Tag Archives: puppy

Not A Perfect Parent: A Mish Mash Of Excitement & Frustration – Cars, A Puppy, Shoes, and Orchids

Not A Perfect Parent Series, ,

This is the second post in my ‘Not a Perfect Parent’ series.  You can read the first post, The Almost Daily Big Time Freak Out, here.

I hope you are having a fabulous day! I had a great morning at the Atlanta International Auto Show.  I love cars and gadgets/technology so being surrounded by beautiful cars with amazing technology was, for me, the equivalent of a child being in a candy shop.  I saw huge cars such as the Cadillac Escalade, tiny cars such as the Fiat 500, and a Nissan sports car that cost $149,000!  You read that right, $149k!   It’s pretty impressive but the $33,000 Cadillac ATS sedan and $38,000 (approx) Toyota 4Runner SUV are more up my alley.

Speaking of cars, I have been test driving a Toyota Tundra 1794 for a week and having never driven a truck before I didn’t know what to expect or didn’t expect much, I should say.  I’m kind of frustrated at the moment because this is my last day with the Tundra and I wanted to drive up north (toward the North Georgia Mountains) in it today but I had to go home after the auto show in order to take our dog out (another story completely) and my daughter is sick so I have to be home for her too. I blame my frustration on the dog, not my daughter.

Here is a photo of the Toyota Tundra 1794 I have been test driving.

Toyota Tundra 1794

Speaking of the dog (aka Cody).. if we are friends on Facebook you might have seen my post about our new puppy.  The puppy was an unplanned surprise that my husband brought home in January.  I was not ready for the responsibility of having a puppy and I thought that was pretty clear, but I guess not.  Madelyn, my 7-year-old, is just starting to sleep through the night which I cherish and I wasn’t ready to have another ‘baby’ in the house, much less one that I didn’t carry for 9 months and give birth to.  Had it been a surprise human baby, that’s one thing, but a puppy.. I’ve had a hard time adjusting to say the least.

When I got home from the auto show, I let the dog out and sat down to work.  Within 30 seconds he sat down next to me and looked up at me and started barking.  Barking, barking, barking.  I played ball with him for a few minutes but that didn’t suffice.  He wanted more attention.  I took him for a walk but he still wasn’t happy enough to let me be.  I don’t know what to do.   I was not in need of something or someone else to suck the energy out of me or require attention then along came the puppy.  He’s pretty cute and seems pretty smart so that helps.  But jeez.. a puppy can really change your life.

Here’s a photo of our puppy, Cody.

puppy

Enough about the dog and on to something exciting and happy.. I was really happy when my new Elorie Bella Ballet Flats arrived yesterday.  I bought a tan/cognac pair about a year ago and have since tried to find a pair of black ballet flats that I like as much as my tan Elorie flats but had no such luck.  I caved last week and ordered the same shoe in black.    Elorie’s Bella ballet flats are comfortable and don’t look like slippers, a combination which I have found to be a rarity for ballet flats.  I am absolutely not a shoe pro so the best way I can describe these to you is with four words: substantial, durable, soft, and comfortable.

Elorie Bella Ballet Flat

I found these ballet flats on Gilt.com, one of my favorite online designer sample sale website’s.   If you aren’t already a member, you should join today.. it’s free!

Another exciting thing about my day is that there are five blooms on my orchid!

What’s something exciting that happened to you today or recently?

orchid blooms

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing or shoe that you have bought more than one of because you like it so much?

Want to vent and share something frustrating that’s happened/happening in your life recently?

 

 

Puppy Training Guide – a website review just in time for those Christmas puppies!

Holiday, New posts, Pets, , , ,

Getting a puppy is a huge decision and one to not be taken lightly.  This is the time of year when a lot of parents decide to get a puppy and a site to visit pre and post puppy purchase/adoption is Puppy Training Guide.  This site covers all types of puppy training topics including socializing and housebreaking a new puppy. If you are going to get a puppy, especially if you have kids, it is extremely important to understand the ins and outs of owning and caring for a puppy. 

Here is a snippet from the “An Introduction to Training Your Puppy” article on Puppy Training Guide:

When you first get a new puppy, aside from the excitement of taking home a cute and loveable new friend, one of the things that you must consider is how you are going to deal with puppy training. There are a lot of different ways that you can approach puppy training, and whichever one you decide to use, it’s important to remember that training your puppy is one of the most valuable and rewarding things that you can do to build the greatest possible relationship with your new best friend.

Puppy training isn’t just about teaching your dog to go outside to go to the toilet. It’s also about teaching your dog about acceptable behaviors, and how to respond to you as its master. This means that when you are training your puppy you will be teaching it to learn some basic commands, such as sit and stay, and also having fun by learning how to walk on a leash and play fetch with a favorite toy.

As far as puppy training website’s go Puppy Training Guide is definetely one of the best and is one to bookmark.  I’m sure the author will keep adding new, useful articles often.
Puppy Training Guide is an information packed website great for new and experienced puppy owners.  The site’s uncluttered design, great puppy training articles, and the author’s personable writing style make it easy to navigate and to remember.. you’ll remember what website to go to for advice the next time your puppy has an accident!  I recommend turning to Puppy Training Guide for information both pre and post puppy purchase/adoption so you familiarize yourself with the reality of owning a puppy.

If you have an older child, age 10+, and are considering getting a puppy it would be great to print a few of the articles and have your child read them so you are sure he/she has is aware of the time and responsibility involved in owning a puppy, whether theirs or yours.  Puppy Training Guide will provide both you and your kids with knowledge and confidence when it comes to your new puppy!

smart-e-bear: click, connect, and cuddle for ages 2-6

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Educational Toys, Toys, , ,

162_2438A super snuggly bear for kids ages 2-6, smart-e-bear is a huggable, loveable friend that plays award-winning kids music, fun games, and interactive stories right out of the box!

Madelyn’s favorite activity is listening to Five Little Monkeys and Head and Shoulders which Sebastian also loves.  They both crack up and have a blast when smart-e-bear starts singing really fast.  Madelyn is learning songs and stories and Sebastian,  9 years old, is learning things like Head and Shoulds in Japanese!

He’s the only bear with a computer interface, a lesson plan that you can customize, AND he’s totally wired into the children’s music scene – with access to thousands of songs by artist like Sara Hickman.

To set up smart-e-bear, plug him into your computer’s USB port for download, and he’s ready to engage and interact as your child sings and reads along, while answering questions by squeezing his paws.

smart-e-bear asks Madelyn questions such as “Do you want to play simon says?  If yes, push my hand, if no push my foot”.  Then smart-e-bear says “simon says push my yellow foot” and she pushes his yellow foot.  She loves that smart-e-bear interacts with her when she pushes his hands and feet.  Madelyn finds smart-e-bear very easy to understand and follow.  smart-e-bear’s interactive design lets Madelyn decide what games to play, or stories to hear, with a squeeze of his hands or feet.  When she first got smart-e-bear she had to push around on his hands and feet to find the sensor but after a couple times of playing, she knows where they are without a problem.

smart-e-bear speaks English and Spanish, and calls your child by name. I can select age-appropriate content, customizing Madelyn’s learning experience with thousands of songs, stories and games.  Like iTunes, most songs and activities are .99 to download.

smart-e-bear is soft and cuddly.  Other than having a small module box stuffed way into his back, he is a regular super soft and plush bear and can be squeezed just like any plush animal.

Learn more about smart-e-bear here.  You can buy smart-e-bear at amazon.com here.  There is also a smart-e-dog or smart-e-cat.

Watch a short video of smart-e-bear singing.