Sweet & Salty Sensation : New Chex Mix Popped

If you didn't know like I did, you quickly learn that when you have men in the house you always have to keep a generous amount of snack food on hand. At grocery shopping time, this usually leads to arguments between the boyfriend and I as he likes the sweeter of the snack foods and I have a little more salty taste buds. Because of this, it almost cracked me up to see the new Chex Mix Popped Sweet & Salty at the store during my last trip. I had to get it for him as a surprise, and who knows? I might even like it.

At first I didn't have high hopes for this snack as I'm a huge stickler on my salty & sweet not mixing but Chex surprised me. Both my boyfriend and I loved it! The sweet & salty seem to compliment each other, despite my expectations, and paired with the buttery popcorn it makes for a great night time treat. I can say though that I didn't get to try to much of it as he quickly took it back into the room to eat while he played football on our TV. Oh well, at least I found something we both can enjoy.

Read more about this sweet & salty sensation at:

www.chex.com

“Disclosure:The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.”

Caffeine Extreme

It doesn't matter who you are, nearly everyone starts to feel exhaustion set in after driving on the road for 14 hours with nothing but the same trees passing by you after every mile. So when I stopped at a little gas station in Missouri, I was definitely starting to feel my eyelids droop.

I headed over to the coffee maker to grab a pick-me-up when I spotted a flavor at the far end of the machine. Next to names like "French Vanilla" and "Hot Chocolate" was a flavor that was handwritten in sharpie spelling, "Caffeine Extreme" and below it was scribbled "6x more powerful than a regular cup of coffee".

I still had 7-8 hours left on my drive and it was nearing midnight, so I thought I'd give it ago. I filled up my cup, paid and drove off a few minutes later. It only took me about 15 minutes to finish the entire cup and what came shortly after is a slightly hazy night that I will never forget. Word to the wise - When you have had nothing to eat all day and have already had two cups of coffee, more caffeine may not be the answer.

Within 45 minutes of finishing my cup, I recall rolling down the windows and screaming "Here's to never growing up" with the radio blasting as I sped down the interstate going  95 miles per hour. I had so much caffeine pumping through my system that I was actually waving my arms sporadically as I was driving to release the antsy, itchy feeling that I was getting. I felt like I just needed to RUN.

That single cup of coffee kept me awake (with a slight eye twitch) all the way from Missouri to Texas. By the time I neared Dallas, I could feel exhaustion wearing down on me but the caffeine seemed to glue my eyes open. I remember telling my Grandparents when I arrived "I'm not tired at all - I don't even feel a thing!" shortly before passing out in my dad's childhood room.

I had weird Star Wars dreams for the rest of the day.

Beware the "Caffeine Extreme"!

There and Back Again...

Besides my shoulder spasming painfully and the awful feeling of nausea from an earlier coffee overdose, it's almost impossible to remember that only a few hours ago I was on my third twelve hour drive this month. I'm exhausted and possibly sick, but despite this I'm glad I got to go on this trip.

So for those of you who haven't been following my crazy adventure, during the month of September 2014 I drove a total of 2,100 miles in 38 hours from Florida to Illinois, Illinois to Texas and then Texas back to Florida. I just arrived at my house safely a few hours ago, and besides a very messy car, we made it out alright. (Although I'm going to have some major "cleaning out" time with the car tomorrow)

I made it home just in time for my 21st birthday, which is in a week. On this trip I have gotten lost in Nashville (Tennessee), Somewhere in Kentucky, St. Louis (Missouri) and Mobile (Alabama). My car has seen three mechanics, one for an oil change and then two due to bad, watered down gas messing up technical bits in my car. I've drank 11 cups of coffee (One called "Caffeine Extreme" which actually counted as 6 cups of coffee on its own) and I've traveled through more states than I can count.

I guess you could say I've seen the Midwest.

But I'll tell you all about it more tomorrow after I've gotten some rest. I'm exhausted and I'm sure tomorrow I'll have to go back over this and fix things I spelled or said wrong. 

Until tomorrow ~

Baking with Pillsbury and the kids!

Today I just got sent a coupon for "Pillsbury Melts Cookies". I never tried them before but they looked delish, so I headed off to Walmart to grab some. When I got there, I probably spent twenty minutes in the baking and cake mixes aisle trying to find the right kind. There were other cookies from Pillsbury but not the kind I was looking for. At first I thought that my small-town grocery store didn't care them but funnily enough, they're actually in the refrigerated section.

