This blog post is a part of the following blog hops:
Wordless Wednesday by XMasDolly
Tag Archives: care
A Day Of Dog Pampering – A Dog Care Supply Haul I Am Excited About
Disclaimer: I have received the products mentioned free of charge in exchange for an honest review. This post also contains affiliate links. See disclosure page for details
Due to the many allergies my little-adopted furry dog friends have, do I refrain from sending them to a groomer, and rather take care of their needs myself. Even if that means some extra work – and the occasional times when I end up wetter than the dogs taking a bath – I love pampering my pooches, while the cat watches on from the distance.
But before washing them with our favorite Burts Bee Hypoallergenic Shampoo (for Dogs), however we had to try out our new Furbabies Retractable Dog Leash, and the dogs had a blast with that thing.
I have been staying away from retractable dog leashes, as I had a bad experience with them, having been cut, after it wrapping itself around my leg. So I was pleasantly surprised when the Furbabies 15 ft retractable leash offered a flat soft leash, that will prevent these accidents from happening. While it states, that it is for small dogs – and I originally accepted the offer, because I wanted to use it on a small toy chihuahua, it is better suited for my medium dogs of 30 pounds (Welsh Corgi/Beagle mix), and a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix (45 pounds).The handle of the dog leash alone would have been heavier than our little friend, so we are sticking with a generic, non-retractable leash for our cute sweetheart. But, for my two larger high energy dogs, this leash is now my favorite.
Adding the finishing touches to their day by using our Safari dog nail clippers, my dogs are again presentable, even if they might not have enjoyed the last part as much as the did the new leash. I contemplated the use of doggie nail polish, but I am pretty sure, my husband would have thought I was completely crazy, so I led that one go.
After such adventure, we are usually all exhausted, as you can see by how one of my puppies passed out, watching us play Sorry!.
Question: What are your favorite ways to pamper your pets? Do you have a special groomer you take them to, or do you also DIY their beauty routine at home?
This post is a part of the following blog hops:
March Week #4 Blog hop
What Are You Doing In March Blog Hop
Plan Ahead – Editorial Calendar And Marketing Planner For Creatives, Artists, Bloggers and More (Free PDF)
Creating relevant content for the upcoming months, means to be up to date on major and minor holidays. But it gets more complicated, when you add to these often celebrated holidays those minor and less often remembered celebrations, such as National Pancake Day or the Summer Solstice.
This information can be not only useful for bloggers, who can plan their content around those holidays, but also adds a volume of potential marketing possibilities for Product on Demand Artists, Photographers, Writers, Affiliate Marketers and other creative people who have an online presence.
In order to make it easier for you to plan your marketing strategies for this year, I have combined a list of strategies and lesser known holidays and celebrations, as a gift for you. Simply click on this link: Editorial Calendar And Marketing Planner Year and download it, to print out to build your own strategies for the upcoming months.
Please do not alter this pdf in any way. You may share the PDF with your friends, in a non-commercial setting, but only un-altered.
Download it now!
Editorial Calendar And Marketing Planner Year
Because it is Friday, which on this blog means, it is time to talk about gratitude – I wanted to share with you what I am grateful for this week:
- I am grateful that despite the fact that my husband was stuck in snow this morning, while traveling in Dallas, he was safe due to the fact that he had snowchains with him. Apparently everyone has been driving safely, because he has not seen an accident. That is a very good thing.
- I am grateful that instead of being in snow, I am in Las Vegas to 85 degree weather. I will cherrish every moment of warmth today.
- I am grateful that my daughter is feeling better after having had a cold. She was invited to a picnic last weekend, and got promptly sick, due to the fact that it was still a little bit more windy then everyone expected. But she is on the mend now.
- I am grateful that it is Friday, which means it is bill paying day. It might seem a little weird to be happy about paying bills, but I am grateful that I can, when I know how many have to make decisions between eating and paying the electric. I am blessed in every way, and I am grateful for that fact.
