R.I.P. Patrick Swayze

A sad day for the family and fans of Patrick Swayze. Only 57 years old with the battle of Pancreatic cancer of two years is over. The battle won once again by this insidious and horrible disease.

No words can describe the misery that this disease creates, or the losses it leaves. Cancer is evil, and the progress of a cure seems so far away. Tonight we mourn the loss of an extraordinary actor, husband, and friend.

Rest In Peace Patrick....the pain is no more.

Homemade Laundry Detergent and Fun

 Lying on his deathbed, the rich, miserly old man calls to his long-suffering wife. "I want to take all my money with me," he tells her. "So promise me you'll put it in the casket."

After the man dies, his widow attends the memorial service with her best friend. Just before the undertaker closes the coffin, she places a small metal box inside.

Her friend looks at her in horror. "Surely," she says, "you didn't put the money in there."

"I did promise him I would," the widow answers. "So I got it all together, deposited every penny in my account, and wrote him a check. If he can cash it, he can spend it."


So... we all have issues with having enough cash to go around. If you are anything like us the first thing to go down is the food budget. Spend a bit less on food, buy some generic items, find filling foods (yikes..sometimes those add so much weight), and just do with LESS!

Lookie Here There is MORE

Why Can't MY Dog Eat That?

So.... every now and then I hear someone say "Why can't my dog eat Avocado" or some other food that is common for us to eat. I thought I would address the "why nots" and then give you a great doggie treat recipe.

NEVER allow your canine friend any of the following;

Alcohol

No sharing your beer or gin and tonic with your dog. Alcohol is toxic to dogs. It can cause, vomiting, diarrhea difficulty breathing, tremors and depression of the central nervous system . It can also cause death.
I know I have heard the stories that it's "funny" to watch your stagger around, walk into walls, and in general make himself a pest. First, it CAN and DOES harm your dog. Secondly, what is so funny about seeing a dog drunk? Personally, I would much rather see a human drunk and weaving around a room than a dog. The human is much funnier as they might pee their pants, vomit and use "the good towels" clean it up, learn to dance... or do some karaoke. Dogs being drunk...isn't funny, it's cruel.

Avocados

Avocados contain a substance called Persin which is highly toxic in most animals, including dogs. Persin is a fungicidal toxin that is toxic to most if not all animals.

Chocolate

Your dog should never eat chocolate. Chocolate contains a stimulant diuretic called Theobromine which affects the central nervous system and cardiovascular systems of the dog. If you believe your dog has eaten chocolate you must seek veterinary advice immediately as ingestion of chocolate can cause death. Cooking chocolate contains the most Theobromine followed by dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate, YES even white chocolate!
Take all precautions and ensure that you do not leave chocolate lying around. Dogs love the taste!
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, hyperactivity muscle tremors, increased urination and increased heart rate. But you already knew that...right?


Coffee & Tea, Cola, Mountain Dew®

Caffeine affects the central nervous system and the heart. Symptoms of caffeine poisoning can include vomiting, a racing heart and in severe cases, death. So when little Pookie-Poo takes a few laps of your beverage you might just be hurting him/her.

Fat Trimmings (Especially Ham)

Never give your dog fat trimmings from meat and especially from ham as high fat consumption could lead to a bout of pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can range in severity from mild to life threatening and is an extremely painful condition. Turkey skin is also high in fat content.Vets see an increase in pancreatitis over Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Grapes Raisins and Sultanas

Grapes and the dried variety of grapes including raisins and sultanas can cause kidney damage.Deaths have been reported with large ingestions.Repeated vomiting and hyperactivity can be early signs of poisoning. 

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts have been known to cause tremors & muscle weakness in dogs. Plus they are so salty...more on that later.

Milk and Dairy Products

It has been reported that as many as 50% of dogs are lactose intolerant. Many dog's digestive systems do not handle milk or dairy products well. The usual symptom is severe diarrhea. So while 50% of dogs can have things like ice cream why take a chance? I have to admit that my dogs LOVE ice cream but I don't make it a habit.

Onions & Garlic

Onions and garlic contain a substance called Thiosulphate. Dogs can develop Hemolytic Anemia which causes destruction of the red blood cells.Sp no more onion rings for the dogs.

Potatoes that are Green or the Sprouts

This kind of potato contain Solanine Glycosides which can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, nervous system stimulation, depression, trembling, paralysis & cardiac arrest. 

Salty Foods

Avoid giving your dog too much salt. Too much is not good for us and it's not good for them. The same things that happen to us, high blood pressure, swelling, etc. happens to your dog.

 

Just remember...they will follow where ever you lead, and only eat what you allow them to have. Be kind and keep the bad foods away. 

Easey Peasey Dog Biscuits 

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 tablespoons water -- (8 to 10)
2 jars Babyfood, Meat, Beef, Strained --

Mix all ingredients together and knead for 3 min. Roll out to `/1 inch
thick. Use a dog bone shaped cookie cutter, and place biscuits on an
ungreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for
20 to 25 min.
MAKES approx. 2 dozen doggie biscuit

Use beef, chicken or lamb

Fun Money Making Day

So...what does it take to become a mystery shopper and do the job well? First, you have to be a good if not great, actor. To pull off a scenario of "truth" you must be believable. Second, those forms...yikes, they can be tricky and involved. Third, getting paid to actually tell people what your experience was is awesome. Lastly, the actual getting paid part.

Good acting skills are the  number one priority. Forget it if you can't remember your part or your lines. No leading the selling person. No matter how much you want them to either succeed or fail, NO leading the "interview". If you perform to the best of your ability, no one will suspect you as a "shopper".

The forms, OH MY GOSH! They can be so involved and tedious. Some are simple narratives, some are lengthy novels, it seems. Make sure all your facts match with your fill in sections.

You are actually helping the store or business become better at what they do, and in turn the business may compensate the good customer service employee.

The getting paid part can be long. Not all companies are created equal. The average shopper only make $5.00 to $10.00 per shop and expenses are compensated for as little as a dollar. While you won't get rich, you can add some splurge money or added food money.

Personally I LOVE the food shops...they pay for lunch/dinner etc. and a little bit of a commission which means my guest goes free and I go free.... WOO HOO! Who ever said there is NO free lunch was not a mystery shopper.

A good place to sign-up with is JobSlinger They have a forum board that can really pay off, if you read the boards on what companies pay the most, and what companies to stay away from.

Some days I dress to the nines to go do a shop, and other days...not so much :)

Stay tuned for a few more insider tips.....

Monsoons

After sitting at my computer all day I have noticed that my blogging is taking a back seat to photography and figuring out how to put this blog together.

Our monsoon season has been here but very little rain has fallen...we have been pretty much monsoon-less this year. Monsoons are the one respite from the hot summers here in Arizona. Our lakes are dying up and the water in them is HOT, last I looked the lake temperature was 94 degrees....OMG! We need rain and cooler weather but the horizon of weather looks pretty much the same as the past few weeks. H-O-T!

So....tonight is a sandwich night with all the fixins' and some homemade lemonade made from lemons from our neighbors.

Tomorrow is another day and hopefully the rain will come and I can go sliding my way to the horse pen and my dogs will be able to place their muddy paws all over the house.