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Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Cat Food Review & Giveaway

2014, Furry Friday, Giveaway, Pets, Reviews

Sep 192014

Our fur babies were blessed with being sent a bag of Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Cat food to help facilitate this review. In which – all 13 give it a rating of a five!

The box arrived and I opened it. That was a mistake on my part. I should have put it where it belongs or at the very least – closed the box back up. It wasn’t long after that that Possum decided she was going to tear the bag open!

The next thing I saw was food on the floor and another cat helping themselves to it (not sure of which black cat – we have 5 black cats).

Needless to say, I guess you might say this cat food must be good if they’re into it before it makes it to their food bowls. In fact, they liked this food so much that they devoured the entire bag in less than a week.

There wasn’t one out of the thirteen cats that did not like this food. That tells me a lot since a couple of these kids of ours are picky eaters. And frankly, it’s no savings in my pocket if they won’t eat the food I’ve bought.

About the Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Cat Food for Adult Cats

The morsels are just the right size. They are rather round in shape and on the flatter side.

The best thing about this cat food is that it is made in the USA! Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Adult Cat Formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.

Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, turkey meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), peas, white rice, oatmeal, potato protein, potatoes, natural flavor, ocean fish meal, flaxseed, turkey, duck, salmon, sodium bisulfate, egg product, potassium chloride, DL-methionine, choline chloride, taurine, dried chicory root, dried kelp, carrots, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, cranberries, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-Carnitine, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 34.0% minimum
Crude Fat 20.0% minimum
Crude Fiber 3.0% maximum
Moisture 10.0% maximum
Zinc 150 mg/kg minimum
Selenium 0.3 mg/kg minimum
Vitamin E 150 IU/kg minimum
Taurine 0.15% minimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* 3.0% minimum
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* 0.5% minimum
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the
AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profile.

Calorie Content
3,926 kcal/kg (367 kcal/cup)
Calculated Metabolizable Energy

Feeding Guide
Weight (lbs.) Standard Measuring Cups / Day
3 – 5 1?4 — 1?3
5 – 10 1?3 — 2?3
10 – 15 2?3 — 3?4
15 – 20 3?4 — 11?4
REMEMBER TO KEEP PLENTY OF FRESH WATER AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES.

It’s nice to know that the company gives back to the animals (and people) in need – here’s a couple tidbits to ponder over:

Because it’s important to give back, we use adopted pets as our models…
A number of us at Chicken Soup for the Soul have adopted animals from shelters. So, when it came time to shoot the photos for our new pet food packaging, we had an idea. Instead of paying for “professional” pet models, we donated money to a local shelter and featured some of their cats and dogs, ones that had recently found their “forever homes.” On the back of each package, you can read about the rescue dog or cat pictured on the front.

Because we use all our products to give back to animals and people too…
Improving the world around us is part of Chicken Soup for the Soul’s mission of sharing happiness, inspiration and wellness through everything they do. Today we focus our philanthropic activities on the Humpty Dumpty Institute, our charitable partner. We collaborate with the Humpty Dumpty Institute on a number of initiatives related to literacy, hunger and animals. A portion of all Chicken Soup for the Soul sales goes to Humpty Dumpty to support its work.

You can learn more about why their pet food is different at this link

This adult cat food comes in 5lb and 15lb bags. One can find it at several online retailers, including Amazon.com. They also make canned (wet food) and foods for dogs.

Chicken Soup for the Soul would love for you to get social with them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Giveaway – Ends 10/1/14 @ 12 AM

One (1) winner will win a 5-lb bag of Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Cat Food. This giveaway will run from 1am 9/19/14 – 10/1/14 @ 12am.. EST times. Open to residents of the US and is void where prohibited by law.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Finger Click Saver is not responsible for prize shipment. The giveaway is not associated with any social media including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Please see T&C on the RC for full details regarding the giveaway.

Food Deserts – What Are They?

2014, Medical Monday

Sep 022014

Have you ever heard the term ‘Food Desert”? There is an estimated 23.5 million people that live in food deserts in the US and Canada. It’s actually quite disturbing that, we, as a country, have people who are unable to obtain the proper nutrition due to location and economic status.

U. S. Department of Agriculture

So what exactly is a food desert?

