GIVEAWAY: Shutterfly Gift Card

Shutterfly Gift Card

OK folks, let's face it... the holidays are right around the corner!  Do you have any particular tradition that sets your holiday season off?  While I tend to do a little shopping here and there all year long (i.e. I like to pick up things when I see great deals or unique items), my official "there's no turning back now" moment tends to be ordering our annual Pet Photo Christmas Cards.  We've been using Shutterfly for years now and are absolutely pleased with their quality, and even more so with their customer service!

 
As you can see, we've been peaking at this year's templates and have a few in mind.  I'm leaning towards the fun "The Good, The Bad and The Furry" but really wish it had 4 photo spots.  The "More Wag" one really speaks to me too... after all, I have a "Wag More, Bark Less" sticker on my truck!

If you haven't used Shutterfly for your holiday card needs yet, be sure to check them out!  We know you will be pleased with the quality of their cards.  And, they have so many templates to choose from, you're sure to find exactly what you're looking for... not to mention great prices!  You might even find some terrific coupon codes and deals through their social media sites.  You can find Shutterfly on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  Be sure to check out their Special Offers too!

Are you ready to get in the Holiday spirit?  How would a $50 gift certificate to Shutterfly help?  You will need to enter through the Rafflecopter widget below (make sure you still leave a comment here on the blog, as that is one of the required forms of entry!).  One lucky reader will win $50 off an order of $50 or more (excluding tax and shipping; cannot be combined with any other promos expire 12/14/2012)! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Shutterfly, however all opinions expressed are my own.

REVIEW: Rachael Ray Nutrish Naturally Delish

Rachael Ray Nutrish Naturally Delish

Where to Find: Nutrish

 

We recently had the opportunity to review Rachael Ray Nutrish Naturally Delish, the first natural wet food for dogs inspired by recipes from Rachael's kitchen. 

Naturally Delish stews are made with simple, wholesome ingredients like chicken, beef, lamb and veggies.  There are no meat by-products or fillers, no artificial flavors or colors, no preservatives and no soy, corn or wheat... with one minor exception.  The pasta in Chicken Muttballs is made with semolina wheat flour.

The first thing I noticed when the Naturally Delish box showed up on our doorstep was the clever packaging and great marketing!  The samples and information were packaged and shipped inside a reusable mini catalog box.  As a crafty person who likes to upcycle and reuse whenever possible, I absolutely love this!  Zeus thought it was pretty cool too, as you can see.  While he and his siblings think Nutrish rocks for their yummies, Mama thinks they rock for their creativeness.  In fact, I've already put my box to good use storing craft supplies!

The second thing I noticed about Naturally Delish is how amazing this wet food looks!  Given the fact that they are inspired by Rachael's own human recipes, this should be of no surprise. I can see the chunks of meat and the veggies - and it looks good!  This is not your old-school canned mush food at all.  In fact, there is no can at all... Naturally Delish is packaged in resealable plastic containers, which make it convenient to feed virtually anywhere, at home or on the go!  

Naturally Delish is currently available in 4 delectable flavors:

• Chicken Muttballs with Pasta Yummy chicken meatballs plus tender carrots, spinach and pasta cooked in a tasty chicken broth.
• Hearty Beef Stew Hearty chunks of beef plus garden vegetables like peas, carrots and potatoes, all simmered in a yummy homestyle beef gravy.
• Savory Lamb Stew Tender morsels of lamb mixed with carrots, spinach and brown rice make for a great tasting classic stew.
• Chicken Paw Pie Juicy bites of chicken with a medley of green beans and sweet potatoes in a savory chicken gravy.

I feed the Lapdogs kibble twice daily, with a mix-in at dinner time.  For variety and nutrition, I tend to vary the mix-in daily with things such as yogurt, cottage cheese and high quality canned food. Of course, that means I'm always reading canned food labels and searching for the best products available. When we find something we love, we make sure it stays in the rotation! I am happy to say Naturally Delish will be added to our rotation and used in the Lapdog house going forward!  I feel great feeding it to them and they love all 4 flavors... a win-win!  As a result, we are more than pleased to give Naturally Delish the Official 16 Paws Up Seal of Approval! 