By the time I got home, my friend's daughter (who was going to help me bake) decided she wanted to make one batch of each kind for her mom who was just getting out of surgery. We heated up the oven, got out two cookie sheets and laid a piece of wax paper over both. The thing I love about these cookies is how easy they are to bake! Literally they're already pre-cut so you just pop them out of the package and put them on a cookie sheet!

Within 15 minutes we had two batches of steaming, gooey cookies. My friend's daughter helped me drizzle chocolate over them, which came in the package, and then we waited for them to cool.

They were a huge hit! We had them out on a plate for probably less time than it took to cook them. (Which is really fast!) Everyone loved the gooey vanilla and fudge centers and they were awesome with milk!

I'm definitely getting these again when Christmas rolls around. Every year I battle with my cooking supplies and make a huge mess in the kitchen because I want to make cookies for all my friend's families. I think this will make things so much easier and tastier. Now if only they made cake pops!

Someone already stole a few ;)

Find more gooey goodness at:

http://www.pillsbury.com/products/cookies/ready-to-bake-cookies/melts-molten-fudge-filled-cookies

http://www.pillsbury.com/products/cookies/ready-to-bake-cookies/melts-smore-sensation-filled-cookies

http://www.pillsbury.com/products/cookies/ready-to-bake-cookies/

https://www.facebook.com/Pillsbury 

Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.

Paws in the Park

Yesterday Tobi and I got to go to the 11th annual festival in Greensville, IL called "Paws in the Park". There were dogs EVERYWHERE! My little dachshund is very friendly and not to long after we arrived, he was tugging me every which way trying to say hello.

Sadly we got there shortly after they stopped taking registrations for the contests, but we still had fun. (I still think Tobi would've won "Best Kisser") I took my friend's kids to get their faces painted, Tobi got a $10 nail clipping and they even gave Tobi a tattoo on his butt! He was scared at first because the spray they used to put on the tattoo reminded him of his squirt bottle at home, but with a little encouragement from the kids, he was loving it!

I think it turned out awesome!~

Afterwards I took my friend's kids to Edwardsville, IL to go lazer tagging and wander around the shopping mall with their friends before heading home. All in all, I say it was a successful outing.

Shattering

I'm just going to let this video do all the talking - It's absolutely gorgeous. Great Job Lindsey Stirling, you did it again! :)

My Would-Be Amazon Review

Yesterday I read a really cute book called "What Did the Cat See?" and so, as I do with most books, I went to leave a nice review. This was my first review...

My daughter is going through the age where she is obsessed with all things feline so I thought this would be the perfect book for her. I've now had to read it to her 5 times this week and I'm almost positive that this is her new favorite book. Great Job Angela Yuriko Smith and keep up the good work!

I get an email from Amazon a few minutes later letting me know that my review was in violation of their guidelines and couldn't be posted. ...Okay? I re-read my review and Amazon's guidelines before deciding to try again, this time removing the Author's name so my review was only about the book.

My daughter is going through the age where she is obsessed with all things feline so I thought this would be the perfect book for her. I've now had to read it to her 5 times this week and I'm almost positive that this is her new favorite book.

I get the same email again a few minutes later...

A little frustrated, I completely dumb-down my review so there was no possible thing that could be violating their guidelines.

My daughter loved it. Keep up the good work!

Again I get an email... so now determined to leave a review - I try yet again, this time completely re-writing my review so that it's more like a mini-synopsis of the book rather than a review.

What a wonderful story! "What Did the Cat See?" is a walk alongside a curious cat that will have you looking at things in a whole new perspective. The pictures were really cute and my daughter absolutely loved it. I highly recommend this book.

Another email - Maybe they just have something against my daughter as if I was reading a children's book to myself?

What a wonderful story! "What Did the Cat See?" is a walk alongside a curious cat that will have you looking at things in a whole new perspective. The pictures were really cute - I highly recommend this book.

By the next email, I had given up. Sorry Angela Yuriko Smith that I can't tell you what I think of your book because somehow every review that I try to leave is inappropriate in some way.

So here is my review - What Did the Cat See is an awesome book listed on a very annoying site and not just that - Right now it's free! I really enjoyed reading this book to my daughter and it's probably her new favorite. Thank you so much and keep up the great work. You deserve every star that I would give you if my reviews weren't so scandalous.

Tobi, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

So last week I made the long trip from Florida to Illinois with my little dog, Tobi and what an experience that has been. Although when I was moving, I really only accounted for how much it was going to cost me to get up to Illinois... not how I was going to survive without a job when I got here.

The first rule to survival is you have to eat - So off to Publix I went. Luckily for me, Publix had some crazy coupons going around as part of their Flavor Excursion display. A lot of the coupons were for things I already loved to eat and so the savings began.

