puppy and then took a catnap in the sand; the weather was perfect and we were able to find a secluded spot and it kinda felt like a private beach.

Central Beach

My sandy Puppy Girl!

After hanging out at the beach for a while we started to feel a little thirsty and a little burny, so we decided to head back to the campsite for lunch. After hanging out there for a bit we went to Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk. While there are no dogs allowed on the actually beach, we enjoyed walking on the trail to the beach (paved so it's good for strollers and wheelchairs too) and out onto pier.

Trail to the beach

Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Pavilion

Beachfront

"Riverwalk" Pier

After our walk back to the car I realized how tired, and hungry I was. We headed back to our campsite once again to start a fire and cook some dinner. After dinner, we played more Bananagrams and hung out around the campfire.

Sunday morning we woke up, broke camp, and headed home. It was an awesome trip! And I would recommend the Indiana Dunes to anyone--especially those in the Chicagoland region--as a quick, fun, inexpensive way to enjoy Lake Michigan's beaches.

Ridiculously Proud of My Swimmer Dog

New Year Resolutions: Health, Wealth & Happiness

So it's 1-1-11, what else would I be writing about but my New Year's resolutions! I don't think my resolutions are much different than millions of Americans and billions of people of throughout the world. BUT I have thought a good deal about it, and specific ways to achieve it. Hopefully, being specific, telling anyone who will read it my plan, and then reporting back through blogging after the fact will allow me to accomplish all I am setting out to do. So let's get started...


HEALTH


Eat Better

• Drink more water. Huge problem for me for some reason, not sure why. But in an effort to help, my water drinking habits,  I am resolving to not drinking any non-diet soda, no more than one can of diet soda per day, AND no soda when I eat out. Water, water, water!
• Go grocery shopping regularly. I really seem to do best with my eating habits when there's food in the house, thus, I need to keep good healthy food in the house. 
• Up the fiber, cut back the sugar. I love desert--who doesn't?--but I need to get my sugar quantities under control. I'd also like to get some more high fiber foods in my diet. 

Exercise

• Cardio! 30 minutes, 3 times a week, minimum. Now I know that as a standard, that truly is the minimum for cardio...but I'll come clean, that would be 90 more minutes a week than what I'm getting now. So its a start!
• Take the stairs. Yes, it's true. I take the elevator in my 3-story work building daily (sometimes, several times daily). I will resolve that will take the stairs this year...unless, I'm carrying something heavy!
• Play with the dog daily. That mutt really wears me out!

Be Outside

• Canoe, canoe, canoe! I would really like to get out and paddle more this canoe season than last--the record shouldn't be hard to break, I think we only got out twice. I would like to get out at least once a month April through September. 
• We were generously given a lot of camping gear for the holidays. We need to get out and camp this year. I'm really not down for winter camping, and would love to go more often than this, but I resolve that we will go once a month June through August. 

WEALTH

Financials in Order

• Save, save, save. I feel like we really need to get serious about saving. Spend less to save more. 
• Check in my credit score, at least twice over the year. Make any corrections and raise score, if possible. 

Alternative Sources of Money

• I have lots of vintage plates, dishes, and doodads...I think it would be cool to sell them. I am unsure if I'd like to try to sell on-line or in an antique store. Nothing that is gonna make me rich by any means, but a great way for me to unclutter and make a little money...that will of course go into savings. 

Strive for Simplicity

• So a great way to spend less, and save more...be more simple. In a consumer driven world, this can be hard to do, but I have my hubby, my animals, and my family and friends...what outside of that truly matters?

HAPPINESS

Be More Social

• I'm starting a book & movie club. I've thought about it for a while, and decided I will do it. A very nice way to be social if I do say so myself. 
• See my family more...I live so close to most of them, its a shame we don't get together more. I would like to make it a point to see everyone more. 
• See my friends more...Same thing, I have lots of awesome friends I barely see. Shame, shame. I resolve to make an effort to see my friends more often!

