Spiced Tea and Honey Nut Bread - The Perfect Snack

If you read the post I made on March 25, 2025, for Old Fashioned Rice Pudding, I explained about a very old recipe book that I had found in my mother's things after she passed.  To call it a book, is being kind, as it was just a collection of hand typed (on a manual typewriter!) recipes folded in the middle and stapled together.  No front or back cover, no information of where it came from.  The pages are so ancient they are dark tan in color.  

Anyway, the recipes in this old gem are from a time before I was cooking.  Some of them are recipes for foods I have never heard of like Strawberry Fool or Fruitinays.  I love reading through the pages and some times I find a recipe that I want to try.  This is how I came across the recipes for the perfect afternoon snack:  Spiced Tea and Honey Nut Bread.

This first time I made the bread, I found it delicious, but it seemed to be lacking something to go with it.  I tried coffee, but it didn't fit, I tried iced tea and it was completely not a match.  I was stumped.  So I went back to the recipe book and looked under "Drinks."  When I saw the spiced tea recipe, I knew I had hit the jackpot.  Cinnamon and fruit juices sounded like a great combination!  I got up and made some right then and there.  It was exquisite!  The flavors blended together perfectly and they were just right with the honey nut bread.  It really is the perfect snack!

Spiced Tea

Ingredients

Juice of one lemon

Juice of two oranges

2 Plain teabags (more if you like it stronger)

1 teaspoon all spice

1/4 teaspoon cloves (optional, if you like clove flavor)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

6 cups water

Instructions

1. Put spices in a small bag
2. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the bag of spices.
3. Boil for 10 minutes and remove the spice bag and turn off the stove.
4. Add teabags to the spiced water and steep for 10 minutes.  Remove teabags.
5. Boil the remaining 2 cups of water and add sugar. Stir until sugar melts.
6. Pour the sweetened water into the tea and stir until mixed.
7. Add the fruit juices and mix well.

If you want it drink your tea cold, chill the mixture in the refrigerator and serve over ice.  If you are like me and prefer it hot, place it back on the stove and boil.  I put mine in a carafe so it stays hot to enjoy with our next recipe:  Honey Nut Bread.

Honey Nut Bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (whichever type you like)

1 cup flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup of honey

1/2 cup of milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift dry ingredients and stir in nuts.
3. In a bowl beat the egg and add honey, milk and melted butter and mix.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until the ingredients are  moistened and mixed.
5. Grease a bread pan and pour in the mixture.
6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Honey nut bread is also great with toppings like:

Apple Butter

Fruit Jam

Honey Butter 

Flavored Cream Cheese (like strawberry)

Lemon Sauce

I have even made French Toast with honey nut bread.  I trade in the syrup for some hot honey and it is really delicious.

I really love this old cookbook, it has so many unusual recipes in it and it also has a 'Hints and Tips' section that is pretty funny.  Maybe I will share some tips in my next post, I think you all would find it pretty entertaining!

Enjoy your snack!

  

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of Stainless Steel Litter Boxes

I cannot recommend these litter boxes highly enough!

I know I usually wait till the end of the post to give my recommendation, be it positive or negative, but I feel so strongly in favor of these litter boxes, that I wanted to put it at the very top!  They are the best litter boxes I have ever used in over 30 years of being a cat Mom......but let me start at the beginning of how and why I bought three of them and discovered how awesome they are.

I live in a really small house.  3 bedrooms, 1 and a half baths, kitchen and a tiny family room.  There was only one place to put the litter boxes and that was in the closet in the front foyer.  An awful place, truly, but their simply was no other place with enough room to put three litter boxes.  (yes, I have multiple kitties)  I kept the doors cracked so they could easily get in and out and opened them fully to clean them.  With new litter boxes, it was fine.  We cleaned them daily and swept around them and there was no smell.  This was at first.

After about a year I began noticing the smell, light at first, but worse with the passing weeks.  I knew I had to do something.

Thus began parade of different types of litter boxes.....