When I finished shopping - I couldn't believe it ---

I saved a $1 off Old El Paso™ Frozen Entrée
I got Green Giant Frozen Bag Steamers on sale
I saved $2 off my KRAFT Natural Chunk Cheeses
And another $2 off Publix® Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
I also saved $1 off four cans of Chef Boyardee® canned pasta

Do you know what that means? I was going to have a feast tonight! I ate the Old El Paso for lunch but with the rest I made a nice meal of fried potatoes with chicken and Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes, topped with KRAFT Natural Shredded Cheese - Yum!

This is going to be so tasty!

I couldn't believe it when I walked out of the store with a cartload of groceries and nearly half the cost! That's one less worry off my checklist as I begin my grand adventure into The Prairie State.

Be on the lookout for these exclusive savings at Publix starting September 11:

In-Store Savings

Coupons available in-store, look for the Flavor Excursion display with products at your local Publix. Display will be available in most stores between 9/11 and 9/24. Savings available with coupons:

•Save $2 off Publix® Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts when you buy Any Four (4) participating products. Participating products: Progresso™ Bread Crumbs, 100% Natural Broths, Beans, KRAFT Salad Dressing (16oz), Natural Shredded Cheese (6-8oz), Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes (14.5oz or larger).

•Save $2 off Produce (minimum $2 purchase) when you buy Any Four (4) participating products*. Participating products: Old El Paso™ Seasoning Mixes, Enchilada Sauce, Refried Beans, Taco Shells, Ro*Tel® (10oz or larger), Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes (14.5oz or larger), KRAFT Natural Shredded Cheese (6-8oz

•Save $1.00 off Any Five (5) Ro*Tel® Tomatoes (10oz)

•Save $2.00 off Any Two (2) KRAFT Natural Chunk Cheese 7-8 oz

•Save $1.00 off Any Five (5) Hunt’s® Tomatoes 14.5oz

•Save $1.00 off Any One (1) Bisquick™ 40oz

•Save $1.00 off Any One (1) Old El Paso™ Frozen Entrée

•Save $2.00 off Any Two (2) KRAFT Natural Shredded Cheese 6-8oz

Looking for an Italian themed dessert? Try Crème Brulèe Cheesecake Bars, find the recipe and a $1.50 off any two Betty Crocker pouch Cookie Mixes coupon on the Betty Crocker display in-store.

Plus… find these items on sale this week. No coupon necessary, available at Publix:

•Green Giant Frozen Bag Steamers 11-12oz on BOGO

•Pillsbury Crescents and Pizza 3 for $6

Printable Coupons

Visit www.ReadyPlanSave.com to print your coupons. Available while supplies last.

•Save $1 when you buy FOUR Progresso™ products

•Save $1 when you buy THREE Old El Paso™ products

•Save 75¢ when you buy ONE BOX Old El Paso® Bold Nacho Cheese Flavored Stand 'N Stuff® Taco Shells OR Dinner Kit

•Save $0.50 when you buy ONE 20 OZ. OR LARGER Original Bisquick® OR Bisquick Heart Smart® Baking Mix

•Save $0.60 when you buy THREE any variety Green Giant® Seasoned Steamers™ or Valley Fresh Steamers® Frozen Vegetables.

•Save $0.40 when you buy any TWO Pillsbury® Crescent Dinner Rolls

•Save $0.40 when you buy THREE CANS any size/variety Pillsbury® Refrigerated Grands!® or Grands! Jr.® Biscuits

•Save $1 when you buy any flavor or variety of Old el Paso™ Froze Entrees

Digital Coupons

Visit, https://publix.couponselectionpage.com/offers/all, to find and instantly select digital coupons. Including the following from ConAgra. Available while supplies last.

•Save $0.40 off any TWO (2) ROTEL® products

•Save $1 on any FOUR (4) Chef Boyardee® canned pasta or microwave cup

•Save $1 on any ONE (1) Orville Redenbacher’s® Gourmet® Popping Corn (6-pk or larger)

•Save $0.50 on any ONE (1) Super Snack Pack® 6 pack

Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.

He-Who-Could-Never-Be-Named

So Amy and I recently went to the pet store to get some things for her daughter's bunnies and possibly a new harness for my little dog. (His keeps slipping) While we were there, the local shelter was adopting out animals. It wasn't long before Amy and her daughter that had accompanied us, had fallen in love with a large, 4 year old orange tabby.

