Go green! (even with your dog toys)

One of my dogs favorite toys, and I myself also I must admit, is a Hedgehog that makes the most strange, and unique sounds that intrigue him for hours on end. I have already purchased two, not to say they aren't durable, but because he simply can't get enough of it non-stop. He tries to bring this toy outside to come in the car with us, and to bed at night. He licks it, chases it, bites it, plays with it,and just simply LOVES it.

It rattles, it makes some weird variety of noises, and it also has a squeaker on one side, incase your animal is as crazy for squeaks as mine is...

Plush Puppies- Hedgehog
http://www.alphadogtoys.com/plush_puppies_grey_hedgehog_dog_toy_large_small_grunt_squeak_rattle.html
is one website you can purchase this item from, or petco.com or petsmart.com
most retailers have it online, but I'm sad that it's not available at some local petshops in town near me... humm..
Anyways:
"Now they are made GREEN - environmentally friendly and responsible. The poly fiber fill stuffing inside these toys is made from post consumer recycled plastic bottles. This does not sacrifice our high standards for quality and safety yet, it greatly reduces the number of plastic bottles that go to landfills each year!"

Dog wont go out when its wet? Dog boots that work!

IF your dog is anything like mine, he/she simply will not 'go' outside, because the gravel/ grass/ pavement is wet from rain, or something...

Here are some Natural Rubber boots for dogs that actually work.

PAWZ - Natural Rubber, Waterproof Dog Boots

My Basenji went outside with these on, and continued to want to walk even though it was sprinkling out, and the gravel was soaked. I have never in the 9 months of owning him had such a great success with him willing to go outside when it was damp.

Although the boots can wareout, they are surprisingly cheap, and the package comes with 12 boots. They are not made for running a marathon, but they sure do the job right! A simple walk around the block, or just going outside and don't want muddy paws again? Use these boots, and I'm sure you'll be a customer for life, such as, myself.

PAWZ boots range in a variety of sizes, and most likely your local petshop, or retailer will carry these! :)

Surprising Allergies!

Allergies always seem to get the best of me, and without having insurance with a doctor right down the street, I had to do the next best thing... *Research online* & *Back tracking recent eventful days*

So I've been backtracking a few days for some time now, and have come to the conclusion that it must have been the facial I had last week that made my face break out in hives all over. Why? I'm allergic to metal, and the Aesthetician used a metal extractor on my skin... Talk about uncomfortable.

Tracked: What I ate, what I wore, and what I did...

Working out the night of, and then taking a hot shower only made it worse. I thought I was 'just breaking out' how I normally do after a facial... But not this time, and is finally starting to go down with some Benadryl (Diphendramine HCI) aka: antihistamine.

ZZzzZZSleepyZZzzZZ
side effects, and some cortisone cream later the swelling has gone down immensely!

below: is some helpful information to help you target your allergy problem that you cant seem to get a finger on...
"

Summary from http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/metal-allergies.html

Metal allergies are among the chief sources of allergic contact dermatitis. Nickel, cobalt and chromate are among the metals most likely to trigger reactions. Symptoms include a skin rash that can develop into blisters and damaged skin. People are most often sensitized to metal from wearing costume jewelry, which frequently contains nickel. This problem has gotten worse as body piercing has grown more popular. Other sources of metal allergy include everything from soil and seawater to cement and shoe leather. A metal allergy can be diagnosed by having a physician conduct a skin patch test, which introduces various allergens to a patient’s skin to see if a reaction occurs. Once an allergy has been diagnosed, patients should try to minimize exposure to the metal triggering their symptoms.

"

Worn out tires-

It occurred to me this morning as I woke after a restless night of sleep:
that I do not know one thing about car tires.

After some research, because I have a flat tire, I discovered that there are many different kinds of tires out there.

First I googled where to buy tires in the town I live in. Next I called them up after going out in the cold to read about what kinds of tires I currently have on my car. I didn't know you could have different tires on he front and the back, so instead of replacing all 4 tires, at times you can move the back tires to the front, and just replace the backs... Sounds fair enough right?

I was told that tires can look old, and that it really doesn't matter what they look like. The threading is what matters, and supposedly mine are pretty warn :). I'm a girl though, I don't really know these things. I guess I really can't use my gender as an excuse, because some girls are educated in this department, but in this case I'm surely not! Ha.

