Welcome, Ein!

We are officially welcoming home Ein, our newest family member and four month old Pembroke Welsh Corgi! 

We drove to Ohio the other morning to meet the breeder and pick him up, and omg!  What an amazing dog!  Even the breeder was sad to see him go she loved him so much.  And he is a doll, a totally amazing dog.  The whole ride home he hung out quietly (some of that due to sleeping!) in the back seat with my husband, not making a fuss at all!  Even when we got home he was great.  And having never owned a Corgi before, I was surprised by how smart he was.  Those of you with Corgis may be shaking your head by that completely obvious fact, but I was stunned.

The other thing that really impressed both my husband and myself, is how amazing the dog is simply because he spent his first 4 months with his breeder and their family.  There is something to be said for the training dogs receive when they learn to live with a pack, for one, and learn proper training from a young age - including potty training and crate training.  Wow.  Absolutely, 1000% recommending buying from a breeder.  But do your homework.  NOT a "for sale" breeder, but a breeder that doesn't breed often, is picky about which dog is placed with you, and wants to stay in contact.  That is a good start to knowing you have a good breeder.  And ours was GREAT!

Day 2 and so far Ein is happy and adjusting well.  We often find him lying spread eagle on his back while he sleeps or plays with a toy.  It's super cute.  And we are super excited to share more in the future!

Corgi!

Have you ever felt that moment of pure pleasure when something you've been hoping and waiting for finally comes to pass?  You want to jump out of your seat, shout, high five the world, and yet smile so wide your face could fall off.  That was 10am this morning when my husband and I received an email from the breeder we had been speaking with for the last 3 months.  We have a puppy!

Thinking this is silly?  Maybe you are like the wonderful many people who adopt from a humane society.  (I used to volunteer at one in college and it was the happiest moment for us when one of our dogs got a new home)  Maybe some of you purchase dogs from pet stores, which most of us working for humane societies abhor for the fact they promote puppy mills.  But back to the point.  :-)  We have wanted a corgi for about a year and about three months ago we finally decided to start the hunt, knowing that breeders don't always have puppies and good breeders take such pride in placing their pups that you don't always get one even if they have puppies, and that's how ours was.  She was very cautious to let us know that she did have three litters, but that she places based on location, personality, and lifestyle, and she wasn't sure if she'd have one who would fit.  After more discussion we had narrowed down our selections and decided that one of her male pups would be perfect, but the only problem was that she wanted to potentially keep it and breed /show it.  So thus became the waiting game, and hoping that she would feel placing the puppy with us would be more advantageous. 

Two months passed, and we started to think maybe it wasn't going to work for us yet and that we would  be back on the waiting list.  Until this morning, that is!  That email was the best email ever!  I have a small understanding and great appreciation for people who look to adopt children, because I know that process is even more cumbersome.

So while we got ourselves a Christmas puppy, we knew the waiting would pay off.  So to all of you either in a similar place or nodding knowing what this process was like, cheers to you and your wonderful (and now furry) family!

EBates! - Power of Referrals

It's official, my husband and I are Ebates shoppers! 

Haven't heard of EBates?  It's basically a "Paid to shop online" portal where once on the website, you can click on any major retailer and shop online through them.  The best part though, is, so long as you're logged onto the partner's site through EBates, you'll earn CASH back on your purchase.  For example, we just bought our holiday gift cards through there at 3% cash back!  AWESOME!

Even better?  There are referral bonuses.  So now you can tell friends about the benefits of shopping online and actually get "thank you" checks from EBates just for the referral! 

I mean, you're going to go shopping anyways, right?  Might as well get paid for it!  Think of everything from Nordstroms and Macy's to Pier 1 and Home Depot, even Walgreens and Sam's Club!  WOW!

So check it out for yourself.  Go to www.ebates.com and let them know I sent you! 
Stephanie Caprini
sdcaprini@yahoo.com

And ENJOY getting PAID to do what we already love doing!

Spanish Teacher Gifts

Need some great ideas for teacher gifts that won't break the bank?

Here's a great one!  For the Spanish teacher at your school:

http://www.amazon.com/Quotes-Spanish-Stephanie-Caprini-ebook/dp/B00E9ZX06I/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1386711354&sr=8-4&keywords=stephanie+caprini

Quotes in Spanish!!!!  And you choose: By Theme or By Grammar Topic!

Happy gifting and happiest of holidays.

Christmas's First Snow

It's official!  Chicago has just welcomed it's first snow of the season!  And if you're like me, you're cringing at the "!" at the end of the last sentence!  No, I am not a snow person.  I'm not a snow bunny, and I don't look forward to making snow people: round, angelic, or otherwise!  However, there is something to be said about a night without wind where the snow falls in a ways that's almost magical.

My husband and I have been sitting on our couch looking out and watching it pass the streetlight near our patio.  The wind earlier in the day was brutal, but now that it's stopped the falling snow is so serene that it's almost as peaceful to watch as the waves are to listen to.  There's a sobriety to the falling snow that fills you with merriment knowing the holidays are upon  you and calmness to realize that nature can be truly beautiful. 

So if you haven't taken 5 minutes to sit and watch the falling snow in quiet, I challenge you to do so!  Let your time measure be the falling snowflakes and take in the beauty and serenity that the early part of this season can bring!  Plus, it's always a great excuse for some home-made hot cocoa!!

You're Doing Okay!

I went to my friend's wedding this weekend.  So fun!  Who doesn't love a good wedding with photo booth, father-daughter multi-song bananza, and just absolutely beautiful holiday decor?  Right.  So it was amazing.  However, one thing I did realize is that weddings are also a time where people not only catch up, but can also get "caught up" in the "so tell me about your life" question.  It seems it's positioning us to "highlight" reel the last 3 months, 2 years, or even 10 years (depending!) 

Be careful in listening to those highlight reels.  Remember that they are just that:  highlights.  I once heard someone say "Don't compare your behind the scenes to someone's highlight reel," because the reality is they don't ever look the same.  Most people don't delve into the mundane, the worries, and the frustrations they encounter in everyday life when they are trying to just fill you in on their last (insert number here) years.  And it's thereby unfair to judge your life against it, even if it may be tempting or second-nature.

If you find yourself comparing anyways and feeling down about your seemingly not "up to par" reality, try this:  write your highlight reel.  Or if that's not doing it for you, step into someone shoes and objectively ask yourself, "What could they be jealous of that I've done."  Maybe you have a new baby or a new house.  Maybe you paid off a loan.  Maybe you are committed to being healthier or took a trip.  It sounds terrible to say "what could someone be jealous of that you have?" but sometimes we don't realize just how special we are or just how well we are doing.  Why is that?  Because we live it every day!  We don't always see the forest through our own trees. 

So remember, You're doing okay!  Smile.  Laugh.  And if you're just frustrated that you're not where you thought you'd be at this point in your life, the nice thing is you can always reassess and adjust.  Nothing is so set in stone that it is unmovable. So take it all with a grain of salt and reward yourself for the accomplishments and milestones you have passed.  Life is good, and you are doing great!