I tried so many styles of litter boxes.  First I tried the ones like little houses with doors, thinking that a cover would help keep the smell down.  Worked for a while, but the cats didn't like them and the covers didn't keep the smell down.  Tossed them and decided to try the stacked three tray boxes that you were supposed to be able to grab the top one, shake it and all the clumps would stay in the top one for you to dump cleanly, and them you put that tray on the bottom.  The system looked great in the ads but in reality, the clumps stuck to the tray and I ended up having to wash them every day to keep them clean.  They were thrown out in just a few weeks, $100 wasted.  

Next we tried the manual rolling kind that supposedly flipped the interior of the covered box and put the clumps in a bagged compartment for "easy disposal."  HA!  It was a nightmare to roll and all of the clumps never ended up in the compartment, so it was pretty smelly most of the time.  Another expensive cat box failure.

By this time I was frustrated beyond measure.   I took my old plastic litter boxes and washed them and put them back in the closet.  Within a week, they were back to smelling.  I just didn't know what to do.  Getting rid of the cats was out of the question, they are my babies.  The only thing I had left to try was one of those electric self cleaning litter boxes like Litter Robot.  They always get great reviews and people seem to love them......but I looked them up on Amazon and they are like $749.  I just cannot afford three of them at that price, and what if my cats wouldn't use them?

I was out of ideas.  Then one day I was shopping on Amazon for a new litter scoop, as my old plastic one had recently cracked.  I decided I wanted to get a stainless steel one so it would last, and there they were, right under the stainless scoops:  STAINLESS STEEL CAT LITTER BOXES!  I looked a bit closer, chose one and went into the product page.  In the narrative it said that most of the time litter odor was exacerbated by older plastic litter boxes.  The feline urine soaks into the plastic over time and no matter how many times you wash it, the smell is there for good.  That made sense to me.  My boxes were always good at first, but after a while.....daily cleaning did not get rid of the smell.  Stainless steel boxes could be the answer!  

Not only was it impossible for the urine to penetrate the steel, but the clumps shouldn't stick to the stainless, so cleaning would be quick and easy.  I was kind of stunned.  Could this be the answer?  I talked to my husband and he seemed to think it was definitely a possibility and we needed to try it.  So we chose this:

Stainless Steel Litter Box

 

We liked it because it came in a single or two pack (two pack was less expensive each) and we would need three.  We also liked the fact that it came in so many different sizes.  We could order the perfect size to fit in the closet, making sure that our big cat would be happy with his new bathroom.

Medium - 17.7 x 13.8 x 6

Large - 19.7 x 12.8 x 6

X Large - 23.6 x 15.8 x 6

XX Large - 23.6 x 15.8 x 8 

These litter boxes also come with sides, if you prefer them, but I didn't want the plastic in case it absorbed the odors.

Stainless Steel Litter Box with Sides 

Stainless Steel Litter Scoop

 

If you are going to go with Stainless Steel Litter Boxes, you may as well get a stainless scoop as well, I did!  I love this one and it comes in 10 different colors!

When the litter boxes arrived, we threw out all the litter and started with fresh.  I have not had a smelly litter box in my house since.  As long as they are cleaned regularly, these boxes do not retain any smells.  We have had them for 7 months and finally no litter box odors AND they are easy to clean!  Sweet success!  I will end this post the same way  it began.......

I cannot recommend these litter boxes highly enough!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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The Pink Salt Trick Recipe

If you ever watch videos online, I am sure you have been bombarded with ads for the Pink Salt Trick for losing weight.  If you click on the ad, it takes you to another video that drags on for at least 15 minutes and at the end, it has not told you what you wanted to know, but they will if you give them some money.  You end up angry that you wasted your time and that you still don't know the recipe.  

Well, I promise not to waste your time in this article and I will give you not only one, but two recipes for making the Pink Salt Trick, along with the TRUTH about what this drink can do and what it will not do.

What Is the Pink Salt Trick Recipe Used For?

Pink Himalayan Salt is rock salt mined from the Punjab region of modern Pakistan. The salt often has a pinkish tint due to mineral impurities.  Those minerals are what make it helpful to human physiology.  Pink Himalayan salt contains more than 80 essential minerals and is used for a few different things to aid in overall health.

• Helps in replacing electrolytes that are lost through sweating.
• Helps digestion and gut issues
• Helps in ridding your body of toxins.
• Aids in better hydration.
• MAY help in weight loss because better hydration can help raise your metabolism.