 

In addition to making a tasty wet food, Rachael Ray and Nutrish are also responsible for helping dogs in need!  Rachael's Rescue was created for all of the forgotten pets - the ones that might not have someone who loves them as much as you love your dog.  100% of the proceeds from sales of Nutrish go to help animals in need.  Perhaps you caught today's episode of The Rachael Ray Show where she mentioned their $500,000 donation to the ASPCA to help Sandy victims?  The money will be put to use to set up a central shelter for displaced pets.  Additionally, 4 tons of wet and dry food was donated for Sandy animals.  And no, she didn't forget the humans -- Rachael's Yum-o! organization donated $100,000 to City Harvest and The Food Bank for New York City.  Thank you Rachael... you are truly one amazing lady!

 

Please support Rachael's Rescue and check out Naturally Delish for your pup today!  Zeus is sure there's a flavor - or 4 - that he or she will adore!  He also wanted me to mention they are perfectly sized to fit in any dog's stocking this holiday season...

Disclosure: Nutrish sent samples of Naturally Delish to Lapdog Creations, free of charge for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Craftalong for Sandy Relief

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!  Is anyone else participating in the Craftalong for Sandy Relief?  Perhaps you haven't read about it yet?  You can click that link to read about it on Vickie Howell's blog or check out their Facebook page here.  The whole idea is to warm up victims with handknit, crochet or sewn items like hats, mittens, scarves, socks and blankets... but everything needs to be sent asap, for obvious reasons.

Vickie's blog has links to a few very quick patterns if you need ideas.  I dug through my stash and cast on a chunky knit hat...

It works up quite fast and I got a good chunk (no pun intended) of it done last night while watching Person of Interest.  My goal is to finish it and hopefully one more this weekend, then package them up with these two hats and ship them to NYC on Monday.

We all know crafters are among the most giving bunch of folks out there, however I do realize this is a "hurry up and create" project.  Fortunately, I already had those two colorful hats knit up.  If you can help, please do!

Yesterday our buddy Jet tagged us in a "Share Seven Things About Yourself" meme, so here we go...

1. Sophie is the youngest of the Lapdogs and will be turning 6 on December 6
2. Zeus is the senior member of the pack and also the largest, at 118 pounds.
3. Lola really should have been a Mom.  She has natural instincts and truly mothers all of the foster pups who come through our house.
4. Teutul still thinks he's the baby, and is the most vocally annoying of the pack.
5. The Lapdogs think I love peanut butter even more than they do... and they're probably right.
6. The Lapdogs have their Daddy wrapped around their paws, even if he doesn't quite admit that.
7. We received a special surprise from the folks at Purina as a thank you for being at the top of the leader board in their Family Points social media program.  Perhaps you caught it in our Wordless Wednesday post this week?  We think it's pretty cool and unique... and yes, it is just a one-time deal and it's full of stuffing, not kibble! ;) 

We're supposed to tag 7 people to follow along, but instead we will just invite everyone reading to go ahead and post your Seven Things on your own blog!  We also wanted to point out the Kmart Gift Card giveaway we currently have going on, in case you don't stop by every day.  Go ahead and enter... who can't use a gift card just in time for the holidays?  Enjoy the rest of your Friday and have a wonderful weekend! 

GIVEAWAY: Kmart Gift Card

Kmart Gift Card

I am participating in the Kmart Decorate It Forward mission from smiley360 and as a result, was just chosen as a featured blogger.  So, what does this mean for you?  It means a chance to win a $15 Kmart Gift Card to get your holidays off to a great start!

Have you visited Kmart lately?  If not, what are you waiting for?  The Kmart Online Christmas Shop is open and ready for your business!  They have everything you need to decorate your home inside and out.  From sprucey trees to twinkling lights, glittery ornaments to warm stockings, Kmart has it all.  I'm a little partial to this inflatable 3' tall Scooby Doo, but I'm afraid the Lapdogs might have a problem with a strange dog in their yard...

