Ava's Spot

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Dog Favorites

This is the love of my life, my best friend Milton. He is a five-year-old Frenchie and I thought I’d share some of my favorite things I’ve used and personalized gifts for a pet owner in your life.

Items I Love:

1) www.Frenchiebulldog.com

All harnesses, leashes and hoodie in these photos are from this brand. They are reversible with the coolest and brightest designs. I have tried other harnesses in the past and Milton finds them itchy. The leashes are also the most comfortable I’ve tried for gripping. I also use their poo bag holders and cooling bandanas. Their name and logo is specifically Frenchie but other dogs use this brand as well! They have these harnesses that are geared towards smaller dogs, but they also have strap harnesses that are completely adjustable.

2) This is specifically for French bulldogs. When I first got Milton, I got the most adorable Rae Dunn bowls. No hate on Rae Dunn, but I went to Home Goods and got a raised holder for his food and water dishes because French bulldogs are prone to neck and spinal issues. Milton actually had a herniated disc at the age of 2 so this definitely made me feel better while feeding him. Another recommendation is the slow feeder bowls if your furry friend eats way too fast or gets sick after eating. These can be easily found on Amazon or Walmart.

3) The collapsible travel bowls seem like the way to go but they are bulkier and not as efficient as the travel water bottles that fold into a bowl. I have consistently seen them at TJ Maxx/Marshalls and come in fun neon colors.

4) Milton will pretty much eat anything LOL but after he had his herniated disc surgery, a friend of mine sent him a Wufers gift package and he is now obsessed. www.wufers.com

Dog Gifts:

Whether it’s for a birthday or Christmas, these gifts are a hit!

1) Yankee Candle: you can make a personalized candle label for $5 extra of your fur baby and create a caption under the photo.

2) Customizable Air Freshener: these are so fun, I’ve gotten as stocking stuffers. (Can also use human faces as well) There are also a variety of scents! www.dangleit.com

These last items are all from Etsy (I love love love supporting small businesses!) If these shops do not meet your likings, just type what you are looking for in the search bar for a ton of options!

3) Necklace with your pet’s photo engraved: comes in silver or gold! I have not tried wearing in the shower but have had for the last 2 years and I love. Etsy shop: MignonandMignon

4) Socks or other items with their heads on them! I have gotten socks from Etsy shop: PetPartyCo and have gotten pajamas from a website called Cuddle Clones

5) This last one is specific for people whose jobs require a badge. I am a nurse, so this was a big hit for myself and my coworkers. Its acrylic so it does not get damaged. Etsy shop: littleyellowbirdkc

6) Another idea that I do not have a specific shop for is a personalized pet ornament with their photo on it or one of the ceramic kits (like for a baby) and putting their paw print on it where you can write the year or their name under it with the provided wooden stick.

I am not an expert or sponsored by any of these companies, I am just a dog lover and have loved all of these companies! If you’ve tried any of these, let me know so we can chat!

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Planning a trip to Hershey Park

Thinking of going to Hershey Park? Especially if you live in the New England area, Hershey Park is lots of fun and takes less of a hit on your bank account than a lot of other places. We spent four days (day four was for sleeping in then driving back home) and three nights in Hershey, PA which could have definitely been condensed but we still had the best time together.

Day One: We live in CT, so Hershey is about a four-hour drive. One thing I always like to do no matter how long the drive, is to pack a cooler of drinks and snacks to have on the road especially if there's traffic. (Sorry! Don't want to jinx your trip!) We drove straight through but I'm sure there are plenty of fun places to stop on the way if you'd like. About 15 minutes away from Hershey is a place called Indian Echo Caverns. They are open typically everyday 10 a - 4 p and their prices are $22 for adults and $13 for kids. More specific information is on their website,

indianechocaverns.com

When you get there, they will give you a time slot for a tour of the caverns which is about 45 minutes long. Other than the caverns, they have a playground for kids and animals you can feed like goats, chickens, and peacocks. They do have restrooms located near the parking lot, make sure to go before walking down the many steps to get to the cavern. The tour guide was wonderful, and our 5-year-old was amazed. It is a unique experience and especially if you go in the summer, the cavern is 52 degrees all year long!