His shelter name was "Thackery" and he had been living there since he was four months old. His story was just precious and all three of us soon fell in love with the older tom. Adoption papers were signed, carriers and cat food purchased... and soon we found ourselves riding home with a new furry friend.

As we pulled through the Starbucks drivethru to grab something to drink on the way home, we found ourselves trying to pick out a name for him.


"He was trapped in that shelter for so long with no one to take him home, what about Crookshanks?"

"I'm not sure, he looks like a lion."

"Simba!"

"No, Mufasa! Oooh! Say it again!"

"Mufasa?"

"Sampson!"

And so it went, trying to pick out a name for the cat who sat miserably in his cage yowling at us. He didn't seem like he was big on travel. By the time we got home, we had decided on "Mufasa". But not a few hours later, everyone seemed to have their own names for him.

"Come here little Timone!"

"No, it was Simba, remember?"

"Hold up - What happened to Mufasa?"

"Is it a girl? We should call her Nala!"

And so the Lion King references continued. Eventually I started to call him "He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named" as that seemed to fit him temporarily as everyone else tried to figure out what to call him. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is currently hiding in the bathroom as he tries to get used to his new surroundings. Maybe by the time he decides it's safe to come out, we'll know what to call him.

My Magical Room

So the crazy thing about houses in Illinois, is they are built down not up. Instead of two story houses, the two story house is flipped upside down with stairs leading underground rather than up. That's a horrible explanation but we could just say everyone lives one floor under the ground.

They do this because when Tornadoes roll through, you're safe even if your sleeping in your bed. So really the only part of the house that's above ground is the kitchen, living room and one bathroom. I actually have a window with metal around it to keep the grass and dirt from falling over and blocking out the sunshine. I'll just show you...

But if that wasn't crazy enough, my entire room is pink... and filled with Harry Potter stuff! Yep, I'm living in an underground pink Harry Potter room... and I feel magical. My friend, Amy, is a HUGE Harry Potter fan and used to use this room to store her massive Harry Potter collection. Most of it has been moved to other rooms but I still have maps and magical paintings hanging all over my wall accented with dragons and three-headed dogs.

Excuse the mess... I'm still moving in.

After the trip I've had, I literally feel like I'm in Hogwarts. Being so far away from everything I've ever known has really been a magical experience for me... hopefully, though, I won't have any run-ins with Basilisks and Dementors during my journey.

Illinois Update #2

So this morning I woke up to a horrible calf cramp (one that has kept me limping all day) but besides that I've had a decent enough morning. Usually my mornings begin at 11am with Tobi whining at my door to wake me up. From there we take our usual morning walk, a tradition we have held through any state, and then I'll go home and refill his food and water.

The funniest thing that has happened here since I arrived is the Highland, Illinois teachers have gone on strike. Literally, no school or school activities until they get a 6% raise. Beyond that, my main focus has been trying to find a job. Moving to another state doesn't excuse you from paying things like credit card bills and car insurance.

I've been applying for everything from Carhop at Sonic to Registrar at the local hospital. A job is a job... My friend, Amy knows a guy who knows a guy who happens to be the manager at the local Walgreens, so we're trying to get me onboard with them.

The day before yesterday Amy took me to the local thrift store to get me some warm clothes and some boots since the temperature here has dropped to 49 degrees. I was shivering in my flip flops (which actually broke shortly after I arrived) listening to them talk about how nice the weather was right now, and just wait until winter comes. Apparently last year you couldn't stand outside longer than ten minutes unless you wanted to get frostbite because it was below 0.

Sounds perfect for the Florida girl.

Besides looking for a job and walking the dog, I haven't done much else since arriving. I miss my family tons... but one foot in front of the other. Hopefully before I know it I'll settle in.

Moving Day...

I'm to tired to get into the details of the last week, but on Monday I actually made the move from Florida to Illinois. I'm absolutely exhausted and everyone in my family is calling constantly to try and find out any news.

First thing I have to say is that driving across the country (or at least that's how it felt) ... is terrible. I've never driven farther than a 2 hour trip in my life and the drive I just finished was a whopping 14 hours. There was everything from fog to big cities, traffic jams to crazy drivers. I actually have blisters on my fingers from gripping the steering wheel so hard during my drive.

I left during the middle of the night so my little dachshund, Tobi, would sleep during the drive... and honestly I didn't think I would be able to get any sleep myself with how anxious I was to get the trip started. I was armed with a 4-pack of refrigerated coffee and crispy sushi-seaweed paper to keep me awake. Why crispy seaweed paper? Well my mother didn't want me to eat nuts or candy because she was worried I would have a sugar crash - So naturally the only option was Japanese seaweed squares. Yum!

