Add To Cart: Bones For My Furbaby

Let's just admit one thing to each other upfront. Social media has made it so that we feel obligated to live up to a certain image. It's "keeping up with the Joneses" but on crack. That being said, it has also connected us in ways that we would have never known otherwise.

Typically, I don't like to buy into the whole facade that social media creates. I'm not the one who has to get every new console or upgrade my phone every time there is a new model. I do like that I can ask for a recommendation and several people have answers for me - ones that work and that I didn't have to spend countless hours searching for.

For example, one of my favorite purchases was something I didn't even know I needed: silicone gel pads. No, they are not fake breasts. They go on surfaces and you stick things on top of them that you do not want to move. An absolute necessity when your stuff is on a counter and can slide around. Or slide off and break. So these cute little things keep all of my cute little things safe and secure while I'm driving a corner or if I have to slam on the breaks. I would have never known about them if it wasn't for another Vanlifer who thanks to Instagram and Youtube showed me what they are and who they are for.

However, the best recommendations come from other dog owners who also have crazy dogs that rip and shred, and destroy toys. Barkbox was insane, even if their toys are indestructible. So when another mama recommended this blue bone from PetSmart I had to try it out. Willow, my adventure pup loves it. It's peanut butter scented, squeaks and she hasn't torn it up and it's been months. I went back and bought it in the other flavors just in case. Spending so much on toys because she destroys them puts a damper on the pocketbook. Thanks to the lovely internet friends I've made via social media and because Willow is just so cute, everyone wants to help her be even cuter. Now I can focus on saving for doggy daycare visits instead of spending money on toys she will just ruin.

I do have to be careful, however, of just how much I let social media influence the things I buy. I am an emotional spender. It's a meme now but for me, it is real life. I spend money on a bunch of stuff, end up with buyer's remorse and then have to return a bunch of stuff. With Willow, it is very easy to overspend. I got my tax return back and spent $150 on a giant box of "bully sticks" because they are her favorite chew and they are a generally good snack for dogs. This wasn't something someone suggested from social media but it's one of those things that I could post to make my life seem like it's going greater than it is. Like "oh hey I'm the world's best dog mom because I blew a bunch of money on her, look at how spoiled she is!" But really, I just did that because she's a good girl, she puts up with me and she deserves it.

So what do we do when we are sad? What do we do when we see something amazing on Instagram? What do we do when someone suggests something we cannot live without? What do we do when we have a problem that only buying something can solve? Add to cart!