Is it National Puppy Day? Yes! Today, March 23, 2020 is National Puppy Day.
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Dogs are awesome. They just are. They bring unconditional love and affection into our lives in a way that no one else can. And puppies are the cutest, fuzziest, make-us-smile creatures God ever created. Every year we take time to stop and celebrate National Puppy Day, but if you have a dog every day is puppy day, right? The actual holiday was started in 2006 by author Colleen Paige, and it has now spread across the globe. Her intention was to focus attention on puppy adoption and on the abuses in puppy mills. But she also just wanted us to celebrate these loving little fur balls we call puppies. According to the Center for Disease Control, owning a pet decreases blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and feelings of loneliness. People who own at least one pet also have increased opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities and more opportunities for socialization. All the more reason to celebrate National Puppy Day!
Hey Everybody! It’s National Puppy Day!
Here Are 10 Fun Ideas To Help You Celebrate Puppies on National Puppy Day or Any Day
1. Buy Your Puppy Some New Toys
Buy some new toys for your puppy. As their new teeth come in puppies love to chew everything, so give them plenty of safe chew toys. Our puppy Layla loves to pull the stuffing out of all the toys and “conquer” the squeaker inside. So we quickly learned to give her sturdier toys made especially for teething puppies and to supervise her play. I think I enjoy seeing how happy toys make her as much as she does playing with them! We have found that filling a Kong Toy with healthy food then freezing it keeps Layla occupied for hours.
Sometimes Layla likes to sleep with her dog toy.
2. Throw a Virtual National Puppy Day Party!
Since we are currently social distancing, use Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, or some other program to connect with other dog owners and celebrate together. You can eat, drink, dress your dogs in costumes, dress yourselves in costumes, have balloons, whatever you find festive and have a perfectly posh puppy party!
What could be more festive than a National Puppy Day puppy party?
3. Have a Puppy Photo Shoot
And you want to make sure you take pictures at that party, right? You don’t have to hire a professional photographer for this. You can just use your phone and set up several backgrounds or situations to show off your pup in all his cuteness. You could send your digital photos off to a service like Shutterfly and have a calendar made and have your own personalized Cute Puppies Calendar on the wall with a different version of cuteness each month!
Cute puppies make great photos!
4. Teach Your Pup a New Trick
Puppies learn quickly and are eager to please. Use small treats to teach your puppy to sit, stay, and come. And maybe try some other fun tricks like shake or roll over. Layla learned “sit” quite easily, and now whenever she sees me near the treat jar she just automatically sits and looks at me expectantly. Use positive reinforcement. Never yell at or hit your puppy. They will not understand and will learn to be afraid of people. You might also want to consider hiring a professional to help you train your puppy.
Puppies love to learn new tricks.
5. Walk Your Puppy
Puppies are high energy and thrive on exercise. And the bonus is that when your puppy is tired she will just take a nap instead of chewing your furniture! And let’s face it – walking outdoors is good for us humans too! Because of coronavirus some people are avoiding dog parks temporarily, but you can easily and safely walk alone or with a partner outside. In fact, when you adopt a puppy you will never have to walk alone again! My dogs get so excited when they see me grab the leash and put my shoes on.
Walking your dog is good for them and us. I wonder if Layla can read?
6. Keep Your Puppy Safe
Make sure to get your puppy a microchip and I.D. tag in case your puppy ever gets out. The AKC website explains how. It is also a good idea to check your yard and fence for any place that your puppy might be able to get out and secure it for safety. Try to eliminate chemical cleaners and buy non-toxic ones instead. Try to keep toxic plants out of your garden or fence that part off to keep your puppy out. Never chain your puppy to a tree, fence, or doghouse. Your puppy is a member of your family!
Layla likes to be right where the flowers are.
7. Donate to a Local Shelter
If social distancing makes it difficult to volunteer right now, you can always donate money or things to a local adoption shelter. You can even make a donation in your pet’s name. Shelters can use items such as blankets, toys, and cleaning supplies. You can also make a donation to organizations such as ASPCA. Here’s an idea: Share pictures of adoptable dogs and puppies from the local shelter or rescue group to help them find forever homes. Both of my dogs are rescue dogs, and I think rescue dogs are the best!
Local animal rescue shelters and organizations always need donations.
8. Make Them Homemade Treats
There are lots of simple recipes out there for delicious and healthy homemade dog treats. See what you have in your pantry at home and let your creativity take over! Feed your puppy only all natural food and treats. Make sure your brand of puppy food is healthy. And if you haven’t already, try Chewy‘s automatic delivery service so you don’t have to get out to go buy more dog food when it runs out. For now you can get 30% off your first Autoship. No coupon needed!
The right food for your pup is important.
9. Arrange a Play Date With a Friend’s Puppy
Socialization is important for puppies. Dogs are pack animals and do not like to be left alone. Once the vet says your puppy is old enough to meet new dogs, arrange a play date where your puppy can meet a neighbor dog or offer to pet sit a friend’s puppy to give them a short break. Puppies can be quite a handful! Make sure to adhere to CDC guidelines though to keep yourself safe and healthy.
Banjo and Layla like to just chill with their human and look out the window.
