Product Review - doTerra

Before Christmas, I was asked if I would be interesting in learning about essential oils and reviewing the doTerra trio pack ( http://www.mydoterra.com/myhealthempowered/#/ ). As I have dappled in the world of "traditional" remedies I thought sure, one can always learn more!

One of the things I shared with my consultant Heather, was I was interested in another way to treat Hailey's anxiety. Of course, that was in the winter, when Hailey was calm. There was really no need to test them on her, so I did most of the testing on myself!

My trio package contained lavender, lemon and peppermint.

This is how I used them:

I live in my tub in the winter, but due to concerns about chemicals have given up bubble bath. I LOVED my lavender baths before bed! They were soooooooo relaxing and smelt so nice!

As my naturopath had recommended, and I wasn't doing, I added the lemon to hot water to drink. It aids in digestion. When I do this regularly, I have noticed a difference.

Peppermint is the one I used in the most medical way. I had a series of migraines over the winter and found that rubbing the peppermint on my forehead really did help. It took that edge off that drugs alone did not. I also found that rubbing it on my cramps was helpful. My only piece of advice is to make sure you really wash your hands after you have touched a spot with the peppermint. Peppermint in the eye burns!

My husband found using peppermint (when he didn't use too much) really helped with his sore muscles after a workout.

Since anxiety season has come again for Hailey, I tried the oils on her. First, she was not thrilled with having the drops put on her. Second, we did not notice a difference in her anxiety after the application. It could be she needs more exposure. It could be we didn't put enough. There are many reasons this may not have worked for her. However, I am happy to report that unlike when we tried medication for it, there were no undesired side effects.

Overall:

I enjoyed trying my doTerra oils. I didn't have any allergic reactions or rashes or anything, something as a life long allergy sufferer I was concerned about. I found the peppermint to be helpful for pain. I found my consultant to be knowledgable and willing to put up with my millions of questions. It is definitely something I would still like to learn more about.

If you are interested in learning more go to http://www.mydoterra.com/myhealthempowered/#/.

Heather also hosts webinars. To find out about them, visit her page http://www.myhealthempowered.com/registration-page. You could win a free trial kit there too!  


Disclaimer: I was provided with a sample of this product for an honest review. 

Birthday Celebrating and Note from Nomad

Thank you so much for all the lovely birthday wishes. I truly had the perfect day. On my birthday, my ideal is sitting at home and doing whatever I want. I live a very busy life and look forward to one day that is just about me! Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to attending a charity event with friends on Saturday as my party, but yesterday was a great day.

Baggy and Phod enjoying the yard

Baggy had a great day too. While the dogs and I were sitting outside enjoying the sun, Baggy sat at the door and cried so he joined us outside for some time.

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As you may remember, earlier this month I reviewed a Nomad product. You can click here for the original post.

Nomad has asked me to tell you that as part of their product launch you can save 25% off your order if you use the code "LIVESIMPLE".

Here are some things to know about the Nomad Products:

• NomadClip (shaped like a carabiner), NomadKey (shaped like a house key) and NomadCard (which is what I use) are the world's most portable cables.
• The cables are MFi certified by Apple and fit all cases including LifeProof.
• They have updated the design using more durable materials.
• To pre-order your cable (for the awesome price of $29 - free shipping to the US, CA, UK, AUS and a flat rate of $5 everywhere else) or to learn more go to: hellonomad.com

Disclaimer: I was provided with a product sample in exchange for an honest review. 

Nomad Review

About a month or so ago Nomad contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in trying their product for an honest review on my blog. I said yes.

Nomad is a chargecard for your portable devices. If you are like me, your phone is practically glued to your hand. It needs to be in arms reach, not just for the texting and email and twitter etc, etc, but in case my dogs do something too cute I need to photograph. I wouldn't want to miss a moment like this because my phone is dead:

I am also on the road a lot. Sometimes I feel like a nomad traveling for work. Remembering to pack a charger, that then ends up in knots in my purse is annoying! Having something that fits into my wallet and stays there when not in use is perfect. I always have it. They also have key change chargers if you prefer (not my choice as I have way to many keys to start with).

