#Wellness Dog Food
#lovemydog
This is a sponsored post, however all views expressed are my own One member of the family truly is always ‘there’ for you. You know, the one who runs to meet you at the door when you get home? The one who wants to play, exercise, and sleep next to you no matter how their day has gone?
They’ll do just about anything to make you happy. You know who we’re talking about, right? Your dog!
That furry family member who offers you unconditional love every day of the week, and who you love back just as much, if not more.
Did you know that 83% of dog owners consider their pet a member of the family? That figure is not surprising. I know it’s true in our family! Gracie comes with us everywhere, is listed on our answering machine and even has her own stocking at Christmas. She is definitely the fifth member in our family!
Despite all this love we bestow on man’s best friend, are we really paying attention to what we feed them? Table scraps? Food that the baby has thrown on the floor? Cheap no-name dog food from the grocery store?
We spend countless hours worrying about what our children eat. Did they get enough fruits and vegetables? Do the have a well-balanced meal? Are they eating trans fats and dyes? If our dog is a family member, why don’t we pay attention to this, too?
Wellness Pet Food has made sure we don’t have to think about these things. We know that our dogs will be getting everything they need (and not getting what they don’t need!). Did you know that a diet formulated with wholesome, natural ingredients could help your dog live a longer, healthier life, but that most dog foods aren’t made up of natural ingredients? As a leader in natural pet food, Wellness uses natural, high-quality proteins and fats in their dog food recipes. They also include fruits and vegetables for natural vitamins, minerals and other benefits, especially antioxidants that occur in blueberries, cranberries and some vegetables, which help make their dog food products some of the healthiest options in the marketplace.
Wellness recipes do not include added artificial colours, flavours or ingredients, and they’ve even created a helpful “Check Your Bag” website that you can use to compare their natural dog food to those from some competitors who claim to be natural.
Some of the biggest benefits to Wellness® Complete Health® Recipes include:
• Live Active Probiotics – Added after the cooking process to promote a healthy intestinal tract and overall digestive health at guaranteed levels
• Omega 3 & 6 Mix – Offering guaranteed levels of essential fatty acids for cellular function and healthy skin
• Essential Vitamins & Minerals – Designed for cellular health, immunity and disease resistance
• Fruit & Veggie Antioxidants – A proactive step in improving your pet’s nutrition
• Excellent Nutritional Standards – Every batch of dry food is tested throughout the entire manufacturing process, from its basic ingredients to the finished products But you don’t have to take my word for it.
I once interviewed our local Animal Control Officer about dog behavioural issues. She said that if you are having problems with your dog, look at its diet. “Not all food agrees with all dogs, just like with people.” Some dog food is higher in artificial ingredients or sugar which might cause the dog to become hyperactive or aggressive.
She told me about one family that had a dog for seven years which constantly destroyed the house. They were ready to put the dog down. However, after changing its dog food, they called her after 24 hours saying it was now a completely different dog. The Animal Control Officer recommended that if you are going to try changing dog food, substitute in some of the new food each time over several days, so as to avoid digestion problems for the dog.
Some dogs have allergies. For example, my parents’ German shepherd is allergic to corn and when she eats dog food with corn, she becomes very itchy. Wellness has no corn, soy or wheat, so I am going to recommend this for Tate! While Wellness might not be as widely-known as some of the more mainstream brands of dog food, their devotion to quality and natural, high-quality ingredients makes their food safe, wholesome and beneficial to pets’ health and wellbeing.
To pick up a bag of some of this high-quality, natural dog food, you can order it online or stop by one of the retail locations listed in the Wellness Store Locator.
In the Valley, Wellness is available at Global Pet Food in New Minas. To sweeten the deal, click here for a $5 coupon! But be sure that you also connect with their Naturally Well Pet Community, a free online program that provides exclusive savings offers, fun contests and helpful tips about keeping your pets happy and healthy.
And consider following their Facebook page and Twitter feed, where you can join in on the fun with a huge group of fellow animal lovers who share heartfelt, funny stories, entertaining photos and videos of their pets.
If you’re at home as you read this, it’s a good bet that your dog is sitting right next to you, watching your every move. Take a quick moment to tell them about the importance of eating a natural diet. They will love you longer for it.
Living with Degus
Living with Degus
Mark it down as one of the worst parenting mistakes – ever! Please take note and do not repeat what I did!
Over March Break we were doing some errands and I said, “Wouldn’t it be fun to pop into the pet store to see the fish and cats?”
Monumental error.
While in the pet store the young employee of Pets Unlimited proceeded to take all the pets out of their cages so the boys could pat them. When he heard how the boys had been begging for a guinea pig (because their best friends have one) and I constantly said, “no”, he showed the boys something else.
“This is what you really want! They are called degus. They are the friendliest, most docile and trainable of all the rodents.”