As defined by the USDA:

Food deserts are defined as urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Instead of supermarkets and grocery stores, these communities may have no food access or are served only by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer few healthy, affordable food options. The lack of access contributes to a poor diet and can lead to higher levels of obesity and other diet-related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

That said, food deserts have to meet two criteria to be considered a food desert per Census tracts:

The first being:

They qualify as “low-income communities”, based on having: a) a poverty rate of 20 percent or greater, OR b) a median family income at or below 80 percent of the area median family income; AND

The second being:

They qualify as “low-access communities”, based on the determination that at least 500 persons and/or at least 33% of the census tract’s population live more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store (10 miles, in the case of non-metropolitan census tracts).

Why is it that you need to be educated on food deserts?

Just as there are countries that are full of malnutritioned individuals and have little or no food, so do we right here in the US & Canada. The sad thing is, is that quite often people will criticize over-weight children and adults – not thinking twice about how these individuals may possibly be suffering from malnutrition.

And although we have more resources to help our own (food stamps (SNAP), WIC, food pantries, automobiles etc.) than other countries may not have, the foods that are available to those in food deserts receiving benefits are often from little stores that don’t get fresh food/meats in often, or at all. The foods these individuals are often faced with are packaged foods that don’t hold the nutritional value that one’s body needs.

In recently coming across a Facebook group thread where someone was criticizing others for buying a lot of cereals and other boxed meals…I was a bit taken back and thus the reason for this post. This individual had no idea of the circumstances this other person faces every day. No idea where they live . No idea how far a real grocery store exists in their area. No idea what their finances were. No idea if they had transportation to make it to a traditional grocery store. And – no idea if these people lived in a food desert – yet were criticizing what they fed their family.

This person also was criticizing others by saying these foods cause diabetes and parents shouldn’t be feeding their kids cereals, Hamburger Helper, and foods of the like. Okay – well, I’m in total disagreement with that (that’s my opinion), as diabetes is not brought on by those factors alone. Diabetes goes deeper than that. Granted these foods don’t help, but what is one to do when there aren’t many choices to choose from, if they were to be a victim of a food desert?

And should it be that the people she were criticizing lived in a food desert – those individuals are faced with more than just diabetes. They are faced with multiple vitamin deficiencies. Heart issues. Being overweight (malnutrition often presents itself as one being overweight). Thyroid disease. Yet – all these people are trying to do is survive. Survive with a basic necessity some people take for granted.

I urge you to learn more about food deserts. Everyone needs to be educated on these. Visit the USDA’s website: https://apps.ams.usda.gov/fooddeserts/foodDeserts.aspx (Look to the right of the page for more resources to read).

If you are reading this and live in a food desert – we’d love for you to share your experience with us. What is most challenging for you? What is frustrating for you? How do you manage?

Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil Review

2014, Beauty, Content, home remedies, Medical Monday

Aug 222014

If you’re not familiar with Tea Tree Oil you might just want to take the time to familiarize yourself with this wonderful organic home remedy.

Tea Tree Oil comes from the Melaleuca tree. The leaves of the tree are put through a process to extract the oil. In turn, this oil, which has antimicrobial properties (anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral) – is a fabulous natural medicinal alternative.

Tea Tree Oil has so many uses. I’ve personally cured ringworm, cleared up cold sores, healed a huge burn on my arm from bacon fat (no I’m not going to tell you that the burn didn’t hurt when putting the oil on – but once that hurt went away a short few minutes later – I couldn’t feel that burn unless I pressed hard on the area).

Other uses for Tea Tree oil are (many more not listed):

Skin care – acne, facial toner, moisturizing face wash, body scrub, deodorant, eczema
First Aid – ringworm, staphylococcus, MRSA4
Household cleaning – from soaps to cleaning the bathroom
Hair care -shampoo, dry scalp, cradle cap
Aromatherapy – air fresheners, massage oils, reed diffusers
Dental care -toothpaste, mouthwash

Is all Tea Tree Oil the same?

The answer to that is no. Some companies add additives that can reduce the oil’s properties. A pharmaceutical grade is always your best option. You’ll also want to make sure that the tea tree oil is a dark colored bottled that is air-tight. It needs to be stored away from sunlight and air as much as possible, so that its effectiveness isn’t compromised.

