Are you as ready as I am to say so long to April? The month was full of unexpected expenses, unforgettable tragedy and some really long, tiring days. Here's to May... and how appropriate, today's Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Things You're Looking Forward to in May. Okay, I'll play...
1. Finding some time with my knitting needles. I have a few special baby gifts that need to be completed soon!
2. Starting my design/web training certificate program. I received the official approval yesterday and now just wait on the school to confirm they have met the minimum enrollment for classes.
3. Finally sitting down with a You Tube video and teaching myself how to warp my Cricket Loom!
4. Enjoying morning coffee on the deck while watching the dogs play.
5. Having no unexpected car repair bills. April was brutal and stole $2,225 from my savings.
6. Spring cleaning and organizing the house. This may be an ongoing summer-long project...
7. Taking in a Red Sox game. We haven't been to Fenway for a game in a few years and while it's not my favorite sport, we have a pair of free tickets for a game this month!
8. Enjoying some great days at the race track with our Legends racing family!
9. Rediscovering my Nook and all the books I've downloaded on to it.
10. Watching my Bruins win and advance in the playoffs! There's nothing like playoff hockey!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Monday Mischief: Got Philly?
Happy my-last-Monday-at-this-job, as today begins my final week of filling in with my old company. Or, as I like to put it, I'll be retiring from the company on Friday. If all goes as planned, I will begin a design/web training program next week (paws crossed for the funding approval, as well as school's class scheduling going smoothly). If that goes through, I hope to find a nice part time gig... or if the right full time gig comes along, I'll happily bow out of the training. If you know anyone in need of someone to do a little marketing/pr/social media, let me know! Although I'm quite sure the Lapdogs are more than pleased to know that Mama will soon be home a lot more, I'm not sure they fully understand the word budget.
Now, on to the Monday Mischief...
My girls want to know if you've "Got Philly" - or more specifically, a near empty container?
If you played along with our little "spot the Lapdogs" game as part of the Lola update on Friday, the answer is 3.... 1) the shot of a young Zeus & Lola, 2) a Christmas card of all four kids from a couple years ago and 3) a shot of Teutul, Zeus & Lola circa 2005. There were at least 2 more photos on the other bulletin board to the left of this one... we've been going to the same office since Zeus was a pup!
Now, on to the Monday Mischief...
My girls want to know if you've "Got Philly" - or more specifically, a near empty container?
If you played along with our little "spot the Lapdogs" game as part of the Lola update on Friday, the answer is 3.... 1) the shot of a young Zeus & Lola, 2) a Christmas card of all four kids from a couple years ago and 3) a shot of Teutul, Zeus & Lola circa 2005. There were at least 2 more photos on the other bulletin board to the left of this one... we've been going to the same office since Zeus was a pup!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Spot the Lapdogs
Look at that... it's finally Friday! The sun is shining, spring has arrived and Lola had a great check up at the vet last night!
We had an extra long time to hang out in the waiting room due to a previous patient having a bad reaction to a vaccination (yes, everything turned out okay). The entire staff kept apologizing and Dr. C didn't even charge us for the visit because she felt so bad, but Lola was more than happy to watch everyone and be fawned over. The above photo captures her fascination with an absolutely adorable brindle bully breed puppy that couldn't have been more than 9 or 10 weeks old. While she begged to play with and mother said puppy, the pup's owner fawned over Lola telling her how beautiful she was and how much she loved her expressive face. Lola thanked her with kisses.
My baby girl also spent time fixated on a rather plump cat in a box. After the talking box incident, she pays extra attention to all those cute little carriers. This box didn't talk, but she could clearly see what it contained when the cat's owners decided to put it down on the floor so Lola & the cat could watch each other. Should I mention these owner's were a little flaky and their cat was at the vet because it had been bitten and attacked by something outside? They weren't sure what, which meant another vet was telling them what to watch for in case their cat had somehow contracted rabies. Oh joy...
We ended up shutting the place down, so Dr. C decided to do Lola's exam right there in the waiting room, since it was cooler. Lola was obliged to continue to be fawned over by the entire staff during her exam, and to accept apology treats from Dr. C for making her wait so long. The check up was fantastic - she gained another 3.5 pounds in the past 4 weeks and is now back at the weight she was in December! The few lumps we looked at during her last visit have not changed and we continue to believe they are simply benign fatty lumps. Her prednisone was decreased to 10mg, once a day and after a quick refill, we were ready to head home with very clear instructions from Dr. C that if we see even one tiny lump pop up, to immediately put her back on the 10mg twice a day and to call.