10. Shower Your Puppy With Extra TLC
It’s a given that you would want to give your puppy extra love and special attention on National Puppy Day, but I have to say it anyway. Young puppies especially may miss their mother and siblings from the litter. Make sure to help them feel safe and loved by giving them lots of affection.
Puppies give us unconditional love.
How will you celebrate National Puppy Day?
Let’s see how many comments I can collect below. And remember, you can comment any day – even if you read this post past the actual National Puppy Day. Happy National Puppy Day America!
Restaurants in my town have closed their dining rooms because of the coronavirus pandemic, so more people are forced to cook at home. Time to get out the Crock Pot! I love the Crock Pot, because you just dump everything in and turn it on then forget about it for a few hours. My kind of cooking!
This apple cobbler recipe is so easy and delicious! You can find good use for that bag of apples you bought on sale at the grocery store before the crazed fight for toilet paper began. It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare – especially if you have someone peel and chop the apples for you!
The apple chopping king!
Ingredients:
Apple Filling:
5 medium apples (Gala, Honey Crisp, or similar), peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup Bisquick baking mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping:
1 cup Bisquick baking mix
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup oats (I used Quaker)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, chopped up into pieces
Directions:
Spray inside of slow cooker with Pam cooking spray or use a slow cooker liner bag. For the Apple Filling, toss apple slices with brown sugar, Bisquick, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Put these apple slices in the slow cooker.
For the Topping, mix all topping ingredients, except butter, in a medium bowl.
Cut in butter with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over Apple Filling. Cover.
Cook 3 hours on high.
This is very sweet, so you can cut back on the sugar some if you prefer. It is also best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to compliment the sweetness.
School closures and social distancing due to the COVID-19 outbreak mean millions of parents and guardians who are used to sending their children to school each day are now faced with the task of educating them at home. Maybe this describes you.
Are you suddenly a homeschool teacher? You may be thinking, “I did not sign up for this! How will I keep my child engaged in learning and not just have a free for all in front of the screen?” Well, I am here to help you navigate this unfamiliar transition. Below are a few tips as well as a list of some of the best educational websites for kids – all of them free, since free is my favorite price. And several that are not normally free are currently offering free subscriptions during this Coronavirus pandemic.
This temporary situation will not be the same as regular school, and it is important to remember that. Your child will not be as focused, the lessons will be different online, and the social isolation will make it feel very different than regular classes. But hopefully some of these tips will make your unexpected job a little easier – and will maybe get that Baby Shark hand washing song stuck out of your head! Woops! Sorry, I just made you think about it again didn’t I?
1. Check with Your Child’s School First.
Check your child’s school website first to see if his or her teacher left some work. There may be digital assignments or other instructions with resources, materials, and due dates. There may be a platform such as Schoology your child’s school uses to receive and submit work from the teacher. Check school e-mail and see if the school’s main website has a FAQ section about coronavirus and school closures.
2. Make a Daily Schedule.
Without a daily routine like they have at school many children will find it difficult to get motivated and stay focused enough to study and learn. The online coursework or learning packets from school are nonnegotiables, but outside of that give your child some choice about what they want to learn.
Once you and your children have identified the subjects they will study, make a schedule and hang it up so that everyone in the family knows what is expected and when. It is important that kids do not see this as an extended snow day or longer than usual Spring Break. Most kids work off of a regular schedule in their classrooms or they change classes at certain times, so creating a similar schedule at home can ease the transition to a different learning environment. Keep things at home as normal as possible. Make sure to include some sort of recess or outdoor active time as well.
3. Accept Your Limits.
Maybe your child is not the only one having to work from home. Because of social distancing or self-quarantining many parents have also been asked to work from home when they can. This means that hundreds of thousands of mothers and fathers likely will be forced to try to balance homeschooling with all of their other regular daily responsibilities at work.
This is uncharted territory, so we all just have to do the best we can, whether we are parents, teachers, or any other working adult. Your child’s teacher does not expect you to become a teacher overnight. Parents and teachers need to give each other grace and have lots of patience as we try to do what’s best for our children’s education.
Online Resources
I have only listed websites or apps that I, as a teacher, have personally used or know of colleagues who have used with success. A word of caution: Be careful how much personal information your child gives out on any website. Many times a site will ask for all sorts of personal data in the registration process. Often that information is not really needed in order to complete the process.
ABC YA – Free educational games for younger students. I used this site when I taught English language learners in an elementary school.
Adapted Mind – This site turns real math into a fun game. Teachers worked hand in hand with the designers to assure that their K-6 curriculum is research-based, common core aligned, and comprehensive. There are over 300,000 math problems and explanations. What makes it great is that students will feel like they’re playing a game. I have used this with 6th grade students in intervention before, and they loved it. However, this product is lacking some details which makes it confusing at times. I would only use it for fun, not as your main source of instruction.
BrainPop – This is a fun animated educational site for kids – Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology – where students watch videos and learn from characters Tim and Moby (a robot) then take a quiz and complete activities. There is also BrainPop Jr. for younger kids. I have used this frequently and think it is great. Some of their content is always free, but they are now offering all free access to anyone during school closures!
