Archive   |   November, 2011

the puppy files: after losing our dear cat, we ask, is it time for a dog?

Posted by in living with kids, living with pets

newcat

This is the first in a series of personal posts chronicling the arrival of a new dog in our home. After doing some research on living with pets and kids, I realized there wasn’t a ton of useful, honest information out there. I hope you’ll enjoy them and find them useful.

Farfalle was an exceptional cat. Everyone who met him agreed. Not one of those cats that hid from you, but rather, he was always close by – curled in laps, perched on shoulders, happily not squirming in our young daughter’s arms. Friends always remarked that his warm nature was more dog than cat like.

He died quite unexpectedly a few months ago from feline leukemia. It was a heartbreakingly sad process to go through. He was under a year old and was born with the illness, unbeknownst to us when we got him. Losing him left a big vacancy in our home.

Immediately we realized that our family was not complete without a pet. Shortly thereafter, the puppy pangs started. After being a cat owner for nearly 20 years (Prior to Farfalle, there was another great feline soul in my life, who lived to the ripe old age 17), I was suddenly wondering: Is it time for a dog? During my single, apartment-dwelling urban years, a cat was the natural companion. Now that I’m part of a suburban-living family unit, it seems time to make the transition from feline companion to dog parent.

Admittedly, it’s been many, many years since either my husband or I lived with a dog, so this is not a decision we’ve taken lightly. True, we grew up with dogs, but pet ownership has changed a lot in the past 20 years. Gone are the days when you train your puppy by covering your floor with newspaper or simply put the dog in the back yard to do his “business.” Now you are encouraged to crate train your puppy, socialize him with doggy playdates, and of course take him for long walks in rain or shine. We are ready to commit to all that, and more. Here are few of the things that helped us decided we were ready for a puppy.

1. We live in a house with a fenced in yard.

2. One of us has a flexible schedule, so the puppy wouldn’t be alone for long hours during the day.

3. Our daughter loves animals and we want to raise her to be respectful and kind to them.

4. We are active people. We like being outside, taking road trips and exploring nature. A dog will, too!

5. We’re responsible – emotionally and financially – and able to commit to caring for another living creature for the rest of its (hopefully long) life.

Once we decided that a dog was in our future, the next step was to do some research on dog breeds to help us get a dog whose temperament would match ours.

– Angela M.

Coming up next in The Puppy Files: Finding The Perfect Breed For Our Family

12Comments

wrestling over wreaths: fresh, DIY or etsy?

Posted by in decorating, etsy finds, holidays, living with kids

We haven’t even consumed all of our Thanksgiving leftovers, and I’m already feeling like we’re behind in our holiday decorating. I think the first order of business is to find a wreath for our front door (which happens to be pale blue, fyi). I’m torn between buying a fresh one — there are a ton at Home Depot — or going a more crafty route. Someday, I’ll make my own wreath — I’ve seen a ton of great how-tos online — but this year I’m short on time. Etsy is calling my name.

Here are some that have caught my eye.
wreath2
Maine wreath, $60. Covered in moss with a tiny moose. Reminds me of our summer vacation.

wreath3
This is the one our nearly-4-year old wants. Quelle surprise. It’s made of peppermint sticks and lollipops. $70

wreath4
Modern Felt Mistletoe, $80, is elegant.

wreath1
Fresh Eucalyptus and noble, would look great on door. Would it smell nice? For $90, I’d hope so.

Do you have a wreath on your door? Any advice when buying a fresh one? Or hanging a crafty number? — Angela M.

6Comments

martha stewart invades my holiday weekend

Posted by in cooking, gardening, holidays

msturkey
I’ve always been a sucker for good packaging. Even though I am keenly aware of this weakness, I was still surprised at how Martha Stewart products crept their way into my life this Thanksgiving weekend. First, there was the bird. Our mission was simple: A 12lb fresh turkey — as the Real Simple recipe for cider-glazed turkey I’d decided on, called for. Once we got to the store, I saw a whole bunch of turkeys that were 15lbs, 18, lbs, 22 lbs — but only one that was 12.5 lbs. It was a Martha Stewart Turkey. What?!? Martha Stewart makes turkeys? Who knew. The label assured me it was the turkey of my dreams — free-range, no antibiotics, naturally fed, 2.49/lb. Done, into the basket it went.