While we waited for her pred refill, we were checking out the bulletin boards of cute pictures as we always do. My kids seem tobe stars have quite a few on the board. Look at how young Zeus and Lola were here...
Since it's Friday, why don't we play a little game? How many pictures of the Lapdogs can you spot in the shot below? (this is just a sampling of one of the two large boards... they have more pictures on the other one)
We had an extra long time to hang out in the waiting room due to a previous patient having a bad reaction to a vaccination (yes, everything turned out okay). The entire staff kept apologizing and Dr. C didn't even charge us for the visit because she felt so bad, but Lola was more than happy to watch everyone and be fawned over. The above photo captures her fascination with an absolutely adorable brindle bully breed puppy that couldn't have been more than 9 or 10 weeks old. While she begged to play with and mother said puppy, the pup's owner fawned over Lola telling her how beautiful she was and how much she loved her expressive face. Lola thanked her with kisses.
My baby girl also spent time fixated on a rather plump cat in a box. After the talking box incident, she pays extra attention to all those cute little carriers. This box didn't talk, but she could clearly see what it contained when the cat's owners decided to put it down on the floor so Lola & the cat could watch each other. Should I mention these owner's were a little flaky and their cat was at the vet because it had been bitten and attacked by something outside? They weren't sure what, which meant another vet was telling them what to watch for in case their cat had somehow contracted rabies. Oh joy...
We ended up shutting the place down, so Dr. C decided to do Lola's exam right there in the waiting room, since it was cooler. Lola was obliged to continue to be fawned over by the entire staff during her exam, and to accept apology treats from Dr. C for making her wait so long. The check up was fantastic - she gained another 3.5 pounds in the past 4 weeks and is now back at the weight she was in December! The few lumps we looked at during her last visit have not changed and we continue to believe they are simply benign fatty lumps. Her prednisone was decreased to 10mg, once a day and after a quick refill, we were ready to head home with very clear instructions from Dr. C that if we see even one tiny lump pop up, to immediately put her back on the 10mg twice a day and to call.
While we waited for her pred refill, we were checking out the bulletin boards of cute pictures as we always do. My kids seem to
Since it's Friday, why don't we play a little game? How many pictures of the Lapdogs can you spot in the shot below? (this is just a sampling of one of the two large boards... they have more pictures on the other one)
Thursday, April 25, 2013
REVIEW: The Honest Kitchen Pecks & Force
The Honest Kitchen Pecks & Force
Where to Find: The Honest Kitchen
The Lapdogs sure had their tails wagging for The Honest Kitchen Pecks treats and Force food! I barely got the yummies out of the box for a photo and Lola was ready to take a bite...
We tried the Pecks first and boy were they a hit! Made with buffalo and blueberries, these healthy-for-your-pooch treats are just .6 calories per Peck. The bite-sized yum-yums are perfect for training or on the go, and because of their smaller size, they even make great treats for small and toy breeds as well.
Additionally, Pecks are small enough to fit in many of the interactive toys and dog puzzles on the market. We have a cube-shaped toy and an interactive "find it" puzzle that I usually stuff with kibble. Normally Tut spends the most time chasing these things around, but when his siblings realized it was delicious Pecks spilling out, King Tut sure had some competition! I also stuffed some in their Kongs with peanut butter, which resulted in another pleasant surprise.
As a concerned dog-ma, I'm always reading labels on treats and making sure I know what I'm putting into my dog's mouths. I'm more than pleased to share that Pecks are made with just 7 wholesome ingredients: barley flour, buffalo, molasses, water, eggs, coconut oil and blueberries.
After everyone drooled over the Pecks, it was time to try Force, a dehydrated whole dog food made with free-range chicken and fresh produce. Crafted from human-grade ingredients, this recipe is moderate in protein and fat, which makes it appropriate for adult maintenance, senior dogs and dogs who may need help with loosing weight.
Force is gluten-free, making it a great choice for dogs who may are gluten sensitive or may have allergies to beef, fish or eggs. Chicken is the very first ingredient, followed by other wholesome veggies and fruits such as celery, sweet potato, green beans, apple, banana, pumpkin and papaya.
If you're like me and have never used a dehydrated dog food before, no worries... One cup makes one pound of fresh food and is as easy to make as...
1. Measure the corresponding amount of dehydrated food and warm water needed.
2. Stir together and hydrate for 5 minutes.
3. Give it a final stir and serve to your drooling pups!
Seriously, this could not be any simpler to make! I used the sample size portion of Force we received as a mix-in with the Lapdogs regular kibble and boy were they excited!