Here is a website that can help on learning about Tire safety:
http://www.rma.org/tire_safety/tire_maintenance_and_safety/how_to_take_care_of_your_tires/

Remember to shop around for tires, check online prices, and compare prices for all 4 tires, or just getting 2 tires, and moving the back ones to the front if possible.

Be sure to check your tires before the rainy season friends :)!!!

Pay Less Shoes ONLINE?!

I remember growing up, and always wanting new shoes. I was fortunate enough to have a Mom who worked part-time in shoes at Nordstroms, and Macys during the holidays as a second job. She is a shoe freak, even more so than me. With that being said we enjoyed going to Payless Shoes in the mall for knock offs that looked the same as Designer shoes. Today as I was thinking about the mall I frequented a lot growing up, I thought about the Pay Less Shoe company, and even more so wondered if they were online. I never knew, thought they'd be more or less a place like Ross, or Marshals, with random finds, so there wouldn't be a website to buy items off of.

Anyways; The results are in, and there IS indeed a www.Payless.com

I will probably be buying some boots from them as soon as I can find a cheap pair, because I don't really feel like spending over $100.00 on Rain shoes that WILL get ruined. Where I live now it's freaking raining a whole damn barn outside! I need to protect my feet, be able to drive safely, and there's definitely a good feeling about having warm shoes on... I hate soggy feet in shoes in class, and I'm sure you do. For all of your personal "occasional wear to tear shoes!" shop at Payless, most shoes are quality for a one time seasonal use! :)

Rain!

If you carry an umbrella, it won't rain, and if you don't, it will.=)

Here are some top choice umbrellas to prepare you, and I for this upcoming rainy season!!!

1. ShedRain Windpro Auto Open/Close Umbrella:

This umbrella was wind tested to 33 mph, it has a huge amount of resist. This brand has a couple different sizes, and widths and clothes lengths.
There is also a button on the umbrella that makes it easy for opening and closing the umbrella when needed. Talk about new and improved!!!

2. Swiss Army Victorinox Automatic Open/Close Umbrella

This umbrella seems like it would have a pocket knife or something in it from the name, but no it doesn't its safe for everyone! This brand is known for making high quality items, and this umbrella shouldn't be any different. This is a pretty compact umbrella being only 13 inches until it "unfurls" in 3 stages. This umbrella also has prevention in it, to help against wind made with titanium alloy for strength. The grip you hold to keep the umbrella in place over you is a comfortable molded handle. That the site says its quite comfortable. Hmm.

3. ShedRain Windjammer Jumbo Umbrella

This is a HUGE umbrella, that will not only keep you dry, but is 22 inches!!! A comfortable 3- fingered wood grip with a leather strap on the bottom for holding when it's closed. This umbrella is also designed to resist wind inversion... Looks like a golfing umbrella

Walking i views these different types of umbrellas from this site. There are more on there, but I think the top 3 are the most valuable.

Happy Umbrella Hunting friends! :)

Treats for dogs- The Bad & Good

Whenever I have a snack I love to share with my puppy, Troy. It's quite amusing how he eats, and plays with his food worse than a child in a hilarious way. First he grabs it when I say its okay, drops it, pokes it with his nose, wags his tail, maybe runs around the house, rolls over next to it, and so on... He's just a character is how I guess I'd sum it up for you.
There are so many people out there that don't obey what we've found out today about how dogs should really be eating!!! It's VERY important, because maybe you gave your dogs a few pieces of grapes last wk, or a bowl of milk, but did you know that it can be harmful to your animals digestive system, or even worse deadly? Here are some important items to note about dog bones, and giving meals to dogs in form of scraps from what you cook, or just everyday snacks you're giving, or sharing with your buddy ol' pal.

First: Dog Bones. Yes there are both The Good kinds, and The Bad kinds you may have already given your dog. Don't freak out if he's been fine in the past it's not an emergency to be running to your vet. because he had one last week. Just simply don't buy the wrong ones for your animal anymore... Buy the good ones, even if they are a little more costly. I know from personal experience they WILL cost more, but I'm happy my dog won't get sick, or chew my furniture, and shoes.

