Quality Dog Grooming

Meet Ivy.  She is our sweet little shih-tzu, and as you can see, not at all a spoiled girl.  She also is a little bit of a mop when she goes too long between groomings, which sometimes happens. Schedules get busy, and making an appointment can be a hassle, as can dropping her off and picking her up during the day, since my husband works and we only have the one car.

A friend with an equally beloved little canine recommended that I give Quality Dog Grooming a try.  She assured me that they were awesome people and a joy to work with, and that it would solve my problem of having to get my girl to and from the groomer during working hours.

Quality Dog Grooming has both a website and a Facebook group, and I'll admit to checking both out thoroughly before making an appointment.  And the actual booking was pretty easy, because they make it so - you can book through a website message, through email, through a post on their Facebook page, or by calling - whatever is easiest for you!  I love businesses that work around your needs, instead of the other way around.

I set up a pick-up time for Ivy, and the owner -  Melissa David - along with her new assistant Allison Broad arrived to an enthusiastic greeting from my very very kissy little Ivy.  She loves meeting new people, and loves kissing them all over their faces.  Both Melissa and Allison are very clearly dog lovers, as even Ivy's wet affection won smiles and belly rubs from the pair.  They were thorough in asking questions about Ivy, her history, and my preferences in grooming.  In fact, they were at least twice as thorough as any other groomer I've ever taken her to.  I felt extremely comfortable putting my sweetheart into their hands.

Melissa began grooming rescue dogs, a cause that is very close to my heart.  My spoiled sweet girl is a rescue herself, and animal causes are kinda a big deal around our house. She still volunteers her time with the town, readying doggies who land in the pound for adoption with forever families.  From talking to other clients and reading her Facebook page, it's clear that she knows her client doggies well, and cares about each of them personally.

As to the service, we had a tight schedule the day Ivy was being groomed, and had to head out of town.  But Allison was right on time dropping Ivy off, setting all my worries to rest.  And boy did my little girl look beautiful!  She came home with a cookie and a bow, as well as a punch card for the loyalty program at Quality Dog grooming, to get points toward a discounted grooming session.  The best part was that Ivy wasn't nearly as upset as she usually is after a grooming.

Usually, when Ivy comes home, she shakes and is incredibly clingy.  She's insecure and a bit scared.  It has always been this way at the groomer, so I figured it was just the price we paid for having her professionally groomed.  I knew it was hard on her, and it made me put off her groomings for too long sometimes, but eventually it had to be done, and I just didn't have the tools or know-how to do it myself.

But this time, what came home to me was a happy, happy dog.  Sure, she was glad to see us, but she wasn't having the separation anxiety she usually did.  It was fantastic!  I was so happy that she was content and "herself" after the grooming.  It just brought home to me how important it is to have a groomer who cares about your dog.

Overall, both Ivy and I had a great experience with Quality Dog Grooming.  I would recommend them highly, especially if you have a dog who is a little skittish about being groomed!  Quality Dog Grooming is located in Strathmore at 23 Strathford Close.  You can call or text them at 403-923-8983 or drop them an email at quality.grooming@hotmail.com

Five stars for giving me back a happy and prettiful pooch!! Don't forget to check out their website and Facebook!

Local Professionals: La Shaun Andrews, Realtor

I've read that moving is one of the top five stressful events that happens in your life.  I've moved at least ten times since I met my husband and I pretty much agree.  If there is one thing in this world that can make moving a little less anxiety-producing, it's having a good realtor.

Richard and I stumbled upon La Shaun accidentally the first go-round.  She was the realtor representing Abe Fehr construction, and was therefore the person selling the condo we were interested in buying. Two years ago, she toted us around town to show off other Abe Fehr buildings and convince us to buy his condo.

Clearly, it worked, and we love the place.

At that time, we were a little gun-shy about buying a place, because the last place we bought burned to the ground.  (We got to live in it a while first, at least).  That can scare anyone off!  Renting seemed easier, less committed.  But she lured us in with talk of paint chips and counter top options.  No, no, actually, she was honest and upright about why buying a condo would make good sense for us at that time, why the market was right, and even guided us toward finding good financing.  And she was there for us while we picked finishes and the like as well, even though I took about an hour to make up my mind on the lino.  I can be picky.  She never complained, and I never even caught her looking at her watch, even as I examined all of the little chips of counter top on the giant metal ring, and held every one that seemed promising up against the paint choice, the counter choice, and the laminate choice.  And then the other lino choice.  I took a long time.

At that point, because our situation was relatively simple, so was buying a house.  We had a down payment in the bank, no hindrances to hold us back, and easy peasy, we were done.

