Going Natural..... with the 4 legged children

Meet Mollie, my 4 legged daughter 

Mollie joined my life in August of 2012.  After over a year of being dog-less (the longest I've EVER gone in my life without a dog), Mom finally agreed that I could get a dog.  At the time, I was commuting to school from Home, working part-time, and doing a part-time internship at a nearby minor league baseball team (busy busy, I know).  Mollie was 7 months old a the time, and was coming from the local shelter after being re-surrendered.  Of course, I wanted nothing but the best for Mollie, and researched extensively as to what the best nutrition was for a dog.

I quickly realized that the best was something I couldn't afford, at the time.  My research revealed that raw foods, like meat, vegetables and fruits, were the best for man's best friend.  After all, that is what their bodies are made for, raw food eaten in the wild.  So, I settled on the next best thing, the highest quality manufactured dog food.  I reviewed various brands online (you can check your dog food out HERE) 

What I learned? The first ingredient in your dog food should be meat. Not a meat by-product, meat. Then, the more ingredients afterwards that you can read and know what they are, the better.  Peas, raspberries, blueberries, etc. 

I settled on Taste of the Wild, and Mollie LOVED it.  I would supplement whenever my checkbook allowed with raw meat, raw fruits and vegetables, and I almost always put Olive oil on her dry dog food for added omega 3's and 6's.

The result?

A very happy, very playful dog.

But I still wanted to feed her better.  I know of too many dogs that have multiple tumors by the age of 6.. 7.. etc. Don't you think that's too young? Has anyone stopped to look at what is in their dog food and realized maybe this is the cause? Most dog foods you see on commercials are actually BAD for your dog.  I had no clue before I started digging in and researching it myself!


So now that I'm all out of school and have a "grown up job", and now that we are getting a new puppy, I've decided that more raw foods HAVE to be part of my 4 legged children's diet.

 What I've noticed with Mollie in the little time that I have tried it.

• Pooping less/smaller amounts.  This means that her body is digesting more of her food, and wasting less of it.
• Shinier coat- her coat GLEAMS now! I can't believe it, it is so soft and so shiny, people who pet her are always commenting on it!
• Better smelling breath- there is less gunk on her teeth, and her breath doesn't smell at all to me.
• Less stomach issues- Mollie used to get diarrhea (I know, gross) at least once a week, since feeding her raw food, I have had no issues!
• Drinking less water- I'm assuming this is because her body isn't trying to wash out all of the salt and preservatives that used to be in the dry dog food.
• More steady energy.  Instead of having bursts of energy, Mollie's energy is more sustained.  Her energetic bursts don't quite give me whiplash anymore- she is always ready for more running and playing, but never sprints around the house in an un-controllable sugar high.

Want to try it yourself? Here are some key ingredients I use in Mollie's food.  I feed about 2 cups of raw food twice a day, but it depends on your dog. (see a calculator HERE)

• Ground Meat (I have fed Mollie: chicken, beef, turkey, salmon and venison so far, I generally mix one meat with Salmon, as it is high in Omega's)
• Eggs (I cook these a little, but mostly so I feel more comfortable serving it to her raw, eggs for some reason weird me out! I soft-boil them and then peel the shells off and separate the egg white and yolk, but mix both in)
• Egg shells- after peeling them off the eggs, I put the shells on a cookie tray and bake them at 300 degrees for 5-10 minutes, just until they are brittle.  Then, I put them in Brian's magic bullet blender and blend away until they are a powder.  I then add these to my mixture.  Egg shells are very high in calcium.
• Peanut Butter- taste and protein!
• Peas
• Raspberries (Mollie likes red raspberries better for some reason)
• Blueberries (by the way, don't feed these to your dog on carpet, I found out the hard way that your carpets will look blood-stained)
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Chia seeds (another source of omega 3's and 6's)- I mix 1/3 c. of dry Chia seeds in 2 c. water, shake for 15 seconds, let sit for 1 minute, and then shake again to form my Chia gel.  I then add some of this to my dog food mixture, but also use it in our foods as well.
• Spinach- I have gotten both canned and bagged spinach, it's up to you!
• Pumpkin- canned pumpkin (NOT the pie mix) is one of Mollie's favorites, and it is extremely good for their stomachs! You can also feed this straight to a dog when they are having an upset stomach.
• Olive Oil (as stated above, high in Omega's :) )
• Apples
• Yams
• A multi-purpose Vitamin, just to make up for what I'm missing!
• Chicken Livers (I chop these up, Mollie didn't know what to do with them whole)
• Cranberries
• A splash of Apple Cider Vinegar- This is very good for both your dogs body, and your own!! Seriously, look it up, I'm not kidding!

 How do I make it? I buy a bunch at one time, mix it all in a bowl at once, and scoop out her portions into Tupperware, set one out for the next meal or two, and freeze the rest!


Have something else you feed your dog raw? Let me know!!
 

The Ultimate Cleaner

When we moved into our apartment 4 months ago, I was looking for any way to cut costs and save money. 

Any. Way.

I did plenty of research, hours and hours actually, looking for people's thrifty suggestions.  I began to notice that there was one household "saver" that seemed to show up on almost any article I read- Vinegar.  

Honestly I was a little surprised because I just never thought vinegar seemed like a logical idea.  Wouldn't my whole house smell like vinegar? I just remember as a kid I had one aunt who's house always had a distinctive smell.  I didn't want people walking into mine and smelling vinegar!

Well, I tried it. And honestly I can't stop using it! Here are a few things I've learned vinegar is FANTASTIC for!

 

1.  Deodorizing. Surprised? I was too, but I found out that vinegar is actually scent-free when it dries.  And what's even better is it takes those nasty smells with it.
2. Laundry- I use it instead of laundry softener now (much cheaper).  It not only acts as a softener- but like I said above- deodorizes.  I was amazed at how well.  One night I forgot I had washed towels and found them the next morning.  Dreading what they would smell like, I took a whiff- CLEAN! No mildewy smell, nothing nasty at all.  They smelled freshly washed.  Best. Thing. Ever.
3. Dishes- the trick to sparkling CLEAN glasses? Vinegar.  We load the dishwasher, put the regular dishwasher detergent in, and let it fill up with a little bit of water.  Then after a few minutes, we put in a quarter-sized drop of Dawn, and a plentiful splash of vinegar.  They come out sparkling!
4. Cleaning glass- I put some vinegar and water (about 1:3 ratio, 1 part water, 3 parts water) in a spray bottle and go to town on widows, doors, mirrors, basically any glass.  I then wipe them down with a newspaper (another trick I learned)- and the windows are streak free!
5. Cleaning counters- vinegar cuts through grease and stains like there is no tomorrow!
6. Spotless shower- I took a dish wand like the one below, and filled it up 1/3 dawn, 2/3 vinegar.  Whenever I'm in the shower I scrub it down, this works fantastic! The shower is streak free, and sparkling!
   
    
   7.  Removing hard water- I pour vinegar in a ziplock baggie, wrap it around the shower head and let it sit overnight.  The hard water stains are gone! And the shower head works so much better.
   8. Removing weeds- We had some poison ivy creeping up the step outside our apartment door.  I put a little bit of dawn in a spray bottle with vinegar (not diluted) and sprayed it on ALL of the leaves.  Gone!! Works like magic.  The dawn helps the vinegar cling to the leaves so it can kill them.  I was so impressed!
   
   
   Honestly I've just started using vinegar for any issue I have.  It has worked every time!!! Do you have something you use this miracle cleaner for?? Let me know!!