Welcome to my new blog feature called “Fun Food Friday.” Food is fun, and Fridays are fun. So on most Fridays you will find one of my favorite recipes and restaurant reviews right here. Although healthy eating is important to me I occasionally enjoy some good down home southern cooking – comfort food! You will find both here on Fridays.
What’s a better comfort food than mouth watering delicious cobbler? And this is such an easy blackberry cobbler recipe. It is called TennTucky Blackberry Cobbler, and it is the best blackberry cobbler ever. It is fast, and there are not many ingredients. I love that you don’t have to make a crust. It has a buttery crispy topping instead. I think it is best eaten warm with vanilla ice cream. Yummy! It is so good! Here is how to make blackberry cobbler:
I have made this with fresh blackberries and frozen blackberries. It is great either way.
Makes 6 servings; Prep 10 minutes, Bake 1 hour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups frozen blackberries
WHISK together 1 cup sugar, flour and milk just until blended; whisk in melted butter. Pour batter into a lightly greased 12 x 8-inch baking dish; sprinkle blackberries and remaining 1/4 cup sugar evenly over batter.
BAKE at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown and bubbly.
I first saw this in Southern Living magazine submitted by Jennifer G. Brindley of Adairville, Kentucky.
Try it and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. This is the best easy blackberry cobbler recipe you will find. At least I think so!
Who needs four containers of Parmesan cheese?! Well, that’s what I have now in my pantry. Yesterday I went to the grocery store, and when I went to put the groceries away I couldn’t even fit things in the pantry. And it wasn’t because we have a lot of food. It was because my pantry was so messy and unorganized that I couldn’t even tell what was in there. I realized that I already had three unopened containers of Parmesan cheese and certainly did not need the fourth one I had just bought.
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So I decided to stop procrastinating and take the time to clean out the pantry before I put the groceries away. And do you know what? Not only did it make it easier to put my groceries away but it actually changed my mood! It took me no more then ten minutes, and I immediately felt a sense of calm.
Ya’ll don’t judge my food choices now. Just rejoice with me that you can actually see what’s in my pantry! This is not the way it looked 15 minutes earlier.
There are so many benefits to getting organized. It makes it easier to clean your house, you feel less stressed, you can find things when you need them, and you may even sleep better.
So if you are like me and really do like things organized but just don’t know where to start I encourage you to start small. Don’t try to do this all at once. If the job seems too big, you may just give up or put it off for another time that never seems to come around. That’s what I tend to do if something seems overwhelming. So just tackle a little bit every day, and do this day after day.
Here are some simple home organization tips that will help you conquer the clutter and breathe easier.
1. Let it Go
I know some of you just got the “Frozen” tune in your head just now, didn’t you? Well, sorry about that. The first step to getting organized may be just accepting the fact that you do have clutter and being willing to let some things go. You may think you don’t have anything you want to get rid of, but I bet you probably do. We tend to bring new items into our space on a regular basis without even realizing it, and before we know it we have accumulated more and more clutter.
When you own stuff you have to maintain it, store it, clean it, and maybe even insure it. This all takes time and energy. Maybe it is time to enjoy the “less is more” motto and get rid of the things we don’t use or need. Simplify.
Designate how much space you will have for a certain thing and stick with that. So if your sweater drawer is full, for example, you have to donate one before you bring a new one home.
I think we probably all have too much stuff. If we don’t regularly let go of things our stuff can slowly start to overwhelm us. If we don’t want to be featured on the next episode of “Hoarders” we need to make it a regular habit of purging. Once you start getting rid of things you don’t need it will feel so good that you will start looking for more things to purge and will even begin to be more aware of what new things you are bringing into your home.
Don’t let your closet become a dumping ground.
Tackle closet build up. Get rid of extra hangers you don’t use. Pick up clothes off the floor and hang them up, fold them and put them in a drawer, or put them in the laundry hamper. Set a timer for 15 minutes and pull out all the clothes that no longer fit or that you never wear and put them in a donation pile. In our area there is a Goodwill donation spot close to our house that we use. We also have a military veteran’s organization that gives us bags to fill and will come by and pick them up once a month. Most people wear only 20% of their clothes 80% of the time, so at least twice a year it is a good idea to clean out your closet and donate unused items. You might even want to keep a donation bag in each clothes closet. Then maximize the space in your closet. Use hooks for hats and belts, and get a good shoe organizer.