Discovery Education – Self -quarantined or social distancing? This site lets you take free virtual field trips to awesome places all over the world! They also have created a special channel within Discovery Education Experience—the Viruses and Outbreak Channel—featuring digital content that will help you discuss the Coronavirus outbreak with your children. This content includes timely updates on what the Coronavirus is, information on how infectious diseases spread, and essential guidelines for staying healthy.
Educreations Pro – Educreations is a unique interactive whiteboard and screencasting tool that’s very simple, powerful, and fun to use. You can annotate, animate, and narrate nearly any type of content as you explain any concept. As students have to teach material themselves, they learn more. In response to the coronavirus the company is now offering free Educreations Pro upgrades for teachers. Their basic account is always free, so this could easily be used at home.
EverFi – This is a paid site offering digital financial education, but right now parents and teachers can sign up for a free teacher account.
Flipgrid – My middle school students love using this program! They record a short video of themselves explaining a topic and see and comment on others’ videos in their class as they view the “grid.” Parents can now create a free account at home for students.
Funbrain – Claims to be the #1 site for online educational games for kids of all ages. (math, grammar, science, spelling, history) It is a free site, and there are lots of great learning games there. However, some of the games are just for fun and not that educational. The site also has a lot of ads.
Gimkit – Gimkit is a game show for the classroom that requires knowledge, collaboration, and strategy to win. My students love this, because it allows them to win “money,” “ice” another student who is in the lead, and other fun features. If you have more than one child of similar age at home they will beg you to play this and end up learning without realizing it!
GoNoodle – Interactive music videos that get kids of all ages up and moving. My school’s P.E. department has used this with great success. All free!
Highlights Kids – Remember sitting in the doctor’s office waiting room as a kid and looking at Highlights magazine? This site is a place for children of all ages to play games and discover new jokes, surveys, answers to science questions, and fun crafts and recipes from Highlights. And it’s free!
Hour of Code – According to their website, Code.org® is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented youth. The Hour of Code is their global campaign. On this site you can try a free one-hour tutorial designed for all ages in over 45 languages. The high interest subjects such as popular video games keep students focused.
IXL – My middle school uses the paid version, but there are some free resources for families on their website. IXL is a comprehensive tool that provides personalized math and language arts practice. With a comprehensive K-12 curriculum, individualized guidance, and real-time analytics, IXL meets the unique needs of each student. Kids can try the skill exercises for free at home, but they’ll be limited to a small number of problems per day. You must be a paying member to access IXL’s unlimited exercises, tracking, awards, and certificates.
Kahoot – Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home. You can sign up for free! I use this as a formative assessment in the classroom, but I have also used it when teaching adults. It is super fun.
Khan Academy – A nonprofit with the mission “to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.” My school uses this trusted resource created by experts. They have a huge library of standards-aligned practice and lessons covering math for K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history, and more – even AP classes. It’s all free too!
Legends of Learning – Students love playing through assignments using math and science games with their own custom-created avatar. Their new standards-aligned “Awakening” home mode allows teachers to direct and monitor student learning from a distance.
MobyMax – In this site you can find and fix learning gaps with differentiated learning in all K-8 subjects. I used it in intervention classes with students who were struggling with math. They liked that they could earn growth rewards and prizes. On their site now they have a quick guide to using Moby at home. A surprising amount of features is included in the free version.
National Geographic Kids – Lots of free educational games, videos, interactive activities, and more.
NearPod – Nearpod is an award-winning student engagement platform with ready-to-run interactive lessons for K-12 teachers. My students have enjoyed these lessons – especially when they get to a part with virtual reality where they can move their iPad around and see a panoramic view of something. There is a limited free version that I have used.
Newsela – This site takes real content from the world’s most trusted providers and turns it into learning materials that are classroom-ready. From their website: “Whether your school is teaching through a closure or building plans to prepare, we’re here to help you ensure that learning doesn’t stop. We’re offering free access to Newsela’s entire product suite for the rest of the 2019/2020 school year.” Lots of teachers in my school use this resource and love it!
PBS Kids – Always free. Great games, videos, and activities for all ages. My sixth grade STEM students enjoy “Design Squad” videos of students designing, building and testing projects. Right now they have a newsletter you can sign up for that will give you daily activities and tips to help kids play and learn at home.
Professor Garfield – I love this free site. I guess because I’ve always loved the comic strip Garfield. Because of the literacy problem in the United States, their mission is “to be a world leader in the direct, free delivery of innovative and motivational digital learning content with a primary emphasis on children’s literacy and creative expression. Initially, we will accomplish this by creating fun and educationally sound interactive activities and games where kids like to play — on the Internet — supplemented with standards-based resources for teachers, parents and mentors. Within ten years, we believe our edutainment site will be regarded as the leading free resource and authority in literacy as demonstrated by visitors, measurable outcomes, and global impact.” Check out some of the interactive learning games.
ReadWorks – I have used this free site for years in intervention to assist students with reading comprehension. Their nonprofit mission is to support the effective teaching and learning of reading. From their website: “Teachers, parents, and students never have to pay to access ReadWorks digitally or otherwise. All adults, no matter who they are, may create a digital class and assign reading content and curriculum to students for free. We have always believed that students deserve barrier-free access to the highest-quality reading materials and instruction and that belief has only grown stronger during this crisis.”
