Good morning from Ocean City, New Jersey! The good news is, we all made it here safely yesterday after a very trafficky drive through Philadelphia and across the Walt Whitman Bridge, and our rental home is beautiful.
You never know quite what you’re going to get with an Airbnb until you arrive, but this one has exceeded our expectations, which were already fairly high due to the online photos & description. There are about 10 of us, and there’s plenty of space to spread out, sit around the table, and hang out in the common areas. Plus, it’s practically brand new and decorated beautifully.
The bad news is, I realized when I was getting ready for bed last night that I forgot to bring any contacts other than the ones in my peepers. I’m blind as a bat without them, and I wear daily wear lenses, so I can’t make this one pair last all week.
I packed rather haphazardly for this trip, and I didn’t go through my master packing list (which I almost always do, even if it’s at the last minute as I’m rushing out the door.) I ironically pronounced, when we were pulling out of our driveway, that I had the essentials and anything I forgot I could buy at the shore.
Well. As it turns out, I can’t buy contacts at the shore! Almost anything else, I could replace down here, but not that.
It seems like I always forget something major when we come to the beach. One year, we left the laundry basket with all of our beach and bath towels at home. That time, we just bought new ones rather than driving back. But then there was the year that I left my entire suitcase at home! Paul took one for the team, and drove back home for that. So yeah, as hard as I try, there’s always something…
Last night, I put saline solution into shot glasses and dropped my contacts in so I can get another day out of them, and I’m leaving shortly to drive back home and retrieve my weekly supply. At least the traffic shouldn’t be too bad on a Sunday morning. (And yes, I have my glasses, but I don’t want to wear them all week at the beach. I can’t wear sunglasses with them, and I can’t even see to do my makeup without my contacts, lol!)
I also want to check on Savannah, who is having a terrible time with the fireworks in the evenings. She’s never loved them, but she used to just hide somewhere dark and quiet. This year, she’s shaking and panting and whining… she’s a mess.
There have been fireworks going off somewhere in the vicinity of our neighborhood the past two nights, and we still have three more to go!
David was stuck at home with her last night, but he goes back to camp this afternoon, and our house sitter will have to contend with it. Thankfully she’s really good with dogs, and Savannah loves her. Any advice, other than meds?
I guess I could call an emergency vet and try to get her something. I feel so bad for her. She’s getting old, and her nerves are really fragile, I guess.
In other news, thanks for all the birthday wishes yesterday. I had a nice day, although we didn’t really do anything special. I bought a gluten-free birthday cake on our way out of town, so the celiacs among us could partake. And other than that, it was mostly a day of packing and traveling.
I also had to get my driver’s license renewed and shoot photos for a Gap Factory campaign before we left yesterday, so I’m just happy to be here, and I’m looking forward to a fun week with the family.
Alrighty, that’s enough chatter from me! I better get on the road so I can get back in time to enjoy the beach this afternoon. If you’re shopping today, I updated the 4th of July Sales post with a few new additions.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and happy belated Canada Day to our friends to the north! I hope you all had a nice celebration yesterday.
85 Responses
Happy belated birthday, Jo-Lynne! It’s so frustrating to forget something – one year my husband left his suitcase at home but he just bought some shorts and shirts when we got to our destination. Contacts are different😩
Have a fun beach vacation!
Yes, they are! Happily I wasn’t too far from home.
I mentioned on yesterday’s post that we share the same birthday, Jo-Lynne, so HBD again! I had GF cake as well! Enjoy your trip!
Jolynne-
Belated happy birthday! So sorry about your contacts- my husband and I have had many of those incidents through the years, we gave up and had Lasik. It would have been great if someone could have overnighted them to you, but with the holiday weekend it’s probably easier to just go get them.
Enjoy your beach trip and yes, Savannah is probably just a little advanced in age and doesn’t like the noise.
I don’t know what it is about packing, but I absolutely dread it! I can so relate. We went to the beach the first week of June, and I can’t believe the items I forgot! First of all my husband is handicapped so he’s no help. I had to pack for him, the dog, and myself. I’m in my 70’s, and it doesn’t get any easier! At least I didn’t have to make a trip back home. I think we all just have too much going on, and our brains are on overload!
Yep, too many wires getting crossed in there. 🙂
Jo-Lynne – I’d love the info on the Air BnB you’re at and like – we are in Upstate NY and that’s one of the places we’ve thought of for a “family” vacation. Also…just wondering if you’ve ever considered LASIK? (My eyes sounded like they were just as bad as yours – and I had to have the PRK version)…but I just did it less than a year ago – and now I only have to wear reading glasses. I’m the same age as you, and probably should have done it 20 years ago – but I’m still glad I did it….I used to have to put my contacts in to take a shower!!