Here is the chargecard:

To show the size of it

The pros:

-They are relevantly inexpensive (especially when you look at other portable chargers)

-Compact and fits perfectly in my wallet

-Light weight

-There isn't that tangled mess of cords (which is one of my pet peeves)

-Charges quickly

The cons:

-You need to have access to something with a USB device (I usually have my computer so this isn't a problem for me but for others it could be)

-Because it is short/small, it is difficult to use your phone when it is charging.

I have not had it long enough or used it enough to assess the longevity of this product.

I would recommend it. Go over to Nomad to check it out!

Black Flies and K9 Kelp

Well, since spring is finally here, so are the stupid black flies. This is an annoying time for all of us, but a particularly annoying time for the pups as they can't put on layers or get sprayed with the stuff we have.

Early this spring I won a K9 Kelp (http://www.k9kelp.ca) prize package from http://ownedbyahusky.blogspot.ca. One of the products we won was the conditioning kelp spray. It says on the bottle it is a repellant, so Saturday night we gave it a try.

The results:

The areas that the dogs were covered (it is still really hard to spray it on them, they act as if we are beating them) the bugs didn't land. I then watched where the bugs were landing, sprayed more on those spots, the bugs stayed off. It was excellent!

I can't say how long the effects last as the dogs were only out for about 45 minutes but it was 45 minutes of comfort. 

I give it 4 paws up and plan on keeping some around for a safe bug repellant! 

A mad Hailey refusing to look because she is either mad I sprayed her in the first place or mad it actually worked!

Firmoo - Helping me see my dogs better

I was very excited to be asked to try a pair of Firmoo glasses for an honest review of the product. I have been wearing glasses since I was 5 (so for 30+ years). I have tried contacts, but the chemicals damaged my eyes, so I will be staying a glasses girl.

Firmoo (click on the link to learn more about the company) ships its product from China. It took about 3 weeks for me to receive my trial. A second pair had to be sent as the first pair was lost, so I think they would normally arrive sooner.

It appears from a search of their site that the prices of the glasses are all under $100 (that includes frames, lenses and lenses). Many are under $50. As someone who has always bought my glasses through the optometrist I know this is a steal!

What I liked:

• The price - I could have several pairs of glasses for those prices.
• The selection - there were lots of different pairs to chose from.
• The look - I think I look cool:)
• The prescription is perfect.

My selfie with the Firmoo Glasses

Things I didn't like:

• I didn't like not being able to try them on - probably because for 30 some years I have been trying on at least 30 pairs to pick one. I think if I was to use them again, I would go somewhere and try similar pairs on to get a feeling of how they would look.
• I have yet been able to adjust the one arm so it doesn't rub. I will keep at it, but I still don't have them adjusted correctly (again, likely because for 30 years I have had someone do this for me).

Overall, given the price and quality, I would definitely consider going through Firmoo for my next pair of glasses.

Bonus: Firmoo has offered me five - $30 vouchers for glasses. I will give them to the first 5 people to email me at leeandphodATbellDOTnet.

Pet Expo - Ottawa 2013 Review - by Lady

Last weekend was Ottawa's Pet Expo. I was very excited to go as I had never been to a Pet Expo. The Man was not interested so my sister, aka Aunt C, came with me. I made the decision not to take my dogs. Lee would have been too excited/anxious, and I didn't want to subject Phod to all the car time (besides if I had him, I wouldn't be able to go for lunch and shopping with Aunt C after). This was a choice I was thrilled to make because it was so crazy busy!

