An A-Door-ing Install

Anyone who has been around this blog for a hot second knows that Wrigley and Bailey are our world. We are currently child-less adults whose lives revolve around two mutts, literally. In Chris's words, "We're DINKS, dude." (Double Income, No Kids)

Wrigley loves basking in the sun and would stay outside all day if we let him (he barks...and we don't want to be the annoying neighbors), but Bailey would rather never have to go outside. She doesn't like getting her feet dirty and hates being hot.

That leads me to my point of needing a doggy door. Wrigley will "talk" to you until you let him out. You let him out and all he does is lay by the back door waiting for Bailey to come out. Then you have to get up and let Bailey out, only to see her by the door five minutes later because she is too hot.

To end this never ending cycle of inside-outside, we decided to get a doggy door.

Saturday we headed to a local surplus store where we bought a new door. Then we headed to Home Depot to buy the biggest doggy door they had. Several hundred dollars later we were back home to install our new door and doggy door and be done with the 1st world problem of having to let your dogs out.

That all was until we realized the door did not match up with our existing door. The only way for it to work was to rip out the entire door frame. After watching a few YouTube videos, we quickly realized we weren't willing to go to that length to get the dogs a door, so we decided to head back to Home Depot to see if they had any other options.

While browsing the door aisle I spotted this storm door with an extra large doggy door already installed. We were sold. We loaded it up, went home, and installed it until dark Saturday night. 

Sunday we went to church then returned everything we had bought the previous day. Although it is not the prettiest door you've ever seen, it has already proven to be the best investment yet. The dogs have had a doggy door before, so it didn't take them long to catch on. It is so nice to wake up and just let them come in and out as they please. We keep them inside all day, then when we get home, we open it up and they can go in and out. Wrigley has almost worn the door out in the four days we've had it!

I am loving not having to get up and let them in and out and they are loving the freedom of going about as they please!

To entice them at first, we bribed them with these Orijen dog treats from Chewy.com. Of course they wanted to go in and out knowing they were going to get a treat! At least the treats are good for them!

Be sure to check out yesterday's post where I showed you our updated front door! Last weekend was all about doors in the Tucker house!

10 Silly Quirks

In this instance, I'm talking about my fur-babies, Wrigley and Bailey.

All kids, adults, and animals have quirks, so I thought I'd share a few of Wrigley and Bailey's weird quirks.

1. Wrigley growls when Chris and I kiss/hug or get close. It is not an aggressive growl at all. It is more like an, "Ewww. Could y'all not do that in front of me?" But, seriously, every time we are sitting next to one another on the couch and we get too close, Wrigley growls.

2. Bailey is the slowest eater in the world. She chews one piece of dog food at a time. With her treats, she grabs it in her mouth in the most dainty way, brings it to another room, and slowly eats it. Wrigley grabs the treat out of my hand before I even get it out of the bag.

3. Bailey loves dirty wash-cloths. When I am sorting the dirty laundry, she will always run away with a used wash-cloth. So weird.

4. Wrigley prefers to sleep on his back, spread eagle.

5. We call Bailey a sorority dog because when you go to pet her, she lays down and opens her legs. (Totally inappropriate and I hope no one takes offence to this! One of my friends in a sorority actually told us about this saying haha! I love and have the utmost respect for sorority girls (my SIL and best friends being some of them)...it's just funny in this case.) She just hates having her head rubbed, unlike Wrilgey.

6. Bailey is super sneaky. The dogs are not allowed on our bed and when we lived at our other house, I would leave for work before Chris. One morning that we didn't have school, Chris kissed me bye and left and right when I heard the garage door close I felt something slowly creeping onto the bed. I shot up and it was Bailey who thought that I had already left for work! She was just going to make herself right at home on our bed thinking that we had forgot to shut our bedroom door!

7. Wrigley prefers to be outside. Rain, hail, sleet, snow...he does not want to be inside. Bailey is the complete opposite. 

8. When the alarm goes off, Wrigley is up just like a toddler. He is full of energy and ready to go. Bailey, on the other hand, is like the moody teen in the house and usually gives us the death stare before we force her outside to go potty.

9. Wrigley always has to be under things. He lays under the coffee table. He lays under the kitchen table. He used to lay under our bed, when he fit, hah! He lays under the reclined part of the couch. When we are outside, he lays under the car. We aren't sure why he does this, but we always know where to find him!

10. Bailey only wants a bone/toy when Wrigley wants it. She doesn't like chewing on fresh bones, but she always steals Wrigley's when he has already gnawed on it. We are trying to find bones for her that she will actually eat, and ones that will help her teeth and breath. These Blue Buffalo Blue Bones from Chewy.com have been a huge hit. Bailey actually eats all of hers and Wrigley eats anything, so he doesn't really count in this. As far as toys go, Bailey, once again, only wants a toy if Wrigley has it. Thank goodness they both love this Kong bone that has a squeaker that shuts off! Every dog parent's dream! I hate when Wrigley plays with his toy in the middle of the night and I can hear it squeak! This bone has been great and super durable. Wrigley usually destroys toys within a day or so. This one is two weeks old and still in perfect condition!  