Scholastic – They just released free daily courses for kids stuck at home amid coronavirus school closures. The section is called “Learn From Home” and has four age categories. There are up to 3 hours of content a day, and they can be completed on any device.
Starfall – For children in K-3rd grade. I used this for English language learners when I taught elementary ESL. According to their website, “Starfall’s emphasis on phonemic awareness, systematic sequential phonics, and common sight words in conjunction with audiovisual interactivity has proven effective in teaching emergent readers. Starfall activities are research-based and align with Individual and Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics.” There is a lot of free content, and their low-cost membership program expands the free content to include animated songs, mathematics, and reading activities spanning K-3. Membership also supports the production of new books, songs, educational games, and movies.
Storylineonline – This is another site I liked to use as an elementary ESL teacher. The site has videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more. According to their website: “Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills, logical thinking and concentration, and general academic aptitude, as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading. Teachers use Storyline Online in their classrooms, and doctors and nurses play Storyline Online in children’s hospitals.” Adults enjoy it too!
Seussville – The home of all things Dr. Seuss! What else is there to say?
Teacher Created Materials – In light of the coronavirus crisis, on their website they are now offering free downloadable work from home resources such as Daily Practice Worksheets, Quick Science labs, and Reader’s Theater scripts. These are all teacher-approved materials you would normally have to pay for. I have used many of their materials in the past and found them to be very helpful. In addition to the free resources they are offering 40% off selected Learn-at-Home resources as well. Just use the promo code HOME40. This code expires April 30, 2020. The good thing about eBooks is that they are immediately available for use with no shipping charges!
TED-Ed – You can create a free account by registering. This site has video lessons and series by top educators, made into animated videos for kids. Lots of material here!
VidCode – According to their site Vidcode offers the #1 research-backed standards-aligned computer science courses, focused on open-ended projects. This is one I have not tried, but I know other teachers who have used it with success. It won a Parents’ Choice Award and is supposed to be the best way to learn to code for teens. Right now you can sign up to access Vidcode’s full curriculum until May 2020 or schools reopen. What a deal!
Is there a big difference between cat people and dog people?
Are you a cat person or a dog person? I’m allergic to cats and absolutely love dogs, so that’s a no-brainer for me. Dogs and cats are very different. When you feed a dog they think, “You must be God!” But when you feed a cat they think, “I must be God!” Did you know that being a cat or dog person may actually reveal some interesting things about you, as recent Nuwber data and a university survey reveals.
Nuwber uncovered some interesting findings:
Dog people tend to make
more money
Cat people have better
credit scores
Dog owners prefer warmer
climates and spend more time outdoors
Love to travel
correlates with cat ownership
The saying “A dog is a man’s best friend” or in my case a women’s best friend might be true. The answer to whether you are a dog person or a cat person may also say a lot about your personality. According to WebMd, a survey done by the University of Texas at Austin found that some popular ideas about pet lovers may be true after all. In fact, you may end up being a lot more like your furry friend than you ever realized.
Here are some interesting findings from this survey:
Dog people were 11% more
conscientious than cat people. This means they are generally more
self-disciplined, strong sense of duty, and tend to be “planners.”
Dog people were 15% more
extroverted than cat people. They are outgoing, enthusiastic, and positive.
They seize the day! Is that you?
Are you open to trying
new things? Cat people were 11% more likely to be open, according to the
survey. Open people tend to be the creative artistic types. They are curious
and are typically nontraditional thinkers.
According to this
survey, if you’re a dog person, you’re 13% more likely to be agreeable than a
cat person. Agreeable people are most likely kind, altruistic, trusting,
affectionate, and sociable.
If you’re a cat person
and you get stressed out easily you’re not alone. In this survey cat people
were 12% more neurotic than dog people. Neurotic people are easily stressed,
anxious, and just general worriers.
Last year a General Social Survey cited in this Washington Post article that dog owners are in fact happier than cat owners. You cat people probably disagree, but hey I’m just the messenger. Similar to the U.T. Austin survey, The General Social Survey research based its conclusions on how people reported their feelings. Nuwber decided to leverage their data to see if there are any metrics that support, or disprove, these strong claims.
What other differences are there between cat and dog owners? What other factors could make one group happier than the other? Nuwber wanted to know if feeling happier has to do with financial well-being or something else. Or, they wondered, “Maybe, it is the choice of your pet that somehow influences your lifestyle and makes you and your pet resemble each other in character after a certain period of time.” Why are dog owners usually more friendly and open, qualities generally associated with being positive and happy?
Some of the data Nuwber uncovered may answer these questions:
DEMOGRAPHICS
Certain demographic characteristics may be tied to cat owners vs. dog owners, including the state in which you live, your occupation and your income.
