Yes, you most definitely need either an Xpen or a small room (ie laundry room, bathroom etc) for her if you're going to leave her for long periods like you're thinking.
You can definitely put the crate inside the Xpen, that's fine - or, just put a bed in there...either way is fine.
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~
°¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° |