Volunteer

• I would like to get more involved with the camp I grew up at. I love that place, and believe it to be one of the best places in the world. I would like to commit to helping it stay that way. 
• I would like to find a local place to volunteer a couple times a month. Stay tuned for that. 

Randoms

• I resolve to wear a dress/skirt to work twice a month. 
• Watch less TV I'm not interested in...sometimes, I will watch TV I am not interested in, just because it is what's on. I am not anti-TV, not at all, but if there is nothing on I'd rather find something better or turn it off. 
• Put away clean clothes. I put this one for my hubby, who hates that I don't put away my clean clothes...really, baby, 2011 will be the year!

Okay, so I know that is a lot of New Year's resolutions, but they are all things I'd like to do...let's see what I can accomplish. Good luck to me, right. 

Did you set any resolutions this year?

More Doggy Fun

So this past weekend, the hubby, pup and I went to two more dog parks; on Saturday we went to Independence Grove Dog Park and on Sunday we went to Duck Farm Dog Park. Nola Belle is loving all this activity, I feel bad we didn't explore these dog parks all summer. All three parks are great. The pond at Independence Grove is awesome and the pup was all about swimming despite the cooler weather. We always thought she'd enjoy swimming, but she was too distracted at Prairie Wolf last weekend. The dog park is mostly wooded with trails all around the pond. Duck Farm was also very nice; mostly open fields with low grasses and mowed paths. We brought our tennis racket and some tennis balls and bopped them all over the park with Nola bounding along after them.

After going to the three closest parks, personally, I would rank them 1) Prairie Wolf 2) Independence Grove 3) Duck Farm. I love the prairie grasses and flowers at Prairie Wolf, along with the large open areas and nice swimming spot. Independence Grove is awesome for Nola to go swimming and has some great trails, it does not however have a doggy drinking fountain. The largest negative to Duck Farm is the lack of water (though there was a fair amount of mud), but for us it is the most conveniently located so I am sure it will get a lot of use by us! My hubby ranks them 1) Independence Grove 2) Prairie Wolf 3) Duck Farm. I think he really liked the wooded shady paths at IG.

If by some stretch someone from the Lake Country Forest Preserve reads this, please know I love your dog parks, so please please please consider making on in Northern Lake County...like maybe by Van Patten Woods, just a suggestion. I would use it all the time!! Thanks!

Dog Park Fun

So today we tried out Prairie Wolf Dog Park. What an awesome place.

The park was full of people and dogs on this nippy fall day; everyone was out to enjoy themselves. We've visited the Lake County Forest Preserve with our pup before, but to parks where she was required to wear  a leash. These trips have always been fairly pleasant, except for the doggy pulling on her leash, barking at bikers, and a very thirsty puppy. However, at the Prairie Wolf, the pup got to be off her leash which she loved, and they had a drinking fountain at her height. What's even better is the park is absolutely beautiful making great for the people too. And what's great!!!...there is a large pond for the dogs to swim in too. Our pup was not so fond of the water, but it was a great area, and I hope she's braver the next time we go. It was a great day at a great park. Next time I think we will try the Independence Grove Dog Park. I am so happy to live in a county that has such a nice park system. New wish: a Lake County Forest Preserve Dog Park in Northern Lake County.

Pledge Pet Hair Remover

So I am not a product blogger, but I have no problem passing on products that actually work. With a dog and two cats our house gets hairy, and this little gadget works at getting all that hair off the furniture. I wish they came up with years ago, much better than the sticky tape stuff/lint roller (that I still use for clothes). So if you're a pet owner you should try this thing, it works well.

One drawback:  its not reusable and it should be. I would pay more for one I could empty and use again.

Water Dog

Hubby and I discovered that we have a water dog while at the forest preserve yesterday. She went right in despite the water being cold. She even wanted to go swim out and play with the ducks...but we had her on a leash and she couldn't go out too far.

I am so excited for the nicer weather. Next step will be to see if she is a canoe dog too!

Good Girl

I taught my puppy, Nola Belle, to shake today. Such a good girl!!