My closet doubles as our dogs’ “safe place” where they hide during thunderstorms.
2. Prevent Future Clutter
Now that you are starting to get organized and feel better about your home don’t mess it up by going back to the same old habits. Be mindful of what you are doing and create new habits that will prevent future clutter.
When you first enter the house take the time to put away whatever is in your hands. The few minutes spent doing this minimizes clutter that would otherwise end up on the kitchen counter or table. It is just as easy to put something away than to just set it down on the closest surface. When I do this I always intend on putting it away later, but then I get busy and sometimes it sits there for a week or more. Just get in the habit of taking the item to its designated spot right then.
Surround yourself with things you love.
Go ahead and display the pictures you are proud of. Here I used similar frames and grouped them on an unused wall along the stairs.
You have heard the saying “a place for everything and everything in it’s place?” Well, it is true. To keep my home organized, I have to be mindful of everything I bring in through my door. Everything needs its own home – don’t bring it in unless you know exactly where it’s going to live. I cannot say that I always follow this advice, but when I do it always works.
Tame the Paper Tiger!
For example, papers can end up in piles all over my house if I’m not careful. Paperwork is always better stored vertically rather than in piles. File, don’t pile! Piles are hard to sort through, and papers get lost underneath the top ones. I have used the Neat Company Scanner for years and love it. It stores my files digitally in the cloud and allows me to access them from any device. When it comes to paper you have three choices: Act on it, File it, or Throw it away.
Use Labels.
And make sure to label things. Don’t put a box in the closet or garage without knowing what is in it and labeling it. I am a visual person, so it helps me to have things labeled. I love the Brother Label Maker. I think making labels is actually fun!
Use the right containers.
Having the right containers makes a difference too. Go through all your toiletries and get rid of any medicines past the expiration date. Throw away old makeup every six months, as once it is opened it can be a haven for bacteria. I use an Acylic makeup organizer like this one to keep everything upright on my vanity.
When you are cooking try to put things away right after you use them instead of making a huge mess you have to clean up afterwards. Try to prep ahead of time when you can. Use kitchen organizers to make it easy to find what you need. Store leftover food in glass containers. It is easy to see what is in them, and you can put them in the microwave without fear of chemicals getting into your food from plastic. I use these Pyrex ones.
3. Develop New Habits for the Long Term.
I found Peter Walsh’s book It’s All Too Much to be very helpful. He is strict about getting rid of clutter, but he encourages us to do this in order to make room for the things we truly love. I highly recommend it. If you like reading on a Kindle, Amazon has an awesome program called Kindle Unlimited right now where you can get a free month of unlimited reading and unlimited listening. You can sign up here.
An organized home doesn’t just happen. It is the result of specific habits and daily routines that maintain an organized and neat home long-term. Doing these things helps with time management, money management, and even weight management sometimes!
So let’s tackle our clutter together! Don’t hate on yourself for the way you have let things become. Organizing and decluttering takes time and energy, so it will be worse if you are too hard on yourself while you are doing it. Focus on the goal ahead, not on the past. You can do this!
When I was single I sometimes wondered if Valentine’s Day was a greeting card company conspiracy, because we often think of Valentine’s Day as a time for romance with a significant other. But this year, let’s think about chew toys, fetch, tug of war, and long winter walks because we are going to show some mad love to our dogs!
Banjo and Layla are spoiled all year long.
There are so many ways we can show our dogs how much we love them. They show us so much unconditional love all year long, so it just makes sense to want to spoil them on this special day! Here are a few ideas of ways you can show your love for your fur babies.