STATE
According to Nuwber’s data, there are generally more dog owners in warmer, sunnier states, while cat owners are more likely to live in the northern, cooler states. The purple on their map represents states where percentage of cat owners is higher than percentage of dog owners, while turquoise represents states with a higher percentage of dog owners:
Image from Nuwber
Nuwber decided to go deeper into how significant the difference of cat people vs. dog people is in each state. In this map, with purple still representing more cat than dog owners, and turquoise more dog than cat owners, darker colors indicate a more significant difference in the percentage of cat owners vs. dog owners.
Image from Nuwber
This makes sense to me as a dog owner. Dogs love to be outside where they can run around, smell things, and get exercise. They do not like to do this in the freezing cold weather, so warmer states for dog owners makes sense. I live in Tennessee, and I have two dogs.
Texas, where the previously mentioned university survey was conducted, is a good example. According to the table above there is a significant difference in probability between cat owners and dog owners.
Washington, on the other hand, has a rainy cool climate. It is more likely a state where cat owners would live, since most cats prefer to stay inside.
OCCUPATION
According to the data from Nuwber, your pet choice may also be determined by your job. Their data shows that cat owners are more likely to be medical professionals (a difference of 0.66%). I guess this makes sense. Since cats require less care than dogs do, they might be a better pet for people working in the medical field who work odd hours and may be gone for longer periods of time.
Nuwber found that cats’ home-body nature makes them a good fit for retired individuals as well (7.61% difference). Usually retired people are older, and they may not be as physically capable of handling a high-energy pet like a dog. Dogs are a little more high maintenance. Retired people also typically spend more time at home. Those in the category of “homemaking” are also more likely to own a cat.
Nuwber’s data shows that dog owners are more likely to work in a professional/technical (1.31% difference) or white collar (2.52% difference) field. Also, according to their data, dog owners are more likely to hold financial positions. This is compared to other careers, like farming and education, both of which have a higher probability of cat ownership. Who knew?
If you are interested in learning more about the differences in occupation probability between cat and dog owners check out Nuwber’s website.
INCOME
Taking care of a dog is typically more expensive than caring for a cat, but dog owners also tend to have higher incomes. Nuwber sites a survey from Mars Petcare which found that dog owners have a $47,000 higher income on average. It looks like the Nuwber data supports the results of this survey. Their stats show that there is a tendency for dog owners to earn more than cat owners: those in the income bracket of around $100,000 have a higher probability of owning a dog versus a cat.
Banjo and Layla are spoiled.
According to Nuwber for instance, average dog owners with jobs in the financial field earn anywhere between $75,000 and $120,000, per data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is opposed to careers in farming (yearly salaries between $25,000 and $51,000 with the exception of administrative and leadership positions) or education (salaries between $34,000 and $64,000, same exceptions apply), both of which have a higher probability of cat ownership.
The graph below shows Nuwber data on the differences in income probability between cat and dog owners:
Image from Nuwber
As I mentioned earlier dogs are generally higher maintenance pets and tend to cost more. Just ask my husband about the sticker shock he often gets since we got Layla. People spend a lot of money on their pets!
Our sweet Layla
Often times not only do the jobs associated with dog owners have higher salaries, but they also allow more flexibility, with work-from-home and paid-time-off options. That flexibility means dog owners can spend more time with their dogs to play with them, take them on walks, and do other “dog maintenance” tasks. As mentioned earlier, cats don’t require as much attention or money and can be home on their own for longer stretches of time assuming they are left with sufficient food and a litter box.
Credit Ratings
One surprising finding is that while dog owners have higher incomes, Nuwber data reveals that cat owners have higher credit ratings:
Image from Nuwber
This chart shows that those with credit scores between 650 and 800+ are more likely to be cat owners, while scores of 649 down to under 499 are more likely to be dog owners. So while dog owners may earn more annually, they may not be saving their money or spending it as responsibly. Or maybe they are spending it all on their dogs!
HOBBIES
Whether you prefer dogs or cats may not just reveal something about your personality but may also indicate what you enjoy doing. The same Mars Petcare survey shows that while dog owners tend to be more interested in sports and the outdoors, cat owners enjoy more quiet creative activities.
Below is a breakdown from Nuwber of how cat and dog owners like to spend their time:
Cat owners are more likely to have an interest in home decorating (0.46% difference) and cooking (1.13% difference), activities that take some creativity and are done inside the home.
While cat owners enjoy indoor activities, Nuwber’s data shows that dog owners lean toward outdoor activities and sports like golf (1.88% difference). People with dogs tend to be more athletic and spend more time outside walking, running and playing with their pups. Have you ever heard of anyone going running with their cat?
On the other hand, data aggregated through Nuwber reveals that cat owners have a higher probability of indicating travel as a hobby or interest. When you think about it, it makes sense. Cats can be left home alone for longer periods of time, with a friend or neighbor checking on them every so often to make sure they have enough food and water.
Dogs, however, require more attention and care, with most dog owners leaving them at a friend or family member’s home when out of town, or boarding them. We pay a college student to stay at our house when we travel and take care of our dogs. Most dog owners I know still love to travel, but they just have to plan carefully. And many even travel with their pets! I am a dog person, and I love to travel so much that I have a travel blog!
