Calling All Animal Lovers!!!!

So as you can tell from my bio I'm a huge animal fanatic. I'm shocked it took me this long to make a post about my furry friends.

It all started when I was 1, and I got my first puppy, it was love at first sight. Her name was Brandy and she was a Beagle mix. She slept on my bed every night (as soon as I was outta my crib). She was my side kick and partner in crime.

When we moved from Newfoundland to Montreal Canada my family decided to get an orange kitten. My mother named him Muffin; she didn't came if it was a boy or girl, its name was Muffin. He was five weeks old when we got him and had to be fed with an eye dropper. We didn't have him long. My father became asthmatic and we had to give him away to a family friend. My mother was heart broken; she is a cat lover through and through.

After sometime had pasted we went to the SPCA and found a 5 month old Black Lab Mix. We fell in love on the spot and brought him home that day. We named him Shadow, because he followed us everywhere! Him and Brandy became good friends and we'd always find them curled up by the window in the sun. So then I had to share my twin size bed with two dogs, which I didn't mind at all. After 6 short years in Montreal we moved to New Hampshire. It was a big change but I adjusted with the help of my dogs.
I got diagnosed with cancer in January of 2000, and Brandy died from liver failure that April. It crushed me. I had her all my life and then she was just gone. It was a big void in my life and came at the most horrible time for me and my family.

Some time passed and the family decided that Shadow needed a friend. So my father made some calls and we got a pure bred white boxer, which we named Rocky. He was a ball of energy, a big change from the other two who just liked to relax and chill out. He was nothing like any dog we had before. He was go go go all the time. Rocky and Shadow bonded quickly and became buddies. Rocky was  goofy and an all around sweetheart. He thought of himself as a lap dog. But at 90 pounds it could be a little much. But he was so lovable I let him snuggle with me anytime.

About a year after getting Rocky I stumbled into a pet store and left with a one pound baby Chihuahua. he was too sweet to pass up. We named him Scrappy-Doo, and as we came to fine out his name really fit him. I wasn't sure how Shadow and Rocky would take to him. But to my surprise they loved him, and made him part of the group. They would all play together for hours. It was quite comical watching a 55 pound lab, a 90 pound boxer and a 4 pound chihuahua play fight. Rocky was a gentle giant, he would let Scrappy bite his face and just pretend to bite back. I always got comments about my three boys, they were all so different, but got along amazingly. Some time passed and Shadow got cancer. We tried all the medicine and none of it was working. He was dying. We made the decision as a family to have him put to sleep. He went peacefully. The other boys knew what was going on and were not themselves for quite some time. Dogs are very intelligent, and mourn just like we do.

 After Shadow passed my boyfriend moved in, and brought with him an iguana. We named him Jack Jack (yes from the Incredibles). Come to find out he is a she so now we call her Mrs. Jack Jack.

Myself and Rocky had this thing, he knew when I was coming home. So as soon as I pulled into the driveway I would see him face in the window and he'd meet me right at the door. I got out of work one afternoon and pulled in the driveway, and there was no white face waiting for me. I figured he was busy begging for food. I walked in the door and saw my Dad crying. (I have only seen my Dad cry twice, once when his mother died and again when he told me I had cancer.) I knew something was up. I asked "where's Rocky?" and all my mother said was that he was gone. I hit the floor in tears. Its hard enough to lose a pet when you know they are sick, but just out of the blue, it was devastating. He died in front of my father, from heart failure. Something common in Boxers. He was only 6 years old.

After Rocky died the house was very quite, Scrappy stopped playing and wasn't doing much of anything. He took it harder then anyone. I couldn't see him like that anymore, and we all needed something uplifting. So I went on www.Petfinder.com and found a 16 week old Pit Bull mix. After all the paperwork was filled out, we got to pick him up. We named him Nikko. He's all white with a brown ear and a brown spots. He is a doll. When they found him he was in a box on the side of the road with his brothers and sisters, and his mom was clawing at the box to get them out. Sadly he was the only one that survived. So he is a fighter. Nikko is quite the character, and I can see bits and pieces of all my past dogs in him. He's a loveable snuggler. Pit bulls get a bad rap but I have never seen a bad or mean feature in him. He is now three years old and acts like he's still one.

My boyfriend is a lizard man, so we bought a gecko and named him Calvin. He likes to just chill out and catch the crickets I give him. He loves being held and running around the bed. And once again after naming him, we find out he's a she. So its Mrs. Calvin now.