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#1: MAKE THEM A SPECIAL DINNER OR TREAT
All dogs drool over the thought of “people food,” but there are many things we eat that they should not have. No chocolates for them this holiday! In fact chocolates are very dangerous for dogs. However, there are some foods that in the right amount our dogs can enjoy right along with us! If your dog really loves a certain meat or vegetable, try making them a small amount for the special occasion. Just remember to boil the meat so your dog doesn’t consume large amounts of fat that might lead to digestive problems! It is probably best to just add a small amount of wet food on top of their regular dog food. Completely changing their diet may cause stomach upset. If they prefer their regular dog treats, then you can always make them a homemade treat. I prefer to feed my pups treats only made in the U.S.A. I have a jar on the kitchen counter filled with one of Banjo and Layla’s favorites: #2: TAKE YOUR DOG OUT FOR A HAPPY WALK
In the new year many people will make New Year’s Resolutions, and lots of those will involve weight loss. Fitness and gyms see the most use in the month of January. My husband and I belong to a gym, and we have enjoyed a Saturday class there called Cardio Strength Training. A few months ago one of the instructors allowed me to interview her. I wanted to learn some tips for losing weight and keeping it off as we get older. As you will see from her answers these tips really apply to any age. Sherri Wright is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) as a Behavior Change Specialist, a Personal Trainer certified through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), a Corrective Exercise Specialist (NASM), a Medical Exercise Specialist (Medical Exercise Training Institute), Group Fitness certified through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), and a certified Weight Loss Specialist (NASM). She has completed marathons, a Half Ironman Triathlon, and olympic distance triathlons, not to mention she is incredibly fit as you will see from my video at the end. So she knows what she is talking about! It was great talking with her, and I will summarize her tips and advice at the end of this post. I hope you find something helpful that you can use.
Cindy: I wondered if you could share with my readers some things you have learned about losing weight and keeping it off, especially for those of us over 50.
Sherri: So as you get older, and you’re not running and chasing your kids around anymore and you’re not doing the everyday activities that could naturally be movement, we have to be more intentional. More intentional about the calorie intake and realizing, “How much energy do I need at this age?” “How much energy am I putting out?” It’s probably not as much as when I was younger. So you have to come to a place where your going, “Here’s how many calories – I call it energy, managing your energy intake – do I really need for my lifestyle now?”
Cindy: So people aren’t as active when they get older.
Sherri: Yes, and when we were younger we started picking food that was easier to get to, more processed, which is full of sugar. And that’s one of my top things too is managing your insulin. …is what I call it. Because I feel like sugar is ….if you’re going to take anything out of your diet I would say definitely refined sugars. It causes your insulin to increase, which causes your body to store fat. And this starts this whole cycle.
Cindy: I’ve always heard your sugar level is supposed to stay fairly level with small ups and downs, not way up or way down.
Sherri: Right.
Cindy: And I’ve read that eating smaller meals throughout the day is a good way to keep your blood sugar level. But you’re saying we should give up refined sugar as well?
Sherri: Well, refined sugars are in things that are just not nutritionally dense. They are calories or energy that you take in that has no quality.
Cindy: What if you have a sweet tooth?
Sherri: Fruit (laughs). I mean if you’re asking me how to lose weight you have to be intentional. You can’t just think about it or say I’ll do that. I hear that a lot. So you have to…you know in the beginning you have to really be intentional about how you’re going to do that.
Cindy: So you’ve mentioned being more active and maintaining your sugar. What are some more tips?
Sherri: Definitely some sort of weight lifting. And I don’t mean going to the gym and start doing something you’ve never done in your life before, but I mean keeping your muscle mass for a lot of reasons – to keep metabolism going and refurbished, your body, your engine revved.
Cindy: Like in your class we do some weight lifting exercises but it’s fun because there’s the music and you don’t realize you’re working. It’s not on a machine. I’m so short the machines never fit me well. Sometimes the gym can be intimidating. But you’re saying it doesn’t have to be in the gym.
Sherri: It doesn’t have to be on a machine. You can use 5 pound or 10 pound weights, like we use in my class. Or it can be a medicine ball. But just keeping your muscle mass so you’re able to do the things you want to do and to keep your metabolism increased so when you take in the calories you’re efficient.
Cindy: So the more muscle mass you have, the more you’re going to burn calories even at rest. Because as we get older we lose muscle mass.