What are some of your dog's quirks?

We love you, you goofy pups!

Scary

That is the only word I can find to describe Friday afternoon. 

Friday morning I woke up, got ready for school, and noticed Bailey was acting really strange. She hates going outside in the mornings, especially when it is raining. Unlike normal, she went outside in the drizzle and would not come back in. I text Chris a picture of her with the caption, "she REFUSES to come in." It was so out of the ordinary that it called for a special text message.

I finally got her inside, packed up, and went to school. I noticed she didn't eat her breaskfast, which is unusual as well.

That afternoon when I got home I let her and Wrigley out in the front yard like normal. They ran straight for the bushes to check for the rabbits and I went straight to the mailbox.

All of a sudden I hear yelping, and I look over, and Bailey is laying on the sidewalk shaking, yelping, and going to the restroom all over herself.

I FREAK out. Seriously, freak out. I start screaming her name and continue to freak out. Our neighbors just happen to pull up at the same time and they came running over. I ask if they will watch her while I put Wrigley inside so I can rush her to the vet.

When I come back out Bailey is up, but looks so pitiful. I thank the neighbors and I take her inside to clean her up a bit and call the vet. I also call Chris bawling and he has that panicked, 'ahhhh what do I need to do' voice.

We head to her appointment at 5:15pm and I can tell something is up. She is totally not herself and I am a wreck.

Chris decides to rush home from work, but I decided to leave without him because I didn't want to wait for him to get home. He agreed that it was best to get her there asap.

We get to the vet and her temperature is really low. They check her out and determine that she probably had a seizure, but there was nothing they could do about it at that moment unless I wanted to pay tons of money to have her scanned and get a full evaluation. Call me cheap, but the vet made it clear she wasn't dying, so I opted not to have her all checked out. Before we left he wanted to make sure she ate, since she hadn't eaten all day. She ate the medicated food he gave her, so he sent us on our way.

On the way home she was still pretty out of it. I stopped to pick up a pizza across the street from our neighborhood and left her in the car for literally five minutes. While I was inside Domino's she threw up all over my car. Yes, it was just as gross as you can imagine, but I started freaking out again because I wanted to know what was wrong with her.

I called the vet back and asked if it was normal that she throw up the medicated food and he said no and I should bring her back first thing in the morning.

I got home and was bawling again because I'm her mother and I guess that's what mothers do?! I had Chris take her inside and I cleaned my car. Chris is a wimp when it comes to puke, so I took one for the team.

The rest of Friday night I laid with and cuddled. She slept right by me so I could make sure I would hear her if anything happened.

Saturday morning we woke up and I could tell she was hungry. I fed her a little bit and she scarfed it down. I let her have her normal portion and she ate every last bite.

We called the vet before our appointment and they said if she was eating then we could just monitor her.

All day Saturday she was pretty pitiful. She was just lethargic and not her normal self. It crushed me every time I saw her sad eyes.

Sunday was like a brand new day and we finally got glimpse of our girl back. She had more spunk and was willing to play with Wrigley. She ate and went to the restroom like normal. I finally had some relief that she was on the mend.

Thanks to all of you who text and sent your well wishes on IG. The prayers were heard and my girl is back to her old silly self now! But, Bailey, let's not pull those shenanigans anymore, okay? Your Mom almost had a heart attack!

Has this ever happened to your pup?

Linking up with Leann and Kimberlee!

Days 7-12: What I Am Thankful For

Day 7: I am thankful for my Daddy. Yes, no matter how old I get he will always be my "Daddy." November 7th is his birthday and there isn't a more deserving man than him. He is my best bud, and will always shoot me straight. I will always be your little girl. Love you!

Day 8: I am thankful for being able to purchase a home with my amazing husband. Through God, prayer, and a whole lotta number crunchin' we were able to purchase our dream starter home. I constantly have to pinch myself to realize that we are homeowners. Eeek! Decorating it has been oh so fun!

Day 9: I am thankful for my puppies, Wrigley and Bailey. Gosh they literally make my heart melt all. the. time. No matter what they do (like dig a whole under our fence into our neighbors yard - so sorry Grant and Amber!) their faces are so innocent and they are like my children. It is scary to think I could love two four-legged goobers as much as I love those little mutts! Imangine when I have human children...oh my heart will be so big!  

Day 10: I am thankful for growing up in the country. As much as I could never move back to my teeny-tiny town (having Starbucks and a mall a couple miles away is something I refuse to give up), I will always appreciate the small town feel. Friday night football games and dirt roads will always feel like home, but sometimes you have to move on to bigger and better things. I will always be thankful for that little town that shaped me into the person I am today.

Day 11: I am thankful for my college education. I think graduating college in three years may have been a little too quick (stretch it out people! the real world is not all it is cracked up to be!), but I am blessed to have had the opportunity to obtain a wonderful education and go on to pursue my master's degree.