If chicken isn't your dog's thing, there are several other dehydrated dog food recipes available from The Honest Kitchen. You can check them all out here. While we continue to feed all four dogs the kibble they have been on for the past few years, if any need should arise for a wet food or another formula in the future, I will definitely consider switching to The Honest Kitchen!
Both Pecks and Force have received the Official 16 Paws Up Seal of Approval from the Lapdogs! If Zeus could just learn how to hold a pencil, I'm sure Pecks would be at the top of the humans grocery list every week! Grab some for your pack today.
Disclosure: The Honest Kitchen sent the above items to Lapdog Creations, free of charge for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.
If chicken isn't your dog's thing, there are several other dehydrated dog food recipes available from The Honest Kitchen. You can check them all out here. While we continue to feed all four dogs the kibble they have been on for the past few years, if any need should arise for a wet food or another formula in the future, I will definitely consider switching to The Honest Kitchen!
Both Pecks and Force have received the Official 16 Paws Up Seal of Approval from the Lapdogs! If Zeus could just learn how to hold a pencil, I'm sure Pecks would be at the top of the humans grocery list every week! Grab some for your pack today.
Disclosure: The Honest Kitchen sent the above items to Lapdog Creations, free of charge for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Let's Knit!
1. Lyric Tree This is absolutely gorgeous! Is it bad of me to secretly wish one of my knitting fairy godmoms might knit it for me for Christmas?
2. February Lady Sweater Who doesn't want one of these babies in her wardrobe? With 12,668 projects on Ravelry, I'd say this free pattern sure is popular! I think I want mine in a deep wine color.
3. Neck Down Pullover I keep saying this will be my first real sweater for me and love the top down, no seam construction. Yarn & pattern are in my "to be knit" project box.
4. Ribbed Baby Jacket This is one of those so-stinking-cute-I-must-knit-it-for-someone projects. With a good friend expecting a baby girl this summer, I just might finally cast one on!
5. Mr Greenjeans Another popular one on Ravelry, and like the February Lady, it's a free pattern!
6. Juliet I think I want to make the sleeveless version to pair with long sleeve tees in the fall. I noted I would use Brown Sheep Cotton in my Ravelry queue.
7. Offset Raplan I actually cast this on for a Ravelympics 2008 project! When I didn't finish by the deadline, I tossed it aside. I really do need to pick her up and finish it off... there's not even that much left to go!
9. Boxy I just came across this one on Ravelry. With it's modern, simple shape, it looks like the perfect weekend sweater.
10. Robin Another one I just found on Ravelry today. Top down, seamless, great shape, and best of all, proceeds from the small pattern fee go to cancer research!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Remembering...
Sean and his brother Andrew raced go-karts with Matt years ago. Please join us in remembering Sean and all of the victims of the Marathon bombing and the week that followed.
We are Boston Strong.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Continuing to ask WHY
I'm writing this post as the crazy events of this manhunt continue to put Boston in an all-out lock down. I woke up this morning to the news of suspect #1 being dead, #2 on the loose, an MIT officer deal, an MBTA critically wounded, and a "shelter in place" order in Boston. Throughout the day the ordeal has continued... it's even being broadcast live on the majority of our area radio stations. As more and more details are released, I just can't help but continue to ask WHY?
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Boston Strong
During a week like this, it's sometimes difficult to find things to be thankful for, however I won't let faceless cowards deter me from a Thankful Thursday post this week. Instead, I hope these faces can make you smile a little today...
I had actually planned to post 2 reviews & giveaways this week, but in light of the events, I'll hold those a little longer.
Please do take a moment to think about what you are thankful for today. I am thankful that all of my friends who were running the Boston Marathon are safe... I am thankful that so many of us who had planned to go into town on Monday, had other things come up... I am thankful for the amazing rendition of our National Anthem performed at the Bruins game last night (and still wish I could have been there in person)... Most of all, today I am thankful to see so many people coming together and the outpouring of love & support.
As we still cope with Monday's events, sadly, another tragedy is in the news today. My heart goes out to those in West, Texas... B-Strong Texas, B-Strong.
I had actually planned to post 2 reviews & giveaways this week, but in light of the events, I'll hold those a little longer.
Please do take a moment to think about what you are thankful for today. I am thankful that all of my friends who were running the Boston Marathon are safe... I am thankful that so many of us who had planned to go into town on Monday, had other things come up... I am thankful for the amazing rendition of our National Anthem performed at the Bruins game last night (and still wish I could have been there in person)... Most of all, today I am thankful to see so many people coming together and the outpouring of love & support.
As we still cope with Monday's events, sadly, another tragedy is in the news today. My heart goes out to those in West, Texas... B-Strong Texas, B-Strong.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
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