Savory Beef Left Over Cookies

    If you follow my blog, you know I hate to waste. I try to use every bit of leftovers from our home. Whether it's feeding our dogs raw diets, or freezing them to use in pet recipes. Over the weekend, I created a new recipe. I took some savory beef scraps and drippings from a roast. I want to share this with you because my girls went bonkers for these and I know your fur babies will too!

Savory Beef Left Over Cookies

    Back home, our loved ones raise farm animals for meat. When we were moving, they stocked up our freezer with grass fed beef and pork. (We have amazing family!) Last week, I cooked up a hearty beef roast. I took the drippings from the crock pot and froze them, as well as scraps from the roast that we didn't eat. I knew these would make fantastic cookies for our dogs. Using just a few other ingredients that I had in the pantry, I whipped some tasty vittles. Are you ready to get started?

What You Need:

• Cooked Beef Scraps (I'm not one to measure when I cook or bake. My best guess was about half a cup of shredded beef)
• Beef Drippings (I used about a 1/4 of a cup.)
• 1 cup of Oats
• 1 cup of Flour
• 1/4 cup of Water
• 1/4 cup of Applesauce (unsweetened, but cinnamon in it is fine.)
• 1/4 cup of diced (cooked) green beans

PREHEAT OVEN to 400°

    Normally, I used my Ninja and blend up the meat and veg, however, that somehow ended up in the attic. I actually didn't even find it until Sunday afternoon. (Thank goodness because I love that thing!) So I just sliced and tore up the beef. Then I cut the green beans into smaller pieces.

    Add in the beef drippings, water, and applesauce. Mix well. Next you'll add the oats, and stir. Lastly, add your flour a little at a time. Once you get a thick dough, you're ready for baking. I lightly greased my cookie sheet. Then, using a tablespoon, I dropped dough onto to pan. (I didn't use the entire tablespoon, so if you want a measurement, I would say the cookies are about half of a tablespoon.)

    Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool, and let your fur babies enjoy! You can store these in the fridge for a week or so. Since there's no preservatives, I freeze mine. I take out a few each morning to thaw. They last that way for months.

Yields approximately 3 dozen

Protect Your Eyes from Water

    One of Liam's sensory aversions is water in his eyes. So it's imperative that he can protect his eyes from water.

Protect Your Eyes from Water

I don't personally care for water in my eyes, especially if it's highly chlorinated. However, for my son, it's a sensory nightmare. So having quality goggles on hand is a must. I just got Liam two pairs. (He's kind of in between, so i got him a child's pair and then an adult pair. I have to cover my bases. ;) )

Free to Fly Kids Goggles

    I love this set. It not only comes with goggles, but also a nose plug and ear plugs. Liam won't swim without a nose plug either, so this was a big selling point for me. The goggles are made from hypoallergenic silicone. They're latex and PVC free so they're safe for your kids.

    The lenses are electroplated and have a mirrored coating. This helps to filter out harmful rays. So not only will these goggles keep water out of their eyes, but they will offer some protection from the sun as well. The strap is easily adjustable so you won't have to fight with it to get them to fit your child.

Free to Fly Adult Goggles

    Liam is a growing tween. We're at the stage where he's not only in between a child and adult emotionally, but size wise as well. So I also grabbed him a pair of Free to Fly's Adult Goggles. These sleek goggles are pretty cool. So much so, that my husband snagged them until Liam grows into them. (Guess I will be ordering another pair!)

    The adult goggles from Free to Fly feature a double layer silicone seal to keep water out of the eyes. The gasket is made to accommodate different facial sizes, nose sizes, and even hair length and thickness. Assuring that anyone whom wears these goggles won't have water in their eyes. These goggles even have a buckle on the strap making them super easy to put on and take off.

    Anti fog goggles means you won't have to worry that air temperature and water temp will be fogging up your lenses and making seeing harder. These goggles have a mirrored coating to protect from UVA and UVB rays. The polycarbonate lenses are panoramic, offering you more viewing area.