These are my thoughts:

The good:
-It was reasonably priced to get in. I got 2 tickets for $12.
-It was great to learn about so many great products I didn't know about.
-I remembered to grab bags to put all my loot in.
-Most of the exhibitors were very knowledgable and friendly.
-I loved all the fundraising for the Ottawa Human Society. Many of the exhibitors gave their samples for a donation to the Human Society.
-It was great to see so many fantastic rescues being features and raising funds.
-I am not going to need to buy treats for months:)
-I have lots of samples, some of products I have been interested in, but haven't want to just "buy" in case they didn't like them.
-Lots of Canadian products were featured. I do like to support Canadian companies.
-I got to see/touch/feel some products I had seen on other people's blogs/online. I was able to buy several of those products without having to pay shipping!
-There was a lot of cat stuff too (Aunt C has 2 cats)
-I didn't see one misbehaving dog.
-It was great to see the doggy rest area and several water stations.

Things I didn't love:

Lupul and Panda checking out the loot!

-There was a wait to get in. I thought the door seemed slow.
-It was really hot inside.
-Some aisles had soooooo many people, and dogs, strollers etc, you could barely move or see things. It was a little busy and overwhelming. I am sure I stepped on more than one paw! This was a very big drawback.
-Since going I want a third dog . . . Man says NO!

Things I would suggest for attending next year:
-Look to see if there was a coat check/leave coat in car.
-Save loonies and twoonies beforehand to use to donate to get the samples.
-Maybe take some time to look at the speakers/shows etc.
-Make measurements of the dogs necks etc if there are products I am interested in.

The coolest thing:
I saw on twitter that @laursica, the parent of @LokiDoberdog was going to be there. We discussed meeting up.  She had mentioned she was with her brother's dog, a blonde lab mix, pink collar. I am at a booth and a dog who would meet that description was there (but I had seen similar dogs as well), and I heard a woman say "Loki" and I knew it was them, so I introduced myself as my Twitter handle, @HaileysLady. That was really nice to meet someone from the blog-iverse/social media. 

Overall, I would give the expo a 3/4 paws and look forward to next year!

I heard from several others who went in the pm, and they did not enjoy it at all. I am glad we went early!

Over the next few weeks or months, I will share my thoughts with some of the products I bought/got. 

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PS: Pippa, yes we observe 2 minutes of silence on Remembrance Day! 

Feline Friday - The Mat:

First the cats would like to thank me for not dressing them up this year. I thought about it, but thought they have both lived 18 years and should enjoy a year without being dressed up. I warned them if they made it to their 19th Halloween, we will be going full out!

Last week I was excited to receive my order from Mollie and Alfie's shop. If you haven't gone, I suggest checking it (click on the name in the last sentence and it will take you to their site). They have  lots of fun things! I had intended this purchase to be a gift, thinking my cats were too old to enjoy it. (Don't worry Panda and Loops, I will get you something). I took it out of the bag to look at it and immediately had 2 cats on it. They love it so much, that I decided to keep it. It has replaced their pillow and basket sleeping place on the counter. 

Since we got it, our Kitty Nip Mat, it has been very well used. 

Here is Baggy, resting after a snack. 

Thank you Mollie and Alfie, it is the purrfect place to rest! The cats give it 4 paws out of 4! (And the dogs have not taken it off the counter and destroyed it yet, so win, win!)

Training Thursday - Review of Busy Buddy Tug-A-Jug

Hailey swinging her jug

One of the puzzle toys I purchases for Lee was Busy Buddy's Tug-A-Jug. Originally, like all the new puzzle toys, Lee was a little nervous of it, but quickly this became her favourite new toy.

Pros:
-It can hold a lot of food, so if you wanted to use this to replace dish feeding, it would hold a lot.

-So far it has been very durable (mind you, neither of my dogs really throw it around)

-It is easy to fill (the bottom screws off).

-It was fairly easy for Lee to figure out (so if you have a dog new to puzzles, it may be a good place to start)

-Although easy, it only gives a treat or two at a time if the dog is just pulling the rope, so it takes some time to get all the food out.

-The rope makes it easy for Hailey to carry it around

-Hailey loves it!