“Yeah! That would be cool! Let’s get that!” That was my husband piping up.
“No! Where’s the discussion?” that was me trying to maintain a rodent-free home.
By the time we had left the store, the boys (all three of them) had committed to getting a degu. All because I had thought it would be a fun adventure to go to the pet store.
I’ve lived with exotic pets before. Our family grew up with my sister’s 5 ½ foot pet iguana, Darwin, for 20 years! I happily ignored “Uglet”. But, a degu?
What is a degu?
I had never even heard of a degu until that day. Admittedly, they are cute. They have big ears, a furry long tail, and are a cousin to a chinchilla.
The boys vowed to pool their money and earn the extra by doing jobs around the house. To their credit, they did. They had enough money to buy a degu and the various things needed for the cage.
Research
We started to do our research. The next shocking thing that we found out is that degus are social creatures. You can’t just have one – you have to have two or they will die of loneliness! Now instead of having one pet I didn’t want, we’d have two!
The Cage
We did a lot of research on degu cages. They are very active animals and need a lot of space to run, climb and explore. One suggestion we found was to take an old dresser, remove the drawers and build a variety of levels within the structure. My husband, being extremely handy, did this.
Because degus chew constantly, everything had to be made from wood. But, not just any type of wood. There are only certain kinds of wood that are good for them to chew. One type is apple. Luckily, my friends with an apple orchard had just pruned their trees and we went over and grabbed some branches for the degus to climb on.
Feeding
These are sensitive creatures that are prone to diabetes. There are only certain food that they can eat and anything with sugar (including fruit, raisins) very infrequently. It’s a lot to keep on top of!
Homecoming
Thomas had his heart set on one particular degu in the pet store. He had affectionately called him knuckles because the degu had repeatedly bitten him on the knuckles when he went to visit them. Why he would want the pet that bites the most is beyond me!
We finally convinced the boys to get the two more docile degus in the next cage who were cuddled up sleeping. They were put in cardboard boxes for the transport home. Within the 5 minute ride, one of the degus had severely chewed around the breathing hole and was about to escape. Luckily, the cage was ready to go.
Living with Degus
I have to admit they are cute and friendly little creatures. They make a lovely warbling sound when they are happy. The boys are spending lots of time training them and getting them used to their sound (by talking to them) and their smell (by leaving an old sock in the cage – for real!). If you sit by the cage and talk to them, they will come up and say hello and follow your voice around the room.
The dog is not too sure what to think of these new squirrel-like creatures in the house, though!
So far so good for the first week in! As for me, I still haven’t touched them yet, but am working up to it. Remember, it wasn’t my idea in the first place!
More Information
I have pinned a lot of great articles about degus to my Pinterest page if you are interested in learning more.
Check in with me later to hear more of our adventures with degus! Did Laura finally pet the rodents? Did Gracie the dog lunge through the cage to chase them? Have the boys given up feeding and playing with them?
Time will tell!
What exotic pets have you lived with? Tell me about it below!
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace is one of our all-time favourite family destinations.
I remember years ago when a friend first told me about their family vacations to Crystal Palace in Moncton and how they would go there on long weekends. I couldn’t wait for our kids to be old enough. Then, a few years later, another friend told me about the Stay-and-Play packages offered, and I knew we had to investigate for ourselves.
Crystal Palace is an indoor amusement park next to the Champlain Place shopping mall in the city of Dieppe, near Moncton. It is attached to the Ramada Hotel.
This blog post is a review based on our experiences. I was not compensated. I did not receive free tickets. The opinions are my own. However, Crystal Palace is providing four free tickets for a draw! See below.
We have been to Crystal Palace three times now, and each time have done things a bit differently. Now we have perfected our family plan. Here are my thoughts by theme.
Hotel
We always stay at the Ramada Crystal Palace. The hotel is connected to the amusement park. This means that you do not have to go outside to get there. You can leave your jackets and bags in your room. Also, when the kids get tired, you can go back and have a rest or a swim, before going back to the park again! It’s extremely convenient.
The hotel has great service, a nice pool, and a mini-fridge in the rooms. It’s convenient!
Food
Breakfast is not included with the hotel rate. There is a restaurant in the Crystal Palace complex. We found it quite expensive so now, in the mornings while the kids watch cartoons, I walk through Crystal Palace and across the parking lot to Tim Hortons and bring back coffee and bagels for everyone.
The same goes for lunch. Instead of eating at the amusement park kiosk or at the restaurant, we walk across the parking lot to the Champlain Place Mall to the food court.
In the evening, we go to a local restaurant (of which there are many nearby) before a final trip on the roller coaster before bed!
Packages
The Ramada has a Family Fun package that includes one night accommodation, a family pass to Crystal Palace, and a $50 gift certificate to the restaurant in the complex.