Perfect Holiday Gift for Water, Beach and Yoga Lovers

     I love to give practical holiday gifts. That's not to say that I don't enjoy giving fun presents too. However, I was raised that something useful is an amazing gift too. So if you have a water, beach or yoga lover on your holiday list, then this post is for you!

Perfect Holiday Gift for Water, Beach, and Yoga Lovers

    These Quick Dry Water Shoes make a wonderful gift! They're super comfortable, lightweight, and feel like second skin. Whether you or someone you love needs a pair of shoes for the pool, or for yoga class, these fit the bill! They're durable, yet cover your feet well. The non skid bottoms will help loved ones from slipping on wet floors, or when maneuvering those different yoga positions. They can easily be rolled up and slipped into a purse, backpack, or gym bag.

Beach Combing Must Have

    We finally followed our dreams, and bought a beach home. We're now walking and a short driving distance from area beaches. This means we do a LOT of beach combing. Liam has been asking for a pair of "beach shoes," but not just any shoe will do. He's autistic with sensory issues, so he's super specific about what he needs. They can't be too heavy, scratchy, or make any kind of squeaking noise. The shoes must also be easy to get on or off, with no laces. So when I saw these Quick Dry Water Shoes, I knew I had to check them out.

    As soon as they arrived, I slipped them on. I wanted to test them out myself, since I'll be putting them away to give him as a Christmas gift. I was super impressed. They easily slipped on my feet, and we were very comfy. I walked around the house, and even put a bit of water on the floor. There was no squeaking sound, and they kept me from slipping on the floor. The bottoms are great because they will protect Liam's feet from hot sand and any sharp shells we may come across on the beach.

Let's Talk Specifics: These shoes are 

• Made of breathable, lightweight fabric, so don't worry about sweaty feet
• Have sturdy soles made of synthetic material
• Made with quick dry material so shoes won't stay wet long
• Perfect for gripping when walking

tRuth, JusTEAS, and the American Way

    I'm sure you can tell by this title that I'm talking about tea again. Well not just any tea. Another amazing blend from TeaBook. If you believe in justice, equality, and the power of women, then this is the tea for you!

tRuth, JusTEAS, and the American Way

Ruth Bader Ginseng is a new blend of tasty tea, from TeaBook. This green tea has a blend of lemon myrtle and organic ginseng. It smells and tastes wonderful. Start your morning off right with a steaming cup of RGB tea. Let the qualities that makes Ruth Bader Ginsburg amazing, be your inspiration to be the best human you can be.

Ruth Bader Ginseng is number five in the PoliTEAcal series. As a person, Ruth is one of my heroes. She is fierce, hard working, and stands for what is good our country. While you're partaking in your RBG Tea, take time to pore over the wrapper. You will see images of the many things that make Ruth a real life super hero!

    It features her fight to protect the fourteenth amendment. The rainbow shows how she stands up for the LGBTQ community. Her life's work has been spent fighting for civil rights, which really does make her a super hero! You'll see references to her Jewish heritage, her home of Brooklyn, and her love of opera, and staying in shape.

More from TeaBook

TeaBook also has other tea series. Each with inspiring people, and punny names. I'm loving the Fred TEA Mercury. This organic tea is Bohemian Raspberry. (Get it!) What Tchaikovsky? Are you a fan of his works of music? What about his tea? Yes, he has one too! It's Chaikovsky tea, and you guessed it, it's Chai tea! (One of my personal favorite flavors of tea.) Chaikovsky and Fred TEA are part of TeaBook's LBTQTEA series. So whether your identify with LGBTQ or you're an ally, show your support and enjoy a tasty tea!

These are just a few of the awesome and inspirational teas that TeaBook has to offer. To see them all, head to their website!

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CelebriTEAs by the TeaBook

    I come from a long line of tea lovers. I am told that my great aunt four times removed, came from Czechoslovakia and actually used to read tea leaves for family and friends. (Umm, that's awesome!) Needless to say that when I discovered these celebriTEAs I knew I had to have some.