Pink Salt Recipes

The first recipe is the simplest, it only consists of two ingredients:              

#1

Ingredients:

•  1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt (fine dissolves faster, but coarse can be used)
•  1 glass of warm water.  

Instructions:

1. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt into the glass of water.
2. Stir the water for at least one minute until the bottom of the glass is clear.
3. Drink the solution in the morning on an empty stomach for best results.

This recipe is fine, but it is not much on taste, so if you want something that has a bit more flavor, the second recipe may be a bit more to your liking.

Himalayan Pink Salt

#2

Ingredients:

• 1 glass room temp bottled water
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp finely ground Himalayan pink salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice, can used bottled or half a fresh lemon squeezed.
• 1 tsp honey - this is optional but it sure makes it taste better!

The lemon juice is added to this recipe because it supposedly stimulates digestive enzymes, which aids in gut health.  The honey will add some calories, about 21, but it's worth it, trust me!

Instructions:

1. Add 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt to 8 to 10 ounces of water 
2. Stir the water for at least one minute until the bottom of the glass is clear.
3. Add lemon juice.
4. Add honey (optional) and stir until well mixed
5. Drink in the morning on an empty stomach

Other Ingredients That Can Be Added:

Coconut Water - for better hydration

Lemon Balm Extract - has calming properties and also supposedly aids in digestion.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Add 1 teaspoon for extra gut health support.

Ginger - gives an extra digestive boost

How Often to Drink the Pink Salt Trick 

For the first month you should take 1/4 a teaspoon of pink salt once a day, four times a week.  After the first month, you can up it to 1/4 teaspoon, daily, or 1/2 teaspoon daily if you work out or sweat every day.

Do not drink more than this, as too much salt intake can lead to health problems.  If you find yourself experiencing any of the symptoms below, cut the amount of salt you are using in half.

Dizziness

Swelling in extremities

Upset Stomach 

Daily headaches

Blood pressure that is higher than your normal blood pressure

Who Should Not Use the Pink Salt Trick

Sometimes your general health problems could make it dangerous for you to try the pink salt trick. If you have any of the conditions below, don't do the pink salt trick.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Heart Conditions
Edema (Swelling in the Body)
 A Low-Sodium Diet Restriction
Kidney Disease
Chronic Water Retention

You should always consult with your physician before trying the pink salt trick, even if you are in good health

What the Pink Salt Trick Will Not Do

• It will not make you lose 6 pant sizes in a week
• It will not make you lose 50 pounds in two weeks
• It will not make excess skin or belly fat disappear 
• It will not treat or cure any medical conditions.
• It will not replace drinking a healthy amount of water throughout the day to maintain normal hydration.

What the Pink Salt Trick can do 

IN SOME CASES, it can:

• Help with digestion, stomach and gut discomfort
• Help to replace electrolytes
• Aid in detoxifying your body
• Hydrate your body
• May help you lose some weight by raising your metabolism thought better hydration.

So as you can see, the Pink Salt Trick is not the miracle cure to lose weight, but as with all things, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. 

However, after trying the second recipe for almost 2 weeks, I have found that I do have less upset stomachs and seem to have more energy, probably from being more hydrated.  I have also lost 2 pounds, but that could be from all the gardening I have been doing!  Who knows?  However, I am going to keep taking it, it is an easy thing to do, tastes good (#2) helps with my stomach issues and may help me lose weight......seems like a win/win to me!  If you try this, please comment and let me know how it goes!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of the Easiest Way to Organize Your Closet

Are sick of your closet looking like the FBI just searched it?  Are you tired of having to look through 30 tops you rarely wear, to find the one that you do?  Do you hate putting on a pair of pants, just to find they are ripped or stained?  I used to go through all these scenarios on a daily basis because my bedroom closet was just a mess!  Trying to find something to wear to work was a nightmare and when I finally did, pulling it out of a packed closet meant that it was a wrinkled mess and had to be ironed before I could wear it, or go to work looking like I slept in it.

