Car rides, pizzle sticks, and peeing on every fallen leaf in the yard. Wait - those are Shorty's favorite things. (Along with barking, running and barking, sitting and barking, and lying on my bed and, you guessed it -  barking...)

My favorite things are a little less leisurely and a bit more pragmatic.

Like Chewy. Hands down, one of my favorite things in the whole world! Chewy.com not only carries everything I need to feed the masses and keep them from eating my shoes, you can now order meds as well. No more trips to the pharmacy in my superstore! (You know the one, with 15 people waiting in line for blood pressure meds and a pneumonia shot...) Time is money, but money is also money and Chewy  participates with Rakuten, so I get cash back as well. So. Much. Cash. Back. Customer service is top notch, prices are great, and they deliver. There isn't anything I don't love about them! (And I bet I'm on some kind of frequent buyer list of theirs too...)

Which leads me to my second favorite thing, Rakuten (formerly Ebates). I don't get out much, so a site that gives me cash back to shop online is totally my jam! I was surprised by how many retailers they participate with, and the cash back is legendary! (Not all of you will make $150 bucks a month back on dog food and meds, but after I did the math, it made me a little dizzy...)

Another favorite and site I cannot live without is The Kindleprenuer, by Dave Chessen. His site is full of useful information for writers. Especially indie authors. I can't count the times I've been lost in the process and an email or article arrived from his site that literally saved the day.  I could barely turn on a Kindle when I started this process, now I'm self-publishing and promoting my books on my own and I owe a lot of my success to Dave's tips. (By success I mean $5.40 a month from my friends in Japan and half that from the Brits, Americans, and Canucks...)

And speaking of success - my new best friend, the Kindle Fire stick. This thing changed my life! I'm saving enough for two bags of dog food a month since switching to this from satellite TV. And, it was through Hulu that I discovered Game of Thrones and found out that I am a true Khaleesi. Breaker of chains and chicken coops. Mother of Peiners! You can make payments when you buy it, and the apps are very reasonably priced. Love, love, love it!

Another website I recently found while trying to help Miss Bitty's IBD was BalanceIt online recipe and pet food calculator. Although everyone I've tried to use it for has been too sick, this site is pawsome! You can enter a few details and get homemade recipes for your dog or cat, along with supplements to balance those recipes. How many of us have been at the "chicken and rice" stage with a dog and needed more guidance? If you have any interest in home cooking for your pets, or you have a dog with allergies or other issues, check this site out. It's a great tool to have! (Be sure to check with your vet before making any changes, of course...)

Dog Food Advisor is another site I'm happy is around! Not only can I get advice on commercial food and treats, you can sign up and get alerts for recalls. I remember last year when there was a science diet recall, I came across it by total accident and went into full-on panic mode. I had been feeding the recalled food to a senior dog (like he needs more issues) and was furious I hadn't been notified of the recall. Now, I get them all. Whether I'm using a product or not, at least I know what's going on!

So,  along with cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels,
doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles,
wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings,
these are a few of my favorite things ...

(I stole that last bit from The Sound of Music. Mostly because I'm corny as hell. I just try to be more sophisticated out of sheer embarrassment...)