If your road trip copilot is your pet, it's important that he's comfortable and secure for the long haul. While you can hit the McDonald's drive-through, he's going to be more difficult to please (though no dog I know has ever turned down a french fry). We've rounded up our top picks to keep him happy, safe, and motion sickness-free when you hit the blacktop for your long weekend adventure.

Source: Flickr User wsilver

With so many state dinners and committee meetings to attend, President Obama knows a thing or two about fine dining. But watching these formal festivities got me thinking that it must be a rare occasion when the commander in chief gets to eat what he's truly craving. Likewise, the first lady aspires to a day when school lunches teem with veggies grown behind the playground, but it's undoubtedly tough to score local produce when jetting between speaking engagements. So on a day dedicated to this nation's highest office, we're dreaming up a smorgasbord of Barack, Michelle, Sasha, and Malia's favorite foods. Though we're not certain what the first family will be up to today, we hope they enjoy something good to eat!

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With their vibrant colors and lacy frills, dainty, crisp-crusted French macarons are the perfect Valentine's Day baking project. But these lovely little delicacies are temperamental enough to stump even the most accomplished chefs. Even if you follow a detailed recipe down to the letter, a batch of macarons can go very wrong very quickly. Thanks to humidity, an unreliable oven temperature gauge, or an overly enthusiastic stirring hand, you may find yourself facing macaron-ageddon rather than baking bliss. But before you throw in the tea towel, we've assembled a few tips to solve your sugary conundrums.

Lunar New Year celebrations usher in the Year of the Snake and, with them, a buffet-full of culinary delights. If you've been lucky enough to partake in a traditional Chinese New Year feast, you also may have learned the significance behind each dish. Otherwise, here's a look at common Chinese foods eaten during the New Year and what they represent.

Fans of nostalgic packaged sweet treats may be racing to stock up with the news that Hostess Brands is closing, but we have a different approach: making our own! Several enterprising chefs have re-created their favorite nostalgic treats which look even better than the original. And an added bonus? Those preservatives that will keep those Hostess treats (and possibly your gastrointestinal tract) fresh through the next nuclear event aren't a concern when the Twinkies and Ho Hos come from your oven.

Birds preen, cats groom, but how many creatures out there trim and twirl? Quite a few, apparently, as our not-so-scientific research has shown. During the month of November, many a prepossessed pet may display its mustachioed support for Movember, a campaign aimed at raising awareness for men's cancers, but several animals showcase their impressive 'staches year-round. Is your lip twitching to find out who falls under the handle(bar) of "best groomed"? Today, we bring you seven animals showing off their whiskery best.

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With Veterans Day falling this Sunday and the holidays soon to follow, I can't help but be reminded of the thousands of soldiers who keep our nation safe. While some of these courageous individuals will be spending the next few months on active duty, some will be coming home to loving families, including their adoring pets. There is a close relationship between dogs and the military: canines serve alongside soldiers overseas and provide comfort and support to veterans when they finish their last tours. But the crowning moment for a pooch is seeing his heroic pet parent walk through the front door.

Whether you and your pet have a brave soldier in your family or you're just honored to know that these women and men are protecting our great country, here's a sweet salute to all the soldiers and veterans and the dogs who love them.

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Today might be Hug a Bear Day, but if there's one rule you can count on while camping or hiking, it's that bears don't take kindly to embraces. In fact, if you encounter an adorable grizzly, polar, or kodiak while out on the trail, you should avoid eye contact and walk slowly away so as not to provoke or startle them. And even if you encounter a huggable-looking baby bear, get away while you can because his protective (and much larger) mother is undoubtedly nearby. Bear cubs sure are cute, though, so we thought we'd celebrate this unusual holiday with a roundup of cuddly ursine photos. And if you get the urge to give one a squeeze, please grab the nearest pal or teddy bear instead!

Recently, Lauren Conrad couldn't resist the big brown eyes of a puppy in need at her local animal shelter, and really, who could blame her? Puppies, kittens, and other young animals tend to be adopted first because they are just so darned cute. But this means that shelters often overflow with older animals who can make even better companions than their baby-faced counterparts. As the parent of a 14-year-old Jack Russell whom I raised from a pup, I can tell you that I look fondly on her wild and wacky days at the dog park, but I appreciate these last few golden years of mellow neighborhood walks and long afternoon naps.

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month, so in honor of all the older ladies and gents who still need a loving home, I'm providing a handful of reasons why you should consider adopting an aging pal and a few ways you can make them feel right at home.

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Move over N and make room for Movember in November! Started as a campaign to bring awareness to men's cancers (like prostate and testicular), today Movember is a movement, inspiring men all over the world to sprout splendid 'staches in support of some very serious men's health issues. So why can't our pets join in the campaign? We've tracked down 12 mustachioed trimmings that will bring a little humor to your pet's daily routine while spreading the word about a great cause!

Source: Instagram user hamilton_the_hipster_cat

This Sunday marks the end of daylight savings time, and while we'll have an extra hour of sleep (hooray!), it also means fewer sunlit hours. The earlier sunset also brings increased danger for your pet, whether from moving vehicles or dangerous nocturnal wild animals, so follow these six tips to keep your dog or cat out of harm's way until we set our clocks forward again in the Spring.

Source: Flickr user idea-saras

As we head into the waning months of 2012, it's easy to get caught up in the hullabaloo of the start of the holiday season. But rather than allowing it to be a stressful time for your pet, get him involved in the celebrations! Between Election Day flair, Movember mustaches, and Thanksgiving turkey, there are plenty of opportunities for your pet to represent this festive eleventh month.

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The frenzy of Halloween indulgence has come and gone, and between office-party punch and sweet treats, you're nursing one huge sugar hangover. One thing's for sure: leftover Halloween candy has got to go! If that candy corn and those Snickers were originally destined for the garbage, then consider some other uses that won't make you feel as though you're sending your money along with it. Here are nine better ways to use up uneaten candy that won't make you feel ghoulish.

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If this year's Tompkins Square Park Halloween pet parade proved anything, it's that there are oodles of creative pet costume ideas out there. Who knows what you'll find when you turn a dark corner tonight . . . a Grinch? Spaghetti and meatballs? Mr. T? Google just released its list of the top 10 Halloween pet costume searches during the month of October, and while some are standby favorites, others might surprise you. In any event, at least you'll know what four-legged creatures to expect when things go bump in the night!

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Adopt a Shelter Dog Month is not quite over, and Lauren Conrad is doing her part to help the abundance of pooches looking for love all across the country. Stopping by her local shelter last week, the style icon unexpectedly scooped up a friend for her other rescue pal, 4-year-old Chloe. Dubbed Fitz, the teeny pup seems to be getting along splendidly with his new family and living the good life, taking plenty of naps and even helping mom with the laundry.

Of course, there are plenty of adorable adult and senior dogs who need homes, too, so don't pass up a companion with a little gray on his nose. In the meantime, we can still gush over this aww-mazing pup!

Source: Instagram User laurenconrad