If you have these problems like I did and are ready to do something about it, I have a plan for you that is guaranteed to solve your closet problems for good!  It’s actually fairly simple, once the decision is made.  It’s just 3 steps to a clean closet and the means to keep it that way.

Step 1:  Sort and Toss.  This is probably the most time consuming and painful step.  You need to go through every single thing in your closet and put it in one of three piles. 

    Keep - Items you wear frequently and love.  They fit well and are comfortable.

    Throw away - Items that are damaged, stained or somehow unwearable.

    Donate -  Items that are too small or too large.  This also include items that you may love, but that really don't look good on you or don't fit right.  This pile most importantly must include things that you don't wear even if there really is no good reason.  If you have not had it on your body in the last year, out it goes.

Keep in mind that you have a finite amount of space in your closet and once it is full you will have to find more items to remove from the keep pile.  Once you have your piles, and everything is sorted, immediately bag up the throw away stuff and take it outside and put it in your trash can, so you won’t be tempted to change your mind.  Bag up the donated stuff, close the bags with zip ties or knotted twine and put a tag on them.  Call your charity right then and there and arrange for pick up, then put the bags in the garage, out of sight.

Step 2:  Organize – There are many ways to organize your closet.  You can get the shelves that screw to the wall, or you can get space bags, or you can go to Ikea and custom build yourself an organizer.  Personally, I prefer to take the easy and more inexpensive route and buy free standing organizers from Amazon

They are very easy to use, you just assemble them, set them in the closet and you are good to go.  They are also not expensive, so I think they are the perfect solution.  It is also wise to invest in some smaller totes for the shelves.  They can hold scarves, belts, purses and other accessories.

My favorite organizer is the Whitmor Double Rod Freestanding Closet Organizer.  I like that is has two rows to hang on. I use one for tops and the other for pants and blazers.  The shelves are very handy, I use the bottom two for shoes and the rest have totes for accessories.  I love this organizer!

Because it is freestanding, it does not take any tools to put together and it only weighs ten pounds, so anyone can move it.  It's dimensions are 45.2" x 19.3" x 68" and it is pretty easy to put together.  And it is less than $40!  You really cannot find a better deal to organize your closet.

I also found some Storage Baskets that I really love.  I didn't want stiff basket weave or plastic, so I kept looking.  I finally found some gorgeous woven cotton rope totes.  They are so soft and can be washed in the washing machine!  They are perfect for long term use.

Step 3:  Stop or slow the amount of clothes you buy.  This is going to be the hardest thing for some of us.  Shopping is so much fun and clothes are so pretty!  However, you cannot keep your closet organized if you are continually buying more clothes and never throwing any out.  If you do this, it will be no time before your closet will again be looking like it does now.  Once your closet is full, you need to make a hard and fast rule that for every piece you buy, you have to get rid of one.  That way your closet will maintain it’s organization.

Staying organized in any part of your life is challenging, but closets are a special problem by themselves.  Organizers are a good way of helping keep this problem under control.  Spring is a great time to start!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of HotPop Microwave Popcorn Maker

 

Last fall my husband and I started eating popcorn for a snack in the evening.  It was less calories than chips or cookies!  We started out buying microwave popcorn because we didn't have a popcorn popper.  Some brands were better than others, but one day I was going to make a bag and I took a look of the ingredients.  From there I went on the internet to investigate further.  What I found was not good:

A few reasons microwave popcorn is not healthy to eat:

1.  Oil.   Many microwave popcorns use hydrogenated oils, a type of trans fat that is bad for your heart and raises your cholesterol.

2.  Preservatives.  Most microwave popcorn use preservatives that prevent the ingredients from going rancid and to extend shelf life.  Some of these preservatives have been linked to vision, lung and behavioral problems, and while concrete proof has not been found yet, it is something to think about.

3.  The Bag.  Strangely enough one of the worst things about microwave popcorn is the bag that it comes in.  They have chemicals in them that prevent the grease from soaking through the paper.  Chemical like PFCs (perfluorinated compounds) that melt down into an acid that is a known carcinogen and has been linked to cancer according to the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency Report in 2017.