Here’s the back label of Apothecary Extract Tea Tree Oil:

Do you see where it says – “Gas chromatography tested?” That’s an important piece of information if you’re wondering about the quality of the tea tree oil you’re looking to purchase.

If you don’t see this on the packaging – you can ask the company/supplier you’re buying from for their gas chromatography report and to compare it to the ISO standards found at http://www.teatree.org.au/standards.php. Don‘t be surprised if you can’t be provided with these test results though. It’s said that these tests are expensive to perform and some companies would rather you not know what is in their product.

That said, you know you’re getting a quality product when you purchase Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil.

Side Effects of Tea Tree Oil

One can be allergic to tea tree oil just as with anything else. The best way to determine if you’ll experience any side effects – do a skin test on your arm or leg by rubbing the oil on an area no bigger than the size of a nickel. If you don‘t experience any skin irritation or other side effects, you should feel confident that you are not allergic to tea tree oil and can begin using it. If you find yourself having a slight reaction after testing it – you’ll want to stop using right away, or try mixing it with a carrier oil such as coconut oil or almond oil to dilute it. Whatever you do – do not ingest any tea tree oil.

How does the Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil Rate?

I’ve written about the use of tea tree oil in the past (read that post here); and although the brand I used was not this one – you’ll find this one to be equivalent to the one that I was using. The scent of Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil is that of what I’m used to using. The oil has the consistency of what I’ve used in the past. The smell is the same. It arrived in a dark colored bottle (the one you see above), which is mandatory for keeping its potency.

Shortly after receiving the bottle, which couldn’t’ have come at a better time since we had just finished our last bottle, I came down with a cold sore. These are common for daughter and myself. I immediately went to the Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil and began putting it on the sore. Within just a couple of days – the sore began to dry up. The itching went away shortly after applying the oil. So I can tell you that the Apothecary brand works the way I would expect it to.

Our home always has a supply of tea tree oil and black salve on hand – that’s not an option, but is mandatory. We believe in these products 110%. The Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil will be a staple in our house from now on. There are just so many brands out there it’s hard knowing which brand you can trust. That said, in reviewing this particular brand, I learned a lot and have much confidence in the product.

The Perks of Purchasing the Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil

When you purchase this brand’s tea tree oil – you will receive an eBook with many recipes on ways to use the oil. The eBook also touches base on the history of tea tree oil. The bottle I received was a 4-oz. bottle and this will last us a very long time. Not only that – the price of the 4-oz bottle of Apothecary Extracts brand – is one of where you’ll be getting more for your money.

You’ll find the Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil at Amazon.com

Are you a tea tree oil user? What do you like best about the oil?

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Petbrosia Customized All-Natural Pet Food Review & Giveaway

2014, Furry Friday, Giveaway, Reviews

Aug 152014

**Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life states.**

Houston! We have a problem! Petbrosia sent us a bag of their customized all-natural pet food for our dog Gracie to taste test, and now Gracie thinks that’s all she should eat aside from her treats. She won’t touch the food we bought prior to the arrival of Petbrosia’s! Psst…In case she’s (Gracie) wondering, she’s finishing the old food – it was a full big bag!

For the purpose of this review, I place the food in a clear plastic cover so that you could see the size of the morsels. They are on on the smaller side, which suits Gracie very well even though she’s a big do. We believe this to be because she has such an overbite. She is also enjoying this meal lying down – something I really discourage because I don’t need her getting bloat.

What is so ironic about her wanting this food is that Gracie is NOT fond of chicken, potatoes, or rice. She’s a pain in the butt to buy for. That said – she LOVES this food – and she’s not the only one that loves the food – our cats do too! This pic below would be Snapples eating it.

You ask…What is Petbrosia?

Petbrosia is Customized Nutrition for your unique pet – cat or dog – that is delivered to your door. That’s a time saver. In addition to saving time, you’re feeding your pet food with all-natural meats, fruits, and vegetable designed just for them.

How’s Petbrosia work?

On their website where you see “Start Here”, you fill in pertinent information that Petbrosia uses to arrive at what is the best food option is for your pet.