The Difference:

Cow hooves are unsafe, because they have sharp edges.
Rawhide While that may sound like a simple piggish act on your dog's part, a serious complication may be in the making. Those pieces of rawhide, when swallowed in massive sizes, as they most often are, do not digest in the dog's body. This means the dog has to either pass a very large blockage or retain a very large blockage, both of which are extremely painful for the poor creature, with the latter being potentially fatal.
My advice is to NEVER allow your dog to have chewy rawhide bones, especially the ones that are purchased in the flat squares. Those sharp edges will remain sharp and tear through your dog's intestinal wall or stomach lining. Not a good thing.

Bad Food: Some foods and treats can be harmful to your pet. Chocolate can be dangerous. A small amount can make dogs sick. A large amount can cause death. Onions, Grapes, Raisins, Avocado pits, and Caffeine have also been found to cause serious illness in many dogs. Think smart. Items like lettuce can make your dog bloated, and possibly sick.
****IF you don't ever know if your dog should be eating what you're eating, check with an educated Vet. or, go to a knowledgeable site online, but make sure it's not a Questionaire page like Yahoo Answers, where public people just write what they think is right, and could in fact be far from it.***

A Better Bone:
For almost 5 months now I have been giving my dog a more pricier option, so he can get his "chew on". The bones I would recommend are BullyStix, or Flossies by Merrick. My dog LOVES these. He devours the Flossies, even the thick ones, because he's just a chewing machine... If you have a small dog like a Yorkie or something, I'm sure it would last for a week, or something for most light chewers. There are also a variety of different sizes you can pick up for your pooch.

Sleeping Disorder?!

As I woke up this morning my husband slyly mentioned that I was talking in my sleep again last night. Thank goodess it was only gibberish. But being on the curious side myself, I ask him specifically what I say, and how long it goes on for and what not. Of course I never get a straight answer, so I'm bound to believe that I probably said something in my sleep that he didn't like, grrrreat...!

So I was doing some research here online and came across this site:
http://www.happynews.com/living/sleep/talking-sleep.htm
Here is what it says:

By Amy Mullen "We spend a third of our lives sleeping. Sleep is very important for the human body and the mind to function properly. Each night while we sleep our bodies do amazing things. They heal themselves from the activities of the day and release growth hormones into our system. Our brains use this time to sort through the information that we have gathered during our waking hours. It is thought that we don't actually learn anything until we fall asleep and our brains have time to process and store the information.

There are many disorders associated with sleep including sleepwalking, sleep apnea, night terrors, and sleep talking. Sleep talking is pretty harmless to the talker but can be very annoying to the person sleeping next to them. Episodes of sleep talking can range from small mutterings to long winded conversations. Most sleep talking is calm and monotone. Though it is rare, some sleep talkers have been known to yell out and frighten those around them.

The medical term for sleep talking is somniloquy. Children are more apt to talk in their sleep than adults. The reason for this is the immature state of the brain and incomplete sleep cycles. Though a child's sleep talking may scare parents, it is most often harmless. Most children will eventually grow out of this behavior. Children and adults that talk in their sleep never remember doing so, and are often quite shocked to be told of the things they said while sleeping.

Sleep talking is a part of the sleeping disorder parasomnia. This is caused by non-restful or unfulfilled sleep stages. People with parasomnia often display activities in their sleep such as sleepwalking, sleep talking, teeth grinding, and night terrors. They also may experience body jerking and they may thrash about in their sleep. The person is usually unable to fall fully asleep. This can cause drowsiness during the day and overall poor health.

Each night the body transitions between the five stages of sleep. There are four stages of non-REM sleep and one stage of REM sleep. When the body cannot move smoothly from one stage to another they become partially aroused from sleep. This is often found in people with fibromyalgia. When the stages are interrupted parasomnia episodes can take place. Parasomnia can also be an inherited condition.

Sleep talking happens in any stage of sleep. Most people associate sleep talking with REM sleep. REM or "rapid eye movement" is the stage of sleep in which we have our most vivid and memorable dreams. The truth is most of sleep talking occurs in non-REM sleep. When we are in the REM stage of sleep, our bodies are in a state of partial paralysis. This is believed this happens to stop a person from acting out their dreams and possibly injuring themselves. Sleep talking tends to happen as sleep transitions from on stage to another.

People who suffer from sleep apnea are more prone to sleep talking. Sleep talking that happens at a light sleep level tends to be more understandable. Talking during deep sleep is more likely to be mutterings or gibberish. A person with sleep apnea suffers from breathing problems while sleeping and they don't always attain the deepest level of sleep. This in turn makes them more likely to talk in their sleep.