Sherri: Yes.
Cindy: So what’s another tip?
Sherri: Well from a behavioral standpoint I think creating habits of a healthy lifestyle. And some of that includes the people that you’re around a lot. If you’re around people who are on the same page and have the same goals you have more of a chance I think to continue like that. You know we all have friendships that are based on where we’re going to eat and what we’re going to drink and all that. And that’s fine, but…
Cindy: I’m a teacher, and we had a Goodie Table Day at school yesterday.
Sherri: I know. That’s hard to resist. It’s really hard not to do that, but each choice that you make in a day is taking you either one step toward your goal or one step away from your goal. And you create your goal. Come up with what you want. What do you want? Do you want to be healthy? I’m not talking about being skinny. I’m saying healthy. And what is that for you at your height and your weight? For example, are you pre-diabetic?
Cindy: How do people stick to those goals? What are some ways people can stay consistent? Because if it’s day to day choices and you mess up…sometimes you just think, “Well, I messed up so I might as well just keep going down that path.”
Sherri: You have to realize when you start that it’s not going to be easy. It does take discipline. It won’t be easy, but once you done it for – I’m just going to use 4 weeks as a measurement – and you see “I feel better. I think better, I sleep better.” A lot of the positives that come along with it, and you think it’s not worth it to me to stop. And if you mess up you know that one choice is not going to make or break things. And you say, “Next time I’m going to make a better choice.”
Cindy: So any other tips you can think of? These are all so good for any age but especially for folks like me who are over 50.
Sherri: I think just realizing that in the old days people had to expend a lot of energy just to survive, so they needed food. But think about us. When we go through a drive-through how many calories do you think it takes to talk to that person in the window, get our food, and eat it? Maybe 8 calories. How many calories did we just put in our body? 1500. So we’ve just eaten all we need for the day. I think if we are just more mindful about how much energy do we need to live and anything above that is going to be stored as fat.
Cindy: As we get older – especially us women – we have hormone changes. They go all wacky, and when we hit menopause sometimes it is harder to sleep. I’ve always heard that if you consistently lose sleep you are more susceptible to gaining weight. What are some ways to combat that?
Sherri: A lot of the ladies that I train are over 50, and we have the same conversation about abdominal fat. Your estrogen levels are decreasing, and having extra fat on your body releases estrogen. So you have to be more intentional about keeping your blood sugar level, because of the fact that your body is naturally now going to want to store fat to produce the estrogen. And just knowing that and having an education and awareness that this is what my body is doing may help us not eat the empty sugar calories. Our body is fighting to stay young. Going back to the insulin…part of the reason you don’t sleep is if you eat a large amount of calories late at night your insulin since it is way up right before you go to bed is going to plummet in the night and that basically wakes you up.
Cindy: That is one of my weaknesses – late night snacking. It’s like I try to reward myself once I get everything done. And I might not even be hungry.
Sherri: Being aware is important. Think more about what you can eat and not as much about what you can’t eat. If you think, “My body needs lots of fruits and vegetables today, so I’m going to eat that apple first.” And then most likely you might not have the cravings for as much of the other things.
Cindy: A lot of my readers follow my blog because of the travel stories. And I know when you are on a trip it is hard to maintain a regular diet and exercise routine. You and I talked before about you showing us some exercises that people can do at home or in a hotel room. So if it’s OK with you I’m going to start that video……
Sherri’s Weight Loss Tips:
Be more active.
Cut out refined sugars.
Begin some sort of weight lifting.
Be intentional, set goals, be disciplined.
Create habits of a healthy lifestyle. Hang around like-minded people.
Be mindful of how many calories we really need.
Keep blood sugar level. Avoid unhealthy late night snacking.
Focus on the positives. Make choices that bring you closer to your goal.
So I just did an experiment and created my own delicious soup recipe! It was go good I wanted to share it with you, my readers. It is super easy to make and does not have to cook for hours like some soups do to get the full flavor. Just mix all of the ingredients below except for the tortellini into a big pot, bring to a boil then add the tortellini, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. That’s it! Serve it with rolls or cornbread muffins for a yummy dinner on cold nights. Enjoy!
