Things I love...

I still think about blogging all the time, but doing just hasn't happened often.  Keep thinking- oh, I want to share this with... but life has a way of getting in the way. So today I'm just going to do a little smash up of things that I love at this moment in my life.

* Nellie's laundry soda- saw it on HSN as a special value. My older son gets hives sometimes (I swear he's allergic to his own sweat) so it appealed to me that this didn't have fragrance and a lot of added nonsense that most laundry products do. I have found that this stuff really works great. I've gotten blood out of all kinds of fabrics. (The bulldogs started fighting right before Thanksgiving so there's been several opportunities to test this out, unfortunately.) It only takes a tablespoon for a load so it's super cheap per use too.

*Along with Nellie's I love Spray N Wash Max. With really tough stains this seems to get them out on first try, unless it's greasy and then I spray a little Goo Gone first and then this.

* As another laundry trick for me- yes, I am the laundry perfectionist- I sort and the thought of washing everything together makes me break out into a sweat- but I digress, I use off brand laundry spray on armpits of my hubby's shirts. This prevents white stain of sweat mixed with antiperspirant from becoming a real problem. Years ago my hubby had a favorite shirt that he wore to work so often that pits literally got solid from this. Fabric literally broke vs. bend.

* "Copper" pans. The ceramic/copper coating is AMAZING- so easy to clean. I always scan TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Ross, etc for them when I'm there.

*Jiggot Whitening UV Sunblock- It's a Korean brand of SPF that my daughter turned me onto. Super lightweight feeling and no breakouts. I use this as base for IT Cosmetic's CC cream when I know I am going to be out in the sun.

*Skinfood Pineapple Peeling Gel- but that seems to no longer be available so the Sparkling Lemon Peel at YesStyle.Com is a close replacement. Can also get Korean SPF at this site. Both peeling gels have a tiny granular feel AFTER rubbing on skin- but not grainy like a sugar scrub. I love how soft and smooth my face feels after using them.

*High waist yoga pants/capris/shorts WITH POCKETS. #1 love high waist workout pants because I have booty and I have thighs, but my waist is small so the low waist, fold over the hipbone ones of recent were the worst for me. I would only buy workout pants that had a drawstring at waist to really cinch them in place. The high waist accentuates my tiny waist, keeps in place and I think my butt looks better in them too. #2 POCKETS. Usually situated on outside thigh but finally have a place to put phone while wearing around the house. When I actually run in these, I either don't have phone on me or wear a special belt with zipper pouch for phone around my waist. I wouldn't trust the pocket to keep phone from bouncing out while doing real workout.

*Benefit liquid blushes. I've always loved look of non-powder blushes and the Benefit ones are fabulous. My favorites are Benetint (original one- like crushed rose petals in liquid form- even rose scent) and Loli-tint (mauvy pink) both look so natural on my skin. My daughter actually asked one day if I was wearing any makeup when wearing Benetint, IT CC cream, and a little mascara & brows done.

*Benefit Ka-Brow (4.5 color) mini- love Anastasia brow gel but it's big. So recently I tried the Benefit mini and love the small little jar for the gel with handy little brush that is part of packaging. I know have multiples so I have one for my home makeup table, one at KY house, one in small makeup bag, one in bigger makeup bag so I don't have to be without.

*Campanelli Fresh Face micro fiber towels. These are fur-like but man do they work. Takes off makeup without any soap needed. Just wet, wring out and wipe off your face. I bought a set at Xmas time and gave some as gifts. Those I kept, I cut the larger towel in half and added binding along cut edge to double my supply. I don't use any cleanser on my face, just the damp towel but do use the natural bar soap that I get in bulk to clean the makeup off the towel in between.

*YouTube video channel of Monique Parent. She's an actress that's over 50 and decided to embrace gray hair. A woman in the knitting club in Georgia had made me aware of her and I just really like her videos as they apply to my life as a mature woman way more than the majority of beauty related videos with 20 year old faces getting the makeup put on it. Plus she never professes to be an expert just things that work/don't work for her.