Besides getting lost in Nashville and turned completely around in Kentucky, I think I made it alright and apparently made good time. If there's one thing I want to say about Illinois though, it's fricken freezing!

Right now in my little town back home, it's 80 degrees - Here in Illinois it's 50 and expected to go down as the night progresses. I come from a land where the temperature gage doesn't read below 70 degrees!

So now I'm exhausted and ready to pass out... so begins a new chapter of my and my little dog's life here in Illinois. I miss my family so much but I feel like this is the path I was supposed to follow. One day I might return to Florida, only time will tell.

P.A.W.S. got a virtual makeover!

So about every week or so I try to put up a post about some of the local dogs that are looking for a home and today I noticed one of my favorite animal shelters got a virtual makeover. After clicking over to www.paws-shelter.com I was surprised to see that after like five years (or maybe longer) they redesigned their website.

If you don't remember the old website (and I tried to see if I had a picture of it, but I don't), it didn't really do this wonderful shelter justice. I love the new layout and design of the website, especially all the cute paw prints everywhere - plus it's easier to navigate.

If you're looking for a furry friend and your in the Emerald Coast area, be sure to check them out!

Safety First!

'Really Mom?'

In case you haven't heard the horror stories about the highway known as "Bloody 98", we can just say that I live on a busy road. So busy in fact that my insurance jumped nearly $50 more a month after letting them know I moved. I have to drive down this road nearly every day, sometimes several times a day to work, shop and more importantly, take my little dog to all his appointments.

A lot of dogs spend most of their time at home, but Tobi is a very busy dog. He has trips to the vet, dates at the dog park or to visit my mother's dogs and even bi-weekly trips to the groomers to keep him smelling fresh and clean. However, all these trips take him down the dreaded "Bloody 98" where I pass a terrible car wreck at least once a day. Suddenly safety had become an issue for my little dachshund.

So while I was in the store one day, I spotted a "Doggy Seatbelt Harness". I honestly didn't know they existed before that day but I was willing to give it a shot. Well today I got to put the harness into action and it was pretty hilarious.

My dog just laid there like I was putting some terrible device on him that kept him from hopping in the front seat. He kept giving me this look like "Really mom? Is this even necessary?". I couldn't help but to burst out laughing when I finally got it secured on him and all he could do was flop over like he had been abused.

Although, driving with it had been a relief. I always worried about him when we did our doggy errands but now at least he was a little safer. The harness was padded and secured to the seatbelt so that if we went flying, he was tethered to something short and safe.

One more worry off my list!

Looking for a Furry Friend?

With the holidays just around the corner, I've heard more and more of my friends talking about getting their children or loved ones a pet. Life just isn't complete without puppy kisses and tail wags. If you're considering bringing home a furry friend, then look no further than Petfinder.com.

I used Petfinder to help me adopt both of my dogs, Tobi and Chief. It's an awesome tool that searches all the animal shelters in your local area at the click of a button. You can search by breed, gender and even age!

Once you've found the perfect pet, you can contact the shelter through the site or visit them in person. They have all the shelter's contact information visible for each pet's listing - You don't even have to register on the site which was a big thing for me.

So this holiday season, skip the pet stores and adopt your fur-ever friend! Chances are they've been waiting for you for a long time.

Character Sketches

Just some rough sketches for an idea my mother came up with last night. I won't ruin the surprise... but I think it's going to be awesome.

Shopping for a Salesman

Did you know that your tie is the most important part of your wardrobe? Well, it is for my husband at least. Whenever I go shopping, I always have to be on the lookout for interesting and unique ties.

At first this was really difficult. When your husband just lands a career in car sales, you might not know that things like sports-team themed ties and cute hand drawn by children ties are off limits. (If he wears a Kansas City Chiefs tie and his customer is a Broncos Fan, he might not buy from him.)

Luckily, our local thrift store is usually flooded with ties and actually has a deal that you can buy ten ties for a dollar. Less than ten, though, and its a dollar per tie. Because of this, I usually come home with a bag full of ties at least once every few weeks.

At first 9/10 ties would have to be re-donated because I "picked ties only old men would wear". Apparently groovy peacock patterned ties that reminded me of my grandmother's carpet were out of style.

Today I came home with my usual bundle of ten, though, and apparently hit the home run of... well I did good. He seemed very enthusiastic about 8/10 of my tie choices with only one of the "no good" ones being a flat out "NO!". (Green tie with little stick figures golfing and waving their hands - I thought it was cute!)

