Frito feet! I know it sounds corny, but if your dog's paws smell like corn chips, then your dog has Frito feet. Full disclosure, Hazel has Frito feet sometimes, and so did Keira. Although TikTok is popularizing the term, this is something that I've heard pet owners mention in veterinary practices. January 29th is the perfect day to talk about why your dog's paws may smell like Fritos. Why is that? To celebrate National Corn Chip Day! Yes, that's a thing, and yes, it's today. Let's bite into what causes Frito feet!

Wishing Hazel a happy 8th birthday!

Hazel is sweet as the biggest piece of birthday cake! I was in Orlando, Florida attending the VMX 2023 Veterinary Conference and spent a week away from Hazel. It really makes you appreciate your pets more when you are separated from them. I missed her so much. I returned to Canada just in time to celebrate the most asymmetrical Saint Bernese's 8th birthday! 

Hazel has defied all the odds and made it past age five. She is happy and healthy, and despite her injury and frequent health problems, she remains in fantastic shape. She is a genuine underdog. Hazel has taught me a valuable lesson: Folks may underestimate me, but as long as I never give up and keep a positive attitude, I'll beat the odds and surprise them all! It's one of the many lessons she has taught me in the past eight years that I've been blessed to call her MY dog. 

New Year, new you: Non-fiction books that inspired me to feel better and be better PLUS Level up with my 2023 resolution reading list!

The past few years have been 'work on me' years. I suffered from depression and chronic pain for a long time. My healing journey included moving cities, taking a years-long break from dating, adjusting my medications, and letting go of people and things in my life that weren't healthy- or allowing them to walk away on their own. Extreme measures, but it's what I needed to heal. I couldn't pour into anything or anyone if I wasn't filling my own cup. But 2022 was different. I began seeing the effects of my work. I made a new life in a new city. I started dating again and was able to set healthy boundaries and stop myself from falling into old patterns- all while maintaining compassion and empathy. I reduced my medications. I learned to invest in people with all my heart, and at the same time, walk away if needed. 2022 was a personal growth year. The next step in healing. Obviously, I struggled at times. I made it through the devastating experiences easier than in the past. For the most part, 2022 was exciting, educational, successful, passionate, and blissful. Accepting. And calming. I found my peace.