CelebriTEAS by the TeaBook

    In all honesty, what originally drew me to TeaBook teas was the artistic covers and catchy names of their teas. Last Christmas I gave some to my babcia, mom and sister, and we all had great laughs over the names and images on them. The one no one would drink? ImPeachMint tea. It features Donald Trump and all of the reasons he shouldn't be on office. Now the tea itself sounds so tasty, but the cover was just to great to destroy. These teas are actually collectTEAbles, so we were right not to destroy the foils. We all have one on display in our homes, and they're a great conversation piece.

Barry Berry Tea

    With that being said, now they have Obama tea, or Barry Berry Tea. (Seriously, their word play is fantastic!) This time, I thought ahead and grabbed a bunch of these. TeaBook was also cool enough to send us eight by ten posters of the art in that is featured on the foil. Liam grabbed one, ran upstairs, and hung it in his bedroom. (Obama is his favorite President of all.)

    The art on the tea foil involves all of the things that made Obama great. For instance his Nobel Peace Prize, the Garden of Eden for his religious views, and so many more. You have to get some of this tea just so you can look at the intricate art, and see if you can pick out all of the things the artist included about Barrack and even his wife, Michelle.

Let's Talk Tea

    The tea itself is amazing. The Barry Berry Tea is fruity with a hint of spice. That's because it featured Hibiscus, rosehips, dried pomegranate, cinnamon and orange peel. Is your mouth watering yet? Being a tea lover, mine was as soon as I read the list of goodies in each tea bag. It's caffeine free so if you want a sweet and spicy night cap, this tea is for you.

TeaBook is the Coolest

    I kind of collect teas. As a matter of fact, I have drawer and a canister that is packed full of loose bags of teas. To be honest, it's a bit of a mess. Which is where TeaBook comes in. This lightweight book, holds up to one hundred and forty-four bags of tea. It fits easily on a shelf in the pantry or even on your coffee bar. You can easily see all of the tea you have and if you have guests, they can pass it around to pick their flavor. I mean seriously, how handy is that? So be sure to check it out.

    And, since you're one of our loyal readers, you can use Teatime2018 for 10% off your order. The holidays are coming. Stock up on tea for family and friends. While you're there, grab some for gifts. Trust me, they make wonderful conversation pieces.

Fresh Doggie Kisses

Wow! It's already been two weeks since I started the Whimzees Thirty Day Challenge with Josie. Let me tell you, we're all impressed!

Fresh Doggie Kisses

    Two weeks ago, when Josie would try to kiss us, we all would recoil. Her breath was horrid! It broke our hearts because she would look so dejected. This combined with the fact that she absolutely refuses to let me brush her teeth. Seriously. My sweet old girl will take your finger off if you try to get at her teeth for brushing. We were told we could have her put under to have her teeth cleaned at a vet. That didn't sound like a good option. She's getting older and I don't want her under any anesthesia unless it's medically necessary.

    These are just a couple of the reasons we wanted to take part in the Whimzees Thirty Day Challenge. We're certainly glad we did too! Within a few days her breath was already better. Fast forward two weeks, and and it's even better yet. I honestly can't get a good look at her inner teeth because I happen to like my fingers. However, her front teeth already look a bit cleaner, and I can see there is less build up around her gums. (This tartar and plaque residue is what causes pet breath to be so awful. Not only does it make their breath stink, but it's not good for their teeth either!)

Two Weeks to Go

    While there are still two more weeks in this challenge, I am already impressed with the results. Just one healthy Whimzee per day has helped my baby girl so much. She loves them too which is another bonus. You can join us as well! Just head to Chewy.com and grab some Whimzees for your fur baby.  

Keep Their Litter Fresh

Litter is the bane of my existence. I love my furry granddaughter, but with a sensitive nose, I can always smell the litter box. It doesn't matter where it is in the house, or how often it's scooped.

Keep Their Litter Box Fresh

    Liam is in charge of Clara's care. It's his cat, and the condition on getting her was that he was to take care of her. Which I personally love because I just get to play with her and love on her without worrying about scooping her poop or emptying her littler pan. However, we've tried a few different litters and I just wasn't that impressed.