Maybe next time I go to the thrift store, I wont have to bring back any loads of bad choice ties. Although even so, ten ties for a dollar is still a steal of a deal.

When you are a mother...

After several complaints from my husband, I finally moved my office up into the loft. I have a problem with working late nights and my pitter-patter on the keyboard keeps him awake. Tonight was my first night in the "new" office and I excitedly began what I had hoped would be a efficient night of no interruptions.

However, less than five minutes of climbing the ladder and turning on my computer... I hear a soft whimpering sound coming from the world below me. I peek over the edge to see our miniature dachshund, Tobi, frantically walking in circles in front of the ladder.

He wasn't being very loud, so I took a deep breath and told myself he would calm down in a few minutes... back to working. Five more minutes passed and I heard a squeaking noise, he now had his paws up on the first step of the ladder and he was looking helplessly up at the loft. "Give him a few more minutes and he'll be fine..." I told myself once again.

I let this continue for about another ten minutes before I finally gave up and climbed down the ladder. Immediately he started darting about the house like I had been gone for days, hopping up and down off the couch and skidding off into my room. I followed him before scooping him up in my arms. He got cuddles and coos before I tucked him into bed alongside my husband, laying the comforter over him as he liked to burrow.

I waited in silence for him to lay down before a little head popped up from underneath the blankets, curious eyes watching to see if I was also going to bed. I shook my head before laying the covers over him again only to have him pop out again, this time putting his paws up on my legs as if he were trying to tug me down. I tucked him in again before leaving the room, hearing him hop off the bed to follow me.

By this time he knew something was up and no amount of cuddles were going to get him to leave my side. Admitting defeat, I grabbed the two biggest pillow off the couch and headed up the ladder with him tucked under my arm. The two pillows were then shoved in the gap between the ladder and the wall so he wouldn't accidentally fall down, and then I finally began to work.

When you are a mother... all your free time goes out the window I suppose.

RUFF Dogs are looking for you!

RUFF

Rescued Unwanted Furry Friends

1003 Hwy 173 Graceville, FL 32440

(850) 863-7833

janice@911ruff.org

Buster

Male

Retriever, Labrador/Mix 

Meet Buster. What an awesome guy. He loves to play. Will fetch as long as you can keep up. But don't let that fool you. He can be a couch potatoe just as well as the active pal. If you are looking for the best of both worlds, then stop by and visit this goodlooking guy. He won't disappoint you.

Auburn

Female

Retriever, Labrador/Mix 

Hello, my name is Auburn. I was found wandering around right off of Hwy 98. For those of you who know Hwy 98 you understand how lucky I was that someone found me before I was out in the road. That nice person brought me to RUFF, he truly was my angel. I had Demodex mange when I was brought in, this has been treated and I am doing much better. Although, this is not contagious to other dogs, it caused hair loss and itching for me. RUFF has been very good to me, however I would love to have a forever home of my own.

Izzy

Female

Pug/Chihuahua, Short Coat 

I don't have a story... will you start one with me by bringing me home?

Skudder

Male

Hound/Mix

Skudder came to us as a tiny pup who would fit in your hand. He was near death from starvation and mange. Within two months he was healthy and beautiful. He is a precious loving dog and a bit shy at first when he meets you. He loves to play with other dogs and likes people. He will melt your heart. He has NEVER used the bathroom in his kennel and only goes outside in the outside run even when he fit in your hand. He is a very smart pup. He is neutered, up to date on shots, microchipped and heartworm free. He is very gentle and is an inside pup.

Tad

Terrier, Jack Russell/Mix 

I don't have a story... will you start one with me by bringing me home?

The Work of our Hands - Labor Day 2014

Happy Labor Day! Finally a Monday that isn't quite so dreadful. Kick off your shoes, make yourself a cup of coffee and relax from all the work you've done this year. Every job is important, from the Cashier at the superstore to the Doctor preforming surgery in the hospital. Labor Day is a day to celebrate how you've contributed to the growth of your local community and our country as a whole.

I found this poem online today as I was browsing through the many posts on my social media and I wanted to share it. It's simple but maybe that's why I like it. Labor Day isn't really a complicated holiday, it just gives American's a day to themselves.

Happy Labor Day!! ~ Penny Pinscher!

Drinking and Driving - Just Don't...

The rule "don't drink and drive" is probably one of the most important rules to remember next to "keep your hands to yourself". But what happens when you ignore these rules? I got to experience this first hand, although it could've been a lot worse... And a lot less funny afterwards.

