Guess What?!

We're goin' to the Welcome Dance and we got dates and everythingy!!!  We (Shiver and Chico) were much too shy to ask anyone out on a date, so Yente Ruby was kind enough to set us up with Molly and Noodles!  

Since we don't really know Molly or Noodles, we thought that maybe we should let them know why we're both such a catch.

Shiver

1.  I'm a shy and anxious boy, but fun and playful once I get to know you.

2.  I love to cuddle.

3.  I'm very romantic.

Chico

1.  While I may be small in stature, I've got a BIG personality!

2.  Unlike Shiver, I am not afraid of anyone or anything, so I'll always protect you should the need ever arise.

3.  I'm also a cuddler.

Shiver would like to offer Molly a bribe these beautiful roses.

Chico would like to present Noodles a bribe these beautiful irises.

Thank you ladies for agreeing to be our dates, and we look forward to attending the dance with you.

Wordless Wednesday

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Dogswell Happy Hips Jerky Treats

My boys are big fans of Chewy.  This month we had an opportunity to try Dogswell Happy Hips Jerky Treats.

We received a 5 oz. bag to try.  Some of the peices were medium sized to large, but easy enough to tear apart by hand.  Dogs with bad or few teeth can still enjoy this jerky since it's so soft.  Both chi's have really enjoyed them and can't seem to get enough.  

I was excited to have Shiver and Chico try this because they usually use a different product and wanted to compare them.  Chico has luxating patellas, and sometimes he'd walk funny because of it.  The other product works really well and has eliminated some issues, but the store we get it from doesn't always have it in stock (so I usually buy more than one bag at a time).  If they ever stop carrying it, it's nice to know I have a backup plan!  I know that the patella (kneecap) and hip and two totally different things, but this jerky seems to work just as well as the other product he usually takes once a day.  Quite honestly, I did not see any changes in Chico whatsoever over the past 2 weeks, so I would most definitely recommend this!  I worried that he would go back to walking funny again or that he would be stiff while he was on this, but it never happened.  There truly was no difference!

The chi's loved the taste, and I loved that it only has 4 ingredients.  These jerky treats are grain and gluten free and contain no corn, wheat, soy, or fillers.  A 5 oz. bag is only $5.25, which is less than I pay for the other product that Chico has been using.  

I mentioned yesterday that Shiver had a recent diet change and that his body didn't adjust well to it.   I just want to stress that this is NOT the change I was referring to!  I'm 100% certain it was the food change that made him sick, and he's doing much better now that he's back to his regular food.  (Sadly, my poor carpet will never be the same!)  This jerky has nothing whatsoever to do with him being sick.  We've got a bit of the jerky left and he's still enjoying it as his morning treat, even if his appetite isn't quite back to normal yet.

Sorry, I don't have any pictures this time.  My iPod is my only camera right now, and my charger just stopped working a couple of days ago.  Unfortunately, I didn't get the pix uploaded before the iPod died.

We were not compensated financially for this post, but were provided free samples of dog treats in return for our honest opinions.

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Still plenty of time to get in on my Christmas in July swap!  

Happy Memorial Day!

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Happy Memorial Day to all of my US bloggy pals.  I will be attending a Memorial Day Service this morning in honor of my father who was a veteran.

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Sorry I haven't been around much lately.  Shiver hasn't been feeling well, and I've been having to clean up after him a lot the last few days.  I changed his diet out of convenience about 2 weeks ago and apparently his body has not been adjusting well.  His diet is back to normal now and he seems to be feeling better.  I'm hoping the next 24 hours will bring the turnaround he needs, otherwise we'll be headed to the vet's office.  Thankfully, Chico was not affected by the diet change, but he's back to eating his regular foods too.  

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Still plenty of time to join in my Chirstmas in July swap!  

Wordless Wednesday

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Christmas In July

Welcome to Christmas in July, fka Doggone Dog Swap!  This isn't a swap for yourself -- it's a swap for your pets!  No, we aren't swapping our pets, although sometimes I wouldn't mind trading mine in, lol!  This isn't limited to just dogs – cats and exotics can participate too!  Basically, you'll each buy toys and/or treats for your swap partner and they'll do the same in return.  You never know what you might get!

The deadline to enter is Friday, June 10, which gives you three weeks.  Once your swap partner has been chosen, you'll get an email with your swap partner's information.

I've listed the ground rules below.  If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.  

1.  You'll enter each pet you have individually.  Since I have both Shiver and Chico, I'm going to fill out the questions below twice (one for each dog).  I'll try my best to swap doggies with doggies, cats with cats, and exotics with exotics.  Depending on the participants, you may be partnered with someone who has pets of a different species than you do, so please keep that in mind.  That's where the questionnaire comes in handy!  You'll also have your partner's email and blog address, so that you can contact them with any additional questions.  