I’m afraid of Laskik and thought I was too old, but I really should look into it.
Happy belated birthday Jo-Lynne! I know how you feel about your pup, I had a collie once that was so fearful of loud noises, especially thunder; he was our weather forecaster. Like you, I make a list of what to take but when I am in a hurry my thought process suffers and last year left my glaucoma drops at home when we went to the beach, fortunately was able to remedy that. Hope ya’ll have a wonderful week at the beach!
Ugh! Yeah, the thought process is not always as sharp as we would like. 🙂
Happy birthday! My dog has been getting more and more freaked out by fireworks as he gets older. I’ve had good success with my CBD oil – he’s pretty big, so I just give him mine. It really chills him out. They do make CBD treats just for dogs.
Thanks, I’ll look into it.
I have forgotten my contacts. I have actually put them in a contact holder with solution and they worked just fine! Not ideal but it worked.
Yeah, I didn’t have a contact holder tho. And the shot glasses didn’t work so well. Oooops! Thank goodness we were fairly close to home (2 hours.)
There are over the counter calming treats for dogs. I use them for my dogs who have really bad anxiety at times. You can google anti anxiety for dogs and it will come up. You can get them at any pet store, no need to go through the vet.
Thanks, ordered some!
Lol!! I’m as blind as a bat without correction & I felt just like you when I wore contacts. After I switched back to wearing glasses full-time, I had to learn how to put on makeup without being able to “see” very well. It’s possible – haha! Also, I recommend making some packing lists! I created several lists for different types of trips – our annual one to the lake (yours could be the beach instead), visiting our kids, & a general list. I leave blanks on each list for extra-added items. When a specific trip is coming up, I go to the computer & print one out. It’s a lifesaver! Have fun this week with your family!
I do the same thing, Shirley. I have one for beach trips, one for overnighters, one for overseas travel, and one for when we would go on our 5 month trips to Florida. We used to travel back to visit family at Christmas so that needed a list too. It definitely kept us from forgetting things. I always go over the toiletry list with my husband before we leave and inevitably he has forgotten a few things!
I have all those too. Doesn’t help if you forget to look at them.🤪
Some pet supply stores carry CBD oil for pets.
Thanks!
Happy Belated Birthday! 🎂 the first thing I always pack are my contacts! Lol. Enjoy the beach! We’re in Italy now and it’s so beautiful. I bought my Vejas but have only been wearing my Birkenstocks!
Yeah usually me too. I doubt I will forget them again! 🙂
Happy belated birthday! Enjoy your beach vacation.
I’ve done the same thing….left my contacts at home and wear the dailies like you. We were on a 2 week cruise though and I couldn’t go home for them! I had the pair in my eyes, one extra set in my purse and 1 extra set in my makeup bag. You really can wear them more than a day or two by using a product like BioTrue. But then on another 2 week cruise, I didn’t pack a single shirt for my husband. ( I insist on doing all the packing). We were able to buy a couple of shirts on the ship but he certainly re-wore them many times!
LOL! I feel ya. That’s how we roll. 🙂 I know I can get a few days out of them, but I didn’t have a good contact case. I should have bought one b/c the shot glasses did not work. I wore my computer glasses, and I was a bit woozy driving in them, lol. But i made it!
I’m sorry to hear about Savannah! Our dog is the same way. He’s old and pretty much deaf and the silver lining is that he can’t hear the fireworks! When he was young we would sit with him in our bedroom with either the TV turned way up or a very loud white noise maker (you can download a free white noise maker app). We used to give him medication but the side effects were almost worst so we started giving him Melatonin for dogs which you can get at any pet store which takes the edge off. Just be sure and give it to her early enough that’s it’s kicked in by the time the fireworks start. It doesn’t make them hungover like the meds and it’s fine to give several days in a row.
Good to know!
I hope that you and the extended family have a wonderful week at the beach! I’m glad that the house is so nice. I hope that the rip currents aren’t bad up there like they are on the gulf, for those that like to get in the water. And I’m so happy to have a Coffee Talk this morning because I have really missed them!
Have a wonderful time at the beach! Have you tried a Thundershirt for Savannah? We’ve had mixed results with our boxers – it seemed to help one of them, but the other, not so much. Might be something to look into. But yes, it can be really hard this time of year for our pets. 🙁
I will look into that.
For Savannah try Pet Rescue Remedy. For my dogs it usually takes double the dose and best to do before anxiety hits. I would guess they have on Amazon. I usually get in pet food stores or health/vitamin stores.
This works well for our pets also!
Thank you!