    First of all, as I mentioned, I have sensitive olfactory glands. Meaning I can smell a litter box from anywhere in a home. So one of the reasons I wanted a new litter was to get something that didn't smell of clay, or urine, no matter how clean the box is. Another reason is I don't like the clay dust. Both myself and my son have asthma, and filling and dumping a litter pan results in a ton of dust when using traditional clay litter. We were in search of another litter option that didn't include clay. So what did we choose?

My gorgeous granddaughter Clara

Frisco Crystal Cat Litter

    We do all of our pet shopping on Chewy.com. (If you don't you're missing out, so get to their website stat!) Liam and chose to try Crystal Cat Litter by Frisco. Liam was excited because he was thinking crystals like quartz. However, I did set him straight, and told him that even though it isn't quartz crystal, it's still made of absorbent crystal like material. These lock in urine to stop that dreaded pee smell emanating from the litter. It really does work. Since putting the Crystal Cat Litter in Clara's pan, I haven't smelled any pee!

    Get this! If you only have one kitty, then just one bag of Frisco's Crystal Cat Litter could last for up to a month! Because this litter is so absorbent, and the crystals lock away odors, this litter will last longer than traditional clay litter.  In the long run, that will save you more money. Which is a huge plus as well!

    Simply scoop the solid waste from the pan every day. Then stir around the crystals. They're lightly scented so it will release a light summery scent. Voila! Fresh and clean litter pan in a matter of minutes. I love the ease of this cat litter!

Non Tracking

    Another thing that bothers me about litter is how it gets tracked all in front of the box. I loathe that! Cleaning that up every day gets annoying. However Frisco's Crystal Cat Litter is low tracking, which means more of it stays in your cat's box. And don't worry, those pretty crystals are gentle on kitties feet as well. So head to Chewy.com and stock up on some Frisco Crystal Cat Litter. You won't be sorry!

Halloween Hot Spots

I'm not talking about the fun places to explore this Halloween. I'm actually referring to the dreaded hot spots that our tiniest fur baby gets. Poor Josie has terrible skin allergies, that cause her to lick and chew all the time. Which in turn makes her skin sore. So how do we treat it?

Halloween Hot Spots

    Gluten, insect bites, and dry skin lead our sweet girl to chew and chew. She then flares up with hot spots. We took gluten out of her diet, and she wears Seresto collars at all times. However, the collar doesn't prevent flea or other insect bites, it only keeps them from living on her. So her skin still itches. Then she chews and scratches until a hot spot erupts. It breaks our hearts when she has them so we have had to find other ways to help heal her skin.

Look at my Tootsie Roll! She doesn't deserve itchy skin! (By the way, this was Liam's very first Halloween costume. I did a little cutting and sewing and made Josie her first Halloween costume from it.)

Medicated Baths

    The first thing we did was get her medicated shampoo. It has anti bacterial and anti fungal meds in it. When she has a big hot spot or a few, we have to bathe her every two days for a couple of weeks. While it helps, it wasn't enough. You see, you wash her with it, and leave it on for a few moments. But that alone didn't seem to do enough. Her fur was dry as well as her skin on the patches that were healing. She needed conditioner. But do they make such a thing for dogs?

Yes. Yes They Do!

    GNC Pets actually makes a medicated conditioner for fur babies. Like the shampoo we use, it's anti fungal and anti bacterial. After her shampoo is rinsed off, I rub this cream rinse into her fur and skin. I rub and massage her for five minutes, then rinse her off. You can feel the difference in her fur after the first use! Her skin? Well he healed spots aren't dry and flaky. It's just new, soft skin. And her ht spots are healing faster as well. I was really impressed with how well it worked. Even Liam commented on how "nice she feels!"

Josie refused to sit for another picture. But Bayleigh loves the camera :)

Smells So Nice!