My boyfriend and I got married in 2010, and bought our first house a week before the wedding. As soon as we moved in (two dogs, and two lizards in tow) we had an opportunity to get kittens. We decided on getting two, because everyone needs a friend. We got a grey and white one, and named him Brembo. And an orange, brown, black and white one we named Sookie. (True Blood fan :o)) The dogs are amazing with them, they play and sleep together, like one big happy family. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch.

About a month ago a family friend got put in the hospital and got evicted from her house. She was going to lose her animals if she couldn't find them a temporary home. So me being me, brought home a 9 year old orange cat, whose name is Tripper. He's an old grouchy cat, but is coming around to all the animals. Which I am very happy about. He is only temporary but he is already part of the family.

My life is animals. They are like my kids (because I don't have any, but still will be when I do). It's awesome to come home to them and wake up to them. They are always happy to see you. I will never not have an animal in my house as long as I live. They make make my life the way it is, and I am grateful for that.

~Heather
     

Spring Cleaning......A Little Late For That!

Everyone dreams of having the perfect house, all clean and organized!

When we are all out blog hopping we all see just that..

what appear to be "perfect" houses!

I bet most are not and most have been cleaned for photo purposes.

I know my house isn't sparkling clean all the time..I bet yours isn't either!

I recently just realized how much junk stuff I seem to have accumulated

over the years! I decided that I REALLY need to de-clutter and say good bye to some of it!

I feel overwhelmed by clutter and being unorganized..it cause stress in my life,

that is really unnecessary! I decided to socur the internet for some ideas and help.

I compiled some information I stole I mean borrowed for some of the sites I found!

A clean home is a happy home..Right??!!

Create a vision

Know what you want your house to look like, GET STARTED!

Get some boxes:

Get some boxes to clear ALL surfaces, so you can wipe them down and get them clean.

Put Away- all items to keep and re display, you don't need to know where you will put this stuff right away.

Give Away- donations take to your car immediately, so you resist the urge to keep them.

Throw away- line this box with a trash bag when full remove and toss

A place to start:

Start with your bedroom first, that will allow you to get the rest and

 relaxation you need to complete the rest of the house.

When your trying to rest for the next day of decluttering,

do you want to be trying to sleep in a room filled with clutter?

(Loved this idea)

Tackle one room at a time

Make clean-up fun: Play music and dance whatever gets you in the mood

Follow the "in-out rule: Every time you buy something, one thing has to go

Ask yourself if you really need something. If you hesitate, you don't.

You should own nothing that is not useful, beautiful, or loved.

Keep only the objects you'll use (a vase, a pretty bowl) or that are uniquely meaningful

(a handmade gift or travel memento).

Don't just accumulate "stuff." It's better to leave a space empty,

 until you've found exactly the right piece to fill it.

Streamline. If you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it.

Seasonal items

Every year, reassess whether you need to keep certain items.

If you didn't use that glow-in-the-dark skeleton for Halloween this year, will you use it next year?

Clothes

"Ask yourself, 'Do I ever wear that?' Go through and anything that you haven't worn in 12 months, no longer fits, out of fashion, that you don't love, use as an opportunity to get rid of it. If it is something like a dress that you only wear on special occasions, that is different.
You do not need 5 occasional dresses or suits. One or two is fine.

Keep all horizontal surfaces clear:

Keep tables, counters, dressers all clear of stuff. Except of course the necessities

Junk Mail

Minimize junk mail. Treat junk mail like the intruder it is. Get rid of it immediately

Maintain a good filing system, Create a paperwork zone.

Do not let paperwork anywhere else but in that zone, bring all papers, bills and mail directly to that zone when you get it.

Kitchen:

Go through all cabinets and pantry and refrigerator and throw way all expired foods and items.

Identify useful utensils with the cardboard box test.

If you want to see what utensils you're really using, use the cardboard box test. "Take all the utensils out of your drawers, put them in a cardboard box," he says. "For the next month, whenever you use one of these utensils, put it back in the drawer. If after four weeks it's still in the box, you don't need it."
(Loved this one too)

Establish four main kitchen zones.

All you need are four main areas: the preparation area, the cooking center,
 the eating area and the cleanup area. Keep only the items you need in those zones

Place all items in groupings: Dishes, Tupperware, utensils, wraps, cleaners, spices. You can do the same with food, baking, canned goods, boxed dry goods, bagged dry goods etc. You could even break them down even more such as cans of soups, veggies and side dishes and pastas etc..