Do you know about Prime Pantry? So awesome! Amazon Prime members in select areas can skip the store and have everyday essentials like snacks, beverages, beauty and cleaning supplies, and more shipped straight to your door. How cool is that? Free shipping over $35. And I have a deal for you. If you order before November 16, 2019 you can get $10 off your first Pantry order of $40 by using the code WELCOME10 at checkout!
Ingredients:
2 32 oz. cartons – Chicken Broth
6 oz. frozen chopped spinach (can put more if you really like spinach)
12 oz. sausage (ground or links, cut up into small pieces) – I used turkey sausage
Cindy Baker – Want to know the secret to a life with less stress, more productivity, and a better mood? Up until fairly recently, the subject of sleep was often ignored by doctors and surrounded by false beliefs and myths. Now, though, we are beginning to understand the importance of a good night’s sleep to our overall health and well-being. Here are ten good reasons to get a good night’s sleep:
Here are 10 reasons why you should call it and early night:
1. Sleep Reduces Stress
It now been proven that sleep lowers stress. According to Medscape, Sleep deprivation affects normal thyroid functioning, the stress hormone cortisol, appetite suppressing hormones, and glucose tolerance When your body is sleep deficient, it goes into a state of stress. The body’s functions are put on high alert, which causes high blood pressure and the production of stress hormones. The stress hormones make it harder to fall asleep. And we all know that high blood pressure increases your risk for heart attack and stroke.
2. Sleep Keeps Your Heart Healthy
We’ve also learned that when people get less than 6 to 7 hours of sleep each night, they are at a greater risk of developing diseases Your heart will be healthier if you get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. Heart attacks and strokes are more likely to occur during the early morning hours, which may be due to the way sleep interacts with the blood vessels. Lack of sleep has also been associated with worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol as well as weight gain, which are risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
3. Sleep May Help Prevent Cancer
Did you know that people who work the late shift have a higher risk of developing breast and colon cancer? According to Very Well Health, Researchers believe light exposure reduces melatonin levels. Many people buy over the counter supplements to boost melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. It is thought to protect against cancer because it seems to suppress the growth of tumors. As a teacher, I see sleepy students all the time who say that they have their phones in their rooms or stay up late watching video games. The flickering light from these screens negatively affects sleep. In order to help your body produce the melatonin it needs, try to keep your bedroom dark and avoid using electronics right before bed.
4. Sleep Reduces Inflammation
These increased stress hormones caused by lack of sleep can raise the level of inflammation in your body. This also creates a greater risk for heart-related conditions, as well as cancer and diabetes. Inflammation is thought to cause the body to deteriorate as we age.
5. Sleep Makes You More Alert
As a teacher I cannot express how important it is to stay alert in class or at work. Being alert reduces stress, because you do not feel so overwhelmed. A good night’s sleep makes you feel energized and alert the next day. Being engaged and active not only feels great but increases your chances for another good night’s sleep.
6. Sleep Improves Your Memory
Researchers do not fully understand why we sleep and dream, but they have found that sleep plays an important role in a process Very Well Health calls memory consolidation. During sleep, your body may be resting, but your brain is busy processing your day, making connections between events, sensory input, feelings, and memories. Deep sleep is a very important time for your brain to make memories and links, and getting more quality sleep will help you remember and process things better.
7. Sleep May Help You Lose Weight
I have read many places that researchers have found that people who sleep fewer than 7 hours per night are more likely to be overweight or obese. It is thought that a lack of sleep impacts the balance of hormones in the body that affect appetite. This should be a great motivation for me, but I still struggle to get to sleep on time. Don’t you? But if you want to maintain or lose weight, don’t forget that getting adequate sleep on a regular basis is a huge part of the equation.
8. Napping Can Make You “Smarter”
Nighttime isn’t the only time for sleep. Napping during the day is an effective, refreshing alternative to caffeine that is good for your overall health and can make you more productive. Very Well Health cites how a study of 24,000 Greek adults showed that people who napped several times a week had a lower risk of dying from heart disease. People who nap at work show much lower levels of stress. I wish we teachers could have a nap time at school! I have read several places that napping also improves memory, cognitive function, and mood.