     Oh, and it's lavender scented too. This was huge for us. Liam would complain after Josie's medicine baths that "she stinks like medicine." It's true, she did. The shampoo smells awful. However, the GNC conditioner smells fantastic. So not only does it help her hot spots, and dry skin, but it smells amazing too. Josie loves getting her "pretty massage," with her GNC Pets conditioner. So if you have a fur baby with hot spots, then head to Chewy.com and grab some.

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Public Relations and Your Business

    Are you a small business owner? Maybe you're just launching yourself into the business world. Either way, have you considered Public Relations and how it can help your business?

Public Relations and Your Business

    Public Relations firms, or PR firms are everywhere. But do you know what they do, and how they could help you? Basically, PR firms will help you define your branding, reach out to the public, and share your business story with people of like minds. They will help your business blossom and find clients and customers that need what you have to offer. Advertising your business and getting your name out there will help you to grow. Simply put, a public relations firm is in charge of your reputation and making sure it's positively represented to the public. Which is exactly what a good Personal Relations Firm will do.

A Good Business Plan Includes Personal Relations

    When you're starting a new business or creating your brand, there are a ton of things to consider. One of which is how you will get your name out there, get noticed, and make a positive impact on society. Which is why you definitely need a good public relations firm. They will help ease some of your start up stress by doing the foot work for getting you noticed. That takes a lot of weight off of your shoulders!

    Even if you're an established business, you can still benefit from the help of a good personal relations firm. Whether you're looking at re-branding your business, or just want to get noticed by more people, a personal relations firm can help you. 

What Can Public Relations Do For Me Or My Business?

    Let's break it down a bit. Public Relations firms can do the following.

• Write press releases, pitches, and speeches for you to inform others of your mission/business
• Create special events to spotlight your business and help you to gain exposure
• Conduct market research for you
• Help you to expand your business contacts (whether by email, social media, or even public events.)
• Blog for your business and do social media promotions as well
• Write articles or arrange for interviews so you can get your business noticed

Take Some Weight Off Your Shoulders

    Okay, so you may be thinking, "well, I can do all of that." However, you're starting or growing a business, and you have enough on your shoulders. Let a PR firm lift some of that weight for you. Also, PR firms specialize in this. They know how to get your name out there and work to get you noticed. They can help you achieve results much quicker than if you tried to do it all yourself.

Let Behrman Communications Work For YOU!

    Nancy at Behrman Communications has developed an amazing Public Relations Firm that wants to help your grow your business and presence in our world. Her team of fantastic women are brand builders, industry disruptor's, and here to make your business bloom! 

    With a team of more that thirty creative and strategic thinkers, Behrman Communications wants to help you build your brand. These ladies work with clients and businesses of all shapes, sizes, and niches. Their expertise spans from lifestyle, to beauty, health, and wellness.

Contact Nancy and the team at Behrman Communications. Let them creatively craft your story. Allow them to help you rewrite industry standards and write your own story, so you can leave your mark on our world.

Time Flies When You're Eating Well!

   I can't believe it's been thirty days since switching my dogs to a raw diet. Time surely does fly when you're (moving and) and eating well! My girls are so in love with their Stella & Chewy's raw food, that they wouldn't know what to do without it!

Time Flies When You're Eating Well!

    A month ago I started slowly introducing my girls to a new raw diet. If you remember correctly, I chose the Venison from Stella & Chewy's. Since animals tummies can get upset if you just up and switch their diet, we started gradually feeding the raw food.

24 days into the diet....we were in the process of packing to move south....however, look how nice she looks!

    At first I gave them a small amount. Josie was started on about two and a half patties in the evening, while Bayleigh got eight to ten. During this time, they also had their normal dry kibble. Of course, they went for the venison first. Once that was gone, they whined, barked, and paced for more venison. When they realized that was all they were getting, they reluctantly ate their typical kibble.

You can serve the patties dry with water on the side, or add water and make a nice soft, and tasty meal!