Somniloquy can also be triggered by stressful situations or occur in times of poor health. Stress and illness cause poor sleep cycles. A lack of proper sleep and eating near bedtime can also trigger sleep talking. To reduce sessions of somniloquy, take time to relax and de-stress each day. Make sure you are getting the proper amount of sleep you need each night."

I never knew there was a sleeping disorder for talking. It's not like I do it every night, so I"m not sure what that would be classified as, and supposedly my talk is un-clear gibberish. Maybe because I'm stressed, or just lacking oxygen because I'm currently sick with a cold. Whatever my reason is, or yours if you're reading this I hope this article has helped you in some way become aware.

Fall is here, and Winter is around the corner :)

Where I live now it already feels like winter. 50 degrees is chilly when you just moved from Hawaii. Talk about trying to acclimate all over again now that Summer is COMPLETELY gone here.
I need a new wardrobe, and if you do too then this is the post for you and saving $$$ :)

So I've been thinking I want another cute fuzzy jacket like my Hollister one I bought 3 years ago? I rarely ever used it in Hawaii, so it's still like new. But being a girl and all, I have to have a new one for this upcoming winter. I'd really like a water proof one.

www.Hollisterco.com - Has wonderful clothing. Pretty decent pricing, and you can get a bargain if you shop smart. (I do)... Nobody KNOWS. It looks the same as regular pricing, but I get it when it goes on clearance. Bookmarking a page, or putting it in your minds "to do list" can save you a lot of money when you shop online... You can score deals at Hollisterco.com, like I do.

1st- Pick out the item you want
2nd- Watch it over a month, or so (this is usually the life span of the item, maybe 2-3 wks. depending on the popularity, and you can tell this by the size selections that are left)
3rd- Once it's in the clearance tab after x amount of days snag it!!!

And congratulations!!! You just saved $90-200 depending on the price of what it was before the discount. Now think to yourself about how many people bought that jacket at the normal price, doesn't it feel so much better when you got that jacket for a much better price? It certainly does for me.

Being frugal is one of the most important qualities a person can withhold right now... Saving money, and time is always a score in my book, so it's probably within your best interests too! :)

*Be a cautious buyer though*:::
IF you really want the item, you are probably better off buying it sooner then later!!!
Even if it costs the extra buck!!! I've lost out on some really cute stuff, because I'm not a size extra-small anymore. When you're either small, or medium, things go FAST! Be aware of the sizes that are left available under the jacket, or bra you want to buy... Whatever item piece it is your heart desires, maybe socks... If you want them, and they're going fast without a doubt if you can afford it, get them, or you will regret trying to snipe it in the end when there isn't any left!!!



Here is the jacket I'm watching right now. Happy bidding friends, and remb. this trick can apply to anything you want to shop for online with clothing... Sites that make "clearances". Always look for them first!!!

Lip dissaster

Why does biting my lips feel so good?
Why is it whenever I'm anxious, or bored, or just thinking I catch myself...


After I'm finished devouring my lips they look like crap, or at least I think so. My mom used to tell me to stop it, because it's not attractive, and yet it's the one habit I can't seem to get rid of.
This is such a strange habit, probably one of the most self noticeable ones I have... At least I'm not making them bleed, or anything like that. I'm just enjoying the feeling, I guess?!

So Today I've been trying to keep my lips moisturized since where I live is pretty chilly and dry, and hopefully while applying non-stop Chap-Stick my lips will no longer be a target for me to destroy.
I want to have beautiful lips. I buy so many lipsticks, chapsticks, and lip plumpers for fun, and for what? Chewed up lips? Ughh* This is silly for me to even talk about, but maybe applying the stuff I actually buy will prevent me from this naughty habit, or at least I can hope so!


My Favorite Chapstick: BURT'S BEES (Beeswax lip balm)- It has a slight minty tingle to it, that's cool and refreshing all in one.
My Favorite Lip Plumper: DuWop: Lip Venom. I enjoy clear to put over any color, for that extra shine, and spicey tingle. I'm sure that this product works, I have been a user now for over 6 months. It just inflames your lips making them look larger. I enjoy using this product once a day.
My favorite LipStick: Either Lancome, or NARS work well. I enjoy a variety of colors, but honestly don't use this too much. I'm more of the lip shine kind of girl.

With that said, if you have this habit I hope you can kick i too! :]