According to Nuwber, cat owners are slightly more likely to enjoy reading; however, owning either a cat or dog has a strong correlation to reading, with probabilities of over 90 percent. One of our dogs actually watches TV and runs outside when a dog is on a commercial. I guess she is looking for the dog she saw in the “box.” But who doesn’t also love to read snuggled up on the couch with their fur baby?
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?
To sum it all up, the data from Nuwber and the other surveys indicate that there are some objective reasons dog owners might have a subjective feeling of being happier. After all, dog lovers live in warmer climates, thus spending more time outside, have higher paying jobs and make more money, all of which could contribute to happiness.
I don’t know whether or not this means that cat people aren’t happy people. But I do know that our two dogs, Banjo and Layla, bring us much joy. I am sure that whether you are a “cat person” or a “dog person,” your pets are a valued member of the family and brings lots of love.
Which one are you? Do you agree with these findings? Leave your comment below.
Don’t eat your noodles plain. Cover them with delicious tomato meat sauce!
It’s Fun Food Friday! This week’s recipe is so yummy.
It may be tempting to just open a jar or can of store bought spaghetti sauce, but I encourage you not to do this. Why? Because I am going to teach you how to make homemade -from scratch awesome spaghetti sauce with ground beef or chicken. And this recipe is so easy I know you can do it! The taste is worth the little extra effort, I promise.
I have to confess though that I make it a little differently every time and cannot tell you exact measurements to use, so you may have to experiment a little to get it just the way you like it. I estimated the amount in the recipe. Most really good southern cooks just throw in a little of this and a little of that and taste along the way. But I will do my best to break it down in simple, easy to follow steps.
Here are the ingredients you will need:
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
garlic (use a real one or the kind in a jar not dried garlic) – 1 Tbs chopped
Worchestershire sauce – 2 squirts
Oregano – 1 tsp.
Basil (fresh is best) – 1 tsp.
Parsley (fresh is best) – 1 tsp.
1 Bay leaf
Chili Powder – 1/2 tsp.
ketchup – 2 Tbs.
sugar – 1 tsp. (don’t put too much)
small can tomato paste
large can tomatoes – 14.5 oz.
can tomato sauce – 14.5 oz.
1/2 cup water
Directions:
Brown the ground beef in a large pan then add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is browned a little then drain the fat off using the pan lid to keep the meat from falling into the sink. Keep water running while you do this to keep from clogging the sink.
Stir in all the rest of the ingredients. Simmer on the stove with the lid on the pan for 45 min. – 1 hour.
In the last ten minutes boil the spaghetti noodles and drain.
Serve over pasta with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with a salad and garlic bread.
Be creative and add your own variations. You can use chicken instead of beef. Try adding chopped green bell peppers or other vegetables. You can make it Vegan by adding more vegetables and leaving out the meat. Do you have any ideas? I’d love to hear them!
After posting this last week a lot has changed, so I am adding some updates. I am a teacher who is currently on Spring Break. However, since my original post my school decided to close for at least an additional week after Spring Break and move to online remote lessons. I was also originally planning to go to Nashville this week with my husband, but since so many things have closed there temporarily we had to cancel.
Like many I have questions and concerns about traveling and being in crowds or public places when traveling. It takes a lot of convincing before most of us seasoned travelers are willing to give up travel. However, most of us are putting it on hold for now. However, if you are unable to cancel your work travel plans or find that you need to fly, make sure to use common sense and be extra careful to stay healthy.
Air Travel Health Tips
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has changed air travel completely. Several airlines are cutting domestic flights and getting rid of some amenities provided onboard. Companies are restricting business travel and doing more teleconferencing and video meetings. With 52 confirmed cases now in my state of Tennessee school districts are planning how they will handle this outbreak. Coronavirus in the U.S.A. is a concern. What started as a global health crisis has now become a pandemic, and this affects travel in many ways.
Do Your Research to Understand Your Risks Before You Travel
The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has a searchable COVID-19 risk assessment tool by country on its website along with other helpful information. It is a good idea to learn the status of your destination before you travel. When it comes to air travel and health do your due diligence.
Right now as a type this (March 17, 2020), the CDC has updated their travel advisories. More countries have been added to the Warning Level 3Category. This means you should avoid all nonessential travel to: South Korea, Iran, Italy and most other European countries, United Kingdom and Ireland, and China. They have also added Venezuela because of the breakdown of the healthcare infrastructure in that country. The State Department also puts out regular travel advisories.
Health officials are asking people to self quarantine for 14 days after visiting high risk areas, so keep this in mind when making travel plans. They also suggest what is called “social distancing,” which just means to avoid very crowded places, public transportation, and staying about 6 feet from people. Talk about personal space, right?
Wash Your HandsFrequently
As a teacher I’m a pro at this one. I feel like I’m in a room full of germs all day long. I may get teased for being a germaphobe, but health experts say this is one of the best ways to protect yourself from diseases that spread on contact.
According to the CDC, hand washing can help prevent illness. Their website says that hand washing involves five simple and effective steps: Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, and Dry. Regularly washing your hands, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to conquer germs and avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. It’s so easy! Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can be used if soap and water are not available, but it will not work as well and dries your skin out.
