It has been almost six weeks since our little Gio left us and crossed over the rainbow bridge. Today is National Dog Day, so we wanted to celebrate his life and share with you what the little fella meant to us.
Celebrating the Life of Gio!!
Gio was a part of our family for the almost twelve years and brought so much joy to our life. He came to us as a street doggie, so we were unsure of his past. We do not know if he had ran away from home; gotten lost while on a hunt or if his owner gotten rid of him. Whatever the situation, it was hard for Gio to love us when he first come home with us. He didn’t know what love was, so we had to show him unconditional love while training him how to properly behave. In time and with the help of trainer, his heart softened and he became a sweet lovable beagle. In the early days, he would grumble at us when we tried to rub his tummy. In time as he realized that we loved him and cared for him, Gio would turn over and put his feet up in the air, wanting us to rub his tummy. He would also lick our hands and demand affection for you. He would take his head and move it towards our hands, wanting to be rubbed or massaged. And if we moved our hand away, he would move closer to us and made sure we continued it. We couldn’t stop until he had enough.
Gio believed that he was the Alpha of the house and he had certain demands that we needed to take care of. The most important demand on his list was food. He ate three times a day and he knew when it was time. Oh and don’t forget about treats in the evening. He would begin asking for the food about thirty minutes to an hour ahead of time. He would nudge us, bark at us, jump on us, or fling his bowl in the middle of the room; letting us know it was time. He wouldn’t leave us alone until we gave him what he wanted. But we had to show him (in love) at we were the Alphas and that he couldn’t get his way all of the time. When this happened, he would be pout and fuss at us.
Gio’s favorite place to be was in the backyard. He could spend hours at a time out there. Being a beagle, he always had his nose to the ground, searching for scents and on the lookout for squirrels. He would follow their scent and even chase them through the yard when he saw them. While he never caught one, he was determined that he would and never stopped trying. He came close many times, but they were always one step ahead of him. Many times after a chase and trying to get the squirrel, I would bring Gio back inside. He would be restless in house. He wanted to go back outside to see if he could still get that squirrel. He was determined! And when he couldn’t go outside, he would sit at the window and look into the backyard. He could sit at that window for hours at a time and not move a muscle. He was looking to see if any squirrel was in his area. If he saw one, he would aggressively bark at it and jump on the window. He would demand for us to take him outside so he could chase it down. He was that determined!
Gio looking out the window
My wife shared a YouTube video on Gio. It can be seen here….
In his almost twelve years with us, Gio blessed our life with some many wonderful memories that it is not hard for me share. Sharing them with you helps with the grief and sorrow of losing him. With so many wonderful memories, he will live on in our hearts forever.
We Love You, Gio!!
Looking great on the outside comes down to a number of things. Your confidence, your comfort and how you see yourself are all important for achieving that glow from within. But your health also has an important part to play, and when you feel healthy on the inside, you’ll shine on the outside too.
Take a look at some top lifestyle tips to help you radiate health from the inside out.
Get more sleep Be honest with yourself, are you getting as much sleep as you should? For many people, a busy job and busy family life can make it very difficult to get to sleep, leaving you feeling tired and grumpy and your skin looking a little lackluster. Find ways to sleep better at night so that you start each day fresh and positive, with your skin renewed to give you that gorgeous natural glow.
Eat healthier Healthy eating is vital for ensuring good skin, for keeping your weight down and making sure that your energy levels stay constant. Cutting down on excess sugar, eating more fruit and vegetables and reducing your fat intake are all good ways to maintain a healthy diet. Kitchen gadgets like the air fryer by Kalorik can help you make tasty, low-fat versions of your favorite foods like fried chicken or French fries to help you eat healthier. Start watching what you eat now to feel the health benefits both inside and out.
Move more Exercise is a great way to feel amazing on the inside and look even better on the outside. Even if you’ve never worked out before, you can enjoy workouts for beginners that will help you to build up your fitness over time. Walking is a simple and effective exercise that burns calories and improves your fitness, so why not start walking more each day? Getting fit will boost your energy levels and help keep your weight within a healthy range to help you look and feel amazing.
Drink more water Water is essential for your health, helping to keep you hydrated but also making sure that you give your body what it needs to make it through the day. Drinking water has a lot of benefits for your skin, your energy, and your overall health – so when you drink plenty of water you’ll be giving your body a boost from the inside out. Aim to drink eight glasses a day, and more if you’re active or it’s hot outside. Keep a bottle by your side that you can sip from to keep you hydrated throughout the day.
Feeling confident and comfortable in your own skin takes work, but it’s better to build a healthy foundation from the inside to see results. Curtailing certain lifestyle choices will benefit you health-wise and financially, so if you’ve not been feeling great lately then it’s time to make some changes. Work on feeling good on the inside and the results will soon show on the outside too.
Wherever you turn, there are guides to being fashionable on a budget, but when you are struggling day to day, it can be difficult to encapsulate a consistent sense of style, and this is where your lifestyle comes into play somewhat. If you are used to the finer things in life, having a spring clean of sorts in what you spend your money on, will help you to cut corners financially, but still enjoy the fruits of your labor. So, without further ado, what are the lifestyle habits we need to curtail to make sure we have a whale of a time?