9. Sleep May Reduce Your Risk of Depression
Sleep impacts many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with serotonin deficiencies are more likely to suffer from depression. Popular prescription anti-depressive drugs such as Prozac are designed to boost serotonin levels. You can help to prevent depression by making sure you are getting the right amount of sleep: between 7 and 9 hours each night.
10. Sleep Helps the Body Repair Itself
Sleep is a time for your body and mind to rest and relax, but it’s also a time during which the body is hard at work repairing damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful exposure. According to Very Well Health, your cells produce more protein while you are sleeping. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair the damage.
So instead of buying another planner or book on time management, try getting more sleep for less stress and more creative productivity!
A peaceful night’s sleep can make all the difference in the world.
Cindy Baker – Everybody always talks about the importance of spending time with your spouse in order to strengthen your marriage. You don’t want to just live separate lives then be roommates only. Yes, we all know spending time together is important, but is that time well spent? There has been a great deal already written about helpful tips on ways to spend quality time together and how doing so can help couples strengthen their marriage, find new common interests and keep the relationship fresh and interesting. When my husband and I were dating I got him interested in trail running. I’m still not sure if he actually liked the running or just liked looking at my butt, but either way it provided a great opportunity for conversation to get to know each other. Meeting each other’s friends and making new friends together, trying something new together and making time for regular date nights are just a few ways couples can grow closer in their relationship. I mean let’s face it, life is busy – sometimes even crazy busy – and sometimes the stuff of everyday life can crowd out any room for intimacy (and not just the bedroom kind).
Making care packages for prisoners at my church’s “Go and Do” weekend of community-wide service projects in our city
But there’s another, often-overlooked activity that some couples report has done wonders for their relationship: community service together. In fact, my husband and I met while serving the homeless together at the Memphis Union Mission. He was there with his older daughter, because her church singles group was serving there and he wanted to spend time with her. I had friends at that same church and was there with them. I had learned that when I served other people I was happier and less focused on myself. I always joke that I met my husband at the homeless shelter, cleaned him up, and took him home.
Why does serving others together strengthen marriages? Well, for one, it often combines all of the things mentioned above. Activities like volunteering at a soup kitchen, handing out water at a road race, getting involved with Habitat for Humanity, participating in a clean-up project or other types of community or church service projects are great ways to meet new people while spending time together. You might even learn a new skill along the way. If you help build houses together, for example, you might know how to make a repair around your own house one day when that knowledge is needed. More money left over for date night!
Many studies have shown that volunteer work promotes happiness for all people, whether they’ve involved in a relationship or not. And hey, you might even meet an awesome like-minded spouse like I did! It relieves stress, keeps you from obsessing about your own problems and helps you see life through other’s eyes. Many regular volunteers report that it has increased their overall life satisfaction. I mean, at the end of my life I’d like to look back and feel like I did something that mattered – that I made a positive difference in the lives of others. For me it needs to be something more significant than doing paperwork, reaching deadlines, attending meetings, or cleaning the house. Volunteers have looked outside their own lives to help someone else who really needs it, even if only in a small way, while learning more about themselves and the world around them. Watching my husband pour his life into others has also given me a greater admiration and appreciation for him.
I am not saying that you should go volunteer as a way to meet your own needs, but there’s nothing wrong with feeling better about yourself while helping others. I started volunteering at the homeless shelter as a way to avoid feeling sorry for myself while nursing the wounds of a betrayal and the end of a romantic relationship, and look what happened! When it comes back around to relationships, feeling better about yourself and gaining a new sense of confidence in your ability to be of service is probably going to make you a more appealing person for your partner to be around. My husband tells me that one of the biggest things that made me attractive was that I was serving others. The annoying phrase we keep hearing on those silly reality shows “getting out of my head” actually has merit. When you serve others you develop empathy and compassion and become more selfless, all of which can make you a better marriage partner. Actually, anything that puts you in a better mood is bound to improve your relationships.