The CDC recommends washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Currently there is no vaccine to prevent coronavirus, so it is important to avoid touching your face and biting your fingernails.
Choose a Window Seat
This is always my preference anyway, because I like to look out the window and sit on the end of a row. But if people are the ones spreading the virus germs it makes sense to sit with less people around you. If you sit by the window you only have the persons next to you, in front of you, and behind you to worry about.
Bring Sanitizing Wipes
Take sanitary wipes and wipe off all surfaces used like the tray table, arm rests, and any other common places you use on the airplane. It has not been proven that coronavirus can live on surfaces, but it has not been ruled out either. It is interesting to note that FAA studies have shown that the back of the tray tables have more germs than the top. Ewh! The EPA released their list of approved disinfectants to kill coronavirus. You can find the list here.
Airlines are doing extra cleaning in light of this virus. I have read that airplane cabin air is cleaner than an office building, because the air filtration system on airplanes refreshes the air more often. Commercial jets have High Efficiency Particulate Air filters (HEPA), and according to International Air Transport Association they capture over 99.9% of airborne microbes.
Delta Airlines claims to have taken proactive and voluntary steps including a high-grade EPA registered disinfectant used on all flights, more hand sanitizer, more gloves for flight attendants, and several other additional sanitation procedures.
American Airlines says they are enhancing their cleaning procedures on international flights and aircraft that remain overnight at an airport. This includes a more thorough cleaning of all hard surfaces, including tray tables and armrests. All catering equipment on key international flights will undergo additional sanitation and disinfection procedures.
Southwest Airlines spends more than six hours cleaning aircraft every night in addition to cleaning in between flights. They say that since March 4, 2020 they have enhanced their overnight cleaning procedures as well.
Other Tips for Healthy Travel
No need to panic and go out and stock up on surgical masks. Health experts at the CDC say that you do not need to walk around wearing a mask over your face unless you are sick and might infect others.
Before you travel make sure you boost your own immune system by getting good sleep, controlling stress, eating vitamins, and of course washing your hands.
Consider getting the best travel insurance you can in case you need to cancel your trip. Check into travel health insurance as well.
According to ABC News today the CEO’s of major U.S. Airlines met at the White House last week to reassure passengers that air travel is safe. So go ahead and enjoy your trip if you must go, but take safety precautions and use common sense. And save me some toilet paper when you get back!
What are your thoughts? Do you have any additional advice? I’d love to hear from frequent travelers. Please leave your comments below.
You don’t have to be rich to travel! You just have to be smart and maybe a little disciplined. Becoming financially responsible just involves creating good habits and having the right mindset. It doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated, but it will take motivation and maybe sacrifice.
Here are the steps to save money fast:
It is amazing how eye opening it can be to write down where every dollar goes. Little things add up. This means that little savings here and there also add up to a nice vacation stash!
1.Start by Tracking Your Spending
Set aside an hour one night or weekend and carefully go through all of your accounts.
Write It Down
Find out exactly what you spend, and write it ALL down. What gets me is the miscellaneous stuff or unexpected expenses that I forgot about. The little things add up. At my school there is a drink machine in the teacher’s lounge, but the drinks cost about 4 times what they do in the store. So I usually bring my own from home. When we buy little things like snacks, coffee, bottled water, and impulse-buy splurges most people don’t write this stuff down.
Before you can really save enough for a nice vacation you have to be aware of exactly what you have, what you spend, what you owe, and what you need to save. That may sound like a lot of work, but it will eventually become second nature. It is actually more stressful not knowing how much money you have. Be in control of your money or it will control you.
Little Things Add Up!
Be aware of all your spending. The little things can creep
up and become a big deal when added together. It may take a while to build a
new habit, but you will get so excited about your upcoming trip that it will be
worth it! Put a picture of your vacation destination on your refrigerator to
remind you of your goal.
Tracking your spending lets you see where you are today and where you need to be. If you are digitally inclined, get one of the many free tracking apps such as Mint https://www.mint.com. But do something. Find a way that works for you, and stay disciplined with knowing where your money goes.
2. Work Out a Strict Budget
How much will your trip cost? Decide upfront exactly how much you will spend on your vacation. Be realistic and specific. Think about plane tickets, checked baggage fees, gas, rental car, hotel, meals, tips, parking fees, tickets or admission fees to attractions, souvenirs, everything. Total it all up. Now pick yourself up off the floor. Naw, just kidding! If you need to cut expenses a little, do that. But be realistic. You want to have fun on your trip, so plan for it.
Track Everything.
Now that you know how much your trip will cost, decide how much you will need to save each month to get you to your goal. Then keep a running budget. What are your fixed expenses like mortgage or rent? What are your flexible expenses like going out to eat? When shopping use the calculator on your phone to keep track of what you are spending. Keep a ledger in your purse or wallet.
Budgeting effectively and living within your means gives you power and control over your life. Not having enough money to pay the bills is very stressful, and no one likes a vacation where a lack of money is always on your mind. Budgeting well and ruthlessly sticking to your budget gives you peace of mind when you travel and helps you to truly relax and unwind.