So my husband picked me up from my mothers house (I had been visiting most of the day) to take me on our Labor Day Weekend away with his parents. I knew something was wrong when our roommate stumbled out of his car, obviously very drunk. I asked my husband if he'd been drinking and he told me no, and that he was fine. Satisfied with his answer, I got into the car and we drove off.

My next warning came when I noticed the brightly colored cans that littered the floor of the car. "It's just energy drinks, babe." My husband had assured me, but I knew better. Shortly after I noticed how badly he was swerving on the road. Again he came up with an excuse that a lot of people had their brights on and it was hard to see... I demanded to be let out of the car at the next gas station.

My complaints were ignored but eventually I convinced him to stop at a McDonalds to eat. My plan was that once I was out of the car, I would call my mom to come get me. It was close to midnight by the time we pulled over at the gas station.

I immediately went inside and called my mom to explain the situation. I gave her directions to the McDonalds 45 minutes away from her home. When I got outside, our situation had become even worse. My husband had left the car keys with our drunk roommate while he went to the bathroom, and the drunk roommate locked them in the car.

After getting into a yelling match with my husband, I called roadside assistance. Hearing sirens off in the distance, I was told it would be two hours before someone could make it out to us... 2am. To make matters worse, my mother got lost in the middle of nowhere after driving to a completely different town thirty minutes away from where we were. Not wanting her to get lost worse, since it was now 1am and she had work in the morning, I apologized and asked her to just drive home, I would meet her there when the tow truck arrived.

By this time our roommate had gotten advise from one of the gas station workers to call the police to help us. He asked to borrow my phone, still drunk with his locked in the car, to call the cops. I of course turned him down, remembering the open beer cans in the car and obvious smell of alcohol on his breath.

He kept insisting and actually flagged down an officer while I was using the bathroom. By this time, I had come out... The officer asked if they had been drinking and asked about the cans in the car. I could feel my stomach sinking until she asked who had been driving. Knowing the consequences would be less severe for me, I offered myself as the driver. I told her she could test my breath for alcohol, as I didn't ever drink anyways, but she said that wasn't necessary.

She informed us we could get a citation for the beer cans but could tell we had a rough night and was going to let us go. Just then our roadside assistance showed up to save the day, but now we had a bigger problem. Our lady officer sat in the McDonalds with two other police, making it a point to watch us drive away.

This should be fine, right? I mean, I haven't been drinking... Except I didn't know how to drive a stick. Defeated, tired and upset... We argued outside of the restaurant for another 45 minutes while the cops watched us before giving up and walking two miles to the nearest hotel.

So that was my night and honestly I feel blessed. In some ways I believe God was looking out for us that night. My husband was swerving so bad, who knows if we would have ever made it to his parents house. Little miracles happen in all sorts of ways... But this whole situation could've been avoided if people would just remember not to drink and drive.

Blog Share: DandilyonFluff - More Chicken Ban Business

Sent August 21, 2014. A letter from Nathan Boyles, the commissioner who thinks we are smart enough to care for a few chickens if we want to. I’m glad somebody up there has confidence in us!

I thought it was a simple issue but by the time it was over, I felt a bit like I had been boiled and plucked. I was trying to repeal the rule in Okaloosa County that outlaws backyard chickens – even a single hen- in all residential districts, rural or not. In truth though, the issue isn’t really about chickens at all. It is about being true to core principals. That means ending government interference into our lives – and our backyards, unless our individual actions harm our neighbors. I assumed, wrongly, that with an all Republican “conservative” Commission the issue would be a homerun. I noted a government ad from 1918 – near the end of World War 1 – encouraging Americans to keep backyard chickens to boost the productivity and self-reliance of a nation at war. The ad featured two children building a backyard chicken coop. The children represented the same generation that would later become “The Greatest Generation.” Those children, raised in a time when self-reliance and duty to the greater good existed in harmony, would face down the greatest threat the world has ever known. And yet less then 100 years later, it is okay for government to outlaw a former virtue... Read the rest at: http://dandilyonfluff.com/2014/08/more-chicken-business/

Who needs TV when you have Pets

My dog, Tobi, is a bit of an only child in our home. He plays with his toys by himself, goes on walks by himself and doesn't have to worry about other dogs trying to eat his food. Socializing is important in a dog's life though and one mommy can't replace the company of another furry friend.

Because of this, I try to take Tobi with me whenever I visit my mom. She has two dogs of her own (both twice the size of my miniature dachshund) and those three have a blast together. Her two, Dante & Chief, will usually start wrestling on the floor with Tobi trying to wiggle between them and nip at their ankles.