Day 12: I am thankful for growing up with all four of my grandparents. Although my Meme is no longer with us, I have still gotten to share my life with four of the greatest people to ever walk the face of the earth. Some people never get to meet all their grandparents, so I am BEYOND blessed to have had over two decades with all four of mine.

What I Wore Wednesday - Green Jeans!!

I know, green jeans?! That is what I was thinking when I spotted them. But, then I saw the price tag and they hopped in my basket like stink on poo, or white on rice?? Anyways, I knew for that price I could figure something out.

Since fall has kinda-sorta arrived here in the Lone Star State I have been wearing my boots as much as possible. I promise all winter it will not be boots every Wednesday, or at least it won't be these boots every Wednesday :)



Everyday when I get home I let the dogs out in the front yard for some play time. They hardly ever actually play in the back yard, but the second they are let loose in the front yard, they are running around like crazies! Also, when their Daddy gets home they like to show off their playing skills and put on a show. And then Chris gets them all riled up and they have been known to run smack-dab into me without even skipping a step. Thanks in advance, Wrigley and Bailey, for my future blown ACL because of your lack in looking before you run.

Now for the budget break down:

- Steve Madden Boots: $165 - as I said before, totally justified

- Grey Sweater from Nordstrom: $32

- Black Scoop Neck Blouse: Maybe 20 bucks or less from Banana Republic. I just remember it was heavily discounted.

- Necklace: Free, thanks Momma!

- Kelly Green Pants from Target: $11.78 <-- Yes, less than 12 dollars (holla!)

Do you remember these pants? Well these green gems are the same brand and marked down to the same price. I will admit they are a bit big, but based on my lack of working out since I got hitched, I might need that extra room :) Or of course an extra couple rounds in the dryer could always do the trick!

Be sure to check out my other WIWW posts here!

Happy Hump Day!

My Distractions From Studying

I feel like everything > studying. I can clean the entire house, with a smile, instead of having to study. I will take a break from studying and end up doing a load of laundry. It is the weirdest thing. I am never more motivated to clean, cook, DIY, etc. then when I should be studying.

I will be done with graduate school in May and I. can't. wait. I am so over school, but I know it will be worth it in the end.

This is the scene most nights when I am trying to study after the Mr. has already laid his little head to rest:



Both of those little munchkins lay their heads on my lap in the sweetest way that seriously melts my heart every time. I feel like they are saying, "Mom, just please pay us some attention :(" even though they are not lacking in the attentioin department at all! I always end up straying from my homework to give those babies some lovin'. With faces like that, how could I resist?!

I Spy...

Wrigley's bone! We give Wrigley and Bailey bones to keep them occupied during the day; it works like a charm terribly. 

This is what Wrigley does with his:



Once he hides his, he goes and finds Bailey's and chews on hers. If he thinks in any way that you know where his bone is, he gets weird...you know what I mean?! That "Mom, how can you always find my super-obviously-hidden bone??" look. This same morning I went back inside and started looking for the other bone. Wrigley was mysteriously hiding out by the blanket basket. Why, you ask? Because he hid Bailey's bone is the basket and he didn't want me to find it and give it to her! That boy has no manners!

Bailey isn't much of a bone-dog, so she really doesn't care. I think she secretly finds it funny how Wrigley puts soooo much effort into hiding their bones and she never even searches for them. Oh to have the big sister attitude.

We have found bones in the crevices of our couches and chairs, behind TV cabinets, under pillows...one day I feel like we will uncover all the bones we have ever given Wrigley. Whatever makes a pup happy!

Do you puppies hid their bones in silly places?!

A Little Switcher-roo

This past weekend (just like every other weekend since owning a house) Chris and I continued to convert our house into a home.

I finished up most of the painting on Saturday and rearranged some furniture; I pulled the ole furniture switcher-roo. After initially wanting to convert this old dresser into a TV cabinet, I later realized I would prefer some sort of entertainment center to cover more of the giant wall the TV is on.

And that is when my mind went into rearranged furniture mode. "If I moved the current TV stand to the wall behind the couch, then I would no longer need to buy a sofa table. We could temporally use the desk that is in "Chris's Library (ha!)" to put the TV on until we get an entertainment center. Perfect!"

I then demanded asked Chris politely if he would help me and he happily agreed. What a good husband (does he know that I will be asking him to move furniture around the rest of our lives!?!).

girl look at that body, I DON'T workoutttt...

So we moved the TV stand/old dresser to the wall behind the couch and it looked so much better than on the wall with the TV! Oh and are you wondering about that oh-so-adorable mirror? It was a HomeGoods find that I failed decided not to mention in the HomeGoods post. Sneaky sneaky!

Chris was soooo skeptical (as usual), but after it was all said and done he finally acknowledged that fact that his wife might have a few decorating skills up her sleeve. Hmph!

And here is the finished product! Well, we are still missing knobs!

These two stinkers were our moral support.

Bailey was sticking her tongue out. I barley caught the end of it. Absolutely adorable. Between these two and my husband, my heart is in the constant liquid state! They are heart melters!

Have you made some furniture switcher-roos lately?!