Hannah's blog

Yep. That's right. I am an autistic dog groomer! I was diagnosed at a fairly young age, and was determined to become a veterinarian. I have loved, and will probably always love MOST animals. (I am terrified of most snakes, and most rodents. Don't know why...) I am not on the path to be a veterinarian anymore, but I have been grooming dogs for a while now, and wanted to share some  perspective that I gained this past month that that made it kind of difficult for an aspie like me, and how I have realized that I NEED TO ASK FOR HELP. (us aspies are stubborn, am I right?) Over the past few years, I have been in the "corporate" world of grooming salons, but I also have experience in the small shops as well. However, with how things work, I need to be in the "corporate" side, and let me tell you. It is HARD. It is far more customer service based on my end than it would be, say, at a small shop where you have receptionists. As someone who has such bad anxiety and...

My personal favorites of Fall 2017. This will not be every single thing, but I will be showing a lot of what I just LOVE this fall season.  First and foremost, Titus, Lucy, and Winnie will always be my favorite in any season given. ;) I love them way more than they love me! hah! 2nd favorite is LOTION. I have moved to a drier climate than I am used to, so lotion has been amazing for me. I have been going through Avon's skin so soft lotion, moisture therapy from Avon, and Planet Spa from Avon as well. I have even been using the sensitive skin, skin  so soft body wash to help with the dry air! 3rd favorite is my oil diffuser. I use it all the time. I personally use young living and DoTerra oils, but whatever oils you do have will work with any diffuser; for the most part. hah! It's also helping the dry air as well. 4th favorite is my makeup! As an animal groomer, it's hard to wear eye makeup all the time, but I DO use my foundation (not pictured), Avon ...

I sat down today after my vacation to read an article about employment, and it caught my attention immediately! I read it over at 'The Mighty' website, and I linked it right here for you guys to read if you want:  https://themighty.com/2017/09/tips-for-hiring-an-employee-with-autism/ What got to me in the article is that less than a third of people who have Asperger's are employed. That does not surprise me because it took me forever to find a job. When I did get my first job, I had a very difficult time, and in fact still, do struggle at my current job. It is difficult because of the smells, the noise, and the constant talking to people that really drain me. I am very sensitive to lights, smells, people and noises, and grooming dogs is probably not the best environment for someone with Asperger's. Could I be in a better grooming environment with my diagnosis? I am sure, but I have yet to find one. One thing I feel like that could have helped me from the very be...

Relaxing is absolutely necessary for the dog grooming profession. As I have said in previous posts, it is an extremely demanding job physically and emotionally not just for me, but for everyone in this line of work. As someone who has a diagnosis of ASD (autism spectrum disorder), it takes more of a toll on me mentally and emotionally than physically. Calming down and relaxing is essential for my health.  How do you relax after a hard day at work? Everyone is different, but these are the things I enjoy doing in my down time! I love going to the dog park with my pups. I love seeing them run around and have all the space to roam around without worrying about them running away. finding treasures. big tree little dogs big tree little dogs I love hiking! In fact, this past week, I got to go on a two-mile hike near my house. It was extremely peaceful and got some beautiful pictures to show how beautiful it was.  Autumn is coming. hard to see, thoug...

In the world we live in now, it is filled with people who are looking for immediate gratification, self-centered humans, and people who throw tantrums over the silliest things. The tantrums, the yelling, the rude, belittling, and condescending comments are doing worse for the world and the people around us than you, as a customer think. Why you ask? Because you, the customer, do NOT know what others are going through just like I do NOT know what you are going through. I am in NO way perfect when it comes to being nice ALL the time, however, I try my hardest every day to be nice because I know that what someone is going through just might be a lot worse than I can comprehend.  As a dog groomer, I appreciate every single nice person. Since I have become a groomer, I have realized that it is SUCH a hard job to do. For a lot (obviously not all) of pet groomers, it is the stress of doing so many dogs, meeting quota/ a bottom line. For me, the stress of grooming are the cust...