Let’s take a look at how it came to be that Gracie would be best fed the Chicken and Potato Formula.

After I answered these questions pertaining to her age, weight, activity level, allergies etc:

I was then given the Assessment Information:

Here’s another assessment page view. This one includes what Petbrosia recommends (I’ve taken out the price simply because my price may be different than yours).

And that’s how we ended up with the Chicken and Potato Formula opposed to the formula that contains salmon.

Regardless of whether it be chicken or salmon formula – both options are made with real free-run (chicken & salmon). They also are antibiotic and hormone-free. There is no corn, soy, wheat, gluten, or by-product meal. There aren’t any artificial colors or flavors and vitamins and supplements are included in the formulas, including Glucosamine and Chondroitin.

The food arrived in a bag inside this box. Now I have to tell you this packaging has to be extremely well sealed because Gracie, nor any of our cats attempted to get into the packaging. What that in turn means to me – is that you’re getting a very fresh product.

As you can see below, the label lists all the ingredients and the general feeding guidelines.

Give Petbrosia a Try and Save $10

Save $10 off your First Purchase of Petbrosia Pet Foods by entering the promotional code: BRYK10

Helpful Links

Petbrosia has some helpful links that may be of interest to you. Learn about:

Petbrosia’s dog food delivery program
Switching Dog Food
Dog Food Comparison
5 steps to a healthier dog
Dog Food Comparison

Petbrosia loves friends!

Follow them along on: Facebook //Twitter//Pinterest.

Giveaway Time!

Giveaway is Rafflecopter powered. Open to residents of the US and is void where prohibited. Sponsor is responsible for prize shipment. Giveaway runs from 8/15/14 @ 5am – 9/2/14 @ 12am.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Getting Stains Out of Your Favorite Sweatshirts

2014, Special, Tipsy Tuesday

Aug 032014

Blank sweatshirts are a beautiful canvas on which to put your favorite designs, logos, or other creative image of your choice. Sweatshirts are a favorite go-to for many people because they are so comfortable. They are perfect for lounging around the house or wearing outside on a cool day. In fact, people wear sweatshirts so much, it’s no wonder stains find their way onto this piece of clothing. Stains on any piece of clothing are a nuisance, but there are ways to deal with them, especially if you are quick to take action. It is first important to understand different kinds of stains.

Types of Stains

Stains usually fall into two different categories: dyes and proteins. Most stains are usually one or the other, or a combination of the two.

Dyes are usually found in colored items like vegetables, fruits, and plants. When handled immediately, these are pretty simple to get out of clothing. They become much more stubborn if they are allowed to set in, however.

Proteins can often be treated with detergents that have enzymes. The enzymes help to dissolve fats and break down the proteins.

Combination stains can usually be treated with a detergent first, then laundered like normal with a stain solution applied.

Dye Stains

Fruit and juice stains can be a nightmare if allowed to set. It helps to avoid using soap-based products with fruit or fruit juice stains, since this could make the stain set in the fabric. For particularly stubborn stains, put an enzyme-based detergent in a quart of warm water and soak the stain for about 30 minutes. Then launder the sweatshirt on the hottest setting allowed for that fabric.

Grass stains pervade on the clothing of active young people. The same technique can be applied here for stubborn stains with a slight temperature difference—soak the stain in an enzyme-based detergent and a quart of cool water for 30 minutes. Avoid using hot water with grass-type stains. If the stain remains after washing, soak it again for another 30 minutes.

Protein Stains

Mud is fairly simple to remove if you let it dry completely. For mud spots that remain, you can usually get it out by soaking it with a quart of warm water, a teaspoon of dish soap, and a tablespoon of white vinegar. Let the stain soak for 15 minutes, then rinse. You can also try dabbing the stain with rubbing alcohol if it still persists.

Combination

Sauce stains may look stubborn, but if you soak them in cool water with a half of a teaspoon of dish soap and a tablespoon of vinegar for half an hour, they usually come out. After soaking, stubborn stains can be pre-treated with a stain remover, then washed on a warm cycle.

Coffee stains are best handled fresh. Wash your sweatshirt in cold water first, then try rubbing the stain with laundry detergent and cold water. Let it soak for half an hour, rubbing in the detergent every once in a while. Next, wash the sweatshirt on the hottest setting allowed for the fabric. Do not dry until the stain has been completely removed.