Bathrooms

Purge all unused products, gels, shampoos, makeup etc

Check medicine cabinet, toss expired medications.

Use a basket system to organize every ones things, each family member has a basket.

Organize linen closets with baskets or containers.

Remember it took years to get all this clutter it will take a while to rid of it as well!

Do not get overwhelmed take your time and tackle one thing at a time.

I will post more as ideas as I am decluttering my house!
~Janice



Need a night away?

Looking for a weekend, or even a night away? Adventure Suites, in North Conway, NH is the place to go. Its a fun and different hotel. You can tell your experience is going to be something else when you pull in the parking lot and see a village instead of a hotel. The outside of the building is a faux village, including a bank, a church and so much more.

 It only gets better when you walk through the door. The lobby is all Victorian and completely breath taking. They have a gift shop called the Vault, a billiards table, and a DVD library with tons of movies that a free for the night. There is free popcorn and a fire pit that they light every night. Every room has a 2 person or more Jacuzzi tub! My favorite part of the stay!! There are 17 different themed rooms, they range from $179 a night to $499 a night. Weekends are when the prices are the highest. Its a lot of money so my husband and I treat ourselves to one night there every year, and always a different room. So far we've stayed in the Victorian Spa, the Cave, the Deserted Island, and Showtime. They were all amazing! Every stay comes with a free breakfast in their Diner inspired kitchen. I could not tell you my favorite if I tried, they are all spectacular.

The Victorian Spa has heated floors, a fireplace, a sauna, a four poster bed, and the best of all a 2 person jacuzzi facing the mountains with two way glass, so you can see out and no one can see in.

The Cave has a water fall shower, a fireplace, a five person jacuzzi tub, and up the stairs an amazing king size bed. It looks exactly like a cave....bats and all.

The Deserted Island was fun. Two person jacuzzi tub, and an Oyster shaped bed that closes to a 45 degree angle. If you are an Elvis fan, this is the room for you. Elvis memorabilia everywhere. There is also a rope swing in the room!

Showtime is awesome. Fireplace, 2 person jacuzzi tub that looks out at a 10 foot projection screen. The cool thing about this is there is surround sound in the bathroom, so while you are relaxing in the tub you can watch, and hear perfectly whats going on on screen! It also has theater seating so you can bring the whole family.

We haven't decided what room will be our next treat, maybe the Pent House, the Tree House, or maybe the Dragons Lair! We also got word, last time we were there that there is another room in the making. Its going to be a Halloween room! How fun is that????

This is an experience you don't want to miss out on. Check them out on there website. You won't regret it :)

http://www.adventuresuites.com/

Has anyone been there? Share your experience with us.

Heather

Summer Nails & Toes

I love nail polish. Ever since I was a little girl I've always wanted my nails and toes painted. Makes you feel pretty :)

I am an OPI fanatic! One thing I use all year round is "Original Nail Envy Nail Strengthener" by OPI. Its just a clear polish that really has made my nails stronger; it takes a lot for them to break. It can be a little pricey ($10-20) but the bottle can last years and has made a huge difference. They now have different types of strengtheners, Matte, Dry & Brittle, Sensitive & Peeling, Soft & Thin, and Maintenance. You can buy it at most beauty salons and nail salons. I even found it on Amazon.com for $6! Can't beat that. Check it out at http://www.opi.com/. Last time I was at the salon I noticed that OPI has started a new line called "Shatter Crackle Nail Polish." I haven't tried it yet, but I plan on it.

If anyone has used it, let us know how it works!

I love bright colors, especially pink! That's why when I found "Del Sol" nail polish I was hooked. It goes on one color and changes to another color in the sun. It actually works! I found the shop while I was vacationing in Aruba years ago. Now when I run out I order it online. http://www.delsol.com./ My favorite polish goes on white and in the sun turns pink. Its super fun!

Another totally cool nail polish that Jan introduced me too is, the kit above made by Nailene. It comes with the pen so you can draw on a perfect French Manicure and the clear coat. It comes out amazing. She picked it up at Wal-Mart for $5.00. Best investment ever!

It is easily portable in your purse and it dries SUPER fast so you can do it on the go.

Now you can have a nail salon French Manicure in the comfort of your own home, for a quarter of the price!

Heather