Your Car First things first, if you have a car that gulps fuel, and it’s essential to your lifestyle, you can think about driving more economically, or taking the opportunity to calculate whether it’s cheaper to get public transport, a cab, or get in your car? But also, are you paying over the odds for your car insurance? On cheapautoinsurance.co there are plenty of insurance policies to look at, just to make sure you are getting the best policy for your budget. It’s not the most interesting of things, but if you are looking to maintain a certain lifestyle, you need to find ways to cut back in other areas. And the next one is one of the best ways…
Your Food If you’ve been a student, you know how important it is to save some money so you can socialize, and the way for you to do this was to cut back on your food, but you can still have a healthy diet even though you are cooking with the basic ingredients. On buzzfeed.com there are some handy hints to cooking on a budget, but when you are looking for parts of your lifestyle to restrict; your food is one of the simplest ways. And this doesn’t mean you have to live off porridge and lentils! There are so many cheap dietary staples that are great for you, like pulses, and never underestimate the power of herbs and spices to improve a dull and bland meal!
Your Nightly Excursions Before panic sets in, and you can’t live without your nightly hubbub with your friends, there are just a few things to change to make it more financially bearable for you. You don’t have to go out, so why don’t you stay in and have people around? By finding ways around making these three things, it will have a fantastic impact on your finances, so you can make the most of your weekends, and spend time with the people you care about. And remember, if you are desperate for new clothes, and you’ve been sticking to one type of style, mixing and matching with friends, or even heading to thrift stores, can throw up some unique and new ideas that you never considered before. Making a change in your lifestyle always sounds like you have to drastically alter your budget, but you don’t necessarily have to.
FTC Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.
I read on Facebook today that our friend Margie went to heaven. She fought hard. She was tough. In spite of her challenges, she always had a smile on her face. Our prayers go out to her family and her close friends. Margie loved the Lord with all her heart. She was a survivor and outgoing. She would tell anyone about Jesus and dedicated to her church. She was a hard worker and enjoyed life to the fullest.
I met Margie at the church we both attended. Every time I would see her, she would greet me with a big smile and a hug. She was a part of the Go ministry, where she and the team would go out into the community and tell people that they need to make Jesus Lord of their lives. When I saw her singing in the choir, I could tell that she felt every word that she was singing. A true Christ follower.
My hubby said that she would always say, “Hello brother Jason” in a deep voice every time she saw him. Margie worked with us on a program at the church. We included her in a promotional video that we created for the event. She can be seen at 0:52 and 2:01 mark of the video seen below.
Margie was a bright light in this world and will continue to shine in the hearts of everyone who knew her.
Isaiah 41:10fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Philippians 4:7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
I hope you are having a wonderful day. Today was another hot and humid day; but I see signs of fall. Coming home from work today, my husband and I were driving down a street where normally people are weaving in and out of traffic and running stop signs on a regular basis. I pray God’s hedge of protection that people will drive more cordially. Would you know it, we come home and every few feet there are cement barriers that reduced the street to one lane in each direction. If these drivers try to weave around the other automobiles, they will have to dodge the barriers. I believe that people will be forced to drive differently.
Well, I tell you this story because sometimes you may want to get away from the hustle and bustle, but you can’t. So what do you do? A couple of months back, I purchased two pairs of the G.I.L.I Jetsetter Side Slit pants from QVC. One pair is in the Black Tropical (seen below) and one in Black Palm. The pants are so carefree and the look is high end. I am wearing the pant in the black tropical and they make me feel like I am going on a European vacation. I paired it with a wedge shoe from Skechers and lace top from Isaac Mizrahi. If wedges are not your favorite choice, a flat or heel would work and make the pants versatile.
The wide-leg pant makes a bold statement and are not for the shy at heart. Get ready for the compliments when wearing them. They have the look of a palazzo pants without being too wide. I chose a size small; but I could have gone down to an extra small; but that’s okay. I just want to let you know how the size is pretty generous. I thought that the wide leg would be overpowering; but the flow of the fabric is just right. The fabric is soft and feels good on the body. These pants are on my Summer Style Essentials list because they are effortless and can be coordinated with many tops and blouses already in your closet.
Description of the Pants from QVC
Wide leg wow! These breezy pants are built for effortless travel and everyday glamour. From G.I.L.I. got it love it®.
Fabrication: Jetsetter knit
Features: elastic waistband, functional front pockets, leg side slits
Rise: at the waist
Fit: semi-fitted; follows the lines of the body with added wearing ease
Leg Shape: wide leg; widens fashionably from thigh to leg opening
Learn More About JT
Bubbling with Elegance and Grace started out as an outlet for my passion for fashion but has evolved into a place for me to teach, collaborate, and inspire. My hubby has since joined the team and we have been digital creators for 13 years. We are thankful for those who believed in us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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