Complete Guide to Owning a Pet Hedgehog

Hedgehogs are charming and fascinating creatures that make unique and rewarding pets. The photos in this blog post are of Melon, my sister’s blonde African Pygmy Hedgehog. Whenever I visit her in Austin, I get to spend some quality time with this adorable little pincushion.

In this article, we will provide a complete guide to owning a pet hedgehog, including information on their breeds, lifespan, care, feeding, supplies needed and more. To be a responsible and knowledgeable pet owner, it’s important to learn all about what goes into owning your own pet hedgehog.

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Healthy Mealtime Mom Hacks for Days When You Don't Have Time to Cook

There are many moments in motherhood when you’re just too tired or busy to spend time in the kitchen cooking healthy meals from scratch. But that doesn’t mean you want to resort to fast food or overly processed junk food.

This guide will give you helpful tips that you can resort to when you’re crunched for time or in a pinch. I’ve also taken into account scenarios when you’re low on fresh groceries and freezer or pantry foods are your only option.

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Dog-Friendly Travel Guide to San Diego

San Diego is one of the most dog-friendly travel destinations in California with a wide selection of hotels and destinations that your pup can enjoy with you. The weather is usually very pleasant so spending the day outside is no biggie.

My husband and I used to live in the San Diego area with our Black Labrador Holly. We would bring her all over the city with us, so we've had plenty of personal experience with finding dog-friendly things to do and places to eat.

This blog post covers San Diego dog-friendly parks, beaches, walkable neighborhoods, restaurants and more.

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DIY Yayoi Kusama Painted Pumpkins

Halloween is coming up quickly this October and we decided to get crafty with some DIY pumpkin painting. My 2-year-old daughter Scout insists that Halloween shouldn’t be scary, so instead we decided to make it colorful and full of art.

Keep reading to see my step-by-step guide to planning and creating your own Yayoi Kusama inspired painted pumpkins for the fall season.

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Trendy Solid Gold Earring Styles for Gals with Sensitive Ears

For all the guys and gals out there with sensitive skin like myself, you may experience negative skin reactions to certain metals such as nickel and possibly even silver. Metal allergies are fairly common and can result in red, swollen and itchy skin, which is medically known as contact dermatitis.

I have never been able to wear any earrings that contain even trace amounts of nickel. Many earrings that are labelled β€œsterling silver”, β€œnickel free” or β€œhypoallergenic” can still legally contain up to 5% nickel mixed into the metal. Other metals to avoid are surgical steel, copper, rhodium and any plated gold jewelry. For people with metal allergies, the best way to go is solid gold. Solid gold is also very lightweight and doesn’t stretch the skin which can also be a cause for irritation.

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Over 50 Holiday Content Ideas for Blogmas

Calling all you content creators! In terms of blogging and social media, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for several reasons. Increased engagement, increased sales and commissions - and it’s just so much fun to create this magical content. It certainly gives us all those nostalgic warm and fuzzy feelings.

Blogmas is a content creating challenge in which a blogger publishes a new blog post and social media posts every day leading up to Christmas in the month of December. That means 25 days holly jolly photography, recipes, holiday decor, winter travel and more.

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Over 35 Zero Waste and Eco-Friendly Period Products

Let’s the honest, as women our periods are a bit of a drag. And it adds insult to injury that they also wreck havoc on our environment because most period sanitary products on the market are not designed with eco-friendly materials.

The average woman will dispose of 11,000 sanitary items in a lifetime, most of which contain plastics and are not biodegradable. Many of these disposed products end up in landfills and our oceans.

The good news is there’s a growing market for both eco-friendly and zero waste period sanitary products. For all my frugal savvy gals, investing in these products will actually save you a lot of money in the long run. It takes an average of 3 period cycles for these products to pay for themselves.

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The Complete Guide to the Myers Cocktail IV Treatment

We often associate IV drips with sickness and hospital stays. You may not realize that IV drip bags have recently become a new wellness trend and IV bars have started opening up in wellness hot spots cities such as Los Angeles, New York City and London. Instead of going to a juice or smoothie bar, you can actually go to a IV bar to get boost of vitamins and hydration.

With the increasing interest in IV treatments, it is helpful to know more about the different options. IV treatments deliver vitamins and electrolytes straight into the bloodstream, which is ideal for those who may use them at a pace the body can’t keep up with or for those who have difficulty absorbing vitamins and minerals.

One of the most popular options is the Myers Cocktail. It gets its name from John Myers, M.D., who pioneered the use of intravenous vitamins and minerals to treat various medical conditions. Here’s all you need to know about the Myers Cocktail.

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California National Parks Checklist

The state of California is known for its natural beauty. The landscape varies greatly from region to region - from majestic mountains with dense forest floors to dry and vast deserts. The amount of outdoor recreation activities in California is enormous, and with the ever-changing seasons there’s new adventure to explore throughout the year.