Fast Forward Thirty Days

    Both of my girls are on just the raw diet. Dinner time is their favorite time of day! They gobble it right down! I noticed Josie's skin seems less itchy and irritated. Which is great because her hot spots are starting to heal up. (The gluten in typical foods wreaks havoc on her skin.)

We moved, so excuse the mess....but look! NO RIBS SHOWING!

    Bayleigh has started to fill out nicely, and I can't count every rib in her body. She looks so much more healthy. I no longer fear someone will report me to our local ASPCA for starving her. My girls give the Stella & Chewy's Raw Diet foods "two paws up," and our family definitely recommends this diet to other pet parents as well. We get ours right from Chewy.com along with our treats, medicines, and all other pet products.

Dog Breath Stinks....Literally!

  I love my fur girls. However, I do not enjoy their stinky breath. Bayleigh loves to have her teeth brushed, but not Josie. To say her breath is horrid is putting it mildly. So what am I to do?

Dog Breath Stinks....Literally!  

Chewy.com asked if we’d like to take part in their Thirty Day Fresh Breath Challenge with Whimzees. To be honest, my fur girls already love Whimzees. Josie actually got her first one when she was spayed as her get well soon treat. When we saw how much she loved it, we started keeping them on hand, and when Bayleigh joined the family, she too enjoyed Whimzees.

Better Than a Treat

    Okay, so I knew they loved them. I also knew that they’re a better treat alternative than most. That’s because they don’t include Gluten. Which, for a dog with sensitivities like Josie, is a huge deal. Another reason they’re a better treat is because they’re made using all natural ingredients. Fur babies are part of our family, and they too deserve the very best.

A Tasty Toothbrush

    You may be asking, what do Whimzees have to do with fresh breath? Well, to answer your question, they have everything to do with nasty breath. Whimzees help to scrape tartar and plaque from your dogs (and cats) teeth. Those two things are what makes your pups breath wreak so badly. So, think of these treats as tasty toothbrushes for pets. They’re even shaped like toothbrushes which is pretty cool!

    Does your dog let you brush his/her teeth? Bayleigh loves to have her teeth brushed, but Josie refuses. She’s a sweet girl, but come at her with a toothbrush, and you’re risking your life! (Kidding….Maybe….) For that reason, I really wanted to take part in this challenge. I wanted to see if they helped Josie’s breath. However, whether or not your dog will let you brush their teeth, they can benefit from Whimzees. And besides, dogs love them. So you’re giving them a yummy treat, and cleaning their teeth and breath at the same time.

The 30 Day Whimzee Challenge

    For this challenge, I simply feed Josie one Whimzee Brushzee per day. Even though Bay lets me brush her teeth, she is still taking part, because it just wouldn’t be fair. I will check back in a couple of weeks, and let you know what we think so far. In the mean time, grab some Whimzees from Chewy.com and join us!

Keep Men Organized

    October is upon us. Which means that Christmas is right around the corner. I've already started my holiday shopping, and have found a great gift idea for dads or men on your gift list. One that can even help them stay organized! 

Keep Men Organized

    If you have outdoor lovers on your holiday gift list, then this gift is for them. This camouflage bag will keep their stuff organized, whether they're hunting, fishing, camping, and more. This bag can be worn around the waist, or even over the shoulder. It features pockets for storage and even an area to carry a drink.

Weatherproof and Wear Resistant 

    The Outdoor Waist Bag is made of sturdy, rip-stop oxford. It will hold up to the rigors of outdoor sports and the weather as well. This bag is also has a waterproof rating of 800D. You can rest easy knowing the contents of your bag will be safe from rain, sweat, and water.

    I chose this bag as a holiday gift for Pat, and I know he's going to love it. It has room for his phone, camera, a drink and so much more. Whether they need it for fishing tackle, camping supplies, or survival items, there's plenty of room in the Outdoor Waist Bag. 

    It features sturdy buckle closures and zippers to keep everything inside. There's even a special pocket for a drink bottle. It has a bottom, so the drink doesn't slip out, and you can cinch the string to keep it in place while you're hiking, biking, walking, fishing, and more.