Family
6 Tips for Traveling with Your Furry Friend
Last Updated on September 30, 2025 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) No matter the distance or destination, a vacation can make for a perfect opportunity for families – including four-legged family members – to bond and spend some quality time together.
In fact, nearly three-quarters (72%) of dog owners feel traveling with their pet makes the trip more enjoyable, according to research1 by Hilton, and 56% plan to travel with their pet in the next 3-9 months. Because traveling with your furry friend requires additional planning to ensure it’s a safe, comfortable experience for everyone, consider these tips from the experts at Mars Petcare and find more information to make your trip inclusive for your pets at BetterCitiesforPets.com.
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
Check In with Your Veterinarian
Prior to your trip – within 10 days if traveling by plane and the airline requires a health certificate – visit your vet to ensure all vaccinations are up-to-date and that your pet doesn’t have any underlying issues or conditions that could be worsened by dealing with the stress (or heat) of traveling. Also ask for ideas to relax your furry friend in the event he or she becomes afraid, anxious or uncomfortable while in the car or on the plane.
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
Ensure Proper Identification
Regardless of where you’re going or how you’re getting there, it’s important to make sure your pet can be properly identified. Ensure microchip data is current and that he or she is wearing a secure collar with your name and updated contact info. Also label your pet’s carrier in case you become separated.
Photo courtesy of Mars Petcare
Look for Pet-Friendly Accommodations
According to the same survey1, 79% of pet parents’ destination choices are influenced by their pets, so it’s important to research locations that offer pet-friendly lodging options. For example, to meet pet parents’ evolving needs when traveling, Mars Petcare joined forces with Hilton to provide pet-friendly resources at its approximately 5,000 hotels across the U.S. and Canada, including access to Mars PET On-Demand and a dedicated Hilton team sharing local pet-friendly resources.
Photo courtesy of CESAR Canine Cuisine
Prep a Travel Kit
Remember you’re not the only one who will need some essentials while away from home and pack a bag for your four-legged friend that includes food, portable bowls, medications, a leash, grooming supplies and a pet-friendly first-aid kit. It may also be a good idea to pack a favorite toy to provide a sense of comfort.
Photo courtesy of CESAR Canine Cuisine
Creating Meaningful Memories
As a pet owner, you want to provide the best care possible so your dog can travel comfortably. To celebrate traveling with four-legged friends, Mars Petcare and Hilton teamed up to provide free CESAR® Canine Cuisine (while supplies last) for all dogs staying at participating pet-friendly Hilton hotels in the U.S. and in select Toronto area hotels on International Dog Day – a holiday created by pet lifestyle expert Colleen Paige. By offering free CESAR Canine Cuisine on Saturday, Aug. 26, dog lovers and their pups can enjoy their travel experience together even more. Providing pets with meals and complements they love shows them the love they deserve, which can help make the most of spontaneous adventures.
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
Secure Your Pet During Travel
Whether traveling by car, boat, plane or train, the safest way to take your pet along is in a secure and well-ventilated crate or carrier that is large enough for him or her to stand, sit, lay down and turn around inside. Secure the carrier so it will not slide or shift in case of abrupt stops or turns. If you opt to forgo the carrier while driving, keep your pet harnessed in the back seat and ensure heads and paws remain inside the vehicle.
1Hilton partnered with Morning Consult to inform the Pet-Friendly Survey study. Morning Consult conducted an online survey among a sample of n=2,200 adults, n=1,445 of the adult sample self-identified as owning a pet, and n=1,029 of the self-identified pet owners self-identified as owning a dog and n=773 self-identified as owning a cat. The survey was conducted in May 2023.
SOURCE:
Mars Petcare
Author
News
Money Management: The Importance of Financial Literacy
You may have mastered the core subjects like math and grammar in school, but financial literacy – or understanding the basics of money management in order to help you make better financial decisions – often goes overlooked before adulthood. It’s not so much a course of study as it is a plan of action. When you understand how to earn, save, spend and invest wisely, you aren’t just building a stable future for yourself, but your family and community as well.
Last Updated on May 11, 2026 by Daily News Staff
(Feature Impact) You may have mastered the core subjects like math and grammar in school, but financial literacy – or understanding the basics of money management in order to help you make better financial decisions – often goes overlooked before adulthood. It’s not so much a course of study as it is a plan of action.
Financial literacy in the United States has remained stagnant at generally low levels for several years, according to research from TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center, with even lower levels among Gen Z. Yet greater financial literacy – including key aspects such as goal-setting, budgeting, saving, credit management and investing – is strongly linked to better financial outcomes, including lower rates of debt constraint and financial fragility.
While emboldening yourself to understand financial terms can be a little overwhelming at first, once you have a grasp of basic concepts you can begin to get a handle on your money and make better financial decisions. Simply put: When you understand how to earn, save, spend and invest wisely, you aren’t just building a stable future for yourself, but your family and community as well.
From nonprofit partnerships to volunteer-led programs and fee online resources, Schwab and its employees help millions of people every year build the knowledge and confidence to take charge of their financial futures by serving as board members, mentors, role models and educators.
Because financial health is a lifelong journey, the earlier people learn vital money skills, the better. That’s why the financial advisory services provider develops education programs geared toward kids that continue into adulthood, helping people no matter where they are on their journeys.