Quick Tips to Remember

Stains on your favorite blank sweatshirt might seem like a nightmare, but they are most easily removed if treated immediately. Remember to always check your stained sweatshirt after washing to make sure the stain is removed before drying it. Another pre-treat and wash cycle may be better for getting out a stain than having it permanently set in by a dry cycle. If all else fails – try Greased Lightning…it’s fabulous for removing stains!

10 Money Saving Tips for Parents

2014, Tipsy Tuesday

Jul 232014

It does not matter how great your income is; when you have kids, it never seems to be enough. You think you are doing all you can to make frugal choices, but are you? Below is some money saving tips that have more an impact than you might think.

1. Kiss Your Car Insurance Goodbye – Okay, you need car insurance, but when was the last time you shopped around? Rates often factor in age, address, and credit. So, if you are still paying the same rate as you were five years ago when you lived in a questionable area, had no credit, and still had a speeding ticket that had not dropped off your record, then you are probably paying too much. Call your provider and ask to be reevaluated, and get rates from others while you are at it.

2. Examine Your Phone Bill – How often do you use that call forwarding option on your home phone service or digital voicemail on your cell? Phone bills are often full of a lot of services you don’t need.

3. Cancel Movie Channels – Get rid of those expensive movie channels and get Netflix or something similar. Most people pay an average of $30 per month on movie channels. Let’s face it; you are lucky if one decent movie is added every week anyway. It is just not worth it.

4. Buy a Water Fountain – Right now, you are saying, “Wait! I’m trying to save money, not spend it.” Instead of having an air purifier, vaporizer, and sound element all plugged in the nursery, eliminate these things for one fountain. The sound is soothing, the water evaporates to provide moisture, and the movement of water cleans the air. You can pick one up from online stores like IndoorFountainPros.com.

5. Stop Eating Out – Eating at restaurants is so expensive. Even if you are only grabbing a muffin and coffee for breakfast or a salad for lunch, this really adds up. Pack snacks, lunches, etc., when you are on the move, so you are not tempted to hit the drive thru.

6. Don’t Buy Bottled Water – Bottled water is truly the biggest waste of money and it is bad for the environment. Buy a few BPA-free, washable water bottles and a water pitcher with a filter and fill the bottles with your own clean water.

7. Clip Coupons – How many times have you been standing in line and kick yourself because you remember seeing a coupon for something you are buying? Use a recipe box with dividers to create a coupon filing system that works for you.

8. Save Gas – There are probably plenty of times when you can easily walk or bike to where you are going instead of taking the car. Gas is expensive. If you have a smaller yard, ditch that gas guzzling mower for a reel mower instead.

9. Make Baby Food – Buy small jars and puree your own baby food. It will cost a fraction of the price. There are recipes all over the Internet.

10. Ask for a Better Credit Card Rate – You never know if you can get a better rate, if you don’t ask. Call your credit card company and tell them you are going to transfer the balance to a new card with a better rate unless they can do a little better.

What Can I Make With These Ingredients? Try Supercook!

2014, Recipes, Tipsy Tuesday

Jul 152014

You’re going to LOVE this site we found! It’s a very cool site for those who are looking to make/bake something but have limited ingredients on hand.

Picture this scenario in your mind. It’s suppertime. You ask yourself, “What am I going to make – I want something different than the same ole, same ole. OR – I have limited ingredients so what can I make with what I have on hand?”

Here’s a solution for you! Go to Supercook.com. You enter what ingredients you have on hand on the left. You are not limited to their suggestions – look below that box and where you see ‘Add Ingredients,’ and enter the ingredients you do have.

From there, you’ll see on the right hand side of the page, dishes that you can make. If for some reason you are missing an ingredient that a dish requires, you will be told that too.

Some of the recipes where you are missing ‘that’ certain ingredient – you can still make. For instance, if bell peppers are part of the recipe and you don’t have them and you don’t care if you include them in the recipe – it’s not a big deal.

We’d love to hear what you thought of this site – please come back and share your thoughts!

Gracie Our Shepherd Mix Got Groomed – She’s so Lucky!