- I am grateful for the abundance of items I have on my list this week. I am exited to share with you those wonderful new products, and some special deals, which I have carefully weeded through. More on that over the next few days. (Some of these are for you pet owners out there)
What are you grateful for this week? Share with us here, or write a blog post, and join the many blogs that are participating in the following blog hops:
How To Make Your Own Cat Food
Disclaimer: The following post contains affiliate links, see Disclosure page for details
Upon request of a dear reader, I am writing today about making your own cat food. But before sharing a recipe with you, I would like to take a moment to caution you about making your own pet food. My dogs are fed exclusively on homemade dog food, due to severe allergies. They simply can not eat the commercial stuff without loosing all of their fur, and breaking out. My cat, on the other hand, is almost exclusively fed on commercial food, because he has no allergies. If you are feeding all of your pets homemade food, do not feed the same food you make for your dogs to your cat. With very different nutritional needs, you would have to cook separately. That said, I make homemade cat food as an occasional treat, which he enjoys very much.
There are a few foods that should never be added to homemade cat food. Those are:
- Garlic
- Onions
- Raisins
- Raw Egg whites
- Tomatoes
- Grapes
Some people will tell you that garlic keeps away fleas, in both cats and dogs, but it is also poisonous to their system. So stick with the commercial flea protection like Bayer Advantage and skip the garlic
When feeding the amount of homemade cat food, keep the following factors in mind, when giving food:
- Age
- Activity level
- pre-existing conditions
- size of the cat
You should consult your holistic veterinarian for feeding guidelines, or consult books specifically written on the subject.
Basic Cat Food Recipe:
- 1/4 teaspoon olive oil or salmon oil
- 7 grams of feline vitamin/mineral supplement
- 30 grams of potato, cooked without skin
- 50 grams of carbs (choose one: cooked pasta, white rice, barley, oatmeal, peas)
- 83 grams of cooked animal protein (whole meat chicken, lamb, rabbit, beef, pork, tuna, salmon)
Mix all of the ingredients together (a blender works really well for this purpose) and store the food in the fridge until needed
Some of my vegan friends consider feeding their cats and dogs an animal protein-free diet. I personally do not recommend that the same goes for raw diets. Most people making homemade food for their pets will agree that liver should only be fed on occasion as the animal protein given. I completely stay away from liver, as my dogs both seem to have an adverse reaction to it (even though they love the flavor). Every animal will react different to a homemade diet, therefore, your vigilance is required.
Here are two books I highly recommend on the subject:
Dinner PAWsible: A Cookbook of Nutritious, Homemade Meals for Cats And Dogs
The Ultimate Guide To Cats Food
This post is a part of the following blog hops:
Friday Gratitude: Family, Friends and Favorites
This blog post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure page for more information
Do you have an attitude of gratitude? If you do, congratulations. If you are still wondering how to get one, and you own your own blog, I suggest partaking in the many wonderful blog hops that foster weekly listing of gratitude. Just check out the following list of blog hops that happen every week, connect with us, via their link and post your very own list!
What am I grateful for this week?
I am grateful for having such supportive and well-behaved children. Both of them are kind, loving and self-disciplined individuals who are slowly growing toward adulthood. I am proud to be their mother.
I am grateful for my husband, who work hard to make sure that no matter what happens, everyone is taken care off. He was not given anything by anyone, rather often neglected as the youngest in his needs and pursuits, yet he is the one with a thriving family. That is a testimony to his strength and commitment to us.
I am grateful for all of the friends I have had along the way. The friends who were there to laugh and cry along with me, some of whom are far away, as we have moved and traveled not only throughout this great country, but also overseas. We made connections as far as Europe and as close as Las Vegas, and we cherish every single one of them. Oh, and I should not forget to mention those who I count as friends, even though we never met in person – from a Wedding Organizer in Dubai to a Kindle Publishing Writer in India.