Benefits of Serving Together
When you do acts of service together, your experiences volunteering give you something new to talk about together, which is always a good thing if you find yourself always having the same conversations about work, dinner plans, money, and an endless To Do List—all of which will seem less important anyway when you’re thinking more about helping people in need rather than your own problems. A volunteer or community or church service project can reinforce the values you share while creating new memories together. It can also remind you of some of the common interests that might have brought you together in the first place, whether it’s a love of music, an appreciation of nature, a passion for helping children, a love of animals or maybe the satisfaction of working with your hands.
Keep trying different things until you find just the right fit for your goals, lifestyle and schedule. There are always going to be people who need your help, and trying different volunteer projects together until you find the right match can be a bonding experience in and of itself. If you have children, consider involving them, too. I remember one race I used to run every year I would see this same family with parents and their three kids always handing out water together at one of the water stops. This can be one of the best ways to teach your children the importance of helping others in need. Modeling service can make lifelong volunteers out of people who start young. With so many benefits of service work, why not go sign up to volunteer today?
Our vacuum cleaner broke recently, and when we looked for a new one we wanted to make sure that it would do a good job of picking up the dog hair from our two pups. After looking at Consumer Reports, we decided on the Kenmoor Elite 31150 Pet Friendly Bagged Upright Beltless Vacuum w/Pet Handi-Mate, Triple HEPA, 3D Inducer Motor, Telescoping Wand, 5-Position Height Adjustment, and 3 Cleaning Tools.
It is awesome! The Pet Handi-Mate piece is so cool! You can use it to get dog hair off of curtains, furniture, and other fabric. Below are the features as described by the company:
BAGGED UPRIGHT VACUUM: Remove pet hair, dust and more with this multifloor, multi-surface designed vacuum for use in your home, den, or kitchen with a wide sweeper path
PET HANDIMATE: Air driven turbine spins roller brush to high RPM easily removing dander, stubborn pet hair and other debris off furniture, stairs, car and van seats and out of your vehicle
TRIPLE HEPA FILTER SYSTEM-AAFA CERTIFIED: Enhanced HEPA filter system traps 99.7% of debris, trapping dander and dust inside the vacuum reducing allergy-induced pollutants in the room
POWERFUL CLEANING: 3D Inducer Motor combines power of 3 motors that give you 20% more air power than a conventional vacuum while never loosing suction. The Beltless Agitator reduces maintenance and repairs
3 ATTACHMENTS-EXTENDED REACH: Flexible hose and lightweight aluminum wand lengthen to reach 10′. Dusting brush, crevice tool and second bare floor tool for convenient cleaning transitions
SAVE TIME: 35′ cord, cleaning width of 12.75″, 5 height adjustments
Well, I don’t know about all that. I just know it is super easy to use, works GREAT, and we like it so much my husband even wants to vacuum! He jokes that his wife lets him run things around here…….like the vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, lawn mower, etc. Ha! Ha! It is like a fun toy to him, and since we got this vacuum he has done all the vacuuming every week. You gotta love that!
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We just adopted a new puppy from a local rescue group, and we love her to pieces. We were very sad to lose our beloved 15 year old chow mix, Lucy, last summer. But Banjo was also grieving. We got Banjo when he was a puppy (he is 10 now), and all he has ever known is life with Lucy. He used to follow her everywhere and do whatever she did. When he was alone he was just lost. He didn’t want to play anymore and just slept all day. So we decided to get him a new friend. And now they both have a website named after them! Are you thinking about getting a new puppy? Well, here is a list from the American Kennel Club of things you will need.
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Treats for training such as Milkbone treats. I always try to buy food or treats made in the U.S.A.
Food and water dishes – I like to use the aluminum ones. Some have rubber on the bottom, and this keeps your puppy from pushing the bowl across the floor when eating.
Crate (may be replaced by a bigger one as she grows) – A sturdy metal one is best.
Bedding (at least two sets) – We have the bed in this link in Layla’s crate. I like it because it is super soft and is also machine washable. It also comes in several different sizes.
Dog Gate(s) – There are lots of different kinds (even a baby gate might work), but we like the one in this link because it looks better in the house and covers a wide area.