One time I was walking down the hallway of her house to suddenly be nearly knocked over by the three dogs racing each other. As they bolted down the hallway, I saw Chief try to leap over Tobi to gain the lead. Dante wasn't about to have that though and reached out to grab Chief's leg in his mouth to stop him... all while they were still running.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I watched Chief get thrown to the ground... right on top of Tobi and in a giant rolling ball of dog, I watched all three of them crash into a wall. They weren't hurt or anything, on the contrary. Tobi immediately hopped up to let his concerns be known with a squeaking noise, Chief bolted out the doggy door to win the race and Dante tumbled after him. Who needs TV when you have pets?

A Glass of Water a Day keeps the Doctor Away

What if we switched out all the soda we drink for water? Would we be happier, healthier and breath easier at night? Recent studies show the average American drinks 44 gallons of soda each year - yikes! That's like 44 milk jugs.

If you take into account that the average soda contains 140 calories of sugar alone multiplied by the 1.6 soda a day average... you're looking at over 100,000 calories of sugar alone in a year. So what would happen if we switched our daily soda for a bottle of water? Would we be happier, healthier and breath easier at night? ...most definitely!

Milestone: 100 Blog Posts!

100 posts and seven years ago, my mother started this blog to share her frugal experiments and savings tips with the world. No one knew at the time, not even her, that this small blog would help set her on track for the career she has today... Assistant Editor, Author and Part-Time Blogger.

When my mom began blogging in 2007, it was a hobby. She always loved writing but with her kids being a full-time job, it was often put on the back burner for things like soccer games and school field trips.

This post is the one draft and yesterday's post was 'Scheduled'

The Original 'Penny Pinscher'

With the help of our dog, Penny the Doberman Pinscher, she began to reach for what she truly enjoyed... writing. Her blog posts were featured on websites and in news articles, eventually prompting her to start the blog DandilyonFluff.com. When she let this blog go, her daughter (me!) picked it back up three years later and I'm here to stay.

I will never be the great writer my mother is, but hopefully I to will have interesting stories to share and helpful tips to give in the coming future. Congratulations Penny Pinscher on making it to 100 blog posts!

Blast from the Past

Pictures from posts over the years.

Coupon Brag Book

January 4th 2008

The Saturday Summary

January 12th 2008

My Dirty Little Secret

February 6th 2008

Scenes From the Backyard

February 15th 2008

Sunday, After Church

February 24th 2008

Stop the Train! I Wanna Get Off!

April 20th 2008

The Cost of Clutter

May 26th 2008

Paying Almost $500 Less Monthly...

September 10th 2009

The Pinscher Has Moved On

November 9th 2010

Advising a Friend

Children, the loves of our lives and the future of our country. Some would say family really isn't family without them... but what if children aren't a possibility for you?

A good friend of mine was asking me for advice today. He said that he's been with this girl for eight months now and couldn't be happier. While they were out having dinner she made a side comment about kids which lead him to ask if she wanted children one day.

"Of course! What woman doesn't dream of being a mother one day?"

Back in the present, my friend told me that he froze up. He had never told his girlfriend that he wasn't able to have kids; it had never come up in their relationship before.

"What am I supposed to do? She seemed so excited at the idea of kids and I really love this girl..." he had told me.

This situation is never easy and I'm not really the counseling, wise friend. But I told him what I would want in that situation.

"If you really love her and want a future with her, it's going to come up eventually. I know its difficult but you should be honest with her now. It will hurt her more if she finds out you've hidden it from her."

"Some people can't be in a relationship where children aren't an option and you have to respect her opinion. If she loves you in return and can accept that a life with you will be one without kids, then you know she's right for you. If not... well then she wasn't the one."

Did I give him the right advice?

The importance of “Looking Good”

Don’t misunderstand my title – None of us are super models. But there is some importance to keeping up with your appearance. Buying yourself a new shirt every now and then will have your whole wardrobe feeling fresh.

We all have those days where we might’ve slept in late and had to rush off to work without our morning shower. Heck, we’ve all had those days where some of our food spilled (or was thrown - *Cough* toddlers.) on our favorite white blouse and we know that stain isn’t coming out!

Those days we feel especially crummy and everything seems to go wrong; you miss your important phone call, you get splashed with water while trying to grab the mail… literally everything.

But the days where we’re looking good, (and we know it) those turn out to be some of the best days! So do your hair up differently, maybe even dye it – take some extra time to do your makeup or start moisturizing your hands with that wonderful smelling lotion your friend recommended.  Even the little things can brighten up your day and we all know a beautiful attitude is the first step to a beautiful life.