I am grateful for my favorite things: coffee, thumbprint cookies, enthusiastic dog licks, vegan chocolate peanut butter, hiking shoes, flannel bed sheets, soft blankets, and books, always books.
What and who are you grateful for this week? Share in the comment section below, post your own blog post, and link up with us, or write it in your journal. Whatever you choose to do, be grateful!
Blessings!
Claudia
This blog post is also a part of the following blog hops:
Gratitude And Tea
It is really cold out there! Perfect time to sit indoors, with a hot cup of tea, a couple of cookies and in front of the computer, contemplating.
I am always contemplating on what-to-do-next. While this habit leads me to be goal oriented, it also has the downfall of creating anxiety, especially when not everything goes they way it was planned, or when the list becomes so large that it is overwhelming.
So taking my time to stop, make myself a cup tea, and focus on gratitude is not only a good idea but a necessity. Exactly that concept of mindfulness and the fact that I need to be mindful in order to function with clarity changed the direction of the book I am working on. Which brings me to the first thing, I am grateful for – the progress I am making with my tea book.
Working title “Happy Tea”, this book demanded to take on a different direction this week, completely unexpected. I thought I would write a book featuring tea traditions, rituals and recipes, but the Universe had something else in mind. Instead, I will focus on the mindfulness of tea, the connection of this beverage within meditation, gratitude and positive living. It seemed like this aspect of tea would serve you better. There are many wonderful books out there, who focus upon the technical aspects of the subject, so I can focus on this direction.
Another thing I am grateful for is the holiday season is almost over. Yes, celebrations are nice, but they also mean extra work, so I am looking forward to having more time to write.
I am grateful that my daughter gets to see Star Wars with her boyfriend tonight. I am not a fan, but they are, so I am happy for them. I am sure they will have a great time.
I am also grateful for the decorations I have been seeing in the neighbourhood.While people do not seem to decorate as much here as in Tampa, the few who have did a great job. Almost made me want to join in. Then I looked at my to-do list and decided to just enjoy everyone else’s decor instead.
What are grateful for this week?
How do you deal with the holiday stress?
Blessings!
Claudia
This blog post is a part of the following blog hops:
Taking Chances – A Celebrate The Small Things Blog Post
Welcome to my weekly Gratitude post – part of Lexa Cain’s “Celebrate The Small Things” blog hop. Why not join us?
Taking chances takes courage. Sometimes it takes moving outside of one’s comfort zone, putting yourself out there, no matter what, even if it means whatever the endeavour it can fail.
I have been wanting to create a design and lifestyle blog for a while. This week I am celebrating my first post upon it. Does it mean that it will succeed? I don’t know, but at least I can try.
Trying new things, and following through on a commitment also takes courage. I celebrate my children’s decision to eat differently, ethically. My daughter is vegan, my son turned vegetarian a few months ago. Both of these choices take commitment and conviction. I am proud of their consciousness of how to live a more positive life.
I celebrate the beginning of September, which always means to me to switch gears toward the Fall and Winter seasons. Even though I love heat, I love the colors and energy of Autumn, and even though this year, I will not be seeing much of that in person (Las Vegas is not known for the foliage, lol), I am emerging myself into the design and creativity that this season brings with it.
What are you celebrating this week? Have you accomplished something that you want to share? Join the blog hop here!
Blessings
Claudia
Falling For You – A Haiku
I am falling for
the simple things; your gentle
smile leaves me breathless
Copyright Claudia H. Blanton 2015
Unspoken Words – A Haiku
I wish I could tell
you, the strength your love has brought
into my life, but….
Copyright Claudia H. Blanton 2015
Making Peace With Myself – A Poem
Vulnerable by Marlies Odenhal
I used to hate you
that part of me, weak, exposed
like an open nerve
raw, vulnerable, in pain
disgusted by the torture
linked to twisted acts
of a sad, sick mind
but in the healing love of
another, I found
peace
Avalon-Media - A LifeStyle Blog 