*Clicker dog training. The bulldogs started fighting (bloody battles too) right before Thanksgiving. Zeta was just over 1 year old and Zoey was 4. All of a sudden they could not get along. (My right index fingernail is still growing out from the damage I got from last fight being broken up.) So we have had to keep them separated and I started training them. Zoey has always had a bit of dog aggression (we didn't socialize when young and also think bulldogs have harder time with other dogs as their loud breathing, snorts can come across as aggressive to other dogs plus no tail to be "read" as with most dogs.) She was just uncivilized when she would greet other dogs. Routinely would get "Oh, my dog loves dogs" then that dog would snap at Zoey upon greeting and owner would be apologetic so I do think it's a little breed related. After reading multiple training books here's the keys I've come away with.
-We were really bad dog owners. ONLY thing we seemed to do right was reward Zoey with attention when she'd pick up a toy and be all wiggly and proud of it. (Really easy to do since she's absolutely adorable when she does this.) Otherwise you may be training your dog to find banned objects and make you chase them (they want your attention and found out the banned items gets that.)
- It's just behavior. Only reward behavior you want to keep.
-Punishment other than taking away reward doesn't work well with animals. So now I ignore (until I get the correct behavior) things like jumping, and then give reward after the correct kind of behavior is there. Most punishment is ineffective at getting the behavior you want and often causes more issues.
- I make them work for their food. On the very rare day that I am pressed for time, their kibble goes into this "egg" that makes them work to get it out.
-clicker training is an inexpensive way to get behavior you want- if you know a few simple rules
*Click ONLY when giving a treat (otherwise the click loses it's meaning.)
*Click for behavior (not as call, to get dog's attention, etc)
*Click once. Same goes for saying command- give dog a chance to get it right, then repeat with visual cue (Now if only I can teach my HUSBAND these rules. Even though I just tell him say it once it will be a stream of "down-down" immediately from him. )
- Dogs are more visual than verbal. Also sometimes just letting the dog "find" a behavior is sometimes better- it seems to stick better than when constantly giving commands.
-It's hard sometimes. At the beginning we really took away a lot of the "fun" part of the having the dogs. I.e. not allowing them on furniture. I'd heard "you have to teach them who is boss" and all that "pack leader" stuff but after reading training books, you don't have to be the "boss" just learn some manners. So now they are allowed on the furniture but ONLY when we give them permission. If they forget their manners, they have to get down and then wait until they are invited on the furniture.
-It's worth it. They are still kept separate but I see improvement and both are better dogs for this training even if we never get to being "friends."

*Treat N Train- this is a little more expensive training tool ($120)  but it's helped tremendously with my problem. It's very handy at teaching a dog down-stay. When the girls see the rug coming out and the Treat N Train they are anxious for me to be done with the fussing since they know they can "get in position" and get treats.
Last weekend while I was meeting with a client, hubby and boys were in charge of the dogs. According to hubby, dogs seemed to be getting along fine (5 of them total - 2 puppies, bulldogs and son's dog). So he let Zeta off leash- she went after Zoey. Luckily no injury but I was a bit frustrated that he allowed that interaction as it only delays progress. The only positive is that hubby now realizes that Zeta is the one with the problem, not Zoey. 
Zoey has taken to all the training quite positively. She literally ignores dogs if "training" is happening. Zoey is harder to handle when people are around (she loves all people) than when it's dogs. She's super excited about people and treats don't have as high of a reward vs. attention from people. Zoey was quickly okay with being a dog and chewing on a bone in bed in living room, just being around us, rather than being on couch. Zeta took much longer to teach to stay off couch unless given permission. Zoey can not be let off leash because she's learned to enjoy the game of chase that ensues. She still tries to bolt out the doors at the KY because she's enjoyed this game. She does not try to bolt out the TN house- because it's fenced in- no where to go.
After the little scuffle last weekend I've been training them together. One is hooked to a leash that is looped around the foot of bed. I lay down the rug and place Treat N Train at end of rug. The other I bring into room on leash and use clicker. Basically they get rewards while being in close proximity to each other so they will start thinking "I get good things when she's around." I find that right now, Zeta being on the machine and Zoey being clicker trained is the calmer interaction. Zeta tries a little too hard to find what she's supposed to do. If you are going for eye contact, her head action can often be described as "bobble heading" LOL. Zoey if you are clicker training with just  "down"  will stay put UNLESS treat happens to make her have to move to get it. Last night and this morning I was able to get dogs within less than a foot of each other's face without any issue. Zoey could easily get to Zeta (her leash had several feet of range beyond where she was) but she will calmly stay down and wait for a treat- she had no desire to get at Zeta. So hopefully Zeta will start feeling comfortable with Zoey and not look at her as a threat. Both dogs are better for the effort already put in. They are already better dogs than pre-training but #1 lesson- train from the beginning. My youngest  got a blue heeler puppy (technically girlfriend's) and he's been training her from day one. Already basically potty trained. and can do sit, stay, rollover, twirl, and many other commands and is I think 10 weeks old.

Well, I think I've covered everything. Ta ta for now.