The Path Of Leashed Resistance

Travelling the Path

Winter has arrived!

Contradicting the Good Doctor

Winter has arrived!

Baby, it's cold outside! It's time for oatmeal instead of Cheerios, hot cocoa instead of milkshakes and it also means it's sweater weather ya'll. Time to get all the hoodies washed and ready to wear! (Not for me, the hot flashes keep me warm.) For the dogs...

All the pups have outerwear and I like to throw their sweaters into the dryer (or

All the pups have outerwear and I like to throw their sweaters into the dryer (or the microwave, so watch for dog hair in your soup...) and then put them on before the potty runs. That spot of sunlight seems to be helping Buck and Twink and Scooter warm-up, but there's no substitute for a soft, warm sweater on a cold day! (Just ask Twink, she looks gorge in her warm, pink hoodie!)

This one from Zack & Zoey is one of my favorites. It's not a "sweater" but it's warm and the dog hair doesn't stick. If you're into the knit sweater look, this one by Frisco on chewy.com is good as well. You want something your pet can comfortably walk in, and doesn't pee on. (Ricky...) And, of course, keeps them warm.

Winter is here, so get out the sweaters and snuggle up buttercups!

(Sweaters are good for cool cats too, so don't leave your feline friends out the in cold. Literally...)

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Resolutions

Contradicting the Good Doctor

Winter has arrived!

Well, I guess it's that time of year again. Time to make the obligatory "New Year's resolutions". As I thought about all the things I want to do - visit Harry Potter's Wizarding World, take more walks, spend more time with family, shave my legs more than once a month - I realized that the dogs would prevent most of those things from happening. Again. So, I thought about this past year (eye roll...) and how I can make things better. Resolutions for all of us. Things to improve our quality of life. And as I was (literally) stuffing Buck into his sweatshirt this morning and watching Red limp down the ramp, I decided we've got to take better care of ourselves. (I've got a little more room in my hoodie than Buck, but I'm like two Oreos away from catching him...)

So, I'm going to switch the dogs to senior food. It not only promotes weight loss, but it also helps support aging joints. I prefer a product that uses only ingredients from the US and has few or no recalls, so I chose Victor kibble mixed with wet as our new dog food. For myself, I'm giving up refined sugar and trying to plan better meals and eat more mindfully. (Except on my day off, on which I will probably eat my weight in cheesy gordita crunches, followed by those two Oreos...) I'm going to take more baths, make time to work out, and stop cutting my own hair. So, while last year double sucked, I'm going into this year trying to stay positive and take care of myself (and more importantly) others.

Here's to a happier New Year and some inspiration from the Pioneer Woman's site to help you along.

"What is the New Year but the perfect place to live out what we learned in the old year?" Craig Lounsbrough

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Contradicting the Good Doctor

We've probably all watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas like a million times and heard Dr. Seuss's famous Christmas quote; "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!” And while I love me some Dr. Seuss, I have to disagree this time.

Everyone has been impacted by the pan

Everyone has been impacted by the pandemic this year in one way or another, but animal shelters are taking it squarely on the chin! (See how I cleaned that up for baby Jesus...) Shelters rely on fundraisers and adoption clinics to raise money. Two things that just aren't happening right now. On top of everything else, most of us have lost income or aren't working as much as we were and aren't donating. But in the spirit of Christmas, and in direct contradiction to the good doctor, I'm saying Christmas does come from the store this year, in the form of kibble and blankets and kitten formula. Chewy has some great ideas how to help, and we all have a local shelter that needs our support. Just ask them what they need, they will be HAPPY to tell you...

Rob and I love spoiling the dogs at Christmas and getting extra treats and toys and chew sticks, but this year we skipped it. You heard me. Our dogs got zero gifts. Instead, I used the money we saved to buy food for our local shelter here in town. 2020 has helped many of us get 20/20 if you will. Gain some perspective. While it's nice for my dogs to be spoiled, it's also nice for the shelter dogs to eat and have warm beds. My dogs will have it made the rest of their lives. Our goal right now should be making sure the shelter pets get to have lives.

So, my new Christmas quote, forgive me, Dr. Seuss, is "You can do something big, you can do something small, because whatever you do is better than nothing at all". (You need to share that on social asap. That shit was good!!! Just don't use my name, I "borrowed" it off Pinterest...)

Merry Christmas everyone!

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BETH'S FAVORITE THINGS

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, and after I did the math to figure how we get there, it made me feel a little faint...)

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 in royalties 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...)

My VERY favorite things.

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