This package has changed (sounds better) than when we used it before, so I think we might try it the next time!
Age
There is literally something for everyone. My sister went there with her one-year old who loved it. My three-year old neighbour was allowed to go on the roller coaster with an adult. I could have spent all day playing laser tag! I am not sure about an upper age limit for fun, but my guess would be 12.
Discounts
If you have a membership to the Discovery Centre you will receive a 15% discount on the hotel. Also, when you go to Crystal Palace, show your card and you will get 20 coupons for the “kids” to play in the arcade!
When to Go
This year we went to Crystal Palace on a Saturday. It was very crowded and busy. The lines aren’t overly long and move quickly. However, I think we will go back to our original plan.
We are fortunate to have flexible schedules, so we find a day that is a school in-service day for our region, but not for the rest of the Maritimes. Mid-week, Crystal Palace is virtually empty. The kids are often the only ones there and they can go on rides multiple times without getting off. It’s easy to find the kids, and there are no lines or crowds!
Overall
No matter how or when you go, Crystal Palace in Moncton is definitely worth checking out. It is approximately 3.5 hours from the Annapolis Valley – meaning you could even go there for a day (long) trip, or an easy over-night get-away! Family passes are reasonably priced (family of 4 = $73 for the day).
Check the height restrictions on the ride descriptions. Most require that children under 36” be accompanied by an adult. Those 48” and above can go by themselves on all the rides.
Win 4 free passes to the park courtesy of Crystal Palace!
Enter your name and email daily until the draw date of April 10. Win the tickets just in time for an Easter get-away!
For an extra ballot, leave me a comment below and tell me your tips for visiting Crystal Palace, your favourite ride, or why you want to go!
Setting up a Proper Workstation
As a work-at-home-mom (WAHM), I sit a lot at home. Workspaces are often make-shift. Other WAHMs say that they work on the bed, on the couch, at the table – wherever they can find a space.
This is ok, but just not for long periods of time.
Last month, I started suffering from extreme pain up the left side of my neck and along the base of my skull and got a lot of headaches. Massage therapy helped, but the pain always came back. It was then suggested that I look at my workstation and habits.
I posted this picture of my workplace (at the dining room table working on my laptop) on Facebook. I have a lot of friends who are physiotherapists, occupational therapists and kinesiologists who wrote in with advice.
“No wonder!” was the most common response. Hunched shoulders, head tilting down to look at the screen and posture out of alignment. I was heading for some serious permanent damage.
Based on advice received, we bought a permanent desk for me with a proper office chair. We bought an external keyboard and monitor, which we elevated on a wooden stand.
I still wasn’t sure if I was “working properly”, so my childhood friend, Cheryl Lake, who is an Occupational Therapist at Kings Physiotherapy Clinic in New Minas, Nova Scotia, volunteered to come over and do a workplace assessment for me.
I learned so many fascinating things, but here are some of the workplace ergonomic highlights-
1. Neck: Keep your neck in a neutral position looking straight ahead. Your focal point on your monitor should be on the top third of your screen.
2. Arms: Your elbows should be bent at a 90 degrees angle at your side while using your keyboard and mouse. Not too high, not too low, but just right. Lower or raise your chair or adjust your work surface height to make it the proper angle. Your arms should not be extended forward to reach your work tools and surface, so move your tools closer to you on the work surface to avoid unnecessary sustained or repetitive reaching.
3. Wrists: When you type, your wrists need to be in a neutral position (not flexed or extended). For me, this meant lowering the feet on my keyboard to make it flat on the desk. This allowed my wrists to be in a more neutral position, and not flexed and resting on the desk surface, putting pressure on my wrists.
4. Back: Your natural curves of your spine should be properly supported by your chair back, allowing you to maintain a neutral alignment. Further, this will help you to avoid your shoulders rounding forward while you work.
5. Legs: Your hips should be flexed at about a 90 degree angle while you are seated, as well as your keens bent at 90 degrees and your feet supported on the floor or a footrest. The seat pan of your chair can tilt slightly forward (slightly more than 90 degrees) just as long as your feet are not bracing the floor. When you sit, you should be able to fit two to three fingers between the back of the knees and the front edge of the chair. This is so that the important vascular supply and innervation to the lower legs are not compromised.
6. Feet: Your feet should be flat on the floor. You can purchase a small incline rest for your feet, but it’s not always necessary. Better yet, wear shoes with proper support while working (not bare or sock feet). Call these your “work” or “house” shoes.
Equipment
Having proper equipment is part of the solution. Any equipment that you use two-thirds of the time should be in your immediate radius or workspace.
