Community Forum: January round-up

It may be a new year, but our Community Forum is still serving the same great content! For this round-up, we’re sharing stories of festive fun from our members and the exciting plans they’ve got for 2025, as well as some soul-warming soup recipes to keep those winter chills at bay. Let’s dig in!

Must-read discussion 

“Show us your December adventures,” we said, and boy did our members deliver! We loved seeing such a huge selection of snaps, from sunny days and blue skies to ponies in Christmas costumes!

@RedLassie said:

“My last sit was on a farm which was hosting the village Christmas Fayre. I watched each day leading up to the weekend as the barn was converted into a Christmas venue with fairy lights, straw bales for sitting on, and then lots of stalls over the 2 days.”

@Debbie told us:

“We are just settling into our Christmas sit, in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, UK. Less than 30 minutes from home. We are looking after Bruno who is 15 years old.”

@TamaTrotti shared:

 “We are in beautiful Frascati, Italy. This town is just beautiful and we have had the best dog (well, we think). We leave tomorrow after 3 weeks. It has been awesome and we are ready for a new sit!”

Forum member shout-outs 

@Silversitters offered some valuable advice in our recent discussion on the impact of natural disasters. Their insights are part of an ongoing conversation you can explore or add to on the Forum.

@Maggie8K shared some great tips in the discussion, “What do you recommend doing in Portland (Oregon) with a pup?”. Check out her recommendations or share some of your own on the Forum.

@Garfield asked Forum members to share their “Wishlist for 2025”. The topic was super popular and we loved reading about everyone’s dreams and plans for the year ahead – it’s a great thread for a spot of inspo or to share some of your own goals for the new year.

Top pics

@MaggieUU shared this funny photo of Audrey, who was just seconds away from going into full zoomies mode!

During her Spanish lesson, @AbbyLove13 enjoyed some cozy sofa time with the lovely Poe – who, if you ask us, looks muy interesado in learning Spanish too!

@GotYourBack shared a beautiful Christmas sunrise from Western Canada – what a way to start the day!

What else has the community been discussing?

Soup recipes to chase away the chills

@PVGemini got everyone talking about soup, and the Forum is now bubbling over with some soup-er recipes (sorry, we couldn’t resist!). What’s better than a warming bowl of soup to keep us cozy throughout the winter months?

This got @Becca thinking back to her time in Vietnam:

“That reminds me of the delicious ‘Pho’ in Vietnam. I went backpacking there in my happy-go-lucky 20s without checking what the weather would be like at that time of year. Ended up having to wear most of the clothes I’d taken with me at the same time to keep warm, and those big, steaming bowls of Pho certainly lifted my spirits in the pouring rain!”

What to expect from sitters and pet parents

After earning a glowing 5-star review on their first sit, @Shazlet1 turned to the Forum for advice on how pet parents can better prep for sitters – and what sitters can do for pet parents when they return.

@ElsieDownie gave some helpful tips:

“We always ask if they would like us to buy anything for their return but I wouldn’t cook anything or leave them a meal without asking. There are so many allergies and preferences nowadays. I wouldn’t want food going to waste. Same goes for hosts leaving food for us. Thank you but no thank you. I’ll eat up all the fruit and veg that will go off but please do not buy anything specifically.”

What you need to know 

Finally, our CEO, Mathew Prior, shared some heartfelt words with the Forum about the devastating LA wildfires. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the fires – both the humans and their beloved companions.

Share your thoughts

If you’re not already a Forum member, we’d love you to join the conversation! The Community Forum is the best place to swap tips, share ideas, and chat about all things house and pet sitting (and so much more!). Plus, you’ll find loads of handy advice from fellow members. So come and join the fun!