As Christmas creeps ever closer, it’s time for my annual reminder that puppies make lousy gifts. Like bunnies after Easter, puppies end up being abandoned in droves soon after the holiday excitement fades. Although everybody loves a cute, cuddly puppy, many people aren’t prepared to have their carpets peed upon, and their shoes chewed up. … Continue reading No Puppies Under The Tree
AKC Statement on Service Dog Air Travel Ruling
From The Dog Lady’s mailbag: The American Kennel Club™ (AKC), the largest purebred registry in the world and leading advocate for dogs, lauds the U.S. Department of Transportation [DOT] on the release of a final rule on travel by air with service dogs. “We are very pleased by the DOT’s strong statement that recognizes the … Continue reading AKC Statement on Service Dog Air Travel Ruling
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Tagged Ruling, Service, statement, Travel
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Saturday Survey: Dog Tweets
I’m really enjoying following some of the twitter accounts focused on dogs. I follow the ones curated by @DogFather (@Dog_Rates and @Dog_Feelings). Do you know of some more good ones for me to follow? Until next time, Good day, and good dog!
Happy 4th of July!
July 4th, or American Independence Day, marks a time of joyous celebration across the country every year. This year celebrations will be different, and we expect many people will be hosting celebrations at home. While this is great fun for our 2-legged friends, some of our 4-legged ones can find it very stressful.
The post Happy 4th of July! appeared first on Halo Pets Blog.
The Feel Good Page
I’m kind of new to Twitter, having turned there for my social media after my Facebook account was irretrievably hacked, so I apologize if I’m telling you something you already know. If you use Twitter, you need to check out The Feel Good Page (@akkitwts). Every day, there are videos of animals (and sometimes people) … Continue reading The Feel Good Page
We’ve Updated the Pet Holiday Calendar!
OK, is it just me…or is it really hard to believe that 2021 is right around the corner? I have to admit that 2020 has been a looooong year but, at the same time, many of the “mile…
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Shelter Sunday: Chuck / One Hound At A Time / Colorado Springs, CO
Meet Chuck! This handsome fella is house-trained, good with other dogs, and up to date on shots. Here’s what he has to say for himself: Hi! I’m Chuck, a 4-year old male lab or hound or dane mix. I was found on the streets with a horrible fungal infection more commonly found in Shar Pei … Continue reading Shelter Sunday: Chuck / One Hound At A Time / Colorado Springs, CO
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5 Tips for Disinfecting Your Home Without Harsh Chemicals
This post is in partnership with The Honest Company®.
I was raised in a home that was consistently spotless and germ-free. But just like I sadly did not receive my mom’s green thumb (so many dead plants), I did not receive her incredible passion for cleanliness. I’ve never been a complete slob (if you don’t count my twenties, anyway), but I’ve never been a “germophobe” either.
Welp, like most of us, that changed this year. Now I don’t even leave a room without hand sanitizer, and I basically walk around the house with a bottle of disinfecting spray (Honest Disinfecting Spray from Costco, to be exact; but more on that in a minute) in hand at all times.
While it is extremely important to me to keep my home disinfected these days, I am, as you guys know, not a fan of harsh chemicals. Just like I do my best to eat and feed my kids organic food, I try to clean my home in ways that don’t require toxic ingredients. If you can relate to the desire to keep a germ-free house without the nasty stuff, I think these tips could be as helpful for you as they have been for me!
1. Wash your hands.
We are told to do this so often it becomes annoying, but let’s face it – it’s one of the most important and effective ways to help stop the spread of germs. And while reminding you to wash your hands isn’t a cleaning tip, I felt compelled to list it because it really is an incredibly easy way to keep germs to a minimum in your home. My kids touch every surface in our house; knowing their hands are clean gives me peace of mind that our home is clean (or cleaner, anyway) as well.
2. Use Honest Disinfecting Spray to clean, deodorize, and disinfect.
This is my secret weapon, you guys! The Honest Company Disinfecting Spray is a powerful antibacterial spray that kills 99.9% of the germs we all come in contact with every day - without chlorine bleach, harsh abrasives, phosphates, fumes, or harsh chemicals. It also kills cold and flu viruses, which is crucial right now! Its fragrance-free formula cleans, deodorizes, and disinfects in one, and I use it everywhere. From door handles to countertops to toilet surfaces to sinks to my cell phone, a spray or two gives me the peace of mind that the power of hydrogen peroxide is doing its job and keeping things germ-free, without covering the home where my little ones play in unnecessary hazards. If you’re a Costco member like I am, I highly recommend purchasing the Honest Company Disinfecting 3-Pack available in-store or online. You will use it!
3. Sanitize laundry – without bleach.
I find myself washing bathroom hand towels, throw blankets, pillow covers, curtains, and other types of fabric-based home decor items a lot more often these days. Just like with other surfaces in our home, dirt-free does not equal disinfected, and fabrics that are used daily are full of germs. I don’t like using bleach to sanitize laundry because its such a harsh chemical, so I opt for gentler methods. Our washer and dryer actually have sanitizing settings, which is helpful. But you can also add vinegar or peroxide to the wash cycle to help disinfect. Drying on high for at least 45 minutes also helps to sanitize.
