Why "Free To A Good Home" is a Bad Idea

Because of people who I will refer to as 'Animal Harvesters' we all have to be more careful who we give our free puppies, kittens and even hamsters to. These Animal Harvesters look for free animals so they can sell them for a profit. Most of these animals will be given to Research Facilities, Puppy Mills for breeding purposes, or may end up as bait in dog fighting rings, while smaller animals like rats, hamsters and gerbils could be used as food for pet snakes.

How to Keep Animals Away From Pet Harvesters
If you want to make sure that your pet is really going to a good home, list an adoption fee. If the prospective pet owner has no problem paying an adoption fee, this can prove they actually want the pet and are responsible.

Another way is to ask to see the home where your pet will be housed and ask to see the interaction between the pet and everyone who will be living in the household. Pet Harvesters do not like to wait, they want quick results and aren't likely to go through this in order to get the pet.

What To Do If You Find A Stray Animal
While most people will call the Humane Society, or the local animal shelter to pick the stray animal up, in some instances people will keep the animal and try to find the owners themselves. Pet Harvesters also prey on these people because they think it will be easy to say they are the owner and come to claim the animal.

If you find a stray animal, do not put your address in the flier or ad. Post your phone number and a brief description of the animal but be sure to keep some information to yourself that only the owner would know and only tell the would be owner your address if they get all of the descriptions right.

Responsible owners will find people they are sure will take care of their pets that they can't take with them when they move, new litters or stray animals they find and want to re-home. One of the simplest things you can do is to ask the potential new owner to fill out an application with just a few basic informational questions, like address where the animal will be living, a phone number where they can be reached and what the name of their veterinarian is. Most animal lovers will gladly give you this information when they see you just want to make sure your animal is going to a good home.

We all want to believe that those searching for animals are doing so because they want to give a deserving animal a good forever home, sadly that is not always the case.

Freebie Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a 'Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

 This week I received a lot of free stuff. So much in fact that I took 3 pictures. Above is a picture of the Zep Cleansters that I received for free from Crowdtap. 

This week Crowdtap also sent me supplies for a Millstone House Party. They sent all of this stuff for me to share with friends and family. 

5 bags of Millstone coffee

a box of assorted dried fruit

4 coffee cups and saucers

a Scrabble game

4 Coffee spoons

$5 gift card

Smiley360 sent me a box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and a cute plastic bottle to store it in as well as a pamphlet with tips for using the baking soda for cleaning and household freshness.

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Uses

I was recently sent a free box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and a cute plastic container to keep it in by Smiley360 in exchange for my truthful review. 

In the box was also a pamphlet with helpful solutions and tips for Holiday & Entertaining. One of the tips that I'm ffeaturingtoday is how Arm & Hammer Baking Soda can be used as a silver polish. 

Mix a little baking soda and water until you get a paste.

Mine was a little watered down but I found this worked best for me.

Find a piece of silver jewelry that needs to be cleaned. I used one of the silver rings that I wear every day. 

Rub a little of the baking soda paste on the silver jewelry with a soft cloth, rinse off and dry.

It does work and it left my ring sparkling. 

#BakingSodaTips

How to Easily Clean Silver Jewelry

Silver jewelry is beautiful and shiny when you first buy it, it's durable and looks great with everything. It will however tarnish easily if left exposed to air and water. The silver rings I wear everyday will become tarnished but there is an easy way to keep them clean.

The Tin Foil and Salt Method
I recently saw a website called How To Clean Stuff that had this great recipe, "Fill the jar or bowl about half full with hot water.

1. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the jar or a couple of tablespoons of salt to the bowl and mix to dissolve.
2. Add a few strips of aluminum foil to the jar or cover the bottom of the bowl with a sheet of aluminum foil.
3. Now simply drop your silver jewelry in the water.
4. You can shake it around in the jar or swish it around in the bowl. The aluminum with the salt acts as a magnet, pulling the tarnish off of the silver.
5. Allow the jewelry to sit in the saltwater/aluminum foil mixture for a few minutes.
6. Remove and rinse under running water.
7. Repeat as needed until the tarnish is removed.
8. Dry with a soft towel.

I tried this method for a few pieces of my silver jewelry that was extremely tarnished and it worked within seconds for my sterling silver bracelet 2 pairs of sterling silver earrings. I was shocked at how fast this method actually works.

Recipe: Seafood Salad

I make my salad in the biggest lidded pot that I have because I like to have leftovers. I started with 4 large tomatos and 2 large cucumbers and diced them. 

Then I diced 1/2 a head of lettuce and put that in the pot. 

I then added 2lbs of cooked shrimp.

I also added 2 large diced avocados. To make it easier to slice them just cut in half, take out the seed and slice in a checkerboard pattern while still in the skin. Then just scoop out with a spoon. 

I also added 2 cans of crab meat- drained first. 

And lastly I added 8oz of imitation crab meat. I love this stuff. Just dice into chunks and add it to the pot.

Mix it all together and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. I like to make this when I want something light to eat and I always make enough so that we have some for lunch or snacks the next day. It's so tasty by itself that I don't even add salad dressing to it.