Our dog has always been super fearful of storms and fireworks. We have tried everything over the years. A sound machine at night helps to mask the sound of fireworks. We have ours hooked up to a sound bar so it’s loud. The ocean or waterfall sounds seem to work the best. We also use CBD oil. We have tried many brands but only Honest Paws works for us.
Good to know, I ordered honest paws. And the sound machine is a good idea. I tried music but that might work better.
Would a thunder vest help for your dog’s anxiety? We have one for our separation anxiety dog. It seems to help a little – we are at 1 minute of our leaving before we have to return. That is better than it was. It may be a long process. I bought ours on Amazon. This dog is probably deaf (we adopted him in January at 13 years old), so noises don’t bother him!
Also, for our previous dog, we used these (he was already on daily Prozac): https://www.chewy.com/zesty-paws-lil-zesties-calming/dp/275874. They seemed to help for thunderstorms and fireworks.
Our little man now is on Prozac, as well, and we also have Trazadone to help when he gets groomed (although it doesn’t seem to help a lot). They say he is still very difficult. Good thing he is cute!
Enjoy the Jersey shore. When I was growing up (and living in NJ), we went down the shore for a week every August. Have fun!
Thanks, I ordered the calming chews, and I will look into the Thunder Vest.
I laughed out loud reading that you once forgot your suitcase!
Yeah, it wasn’t so funny at the time… but now it’s pretty conical to consider. I mean, of all the things to forget… I thought Paul packed it, and he didn’t get the memo, I guess. Now I always double check. 🙂
We give this to our pup during fireworks PawfectChew Hemp + Glucosamine Treats for Dogs…it’s from Amazon.
Thank you!
Happy Birthday JoLynne! Enjoy your time at the beach and with your extended family.
I don’t think I’ve ever forgot something but once my husband forgot his pants to his tux. My fault apparently because the pants are normally hung underneath the jacket so he just grabbed his jacket. He had to drive 1 1/2 hours there and back to get them, arriving late to the Gala. Unfortunately, we were sitting at the head table so it was noted.
I decide on what I’m taking a couple of weeks ahead. That way I know if I have any holes in my wardrobe and need to go shopping. I have everything laid out/hung up in the guest room ready to pack well beforehand. The day before our flight, I pack the suitcases (my husbands too). I throw in the makeup bag/toiletries the next morning. That seems to work best for me.
So we actually get our contacts & our eye doc is at our local walmart. I always leave a pair of contacts in my travel make up bag for such a time as this situation (although I don’t wear dailies..). They have a pretty long shelf life and wonder if it would be worth the cost to buy 1 (if script is same in both eyes) or 2 boxes of regular lenses and keep a pair that could last longer than a dailie for emergency situations such as this by actually keeping them packed in something that you ALWAYS take with you such as a make up bag????? Just me thinking out of the box since dailies are costly (per say) = = = luckily you were close enough this time to correct the problem though and hopefully the rest of your time away is enjoyable.
Yeah, I’ve been working to get a travel bag with all the essentials so I’m always packed and ready to go. The contacts were not part of that bag, but now they will be!
Happy belated birthday! Hope you and your family have a wonderful time at the beach! Sounds like you have a beautiful spot to stay!
Happy belated birthday! 🥂🎉 I don’t like prescription sedatives for dogs– makes them jittery & kinda paranoid, but doesn’t seem to lessen any anxiety. Thundershirts work for some dogs, but IMO the best strategy is an inner room, such as a powder or laundry room or a basement area that is small with no windows, and put a bed, water, fan, and music and/or sound machine in with her. That will check all the boxes of safety for her. She might still be scared, but it will definitely help. UGH on the contacts! I feel you. And what a GORGEOUS photo of the beach! You’re making me long for a beach vacay 🏖️
Thanks, good info. I did the music thing when I was home with her, and I suggested that and the sound machine to my house sitter. I guess there wasn’t much noise last night, but I expect there to be some tonight. I did get some OTC calming chews for her.
Happy Birthday! For Savannah, if you can find CBD drops, try putting a little of the drops on some pizza crust (or something she likes to eat), let it soak in and then feed her. It’ll calm her nerves. It worked well for my mom’s little one that’s afraid of the fireworks.
Good to know, thanks!
Hello JoLynne,
Enjoy your time! I love walking on the boards early for a hot Brown’s donut and a OCCC coffee.
We have a coonhound rescue that goes into panic mode at thunderstorms and fireworks…we started using calm bites and they work great!
Calm Bites from Honest Paws
Calming Bites for Dogs made with Organic CBD Oil for Behavioral Support – Peanut Butter Flavor (30 Bites) | Made in USA
Thank you, I ordered the Cal Bites.