1. Chair: Cheryl immediately recommended that I get a new office chair with some important features.
a. Arm rests that articulate (swing in and out). This way your arms will be supported at the proper angle
b. Arm rests that are convex or flat. My current chair has rounded arms, which do not provide comfortable support (so I do not use them!)
c. Back Support: Make sure the chair can properly support your back and that you can work with your back against the chair (not propped on the edge like I was doing)
d. Adjustable features: Just find a chair with lots of adjustable features so you can learn how to make it fit your body!
2. Mouse: When you use your mouse, make sure again, that it is within easy reach, and does not require you to extend your arm forward to reach and that your wrist is in a neutral position.
It’s also important to take lots of breaks-breaks to change position, rest your eyes, vary your tasks and to stretch your muscles to reduce the risk of injury.
Follow the suggested links for some suggested workstation exercises or consult with your therapist.
If you are still wondering about your home workspace and how to make it better, I highly recommend booking an appointment with one of the Occupational Therapists at Kings Physiotherapy Clinic in New Minas! They will come into your home and look at your set-up and give you great advice to make it work better for you.
Before making any decisions that can be costly, consider consulting an Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist for some practical advice. The best solutions are often a combination of adjustments to your current work habits, your existing work tools, education on posture, ergonomic practices and injury prevention, and equipment that fits for you. This article by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is a great resource, and further explains everything.
Whether you work from home or at an office, it’s time to seriously start thinking about how you are working and how you might be doing permanent damage to your body. It only takes a few minutes to make sure your workstation is a good fit for you! You might not see effects now, but you certainly don’t want to in the future!
What is your workstation like? Where do you like to work? Leave me a note!
Balmi – Easy and Healthy Meal
Balmi – An Easy and Healthy Meal
This is a great dinner recipe that was passed on to me from a friend of a friend. I believe it is originally from Indonesia. It’s an easy and healthy recipe that the whole family enjoyed! You can probably tell from this recipe that creating Balmi is not an exact science. Enjoy!
Ingredients
(Quantities below serve 6)
• Bacon (cut up) – 1lb or ½ lb depending on taste
• Pork (cubed) – About equal to bacon
•Soy Sauce – 4 tablespoons (start there – add more if needed)
• Sugar – 4 teaspoons ( again, adjust according to taste)
• Garlic powder – 2 teaspoons (you can also used minced garlic or pureed garlic but don’t use garlic salt)
• Red pepper flakes – 1-2 teaspoons (depending on how hot you like it – I don’t like any spice whatsoever, so I eliminated this; diners could sprinkle chili flakes on their own portions for heat according to taste)
• Spaghetti – Measure out by number of people being served.
• Red/Green peppers (diced) – 1 Cup of each. I substituted snow peas and broccoli for the green pepper; you can use any stir-fryable veggie you like, but avoid onions as they completely change the flavour of the finished meal.
Method
1. Marinate the pork and bacon in the soy sauce, pepper flakes, garlic and sugar. You should marinate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Chop veggies as if for a stir fry.
3. Break the spaghetti into thirds and cook according to the package directions. Breaking the spaghetti is important because it helps the balmi mix properly when all combined at the end of the process.
4. Cook the marinated meat mixture, together with the marinade, in a wok or large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir often to avoid burning or sticking to the pan.
5. After 5-10 minutes the sugar will begin to caramelize and the bacon fat will start to thicken into a sauce. Add your veggies at this point and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until they are tender-crisp.
6. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and toss into the meat-veggie mixture. Toss well to ensure a really good coating of the pasta by the sauce.
Enjoy!
Cooking Hotdogs in a Milk Carton
Cooking Hodogs in a Milk Carton
When a childhood friend, Kelly, posted some pictures on her Facebook page of an activity she was doing with her daughter, I knew I had to try it with the boys! Kelly’s daughter Hannah was working on an outdoor cooking badge for Girl Guides. As a former Girl Guide leader, this appealed to me. The boys just wanted to light things on fire!
Yes! It is possible to cook a hotdog in a milk carton!
What you will need:
Hotdogs (peel off plastic)
2L or 4L milk carton
Newspaper
Tinfoil
Matches
How to make:
1. Roll each hotdog in tinfoil.
2. Cut the top off the milk carton and make sure the plastic spout is gone. Place tinfoiled-dogs in the centre of a milk carton.
For a 4L carton, you can cook 4-6 hotdogs.A 2L carton will cook 2-4 hotdogs.
3. Around the hotdogs, place lightly scrunched up newspaper. This will help the hotdogs to stand upright in the centre of the carton.
4. Go somewhere fireproof! We used our driveway.
5. Light the milk carton on fire.
6. When the milk carton and newspaper have totally burned away, your hotdogs will be cooked!
7. Carefully pick up your hotdogs in the tinfoil. Be careful! They will be hot!
8. Put in bun and you are ready to eat!
What are other ways you have experimented with cooking food?