2.  The minimum spending limit before postage is $20, the maximum is $30.  If you're swapping for more than one pet, I'll let you use your best judgment on how much additional to spend. 

3.  *You'll need to email me and your partner a tracking number for the package you sent out* and to let me know when you've received your goodies from your partner.  This part is crucial!!!!  A tracking number is provided automatically on your receipt if you're using the post office, FedEx or UPS.   Anyone living outside of the US is exempt from this rule.  If I discover that you received a package but never sent one out, you'll be outted and blacklisted from participating in the future!!!  Fortunately, this hasn't been an issue in the past, and I'd like to keep it that way.  I'll do my best to match pets from the same country, but please note if you are outside the US, you will most likely be partnered with another international pet.  If you live in the US and cannot mail internationally, please let me know.  Mailing to another country can sometimes be costly, depending on where you’re sending a package to, so I would hate for anyone not to participate because of that.

4. You must post about the swap once you receive your package.  We wanna see what you got!  If you don't have a blog, you can still participate.  Just email me the pictures of your loot, and I'll post them on my blog for you. 

5. You have until Friday, July 24th to get those packages mailed out. That's five weeks to go shopping and get those goodies sent. 

6. This is the most important rule - HAVE FUN!!!!!

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, no matter what your pet is, email the form below to sprinkles at everythingisbetterwithsprinkles1(at)hotmail(dot)com.

1.  The name of your pet and what kind you have 

2.  Male or female

3.  Breed of pet and size (small, medium, large, xlarge)

4.  Is there anything your pet cannot have?

5.  Is there anything in particular that your pet really likes?  Examples of this might be a certain kind of toy or treat.

6.  Your address.  Your information will only be shared with your swap partner.

7.  Your blog address, if you have one

It's Official!

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I'm a college graduate!!!  It was a LOT of work, but I did it!  

College was an amazing experience.  I went to plays, watched musical performances, wrote essay after essay after essay after essay after essay, rode around with a cop for most of a shift, job shadowed someone, wrote essay after essay after essay after essay after essay, attended various events that I would not have had the opportunity to otherwise, read a bunch of incredibly dull textbooks, wrote essay after essay after essay after essay after essay, met some amazing people, got into the art museum for free every year, wrote essay after essay after essay after essay after essay, went to the aquarium for a class assignment, got up super early every day, spent most weekends and breaks doing massive amounts of homework, and oh, did I mention that I wrote essay after essay after essay after essay after essay?!  

I remember at the end of my very first semester that a friend who was graduating said to me that she always felt like someone would approach her and say that she wasn't really smart enough to attend college and that she clearly had no idea what she was doing!  I thought I was at least somewhat smart before attending school, but quickly learned that I really didn't know much of anything - about anything!  While I definitely learned stuff from all the textbooks and research, I learned much more about myself.  

This past semester was particularly difficult.  I took on 17 credits, had two very time consuming class projects, worked, and had a bunch of personal stuff going on.  But I made it through, and am very proud of myself.  I made the Dean's List again, with 4 A's and a B.  

The ceremony was really nice.  It was three hours long, but didn't really feel like it.  I sat next to a friend, and we chatted about what we thought our lives might bring now.  He's headed to law school in London.  I have no idea what direction my life is heading.  

I felt bad that my dad couldn't be there with me, but there was a point in the ceremony that a wide smile came over my face suddenly, and I could feel him in my heart.  He couldn't be there physically, but he was there in spirit.    

As much as I'm glad it's all over, I know I'll miss it.  I tried to take it all in at the end, but it was so hard because I had sooooooooooo much homework.  One class had an extensive reading list each week.  Somehow, I had at least 2 essays every. single. week. and sometimes more.  Those class projects were extremely tedious and time consuming.  It was hard to keep on top of everything, but I had to because I knew it would all be over if I ever fell behind. 

The first week of June I'll be atttending a weeklong leadership course offered by my school.  Luckily, I was offered a scholarship so I don't have to pay.  One of my friend's will be attending too, so I'm looking forward to catching up with her.  
And then...  Who knows what the future will bring?  I'm scared to death, but also excited to find out!

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Missing In Action - But Not For Long!

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Hello!

I've been out of the loop for a bit, but that should end very soon.  I graduate this Saturday!  Very exciting, but also very scary.

This last semester has been a nightmare with one essay after another after another after another and well, you get the picture...  I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  I have one more final exam today, and a final paper due Friday.  It's been a LOT of hard work and I can't believe the end is so close.

Sadly, I have no job yet.  So I'll be home a lot and will be around to visit everyone this coming Sunday or Monday.  I have a Chewy review to post and it's time to sign up for Christmas in July!

I hope you all haven't forgotten about me.  I've missed everyone and am very much looking forward to getting back into the loop.  So tell me what I've missed since I've been gone!