Happy Birthday JoLynne! Hope you have a wonderful time celebrating and enjoying your beach vacation. 🎁🎂🎈😊
Have you tried Thunder Shirt for Savanah?
No but now I’m looking into it.
That happened to us once and we called our eye doctor, who referred us to a local one where we were. They were able to give us spare contacts! We were 12 hours from home, so it was a huge blessing!
Have a great time!
Good to know! I will keep that in mind.
Happy 4th of July weekend!!
God bless America 🇺🇸
Have a wonderful time!!
Cindy
I’d love to see your master packing list
This is old, but I still use it with a few tweaks. https://jolynneshane.com/family-travel-packing-list-with-printable.html
Our dog is terrified of fireworks, too. A friend of ours recommended CBD pills- she said it helped her dogs ( she has 5) immensely. We know the owner of a pet supply store and he gave us some. Here’s hoping it works! 🤞
Awesome, will try that!
I am large breasted (DDD-G). I like Walco bras. My question is, have you ever tried a non under wire bra? And I know you have said several time what brand bra you recommend. However, could you tell me again what brand bra you recommend for large breast?
Have a wondered vacation!!!!
Janet
I don’t care for non-underwires. I don’t like the shape. This was my favorite when I was a 32G – https://shopstyle.it/l/bYiJ0
Happy belated birthday! Safe travels.
Lola, my 6 yo German Shepherd, has serious panic attacks over fireworks and thunderstorms. She takes Trazadone and stays in the basement over the 4th and during storms. I read recently about noise cancelling headphones for dogs…that may be next for Lola. Enjoy your time at the shore!
Thanks, good to know.
Have you tried a Thunder shirt or hemp chews for Savannah
No, but i’m looking into both of those. Thanks!
I feel heard LOL…I once took a weekend girls trip to another state and forgot my wallet 🙃, the girls still swear on did it on purpose. Enjoy the shore from this transplanted Jersey girl 😊
Have you ever thought about getting LASIK? It was a game changer for me and is so handy to not be dependent on contacts and glasses when traveling.
I have thought of it many times. I’m terrified of having someone mess with my eyes. My dad got a botch job when he got lasik. Plus, I’d need reading glasses anyway, I believe. But I have thought maybe I should look into it. I can’t see close-up worth a darn with my multifocal contacts, and I end up bringing readers with me anyway.
Happy Belated Birthday Jo-Lynne. Hope you have a Wonderful Time at the beach. Hopefully your Puppy will be okay. I hate to see them suffer during fireworks. Have a wonderful week with your family. You work hard and you deserve it!!
Happy 4th. ❤️🇺🇸❤️
Hi! When our dogs have been scared of fireworks, it has helped if we put them in a room they’re comfortable in, like the laundry or bedroom, and turn up music or the TV pretty loud. It helps disguise the fireworks. We like thunder shirts too, but our furry dogs don’t like them in the hot summer, even indoors. Have a great trip!
Thanks, good to know! I did the music thing with her, and it seemed to help.
Happy birthday! Hope you have a wonderful week at the beach!
Oh wow. Sorry you forgot your contacts? How far a drive back? I live on the West coast so have no idea your area. Hope all went well. Enjoy your trip and the 4 th.
It’s only 2 hours when there’s no traffic. I made it in 1 hr 45 min on Sunday morning. Getting back to the beach was just over 2 hours, so not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Plus, I was able to check in on Savannah, and pick up a few other things we forgot that weren’t important, but nice to have. 😉
Yay! I love your Coffee Talk posts and I’ve missed them! I, too, always manage to forget something when I travel. This last time it was my toothbrush. I was thankful my aunt had an extra. Enjoy your beach vacay!
Oh My Goodness——I could have read everything you wrote until you got to the part about Savannah!!! I would stay home with her PLeeeease. That is unreasonable to put her through that. Granted, I am always looking out for the animals. That is super stressful on any dog or cat, especially when she is home along. Oh My Gosh, please get your contacts and spend July 4th with her so she won’t have to be alone, even though she will be hiding anyway.
I would not be able to even sleep if I left my two dogs home alone to deal with the trauma of FIREWORKS!
Savannah is not alone. She is with a lovely young woman who regularly comes to my house and knows her well. I assure you, she is very well cared for.
Thanks Jo-Lynne for the reply about Savannah!! I didn’t realize she had someone with her. I’m glad she’s okay. Sorry, if I sounded rude, I just have an unusually super soft heart when it comes to animals. 🙂
No worries! I just wanted to clarify that she isn’t alone.
I hope you had a wonderful birthday!!
Thank you!