After the grocery store I popped into Home Depot to buy some flower bulbs to plant over the long weekend. The unseasonably warm weather means there is still plenty of time to get them in the ground. Again, I found myself lured by some lovely blue and white packaging that bore the Martha Stewart name. Unlike the other bags of bulbs, hers were organized by single colors. She just knows what it is I’m looking for, doesn’t she? So despite feeling slightly duped, I succombed and purchased the MS bulbs.

Can I recommend them? We’ll just have to wait until next spring to see. But I will say, the turkey was a fine bird. — Angela M.

More posts like this.
Things to do with Martha Stewart’s home keeping handbook (besides home keeping)

Are you planting bulbs this fall?

2Comments

is there such a thing as soft organic sheets?

Posted by in decorating, favorites, shopping

organicsheets

Organic fabrics can be tricky business. Sure, they’re processed without chemicals, and the cotton is grown without pesticides. But the results can be fabrics that are either paper thin or burlap thick, with a texture to match. When I set out to find a pair of organic sheets, I knew I had my work cut out for me, but the idea of not having all of those chemicals rubbing around on me while I sleep was appealing, even to a girl as un-environmentally friendly as me.

After spending way too much time researching the best options, I settled on a set from Charles P. Rogers, and they’ve completely changed my opinion of organic cotton. These beautiful sheets are soft and luxurious, with just the right amount of thickness to keep you warm, but thin enough to drape well and not wrinkle too terribly. They wash beautifully, and the fitted sheet actually holds on to the corners of my gigantic mattress. At $140 for a Queen set, they’re not the cheapest option on the block, but in the world of organics, it’s actually very reasonable. And a good set of sheets is one of those investments whose value can’t be quantified – there’s just nothing like it.

Next thing you know, I might even insist on organic cotton tees! Well, maybe not quite yet. –Becki S.

2Comments

keeping the dogs busy when you are, too

Posted by in holidays, living with pets

kongtoy

We are blessed with two extremely loveable yet mildly neurotic mastiffs. I’ve written before about the lengths we’ve gone to to soothe our male dog Sofa’s anxiety issues. One huge help has been hiring someone to stay with our dogs in their home when we go out of town. The only problem is, each of our two dogs weighs 100+ pounds, so unless she has a friend available to help, our dog sitter has to walk them one at a time. So to help alleviate the dogs’ stress of being alone in the house or having the routine changed a bit, this is what I devised:

1) Two words: Kong Wobbler. Our dogs are pretty crafty and mighty chewers, so normal Kong toys weren’t much of a challenge for them. The Wobbler is a whole ‘nother story. Instead of rubber like regular Kongs, this one is made of thick, hard plastic that unscrews so you can put treats inside. The bottom is weighted so that the toy wobbles (of course) and rolls, and the small opening makes it a lot more challenging for our dogs to get to the treats. We did a test run with the Wobblers before we left town, and our dogs were positively obsessive about them. They chewed them furiously without doing much more than putting a few grooves in the plastic, and because the toys are a bit slippery in addition to being wobbly, our dogs actually got a lot of exercise jumping up to chase after them. One note: when the hard-plastic Wobblers hit the floor, they are loud. So unless your home is fully carpeted, don’t give out these toys if you plan to take a nap.

2) This may convince you that I’m a little neurotic, too. There’s nothing that makes our dogs happier than a new toy, so I bought new versions of several of their proven favorites, plus two all-new toys to try. After removing all the tags, I divided the toys up into bags labeled with days of the week. On the designated day, our do sitter can simply open a bag and hand a brand-new Doggles MonsterPull, Kong Plush Snake or JW Pet iN Action toy to each dog. Presto, occupado!

Nothing can replace a lot of love, some human playtime, or a good long walk, but so far it appears that these strategies are keeping my dogs sane—and our dog sitter, too. –Mary T.

P.S. The iN Action toy is new, so I don’t know yet how that one will work out, but all the rest of these toys have been proven to stand up to extremely vigorous play and chewing.

3Comments
12345