I gave her a call the other day.  "Surprise!"  I said, "We need a bigger house.  Much sooner than expected."  I then proceeded to give her a long laundry list of what we were looking for.  I had everything from square footage requirements to bathroom and bedroom requirements to projects-to-be-done and condition requirements all on a tiny tight budget.  I also had a long list of questions about listing our condo, changing financing, and how this whole shebang would work.

Throughout the process, La Shaun has remained upbeat, positive, and charming.  She helped us figure out why certain places could be awesome for us, and opened our eyes to things we might not have considered on our own.  And let me tell you, this woman is patient with unfailing optimism.  Even in odd circumstances, she tells you it's her job to figure out the details, and that she'll take care of you.  It's the sort of kindness you need in a situation where you feel kind of like a kid again; just enough to make you understand what's going on and not even close to a smidgen of condescension.

Overall, I'd give La Shaun a strong five out of five stars and would recommend her highly to anyone buying and/or selling in the Strathmore area.  Find La Shaun at Aztec realty in downtown Strathmore, or visit her website here: http://www.lashaunandrews.com/

Local Professionals: Dr. Mala Gupta

I hate the dentist's office.

I know I'm not alone here.  There are others out there who dread it for various reasons.  Me?  I get claustrophobic to the point of hyperventilating.  Just thinking about the dentist makes me anxious.  Just writing about the dentist has made my heart speed up.

I'm a very nervous dental patient, and at times, in the past, that has made me stretch the time between dental visits to untenable lengths.  It wasn't pretty.  I didn't neglect my teeth per se; matter of fact I made a ritual out of brush-floss-listerine to try to avoid the dentist at all costs.  But eventually, when you're a grown-up, you realize that you have to put on your big girl panties and do the right thing.

So, after relocating to Strathmore, I needed to find a new dentist.

Valley Dental Offices - Strathmore

There weren't many reviews online, so I just picked someone blind. And then I made my husband go first.  See, he's tougher than me.  Plus he has worse teeth, so I figured a) if it's tragic, it's less tragic, especially because I'm a girl, and b) if he came home a bloody mess, I would know to stay far, far away.

But he didn't.  He came home happy.  That was weird.  I asked him, while he was there, to ask them about nervous patients and what they needed to do.  He had, and they were remarkably nice about the whole process.

Dr. Gupta made an appointment for me to come in and meet her face-to-face - not in a dental chair.  Whew.  That was a relief.  We chatted for a while about what made me nervous and she watched my anxiety rise.  She was pretty good about calming me down even then, and talking me through it.  She then walked me through the office on a small tour, so I could see where everything happened.

One thing I really like about Valley Dental, where Dr. Gupta practices, is the open nature.  You aren't in a tiny little closed-off room where it feels like someone can torture you in private.  Because, let's face it, the dentist is kind of like a weird bdsm session.  You're in this bizarre piece of furniture, tilted at a funny angle with your legs up, people are giving you orders and shining bright lights in your face and wielding sharp instruments that they poke you with.  And sometimes there's blood.  It's got a lot of potential to go off in a "Turistas" type direction.  But at Valley Dental, while there are privacy walls between the exam areas, they are open at the tops and sides, with wide, non-closing doorways.  You have escape routes.  Trust me, I checked.

Dr. Gupta introduced me to her staff, including the hygienists, the other dentist, and her assistant, all of whom were very sweet and friendly.  They work with a lot of kids, so a scaredy-cat like me probably wasn't so shocking.  And that first day, I didn't even have to get into the chair, but as I hyperventilated again, she did take me back to her office to write me a script for Ativan.

The first time I returned, it was in sedated form, and I only had to signal for a quick time out once or twice during the exam.  My big goal was a bit of cosmetic dentistry - I had a poorly done cap on a front tooth that desperately needed replacing - and that would require a lot of time in the scary chair.  But it wasn't so bad.  Dr. Gupta pulled back when I started getting anxious (she's actually very adept at reading body language and could tell before I signaled when I was getting a bit overdue for breathing space).  In the end, I wound up getting a beautiful new cap and didn't even need the Ativan for the last appointments.  Now, I go to Valley Dental for regular cleanings with their hygienist Tanis - also very adept with the nervous - unsedated and with a much calmer outlook.

If this nervous patient can actually say she likes her dentist, then it's kind of a miracle.  Do I still hate the dentist's office?  Sure.  Do I still wish I never had to go?  Absofrickinloutely.  But since this is the real world and going isn't optional, I'm really glad there are dental offices around like Valley Dental.  Four and a half of five stars, and a big "thank you" from someone who hasn't felt this great about her smile in years and years.

You can find Valley Dental right downtown in Strathmore at 231 Second Ave.  They're right across the street from the Legion!  Or give them a call at (403) 934-2882.