Happy Raturday!

Welcome to a new weekly blog post I'm calling, Raturday! I've seen Caturday and while that's really cute, I think the rats needs some photo time so everyone can see how cute these little animals are. I've gotten permission from Rat Logic's fb page to share their pictures on my blog. So get ready to smile because these are cute. 

*click pictures to enlarge*

New Dog Bed

This is how Falcor sleeps in his bed now....

But when we first got the bed and put it down for him to sleep on he thought it was a huge stuffed toy to play with. lol 

Please excuse my hubby's language, he's a bit odd at times. 

Falcor stepped on the lock to the doggie door on his way out and that's why it wouldn't open when he tried to get back in.

Hotel in France Lets Guests Live Life as a Hamster

*Bubbles*

For those people who have taken every type of vacation imaginable and want to experience something new, there is a place for you; The Hamster Hotel in Nantes, France.

According to Telegraph.co.uk "For 99 euros (£88) a night, visitors to the hotel in Nantes can feast on hamster grain, get a workout by running in a giant wheel and sleep in hay stacks in the suite called the "Hamster Villa". The price might go up as they plan to add free WiFi and big screen TV to the Hotel.

The architects and Owners of this hotel, Frederic Tabary and Yann Falquerho, designed the hotel, which is inside a building dating back to the 1700's to look like the inside of a giant hamster cage. Complete with wheel, water tube, hay stacks for sleeping and a hamster mask you can wear to really get into your hamster fantasy.

Although when most people hear Hamster Hotel, they might think a Hotel for hamsters. But that is not the situation for this hotel. Hamster lovers as well as people who just want to see what it's like to live life as a hamster for a night come to this Hotel in France.

Visitors to the hotel receive a hamster mask, can take spin in a huge hamster wheel, drink water from a water tube and eat hamster food such as grain and seeds. They can climb a ladder to sleep in hay stacks in the suite called the "Hamster Villa" or decide to skip the hamster bed and get a bed more like what they are used to.

Children who have hamsters as pets, adults who wanted to have or had a hamster as a child and even this writer might be tempted to stay a night in this hotel. So the next time you go to book a hotel after you make plans to visit France on your next vacation think about this hotel. Make your vacation even more adventurous by spending the night as a hamster instead of booking a room at one of those more expensive hotels.

Is it possible to see what it's like to live like your hamster? It is now.

Freebie Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a 'Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to samples like these at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

Old Factory Candle Gift Set
Prilosec sample
Systane Lubricating eye drops sample
Drip Drop Hydration Powder- For testing purposes from SheSpeaks
Pumpkin Carving stencils
Cesar Savory Delights dog food

Did you get any freebies this week?

What is Media Mail?

The US Postal Service Offers a wide variety of shipping methods but one you may not be aware of is Media Mail.

What Is Media Mail
Media Mail is only for the use of shipping books, CD's, VHS Tapes, DVD's or printed music. The US Postal Service restricts items that can be sent using Media Mail.

When I've used Media Mail to mail books, I've been told by the people at the post office that if they think there is something other than what is supposed to be in the Media Mail package, they have the right to open it and inspect it and if it is found to have other materials, the recipient can be charged the difference in shipping costs. Media Mail used to be referred to as "Book Rate" according to my mother.

Media Mail Is Very Slow
Media Mail packages can take up to 4 weeks to be delivered to their destination. I've had books shipped to me Media Mail take 4 1/2 weeks to get to me and during the holidays it takes longer because of all the other mail being delivered.

Media Mail is Not For Fragile Items
I was told at the Post Office that anything sent Media Mail is put into bins with much larger boxes and packages and because of this, if its not packaged securely it can get squished, smashed, torn open or broken.

I've had several packages sent to me using Media Mail where the large manila envelopes were torn open and the books inside were torn because the person sending it didn't package it securely. Putting a small book in a large envelope and hoping for the best, is not the best way to use Media Mail.

Using Media Mail for CD's and DVD's and only using a bubble padded envelope could cause the jeweled cases to be broken, shattered or smashed. Using a more secure envelope with some cardboard or some other stiff box-like material is a better way to package something fragile using Media Mail.

Why Media Mail Might Not Be The Best Way To Ship
While shipping a large box of books will be quite a bit cheaper by sending them Media Mail, it will also take twice as long to get to its destination. The box of 50 books I bought using Ebay , was sent to me using Media Mail. It took 4 ½ weeks to get to me and when I received the box it looked as if it had been kicked, rolled in some kind of black dirt and it had a rip in the bottom right hand side of the box.

The box looked like it had survived a car accident before it had been delivered to me. Media Mail is a great service if you are shipping a large box of books and don't want to pay an outrageous price, as long as the person getting it doesn't mind waiting up to 4 weeks to get their box and all the books are properly secured inside the box. But I don't use Media Mail for shipping any longer because I don't like to wait so long for my books and CD's, and I'm sure others don't either.

Smith's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had to share these with you all because if you've never had them and you have a Smith's grocery store near you, you have to get some. They are soooo good. These are my all time favorite cookie and they are fresh baked at Smith's Grocery store.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip deliciousness. 