Talk Money
It’s never too early to start a conversation about financial literacy. Having teens identify goals that are important to them – such as concert tickets or a first car – can kickstart coversations about money. Working with your child (and a financial advisor, if necessary) on a plan for saving to realize those goals can serve as a jumping off point. After achieving some success, their enthusiasm may grow, which is a powerful motivator to keep saving.
Support School Initiatives and Programs
Outreach programs that empower young people to make smart financial decisions is key to a bright future. Programs like Money Matters – Schwab’s flagship financial education program utilized by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America – gives young people hands-on experience with all aspects of money and investing.
This example, and others, don’t just include program funding – they build partnerships that create impact and opportunity with national collaborations that reach more than 17 million youth annually, empowering young people with the tools and confidence to make smart financial decisions for life.
Spread the Financial Love
Championing financial literacy empowers everyone – individuals, families and communities. By serving as a board member, mentor, role model or educator to help bring financial literacy to others in your community, you can supply the tools and knowledge to lead programs that focus on giving back, empowering future generations in countless ways.
To learn more about financial literacy and find resources to empower your local community, visit SchwabMoneywise.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
Lifestyle
Mother’s Day Celebration: Honoring the Hardest Job in the World
“On Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate the sacrifices and unwavering love of mothers. Join us in honoring the hardest job in the world – motherhood.”
Last Updated on May 4, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Mother’s Day is a special day that celebrates the hard work and dedication of mothers around the world. Being a mother is one of the most difficult jobs there is, yet it is also one of the most rewarding. Mothers work tirelessly to care for their children, often sacrificing their own needs and wants in order to provide for their families.
On Mother’s Day, it is important to take the time to show appreciation for all that mothers do. Whether it’s a simple card, a bouquet of flowers, or a heartfelt message, any gesture of gratitude can go a long way in letting mothers know that their efforts are valued and appreciated.
However, it’s important to remember that Mother’s Day is not just about gifts and presents. It’s a day to acknowledge the sacrifices that mothers make on a daily basis, and to recognize the love and care that they provide to their families.
Mothers work hard to instill values, provide guidance and support, and create a safe and nurturing home environment for their children. They are often the backbone of the family, and their contributions cannot be overstated.
So, on this Mother’s Day, let us take the time to celebrate the mothers in our lives. Let us thank them for their hard work, their sacrifices, and their unwavering love and support. Let us show them that they are valued and appreciated, not just on this special day, but every day of the year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day
https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/
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Blog
The Substitute Teacher Who Wanted Blueprints of Our House
A fifth-grade assignment took a strange turn when a substitute teacher asked students to draw schematics of their homes. What followed — a wildly fictional floor plan and a priceless reaction from my mom — turned into one of my funniest childhood memories.
The Substitute Teacher Who Wanted Blueprints of Our House
Elementary school memories tend to blend together — cafeteria pizza, playground arguments, the eternal struggle of times tables — but every once in a while, something happens that sticks with you for life. For me, that moment came in the fifth grade during a week when our regular teacher was out, and we cycled through substitute teachers like we were testing models for durability.
By midweek, in walked a substitute with a mysterious, slightly intense energy — the kind of vibe that suggested he either meditated at dawn or worked a graveyard shift doing something he couldn’t talk about. We settled into our seats, expecting worksheets or quiet reading time.
But nope.
He had other plans.
“Today,” he announced, “we’re going to draw schematics of our houses.”
Schematics. Not drawings. Not little houses with smoke coming out of the chimney. Actual blueprint-style schematics. He wanted the layout of our bedrooms, our parents’ rooms, and where the pets slept. Every detail.
Now, to be fair, Highlights Magazine did have a feature that month teaching kids how to draw floor plans. So maybe he was just a bit overenthusiastic about cross-curricular learning. Or maybe — and this is my completely rhetorical adult theory — he worked the graveyard shift as a cat burglar gathering intel between heists. Just moonlighting between blueprints.
While the rest of the class tried their best to recreate their actual homes, my imagination sprinted in a totally different direction. The house I drew had:
- A massive master bedroom with an oversized bathroom for my parents
- Separate bedrooms for us kids on the opposite side of the house
- A kitchen placed right in the center like a command center
- And the dog — the true VIP — had a luxurious two-story doghouse
I had basically created a dream home designed by a 10-year-old watching too much Fantasy Homes by the Yard.
Later that day, my mom asked the usual question: “So, what did you guys do today?”
“We drew schematics of our house,” I said casually.
The look on her face was instant and intense. She wasn’t panicked, but there was definitely a “Why does a substitute teacher need to know the exact layout of my home?” expression happening. Parental instincts activated.
But then I showed her my diagram.
She stared at it. Blinked. Then sighed with massive relief.
“This isn’t our house,” she said.
“Nope! I made it up,” I replied proudly.
Her shoulders relaxed so much she probably lost five pounds of tension in one instant. If the substitute was secretly planning a heist, my masterpiece of misinformation would have sent him to the wrong house entirely.
Looking back, the whole moment feels like a sitcom setup — a mysterious substitute collecting “house schematics,” me creating a completely fictional piece of architecture, and my mom going on a full emotional journey in under 30 seconds.
Maybe he was just excited about the Highlights Magazine floor-plan activity. Or maybe — just maybe — he moonlighted in cat burglary. We’ll never know.
But if he was, I like to think I threw him completely off the scent.
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Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
