Showing posts with label stress

Tips to help ease the stress of family caregiving

in , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, December 28, 2017




This Christmas was hard. I was really sick with the flu and I had to rely on my husband and daughters to do the lion’s share of holiday preparations.  When you are so sick you can do little more than take medicine, rest and accept the loving help your family is providing; you have a lot of time to pray and reflect on your life and the year coming to an end. One of the greatest sorrows of 2017 was losing my mother in law. Not having her sweet presence with us this Christmas was a challenge.  She was missed!  I feel like I honor her by sharing today's tips. They come from personal experience of helping my family navigate the stresses and challenges of family caregiving while we helped care for my mother in law before her passing earlier this year.

Put love into the doing.- Mother Teresa #ad #FamilyCaregiving

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Help your pets have a stress free holiday season

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, October 26, 2016
For many families, Halloween has become the unofficial start of the holiday season. We decorate our homes, ourselves, our kids, and our pets, if they will allow it. While the holidays can be a fun and happy time for us, they can be very stressful for our pets. Today I’m sharing helpful tips with my fellow pet owners, which hopefully, will help us avoid potentially hazardous situations and keep our pets (and us!) safe, healthy and stress-free throughout the holiday season. 


This post is sponsored by Royal Canin®, #royalcaninhealthypets. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Royal Canin’s veterinary-exclusive gastrointestinal diet this #Halloween, but all opinions are my own. Royal Canin is not responsible for the content of this post.



Dottie at the door help your pets have a stress free holiday


Meet Dottie ‒ our 9-year-old indoor cat who loves to be in the same room with you while you go about your day. She loves seeing outside and we captured this photo of her looking out the front door onto the porch recently. Her sweet face seems to ask ‒ why are you out there in the scary dark? Please don’t stay out there. Changes in her routine, like me not working from home one day, or visitors, can really stress out Dottie.
Do you know some of the other signs of stress in your pet? According to MyPetReference.com they are:

  • Poor Appetite
  • Decreased interaction with their owners
  • Gastrointestinal disturbances



With Halloween less than a week away, I know my cats will be stressed and upset every time the doorbell rings! We may do trunk-or-treat again to relieve this problem.  Do your pets run in fear of trick-or-treaters and holiday guests too?


If yes, here are a few tips to help prevent stress in your pet:



Royal Canin pet products



1. Make sure you feed your pets at their regular feeding time and spot. Now is not the time to change things up! Feed them their preferred food type in a line that provides all the nutritional support your pet requires, like Royal Canin®. 

2. Provide a stable living environment for your pets. They need routine! Try your best to keep your pet’s schedule and routine as normal as possible.

3. Reinforce positive behavior in your pets like using their scratcher, or not clawing furniture etc.



Dottie, happy cat in the window

4. Make sure their favorite spots are available to them! Dottie adores seeing out the windows to our front yard, which is full of birds, squirrels and nature. We added a ledge to the dining room window for her and our other indoor cat, Fiona.

Fiona, happy cat in the window
This ledge is the preferred cat seat in our home, but when the holidays come and guests arrive, both our cats dash for the safety of our bedroom instead, so we added an additional viewing ledge in our bedroom window just for them. It’s a little thing for us humans, but to our cats, it’s a welcome gift of security and routine. 


Another tip to a less stressed pet is to keep holiday décor and foods that are hazardous to our pets away from them! 


The holidays are also a time when there are more treats and food around the house. Guests may not realize that your dog or cat shouldn’t eat table scraps or that they should keep their appetizer plate out of the pet’s reach.




Here is a quick reference list of the most toxic holiday foods for pets to eat:

  • Chocolate, especially dark chocolate
  • Unbaked bread dough
  • Alcohol
  • Sugar-free candy and gum, jelly and baked goods (when ingested, artificial sweeteners can cause a sudden release of insulin in an animal’s body, leading to dangerously low blood sugar)
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Turkey, bones, and other meats with fatty portions
  • Grapes and raisins
  • Onions and garlic



It’s very important to let your holiday guests know that no matter how sweetly our pets may ask for food, we should never give in to temptation! Make sure pets can’t raid the garbage can or eat treats left on plates sitting around the house.


My Cat, Fiona asking for my food, but I resist!



Even with our best efforts, our pets can show signs of stomach upset and GI issues. Here are four signs to watch for:

  • Vomiting
  • Regurgitation
  • Diarrhea
  • Refusal to eat

If you notice these symptoms in your pet you should contact your veterinarian immediately to determine the best course of action. They could actually be signs of an infection, chronic illness or a more serious condition. 


In many cases there are simple solutions. Ask your vet about Royal Canin’s line of veterinary-exclusive gastrointestinal diets. Royal Canin offers multiple options to help veterinarians provide individualized nutritional solutions for pets experiencing gastrointestinal issues. You can learn more about Royal Canin products by visiting their website and by getting social with them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.



Don’t forget to check out My PetReference.com for a host of valuable resources. With a little education and prep work, we can help your pets have a stress-free holiday season which will make ours jolly and bright as well!



Please share in comments: How do you share the holidays with your pets?

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Fall Back

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, November 08, 2011

courtesy of www.flickr.com
 Saturday night we set our clocks back and were thankful for the extra sleep we'd get after the busy, fun week we'd all had.

Usually, setting the clock back not only signals shorter days and my hubby getting home from work in complete darkness, but also a frenzy of activity in my business.

For the better part of the last 5 years, I was in direct sales, doing my best to keep my business hours " part-time" and not let the business interfere with family. With the " Holiday Sales" mantra so prevalent in our society, I can tell you that is easier said than done.

Looking back on those years now, from my new non-selling perspective, I see just how wrong my thinking was. They say hindsight is 20/20 and I must agree.

I thought I was happy with all that busy-ness. Even after I quit direct sales, I jumped into trying to earn from online channels, until I exhausted myself. It took me a while to hit the wall, but hit it I did.

And at the end of it all, our accountant always put down Homemaker as my Title. I didn't earn enough to warrant changing our filing status.
Rather than look back on this as a failure, I choose instead to see it as a learning experience, not only for me, but for my daughters. Sometimes in our effort to have it all, we fall short.

This is the first November in a long time where I am free to just be happy and in the moment. I'm just Linda, happy wife, mom, friend and it feels so good and liberating!

My to-do lists are not sources of frustration any longer because I can and do complete my tasks which are mainly home-centric now. Being a part time admin for my husbands business and a full-time wife and mom suits me and my family. I know that sets me up for ridicule by some who feel all Moms should be earning, but I don't care.
I think my happiness and that of my family is far more important. It is my job to teach my daughters how to cook and clean and nurture and build a happy home. It is what's in my heart, it's what my family wants. Does this paint me as a June Cleaver wanna be? Probably, and that's ok too.

To those who do work outside the home: I applaud you and lift you up high. I know yours is not an easy path. I pray that you are at a job that blesses you so that when you are home, you are content.

So, if you are reading this and are feeling stressed, please stop, if only for a moment and double check your course. You may be surprised to find you are on the wrong path. It's okay to stop and change directions.

If you could eliminate just one source of stress right now, what would it be?

Happy Holidays.
　
　
　
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