2014, Furry Friday

Jul 052014

Gracie, Our Shepherd Mix Got Groomed – she’s so Lucky! And you ask, “Why is she so lucky?” Let me tell you – if I could go to the salon and come out a few hours later looking 20lbs lighter and 10 years younger – I’d go once a month! Wouldn’t you?

Gracie’s Grooming Story:
Gracie is a 7 year-old, 85lb. German Shepard Mix with a long fur coat that is thicker than thick can be. She’s well in need of a good grooming as you can see. She does not allow us to brush her even though we brushed her every day when we first rescued her. That didn’t last too long – a month or so, before she decided we weren’t going to be doing that any longer.

Gracie – getting ready to be groomed

You can see how nasty her fur is here. Up close and personal, you can pull out the lighter fur clumps you see on her dark fur from her shedding. That’s too much work though and one reason she gets groomed whether it be just a bath/brushing or like today – being shaved down.

We’ve taken her in the past to Petsmart to have her bathed and brushed and she always has come out looking beautiful despite being charged differently each time she’s gone – they always want to change the type of breed she is, increasing the fee every time I bring her and quite frankly – it’s annoying! And then a couple years ago at the end of summer – someone suggested us shaving her down for the summer.

I thought long and hard about having her shaved. To me, it just didn’t seem natural to shave her down. Seriously – I couldn’t wrap my head around that thought for the longest time. A good bath and brushing always made her beautiful.

Then come last summer, I decided that I would give it ONE try. We took her to Petsmart and although it was like looking at a new dog and I knew that she had to be much cooler – I was very unhappy with the cuts and scraps that the razor left on her. I was also not happy with the way her tail was shaved. Her tail looked like a feather duster from the end of her spine to the tip of her tail – similar to the shape of a paint roller with fur attached.

So this year I wanted to have her shaved down again, but didn’t want to take her back to Petsmart or someplace of the like. And the groomer at my vets – they want you to have every shot under the sun before they will groom the animals – something I won’t do because all those shots aren’t good for our fur babies. Don’t get me wrong – she’s vaccinated for required vaccines – just not all those extras.

Then I ran into a woman at the Town Hall and had to ask her where she had her dog groomed. Her dog – a Golden Retriever – was beautifully groomed. She gave me the information and I placed my call to ‘A Furry Affair.’ A Furry Affair is like a woman’s beauty salon. There’s several groomers that do grooming all in one location.

I ended up booking an appointment with Deanna, the owner of Wish Upon a Paw. Grooming day arrived and we met with Deanna. She asked me what I was looking for. I explained to her what I didn’t want because that’s all I had to compare to. Later that day, I returned to pick Gracie up and WHOA – my Gracie was brought to me and was she just stunning!

She looked 20lbs lighter and 10 years younger. That was the case last year too. But this year – her tail looked fabulous. The fur around her face and neck blended so nicely. And she was wearing a beautiful tye-dyed purple bandana (not shown – her human sister borrowed it right away!).

Gracie at Grandpa’s – she had to show Grandpa her new ‘do’

Gracie at Grandpa’s – annoyed because she wasn’t allowed to dig a hole to lie in

Wouldn’t you just love to go to the salon and come out looking like she did – 20lbs lighter and 10 yrs younger? Frankly, I’m quite jealous!

On another note – what dog breed comes to mind when you look at Gracie? Originally we were told she was a Rottweiler. Obviously, that she is not. The we were then told she’s the Shepherd Mix. We thought we saw some Border Collie in her, some Bernese, and possibly some wolf. What do you see in her? I’d love to get hear your thoughts!

Ways to Save on Weddings

2014, Special, Thursday Thriftiness

May 252014

Wedding hand personalized wedding labels

A bride wants nothing more than to have her day be “the” day of her life. Weddings can be expensive though. That said, even a bride on a budget can have the dream wedding she’s dreamed of her entire life…it’s just a matter of planning and being creative. There are so many ways to save on weddings from the beginning to the end. From using finds at the dollar store, ebay.com, consignment shops and craigslist.org. Personalize the event by using inexpensive personalized wedding labels etc. Here are some ideas for you:

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***Giveaway – Ends 10/1/14 @ 12 AM***