There are more reasons, why premade microwave popcorn is not good for you, but I think you get the idea.  I was very uncomfortable eating it after that, so I decided to find another way to make our popcorn that would be more natural.  I had decided to buy a free standing popcorn making machine because I thought it was the only way to go, other than cooking it on the stove, something I did not want to do.  I knew there was going to be a problem with finding counter space for the popper, as my counters were pretty full already, but I could not see any way around it.

I was shopping around on Amazon, surprised at how much the poppers cost.  Most were between $35 and $50, some as high as $70.  I had made my choice and was getting ready to order it when I saw a silicone popcorn popper that you put in the microwave, at the bottom of the page.  I remember thinking, that would be so much easier.  It even folded down so it was easy to store!.  I clicked on it and went straight for the comments.  That's where you find out the real info on anything you buy on Amazon.  

First of all, it got 4.6 our of 5 stars from 33,562 reviews, which is excellent.  Reading though the comments, I was pretty impressed, there were almost no bad reviews!  Most people highly recommended it!  The best part was it was only $12!  I was sold, and I ordered it. 

HotPop Popcorn Maker

 

When it arrived, we tried it out.  There are circles on the inside that show you how much popcorn to put in it for half a bowl or a full bowl.  It had a lid that you put on (make sure it is not fitted air tight as it needs air to pop) and easily folds down to about 3 inches tall, so it is easy to store.  You can use oil, butter or nothing when you are making your popcorn.  We use a little oil or butter because it helps the salt to stick to the kernels more easily.  So we put it in the microwave and hoped for the best......

The popcorn was delicious!

 

We were amazed at how good it was.  It was buttery, lightly salted and crispy.  I felt like we had hit the jackpot!  There were no burned pieces and at the bottom there were very few uncooked kernels.  

We have used it most evenings since then, for about two months and it has never failed to perform perfectly.  After experimenting with different oils and popcorn brands, we have found that these are the ingredients that we love best:

Pop Secret Jumbo Popcorn

Orville Redenbacher's Butter Flavor Popcorn Oil

Kernel Season's Popcorn Seasoning Variety - Pack of 8

I really cannot recommend this popcorn popper highly enough.  It's awesome!  If you fill it to the top, it makes 15 cups and that's enough for you and some friends.  It's dishwater safe, and unbreakable.  It really is a wonderful item and also makes a great gift, perfect for parents looking for a healthy snack to make for the kids!  You really can't beat it for the price!

If you would like to see this popper in action, below is a how to video you may want to watch:

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of Old Fashion Rice Pudding

After my Mom passed, I found a recipe book in her things that was unbelievably old.  The pages were not just yellowed, but the edges were downright brown.  The print on the pages was a bit hard to read, it looked like someone had typed them on an old manual typewriter.  There were uneven spaces between the lines and some of the letters were raised higher than others.  It was easy to see that this recipe book was VERY old.  Unfortunately, it didn't have a cover or any interior pages other than the pages with recipes.  No identifying marks of any kind to show where it had come from, or the date it was made.  The only clue I was able to derive from reading through it was the fact that each recipe had a name under it. I think this book may have come from my grandmother's church and each of the church ladies must have contributed recipes.

I was intrigued, but unfortunately there was nothing I could do about it.  All of my mother's siblings, aunts and cousins have already passed long ago.  There was simply no one left to talk to about this strange little book.  It looks like I will never know where it came from.  

Anyway!  Reading though the recipes, I could tell that these recipes were written long ago, like in the 1900s.  There are strange ingredients like "sour milk" and "fat" and "salt pork."  It made for some interesting reading!  One recipe that I saw I knew I wanted to make right away......rice pudding!  I have always loved it and I remember that my grandma made some really delicious rice pudding when I was little.  I am pretty sure this is the recipe she used.

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 quart milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup raisins

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees

Wash the rice, put in a mixing bowl and add milk, salt, brown sugar and nutmeg and mix thoroughly.

Grease a glass baking dish and pour in mixture.

Bake for 2  hours, stirring occasionally with a fork.

Add raisins and mix, then bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve hot or cold with heavy whipping cream.