While you're browsing all that Kmart has to offer, be sure to check out the Decorate It Forward Sweeps and you could win a shopping spree with Sandra Lee and Jaclyn Smith!  Make sure you also check out Smiley360 and learn how you can get on great missions like the Kmart Decorate It Forward one! 

So...are you ready to win a Kmart Gift Card to get your holiday decorating started?  Enter through the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Smiley360 is providing the $15 Kmart Gift Card to the winner of this contest, free of charge.  I was not compensated for my review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Day-After-The-Election... it's time to get Wordless!



 

Stay tuned for this review!

REVIEW: BarkBox

BarkBox

Where to Find: BarkBox

The Lapdogs sure got their tails wagging when they received an October BarkBox for review!  After all, what dog wouldn't be wagging their tail over this... just look at all that stuff crammed into the box!

BarkBox is a monthly subscription service designed for our favorite four-legged babies.  Once the humans sign up, the dogs receive a fun box filled with four or more selected products and presents... every month!  Boxes include everything from treats and bones, to toys and leashes, to gadgets and, yes pups, sometimes even shampoo!  But trust the Lapdogs, your pooch will be so happy with all of the fun stuff, he won't mind the occasional grooming product. 

The October BarkBox was stuffed with these goodies...

• Feelgood Trail Blazin' Bitz, Turkey Liver Recipe:  Handcrafted in Canada, preservative free, and evidently quite tasty, as all four dogs inhaled them! 
• Humunga Stache: Quite the humorous toy indeed, although I think it's a bit large for even my big dogs.  I did manage to get Zeus to pose with it for a couple of very quick shots...
• Lollycadoodle Wool Pet Toy: Having purchased other felted wool toys in the past, and knowing they didn't last long before our dogs started leaving bits of felt all over the house, I not yet given them this puppy to play with.  Our former foster pup Harper, who receives her very own monthly BarkBox, received a purple one and immediately decided it needed a hair cut. 
• TropiClean Clean Teeth Gel: We have not tried this yet, but I plan to use it on Teutul soon.  I love that there is no brush involved and this little 2oz bottle provides 120 applications!
• Poopy Packs poop bag roll: I'm going to put this roll in one of our holders next.  I love the chic colors!

One of my favorite things about BarkBox is actually what it is not... it is not one-size-fits-all!  When you sign up, you are first asked to select a size; Small & Cute (0 - 20 pounds), Just Right (20 - 50 pounds), or Big & Bold (50+ pounds).  Once you have chosen the appropriate size (we opted for a Big & Bold box), you are then presented with 3 plan options.  If you're not sure yet, you can opt to pay full price of $29 per month, or you may commit to a 3 or 6 month plan.  A 3 month plan is discounted 24%, making each monthly box $22 and a 6 month plan is discounted 40%, making each box just $17.50 -- a fabulous value!  No matter which plan you choose, shipping is always free!

Not only is the BarkBox fun for dogs of all ages, it's responsible too.  A portion of the proceeds of each box goes to help doggies in need!  What more could you ask for?  The Lapdogs think all pooches should ask Santa Paws for a BarkBox subscription this year -- and they aren't ashamed to admit they would love one as well! 

So, what do you say?  Are your dogs ready to find out what all the tail wagging is about?  Or perhaps you want to give a BarkBox subscription this holiday season?  Click here to learn more and you will received $5 off your first subscription!  




Disclosure: BarkBox sent this October box to Lapdog Creations, free of charge for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

GIVEAWAY WINNER! Merrick Dog Food Revolution Kit

Thank you to everyone who entered to win a Merrick Dog Food Revolution Kit! The winner has been selected by random number generator...

Here are your random numbers: 6

Congratulations to blog-less Tanya and her gorgeous pack!  The Lapdogs are sure they are all going to be wagging their tails with joy!

Thank you again to everyone who entered... please stay tuned, as we have several more great reviews planned for the coming weeks!