4. Keep bottles of Honest Disinfecting Spray throughout the house.
This is a tip (keeping cleaners in more than one room) that I learned from my mom growing up, but admittedly didn’t actually utilize until recently. (I used to keep them all under the kitchen sink.) It’s actually quite helpful because while I may be genuinely devoted to keeping my house void of germs these days, I still need reminders to do it. This is why I love the Honest Company’s Disinfecting 3-Pack from Costco. I keep one bottle in the kitchen, one in the downstairs bathroom, and one upstairs for easy access. When I see it, it reminds me to use it. And since we can’t keep surfaces truly germ-free without sanitizing them daily, it’s important to do it consistently (and without harsh chemicals, please!).
5. Regularly take the trash out (and disinfect the containers!).
It might seem obvious to take the trash and recycling out when they’re full, but we have a habit of pushing in as much as possible until the containers are bursting at the seams. There is something to be said for this, because it’s less wasteful to get as much as possible into one trash bag, but it’s not the most sanitary way to go about things. When garbage and things like used tissues (yuck!) are piled up (and repeatedly touched each time we pushed them down), germs are spread. I take the garbage and recycling outside much more frequently these days, and also clean and disinfect the garbage containers with Honest Disinfecting Spray every time, right before I put in a new trash bag.
I hope these tips prove useful for those of you looking to keep your house as germ-free as possible without having to use hazardous chemicals to make it that way. And if I haven’t hinted about it enough yet, head to your local Costco (or the Costco website) and get yourself the Honest Company’s Disinfecting 3-Pack now! I’m telling you guys, it is a game-changer for not only disinfecting but also cleaning and deodorizing too. (Who doesn’t love a multi-tasking cleaning time saver?) I am also such a big fan of The Honest Company in general and have been since my daughter was born in 2013. Their products are made with love and care, and with safety in mind – from baby, personal care, and beauty items to household products like their Disinfecting spray about which I cannot stop gushing. The Honest Company also partners with organizations like Baby2Baby to help ensure all families have access to basic necessities and health information for safe growth and development, which is pretty wonderful.
Do you have any other tips for keeping your home sanitized without the use of harsh chemicals? I’d love to hear them if so!
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Our 2020 Family Holiday Cards
Those of you who have been reading here for a while know that even though I don’t often get personal about my private life (especially when it comes to my kids), I always share our family holiday cards with you all. And I say this every year, but it’s worth repeating: sharing family holiday cards might not seem like a deep dive into our personal lives, but there is something very intimate about them. They are the most special greeting we send to our closest friends and family at the end of every year, and they represent our gratitude for those people. Well, I’m grateful for you all as well, and that’s why I choose to share these with you in a post every November.
Also, let’s face it. 2020 has been a real a-hole of a year, and that just makes me want to share greetings of peace and love and joy more than ever.
Honestly, I can’t think of a year I have ever not sent out holiday cards. They are one of my absolute favorite seasonal traditions. (I even have a line of them of my own, although they’re a much different style than the ones I send out myself these days.) And six years ago, I discovered a holiday card company that not only had the hippest cards around, they went above and beyond to make my life easier. So please allow me to gush for a minute about them, my beloved Postable.
Before I start my annual professing of love for Postable, I want to say that Postable did not (and has never) paid me to review them. This is just one of those time that I have fallen in love with a brand, gotten to know them, and feel inspired to spread the word of their awesomeness. Again and again. What initially drew me to them way back when was their huge selection of beautifully designed, fully customizable cards that are all 100% post-consumer recycled and/or tree-free 100% (envelopes too). Once I had their cards in hand, I was impressed by other things too – from the quality of the cards themselves to the quickness of their shipping.
I think my favorite thing about Postable, however, is that they do all the freaking work you guys. Not only do they print my cards, they stuff the envelopes, address them, stamp them, and mail them for me too. So basically, I have not had an envelope cut on my tongue in years, and that is glorious. And the process of getting them made and sent couldn’t be easier. I choose a card design (which is by far the longest part of it because the options are endless), upload my photos, greetings, and names, choose my font, choose an envelope color, click on the addresses saved in my address book, and hit order. A few days later, my cards arrive in my loved ones mailbox, which leaves me way more time to binge watch dark holiday comedies and eat peppermint bark in bed.
Thank you one again to my friends at Postable for making the holiday season a little brighter by creating beautiful cards and making it beyond easy to get them sent. After the year we’ve all had, I appreciate thie more than ever. I’ll also mention once again the people who work for the company are genuinely kind humans too. So kind that they are giving you 20% off your entire order with code BEAN20. So get over to their site right now and start designing, friends. Happy holidays, and happy holiday card giving!
This post is in collaboration with Postable.
Keegan’s Birthday
I’m a couple of days late, but no less sincere, in wishing Boston Fire Investigator Keegan a very happy 7th birthday. Thank you for your service, sir. Until next time, Good day, and good dog!