I have made rice pudding before, but it never was exactly right.  It seemed too thick and had a custardy taste.  This rice pudding did not.  It was light, fluffy and tasted like rice and sugar and raisins.  It was yummy!  I compared the recipe to the one I had used previously and I found out the difference.  My recipe, like most recipes for rice pudding had eggs in it.  This is what gives it the heavy, custard like texture that i did not care for.  

I was elated!  I had not only found a great recipe for rice pudding, but I had a whole recipe book full of "lost in time" recipes for me to try out.  I will be sharing more of them on Review This Reviews so please come for another visit and more great old recipes!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of Water Bottle Dog Toys

 

Dogs Love That Crinkle Crinkle!

I was visiting my niece this past weekend. We were drinking coffee at the kitchen table and I noticed her yellow lab was out in the yard tossing and pouncing on some kind of toy. He was having big fun! This went on for quite a while, so I asked her what the dog was playing that was keeping him so entertained.

She went to the patio door and called the dog inside. The dog grabbed his toy and came trotting into the kitchen. The toy was some kind of fuzzy stuffed animal, but when he dropped it and started biting it and pawing it, it made a crinkling noise. It was not the kind of noise I had ever heard coming from a dog toy, so I was intrigued. The noise seemed to egg the dog on to play.

I asked her what toy it was. She laughed and said, it was a good thing she had another, as she could never get the one he had away from him, he played with it all the time. I laughed as she went to the cupboard and pulled out a cute, plush, pink pig. She handed it to me and I looked at it and then squeezed it. It made no crinkling noise. I looked up at her, puzzled.  No noise?  She picked up an empty water bottle and opened the Velcro at the end of the toy and slipped in the bottle. She handed me the toy and said "squeeze it."  When I did, it made the familiar crinkling noise!

The dog heard the noise and came running over and dancing around, wanting to play. She said that she had seen her friend's dog playing with one at the dog park and her dog fell in love with it, so she bought a couple off Amazon.  From the time it had arrived her dog had not stopped playing with it.

I was pretty impressed. I don’t have any dogs, but I have several friends and relatives that did. They are like my foster dogs, so I always get them gifts for holidays.  I knew their dogs would love these toys!

Zippy Paws Otter Toy

Of all the ones I saw on Amazon, I like this cute otter the most, so I ordered it for my girlfriend's dog.  I liked the fact that it did not have eyes or a nose that could be torn off and swallowed. I was surprised at the thickness of the material and the fact it had two layers to help protect the bottle.  I also noticed it had a different type of closure with a loop instead of Velcro.  It came with a regular sized water bottle with a reusable cap that squeaked!  When you change the bottle, you just take off the cap and replace it with the squeaker cap and slide it in.  Your dog is ready for a squeaking, crinkling good time!

While browsing these toys on Amazon I ran across another one that I absolutely loved!  A toy shaped like a wine bottle that says "Paws Off My Wine!"  I have a friend that loves wine and I know she will get a kick out of this dog toy for her Husky.  They also come in beer bottles.

Prime Pets Wine Bottle Toy

I highly recommend these toys!  They encourage play not only between you and your pet, but also play by themselves, which helps them stay healthy and entertained.  They are also so many choices, you are sure to find something your family will love.....tacos, hippos, doughnuts, frogs, bones, the types of toys are almost endless!   Buy one for your pet, I am sure you or they will not be disappointed!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of My Three Favorite Personal Defense Devices

 

Self defense items are very important to have if you spend time in dark parking lots, parking structures, at ATMs, bars or in high crime areas.  There is such a huge selection of these types of items, you can buy them anywhere:

• Big Box Stores like Walmart
• Army Surplus Stores
• Hardware Stores
• Sporting Goods Stores
• Online Retailers like Amazon

Most of these items are not very expensive, there is no reason not to have at least one.  Some of them are less than $10 and when you are out or even at home you never know what could happen!  Remember......

It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

I used to have a job that would sometimes take me into some pretty iffy neighborhoods.  We were not allowed to carry guns, so I set about looking for something I could defend myself with.  It had to be fairly small so I could carry it in my pocket or briefcase.  The first item I bought was a personal safety alarm.  I wanted something that didn't look like what it was, so I settled on this blue bear rechargeable alarm.  No one ever suspected what it was!