California has nine national parks, which is the most of any one state (Alaska comes in second with eight national parks). Across the United States there’s a total of 62 national parks. The definition of a national park is land set aside by the federal government to protect it from development so that the general public can enjoy its natural beauty.

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Black and Herbal Teas Handmade By Artisans

Once the weather starts to get cold in the autumn season, I immediately I want to bundle up with a hot cup of tea in my hands. You really can’t get the full hygge experience without a warming hot beverage to sip and enjoy.

Artisan teas are especially wonderful on chilly days because you are enjoying both the aromas and the warmth in your mug, it’s truly a delight for the senses. These loose leaf teas are handcrafted by tea connoisseurs who carefully select the best herbs, flowers, dried fruits and more to create these highly complex tea blends.

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The Modern Gift Guide For All the Trendy Cool People in Your Life

I am a huge Etsy fanatic, both my home and closet are filled with handmade gems from artisans selling on Etsy. As a freelancer myself, it genuinely gives me joy to support a small business owner who is living the dream of being self-employed. Not only does the Etsy platform allow small businesses to thrive, but they also elevate and support artists who are pushing the limits in the design world and serving up fresh inspiration.

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How to Make Your Home Hygge for Christmas

Christmas truly is a special time of year, it’s as close to magic as we can get as adults. My idea of a hygge Christmas is making new memories at home and enjoying quality time with family. All the while indulging the senses with all the classic holiday joys.

The cold winter weather makes us naturally want to cuddle up and partake in nostalgic holiday rituals. All it takes is a little effort and preparation to really bring the season to life in the perfect hygge setting.

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Where to Buy Traditional Mexican Dresses Online

For Halloween we decided to choose a family costume that honored both my husband’s and daughter’s Mexican family heritage - Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Scout was baby Frida.

I was really excited about dressing up in traditional Mexican dresses because the garments are so bright and colorful. They feel so festive and really embody the carefree spirit of feminist hero Frida Kahlo.

In this blog post you’ll find the top places online to purchase authentic traditional Mexican dresses online. These websites purchase directly from the artisans and support those communities.

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Cashew Pesto Pizza Recipe with Over 15 Topping Ideas

In my own personal opinion, pesto pizza gives the traditional red-sauced pizza a run for its money. The savory and salty flavor of homemade pesto adds a new layer of seasoning, and it’s complimentary to so many different toppings. It’s very easy to customize your pesto pizza to create a crowd-pleasing culinary dish.

This cashew pesto pizza recipe is also incredibly versatile. You can alter the recipe to make it vegan, vegetarian, plant-based and even keto. Either way you decide to make this favorite food, it’s always a healthy yet still satisfying and filling.

Making your pesto with cashew nuts instead of the traditional pine nuts is a very easy swap, and the flavor is not terribly different. Both cashew and pine nuts have an abundance of healthy fats, which give your pesto a creamy texture and flavor. Cashews are also less expensive than pine nuts so you can save some cash too.

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Los Angeles Dog-Friendly Guide

Los Angeles is one of the most dog-friendly cities in California. Whether you’re brining your dog on vacation or a local pet owner, there’s plenty of places to explore with your pooch. We regularly travel all over California and we often bring our Black Labrador Holly along with us.

This guide covers the most popular areas and neighborhoods in Los Angles, pretty much the best places to spend your time. You’ll find over 75 dog-friendly parks, beaches, walking trails with city views, restaurants, breweries, outdoor shopping centers and much more.

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How to Rent Cute and Classic Cars in California

Sometimes when you travel, it can be equally about both the journey and the destination. When you decide to road trip in a car that’s just plain fun to drive, it adds some adventure and whimsy to your travels.

Many folks also rent retro and classic cars for weddings, photos and special occasions such as prom, anniversaries, and more. Whatever your reason for wanting to incorporate a cool ride into your life, you’ll find many rental options for California in this blog post.

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Kid-Friendly Apple Hill Wineries

Located just under an hour outside Sacramento, Apple Hill is a popular place for both families and adults to enjoy picturesque countryside scenery.

Along with being wine lovers, we are also parents and we don’t always have childcare… so we are always looking for child-friendly wineries to frequent when we have to bring the whole family.

For this guide to wineries in Apple Hill, I contacted each one of the below locations and asked them about their policies around brining children. So you can feel confident when you begin making plans for your trip to Apple Hill.

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The Best Time of Year to Visit Palm Springs

Palm Springs is one of California’s favorite playgrounds for both bachelorette gals in their 20’s to families with children. This desert oasis offers warmth and sunshine most of the year, but events and temperatures vary from month to month.

Every month of the year offers benefits and challenges with traveling to Palm Springs. I’ve broken down the highlights of each month so you can best plan your perfect vacation.

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