We stayed at the Inn at Chocolate Ave. It was a great location local to everything. The room was great and there was a complimentary hot breakfast every morning which is always a benefit. The only critique was there is no elevator to carry all your luggage if you are not on the first floor. Otherwise, a super affordable hotel that is nearby to all the hot spots.

For dinner, we went to The Chocolatier Restaurant which is right next to the Hershey Park entrance. Every single item on the menu is made with some kind of chocolate. Vincent got chicken and waffles. Emery got the kids chicken strips and macaroni and cheese. And I got the Reese's hamburger! I know what you're thinking, Ava that sounds disgusting. But it was so good. It was a beef patty with toasted peanuts, shallot jam, and cocoa spiced sweet potato straws. For dessert (we had to get dessert, we're in Hershey duh!), we got the Reese's milkshake and the pinwheel cake. The Reese's milkshake was absolutely disgusting. It tasted like you put a straw directly in peanut butter, like there was no milk or ice cream but the Reese's Pie and chocolate covered pretzel on top was good. The pinwheel cake was very sweet but so fun.

Day Two: This was our Hershey Park day! We went the end of May, so park hours were shorter than normal. We went from open to close. 11 am - 7 pm. Before the park, we went to Waffle House because when there is one nearby, we have to go! (They are not in CT if you couldn't tell!) Hershey Park was packed at opening. We bought our tickets online which is the way to go because who wants to wait in line to buy a ticket and then another line to enter the park. The park maps are all online. The kid rides are all throughout the park instead of just one area which has its pros and cons. The waterpark was not open when we went (before Memorial Day) but it is included in admission and looked like lots of fun. The Zoo is also included in admission and was the perfect size for young kids and adults too! Our favorite animal was the brown bear and black bear. As far as food, I should have planned it better. We just went to the least crowded area and got hot dogs to hold us over. After we left the park, we went to Cocoa Diner down the road and if you know me, you know I LOVE diners. They have so much variety, it's almost ALWAYS good and the staff and customers are always so sweet. This was no exception. One of the best things I did do however was order these family t-shirts from the Etsy shop "ZsCuteCreations". We got so many compliments on them, and I love supporting a fellow small business!

Day Three: This day was for the random odds and ends that we all wanted to do. First up, was Hershey's Chocolate World. This is free to enter that has a gigantic store of anything Hershey related you could possibly want. There is a free ride that you can go on that is like a tour of the factory and you learn about how chocolate is made. The ride takes your picture which you can purchase later. (We did, it was affordable and super cute that you could put your photo on a chocolate bar wrapper) At the end, you even get a free chocolate. Other things you can do here (for an additional cost) is a 4D movie, chocolate tasting, make your own candy bar, a trolley ride, and stuff a giant Reese's cup! There is also a small food court in which they had a milkshake spot. Vincent was hesitant because of the one we had the other day, but I love milkshakes and they have a dark chocolate/raspberry Kit Kat one and it was probably the BEST milkshake I've ever had. He regrated not getting his own after he tried it.

For lunch, Vincent had heard about Shady Maple Smorgasbord in East Earl, PA. This was an all you can eat buffet for $23 (adult). He loves any buffet because he can eat all the meat, he wants for one price! (he always thinks its taking advantage because he eats so much meat!) This drive was about 45 minutes away but we made it worth our while because the buffet has a gigantic store below it and they had a train museum nearby that was a lot of fun.

The last place we went to was Hershey Adventure Sports. This place was Emery's favorite. They had an arcade, batting cages, mini golf, go karts, bumper boats, escape rooms, etc! We had an absolute blast, and it was the best way to pass some downtime.  

I hope this information helped you plan your trip, or you just enjoyed reading! Looking forward to our next trip.