3. Reduce Unnecessary Spending
OK people, it’s time to get real. I’m saying this as a friend because I know how much you need that vacation. Stop buying stuff you don’t need! There, I said it. And I’m talking to myself too. I mean I can feel the money just drop out of my purse as I merely drive into the parking lot of Target. I might go there for one thing, but I come out with ten. Can you relate?
This is where you have to ask yourself the hard questions. Is this something I need? Is this something I can afford? Will it add value to my life? Do I want this thing more than a paid for vacation? Ouch! That last question hurt, didn’t it? It all comes down to needs versus wants. To me travel is worth spending money on, because I am creating an experience, having adventures, making a memory, and growing as a person and in my relationship with my husband. What is it worth to you?
Think about how much money you could save by cooking at home instead of going out to eat. I bring my lunch to work everyday, and most days I pack my husband a lunch as well. This saves us a lot of money and makes going out to eat much more special since we don’t do it all the time.
Other ways to save money that you might consider: cut the cable and just watch your shows online, have a garage sale or sell things on resale sites online, get rid of your landline and just use your cell phone, skip your normal grocery run one week and just eat what’s in your pantry, turn the heat or air back when you are gone for the day, use a credit card that gives you rewards or points that you can use to purchase air fare or hotel rooms, get a part-time job or start an online business. If you want to know how to make money online at home by starting your own blog shoot me an e-mail and I’ll connect you with the free 5 day course that got me started.
The point is you may have to sacrifice now to save for fun and adventure later. I teach middle school, and delayed gratification is definitely not their thing. But hey, we are adults! We can do this! You might even want to have a special savings account just for your vacation fund.
If you love to travel as much as I do take these steps and start saving now. Remember you don’t have to be rich to travel. You just have to be smart and disciplined. You can do this! Now go live your adventure!
These muffins are so easy to make, and they are delicious! There are lots of different variations, so you can be creative and try different things instead of broccoli if you want.
Ingredients:
1 (8 1/2 oz.) package corn muffin mix
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed – I like to make sure it is not mostly stalks.
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese (Colby Jack combo works well too)
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted – Real butter works best.
Directions: Stir up the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl
In a small bowl stir together eggs and butter, blending well.
Add egg and butter mixture to the broccoli mixture, stirring just until all ingredients are moistened.
Make a little dip in the center of the mixture to pour the egg mixture into.
Spoon into mini muffin pans sprayed with Pam, filling three-fourths full (I made mine into regular size muffins in the above picture. If you do this you need to bake them about 8 minutes longer).
Bake at 325 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden. Let them stand about 5 minutes before removing from the pan.
Makes 2 dozen mini muffins or 1 dozen regular size ones. These look pretty and are great for company. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months and have them ready in a flash if you need to bring something to a potluck.
Variations: Instead of broccoli add 1 small can of Mexican corn and jalapeno cheese; You can experiment with low-fat cheese but some bake better than others.
Recently my wonderful oldest step daughter and her talented engineer/photographer husband traveled for three weeks in New Zealand. One of their Christmas gifts to us was a calendar they had made with some of Cole’s photography. I was so impressed! I have never had the opportunity to travel there myself, but anyone I’ve known who has vacationed in New Zealand had nothing but good things to say about this beautiful country.
There are two larger islands (North and South) and about 600 much smaller islands. Mountains, beaches, waterfalls, volcanoes, rolling green hills – the landscape is breathtakingly spectacular! In fact, you might even find a crew in New Zealand shooting a movie. You might recognize the setting of “Lord of the Rings” or “The Hobbit” as you view these scenes. Even though New Zealand time is way ahead of us, when I look at these pictures it looks like time stands still. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
New Zealand Sheep Paths Cole said that most of New Zealand’s landscape is rolling green pastures full of sheep and cows. The animals walk on the sides of the hills so much that they eventually form paths. photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.comNew Zealand Rainbow Falls photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.comNew Zealand KiteKite Falls photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.comNew Zealand Piha Beach photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.comNew Zealand Hot Water Beach photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.comNew Zealand Cathedral Cove photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.comNew Zealand Hobbiton photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com
Fun fact: The Hobbiton set was built out of foam and other temporary materials at first then taken down after filming the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. But when they were preparing to film the “Hobbit” trilogy, so many people came to see the landscape at the filming location that they decided to rebuild the set out of permanent materials. It took over two years!
New Zealand Huka Falls photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Lake Taupo photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Tongariro Alpine Crossing photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Tongariro Alpine Crossing. photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com The peak on the right was used as Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings!New Zealand – Wellington from Mount Victoria photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Marlborough Valley Wine Tour photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand has such beautiful scenery! photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Devil’s Punchbowl Falls photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Punakaiki Rocks photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Isthmus Peak photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Isthmus Peak photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Lavender Farm photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Lake Tekapo photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Kawarau Gorge photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com Lord of the Rings Filming LocationNew Zealand Mirror Lakes photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Lake Marian photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Key Summit photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Key Summit photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Milford Sound photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Matai Falls photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Roaring Bay photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com New Zealand Hike to Lover’s Leap photo credit: www.colemcdaniel.com
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!