And look how big these cookies are. They are huge! And they are packed with chocolate chips.

They are thick and are more like cake than a hard cookie. But omg they are probably the best thing you will ever find in a grocery store. If you like pumpkin *and who doesn't?* and you like chocolate chips and cakey cookies, then you need these!

Be jealous..it's okay, I know you are. LOL 

Zep Cleanster Review

Recently I was sent 5 sample bottles of Zep Quick Clean Disinfectant and Zep All Around Oxy Cleaner and Degreaser via Crowdtap to try at home and share sample bottles with friends.

I tried both of the products out before sharing them with anyone because before I recommend something, I like to see how it works. My apartment is set up in such a way that the knick knack shelf is in a whole cut in the wall between the living room and kitchen and with the shelf being so close to the stove it gets greasy from all the cooking I do. 

I need a good degreaser to clean off the shelf because the cooking grease gets on it and makes the shelves greasy. I tried it out and it works great! It took the grease off the shelf really easily and I also used it on my stove and it worked there as well. 

I just got a new puppy who is 5 months old and isn't house broken so the Zep Quick Clean Disinfectant came in really handy when we moved the dog pen into the kitchen and the puppy has an accident on the floor or misses the puppy training pads. 

This dog pen is now on the kitchen floor and I used the disinfectant spray when I cleaned the floor when the puppy had an accident on the floor and I thought it worked great. It not only cleans really well but it left behind a pleasant scent, which is needed with a new puppy. 

I liked both of the products I got from Zep and do recommend them. #‎ZepCleansters‬  ‪#‎Sponsored ‬‪#‎TryZep‬

Disclaimer** I was sent these products for free in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Foxbrim's Untra Lift Treatment (Advanced Anti Aging Treatment)

 Recently I was sent this product for free in exchange for an honest review. 

I do like trying new lotions, serums and treatments that say they will keep my skin looking great as I age. My mom always used to tell me, you have to take care of your skin if you want it to keep looking nice and she was right.

Product Description

Foxbrim's Ultra Lift Treatment Gives Your Skin More. Effectively Address All The Visible Signs of Aging In A Single Step. Transform Your Skin Routine. Don't Settle When You Can Enjoy The Full Benefits Of A Revolutionary Advanced Formula. 

Key Ingredients include:

- CoQ10

- Hyaluronic Acid

- Panthenol (Vitamin B5)

- Retinol (0.5%)

- Peptides

My Review: 

I've tried many lotions, facial masks, cleansers, toners ect..on my face and for the most part they all do what they say they will do. I'm 44 years old so I don't have a lot of wrinkles on my face, yet. I do have combination oily/dry skin in different parts of my face so I like to try different things to see if they will even out my skin tone, make some of the redness go away that I have in small areas and tighten the skin on my face. 

I have to say that after using this product for a week, my face felt smoother and softer and the fine lines I had on my forehead have even smoothed out a little bit. This Ultra Lift Treatment is silky as it goes on, has a very light scent and doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky, tacky or oily. It was very gentle on my skin and didn't make me break out or irritate my skin. I would definitely recommend this product. 

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.

Happy Raturday!

Welcome to a new weekly blog post I'm calling, Raturday! I've seen Caturday and while that's really cute, I think the rats needs some photo time so everyone can see how cute these little animals are. I've gotten permission from Rat Logic's fb page to share their pictures on my blog. So get ready to smile because these are cute. 

*click pictures to enlarge*

*This is one of the last pictures I took of Lucky and so I made it into a meme*

RIP Lucky -January 2013- October 2014

Lucky came to us when he was just a tiny baby. He was born with only 3 legs and the pet shop he was in was going to euthanize him because they wouldn't sell a rat that was "defective" so a girl that worked there called my daughter and asked if I would be willing to take him, which I did. 

This is how he celebrated last Christmas with us. He never minded me posing him, taking pictures or even putting a hat on him as long as he had a little treat he would happily sit there and let the crazy human snap pictures. 

He was the happiest rat, most loving rat I've ever had. Every time we went to pet him he would start kissing our hands and he did this all the time. He was always happy to see us.

Lucky even shared a bite of pizza with me one time. I thought this was cute because he looked like he was closing his eyes and giving thanks for the pizza he was about to nom. 

We even had a birthday party to celebrate his first birthday in January of 2014. He would have been 2 years old this coming January. *He only got a couple bites of cake*

Last month I took a few pictures of him for Halloween. He really wanted to destroy that orange spider. 

*The whip cream made him look like he had fangs*

Everything was fine until last week. Lucky had a stroke, lost his vision and partial use of his front paw. At first he was eating and drinking and then he started having seizures and he stopped eating or drinking anything. He was having an even harder time getting around and refused to eat anything. 

We didn't want him to suffer so we made the hard choice and had him euthanized when he showed no progress and kept getting worse. We didn't want him to suffer.

Everything seemed to happen so fast and I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that my beautiful, sweet rat is no longer with us. 

RIP Lucky, you will be missed.