Rechargeable Personal Safety Alarm with Strobe Light

Click here for more information on this device

Product Information:

1. Rechargeable, comes with a USB charging cable and there is a low battery light that flashes red when you need to recharge the battery.
2. 130 decibel alarm, set off by pulling the body from the head.  Alarm will continue for up to an hour or until you rejoin the body and the head.
3. High Intensity LED strobe light also is turned on when the body is pulled off the head.  There is also a smaller LED light you can use as a flashlight.
4. The Bear model comes in black, blue, and white.  There is also a dog model.

I used the keychain to hang it on my purse strap or my brief case handle.  I only had to use it once, while working.  I just grabbed his body and pulled it away from his head and it immediately began wailing like a banshee!  Trust me, no one will ignore this siren, I pretty sure they heard it blocks away!

Though I really liked my bear, i decided I wanted something with a little more protection for me physically.  After shopping around for a while I happened to be at a hardware store and I saw a display of a pepper spray cannisters that also had a personal alarm and a strobe light.  I felt like I had hit the jackpot.  I could have pepper spray without giving up my alarm or having to carry two separate items!  

3 in 1 Personal Safety Alarm Keychain with Pepper Spray, Siren, and Strobe Light

Click here for more information on the keychain     Click here to buy a pepper spray refill

Product Information:

1. Rechargeable with the included USB cable. (stays charged for up to a year if not used)
2. 130 decibels siren alarm. 
3. Extremely bright strobe light.
4. Pepper spray is good for 23 to 30 squirts of up to 12 feet and is a liquid gel that adheres to skin.  Pepper spray is refillable, cartridges are about $6 each.
5. Safety cap to prevent accidental triggering.

The two things I liked the most about this item was the fact that the pepper spray cartridge was replaceable, you didn't have to toss out the entire piece if the spray ran out or expired.  I also love the fact that it is rechargeable and holds a charge for a really long time!

Once worked as the manager of store in a shopping mall, and every night I had to take the day's receipts to the bank after work.  The trip from the back door of the store to my car and from my car to the bank drop box was a really scary.  I worried about getting robbed because the bank bag usually had quite a bit of cash in it, sometimes as much as $10,000.  I decided I needed some protection a bit more heavy duty than just pepper spray and an alarm.  This time I went to a specialty self defense store and this is what they recommended to me:

Tactical Stun Gun with LED Flashlight

For more information or to buy, click here

Product Information:

1. Flashlight is very bright at 130 lumens.  Nothing on the exterior to give away it's anything other than a regular flashlight.
2. Stun gun delivers a 2.517 microcoulomb charge.  Very painful!
3. Has a safety switch to prevent accidental discharge
4. Rechargeable
5. Comes with a small holster
6. Item comes with links to free training videos that show how to use the device safely and more effectively.

If you are wondering if stun guns are legal, the answer is:  it depends on where you live.  They are legal in most states.  Hawaii and Rhode Island are the only two states that outright ban them.  In Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, you must get a permit to have one.  In all the other states you can buy them as you would pepper spray.  It is always wise to check locally to make sure they don't have any ordinances against them.

You cannot bring a stun gun on an airplane in your carry on luggage, but you can pack them in your checked bags.  Again, I would call the airport to make sure, you never know when an airport might change their rules.

A stun gun works by sending an electrical shock into the body's neurological system, usually knocking them to the ground and temporarily incapacitating them.  The effects of being shocked by a stun gun are temporary muscle immobilization, loss of balance and confusion.  These effects last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour.  The effects are designed to be non-lethal, but if the attacker has pre-existing medical conditions, there is a chance of death.

As you can see, there are many different types of personal protection devices.  They range from simple siren alarms to items that can actually hurt your attacker.  Which of these you should use is really up to you, however, if you feel that you need some advice, a specialty store may be the best place for you to go, though you will pay more for your device in a store of that type, it is the best place to obtain experienced knowledge and advice.

Many people don't think that self defense items are necessary, or that they are overkill. Everyone has the right to an opinion but I feel personal safety is very important.  I know I felt a lot safer when I had my stun gun on those dark nights at the bank.  You can also use them to ward off dog or other animal attacks.

Please think about it, it could save your life.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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