Cons:

-It is made of plastic, so it is very loud when being played with on our ceramic or laminate floors (thankfully Hailey likes to take it to one of her beds)

-Hailey figured out she could bunch her one bed up and have the cookies pour out, so I have to make sure she doesn't have access to that bed (For some dogs it may be too easy)

-It is a pain to clean. The plastic is ok to clean, but the rope is hard to clean and takes forever to dry (several days) - which means you can't use it for several days. We had one incident when we had company and after Lee had little puzzle time, I put it up, without opening it or checking it. When I went to get it a few days later, due to her saliva and the couple treats left inside, it was growing mouldy and was very gross. [While I admit this was my fault, it is something to keep in mind]

Given the issues with keeping it clean, I give it  3 out of 4 paws.

Note: The opinions expressed in this post are mine. I independently purchased this toy and am sharing my thoughts about it. The company doesn't know I am doing this.

The Roll-it - a review

When I was in Calgary last month, at Winners I found this toy for Phod. We didn't get to start playing with it until recently because it was too rainy and then he had hurt his leg.

Here is Phod playing with it:

He loves it and now if he sees us taking it out, he knows this means we are going to the beach!

Pros:

• It was inexpensive (I think I paid $5 for it)
• It floats, which makes it a great water toy.
• Phod loved the squeaker.
• It is small and light and easy to carry.
• We have only used it a few times, but his strong jaws have not chewed through or damaged the rubber.
• The bright orange colour is easy to see in the lake (it can be hard to see sticks). I don't know if this makes a difference for him, but it does for the humans! 

Cons:

• The squeaker, which he loved has died already.
• It skips when you throw it, so you have to be careful you don't throw it too far.

Overall, we would give this toy 3.5/4 paws.

Asides: 2 very long crazy days at work until vacation! I had a 12 hour day yesterday and will have the same today. Can't wait to catch up with everyone! Also, we are 8 posts from 1000 . . . . stay tuned!

Tasty Tuesday: Bake a Bone - a review

Aunt C gave the Lady "Bake a Bone" for her birthday. Aunt C and the Lady couldn't wait to try it out on Saturday. Here is how it went:

Here is the recipe they picked:

Aunt C adding the flour:

Mashed Banana . . . . mmmmmm

Ready to roll the peanuts:

The mix:

Hailey supervising:

Getting ready to cook it.

They are all done:

Cooling . . . . . .

Tasting:

The Pros:

• Recipes are easy to follow and most use ingredients you likely have in the house. 
• There are 30 recipes.
• It heats up quickly.
• There are mixes you could purchase for people who don't want to do the effort (the store didn't have any when Aunt C bought it - so we can't say if they are any good).
• Lady likes that she knows exactly what is going into our treats.
• They are soft and chewy (at first Phod didn't see them as food, but once he realized they were, he loved them).
• It is easy to clean.
• The dogs really loved them.
• The humans found them bland (likely because there is no sugar) so they won't be eating them!

The Cons:

• You only cook 4 cookies at a time (and our batch made 28 cookies).
• It takes about 8 minutes to cook four, so cooking time is long.
• It can be hard to get the exact amount of batter into the spots so not all the cookies turned out as perfect bones (I did get better at this as I went).
• You have to be sure there are no air bubbles in the batter or it will collapse!

Overall, we give this product 3/4 paws. The only real draw back is the cooking time (the dogs don't care if the cookies aren't perfect looking!)

Thanks Aunt C for such a great gift for Lady!

The Mat

Last week I mentioned that we got a fancy Doggy Doormat as a present. Now that we have lived with it for a while, I feel I can write about it.

It really does seem to help. There was less sand and dirty footprints in the hall. I think some of the ones that were there came from times they didn't step on the mat.

It is a very soft mat, I enjoy walking on it and taking the sand off my bare feet.

The only issue with the mat is that it is very thick. Sometimes the dogs bunch it up and it can get stuck when opening or closing the door. But overall we like it!