Dog Raincoat Reviewed

April showers is so true in this state. Every year this northern state seems to have a very rainy, very muddy spring with a few days of monsoon like rains.  The battle is real if you own a dog with the elements. Just when the coast is almost clear after battling a snowy winter in comes spring rains like the proverbial lion.

Spring is not the dog owner's best friend. After a few very soggy outings I decided to try out a dog raincoat I had seen a few dogs successfully wear. As every dog owner will attest, every dog has their own distinct personality, likes, loves and quirks. 

I'd consider the raincoat falling into that category of  I will give it a try, but will it fly with the Fluff?

Wash And Wear Dogs

The Fluff is a nickname referring to a dog that needs to be "fluffed" due to the dog having hair verse fur. The Fluff  is not a wash and wear dog. Rain makes the Fluff look pretty much like a very large rat. It is not pretty. 

However, the reality of not being a wash and wear dog is a wet Fluff must then be dried with a hair dryer (that is an event) and the hair blown out (that is an event) so the curly hair does not mat. All of the above is an EVENT and requires much labor, a few temper tantrums and lots of treats. Enter the rain coat.

Overall the rain coat delivers as promised. Very easy to put on and take off. The coat provides great coverage from the rain and keeps the entire back rain free. There is a small opening along the back to hook a leash should the dog be wearing a harness which is very convenient.  I put the rain coat on over the harness. I have also put the raincoat on over a harness and a dog sweater! 

Along with the very bright yellow the coat also has reflective stripes to ensure the dog can be seen at night or in cloudy weather. My one concern was the hood...

The Hood

The hood is flexible! It can be worn up or down just like a human's rain coat. I was a little skeptical about how the Fluff would react to the hood. The opening of the hood attaches under the dog's chin with a velcro closure. What was nice and practical is the bottom closure of the hood is not tight around the dogs' muzzle and I believe allows the dog to wear the hood without feeling constrained or like a tight hat.

The Fluff Approves

The Fluff actually likes the rain coat! Who would have known! The coat is easy to put on with a velcro strap which goes under the dogs belly. The hood has another velcro opening. Quick, easy, no muss, no fuss. The coat goes on in a flash and provides great coverage to keep the majority of the dog rain free in even the heaviest of down pours.

Is your dog hood friendly? Well, on a scale of hat friendly aka I will wear whatever my owner puts on my head the Fluff is about a 9/10 on the laid back wearing hats scale. Yes, the hood does occasionally generate a side eye look of "Oh, it's that thing... again." But ok and off he goes into the rain with hood. 

As with any dog coat, hat, sweater it is of course up to the dog if the accessory is acceptable! Because the coat is not tight or restrictive and is light weight I think there is a good chance the rain coat would be accepted by your furball.

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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Cat Houses that Double as Furniture - Space Saving Solutions

Having a big family like I do, managing the space in our home has been a number one priority when decorating. In fact, it's such a passion of mine (to maximize space) that I've created a Pinterest Board with several years of creative storage solution suggestions.

City apartments and homes can be pretty small these days. Depending upon which city you live in, it's not uncommon to have to settle for suites as small as 500 square feet. If you think the rent must be low for such an apartment in the city, think twice. The average rent for a small one-bedroom in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is approximately $2145/month. 

Whether you're battling space or not, pet owners can manage square footage by implementing the use of a cat house that doubles as a useable piece of furniture.

Types of Furniture You'll Typically Find that Doubles as a Home for Kitty

• End Tables
• Ottomans
• Benches

How You Can Include Cat House Furniture:

End Tables

The products featured offer various end-table designs. You can plan to use a cat end-table in bedrooms, playrooms, or even the house's main room. For those who live in tiny spaces, cat end tables are an ideal spot for a kitty's bed.

Ottomans

Try a kitty ottoman house if you're nervous about setting up a cat bed inside an end-table. They're so cute. They provide a place for kitty to sleep while also giving you a spot to raise your tired legs. These can be used anywhere; a bedroom, an enclosed porch, the main room, or the kid's playroom area.

Benches

A small seating bench can double as a place for a kitty to hide and sleep. The cat benches featured are not overly large, so they can easily be included in small entryways as a place that doubles as a kitty's house and a way to sit down to put on your shoes.

Of course, you can find a wide variety of cat houses; however, when square footage is an issue, check out furniture that doubles as a place for kitty to relax and sleep.

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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Review of Harrison Investigations

 Book Series by Heather Graham

“Harrison Investigations specializes in the bizarre ~ the unexplained ~ the things that go bump in the night.:

There are those who walk among us who are no longer alive, but not yet crossed over.  They stay to seek retribution or to help or watch over and protect those they love.

Among the living, few sense their presence ~ but some can!

The Harrison Investigations Series

Adam Harrison began Harrison Investigations after his son, Josh, died. Adam started putting together a team of people to look into cases with a paranormal angle because, although he didn't have the ability, Josh did, and Adam is able to recognizes it in others who can see and talk to ghosts. 

Available on Amazon

Throughout this series of ten books, we meet many people, all trained as Private Investigators, who are able to see what exists in a slightly different dimension.

This series fits into several genres – mystery & thriller, suspense, fantasy, paranormal, Historical Romance and romantic suspense. Each story takes place in a different place and, quite often, we are given a history lesson from earlier times. You learn a bit about the history of the place going back to Civil War times and other events that occurred in the 1700s and 1800s. The current story is taking place in modern times, but the ghost(s) will be from the past. The ghost has stayed around to help or have a wrong righted.

Books in the Series 

Haunted - Book 1

The series begins with Haunted, which takes place in an historic Virginia estate that dates back to the Revolutionary War. Suspecting that the house is haunted, owner Matt Stone finally allows Harrison Investigations in the form of paranormal investigator Darcy Tremayne to try and discover the truth about some strange happenings at the house.

Book #3 (Ghost Walk) finds us in New Orleans where Nikki DuMonde manages a successful haunted-tour company. Nikki doesn't scare easily until she wakes up at 4 a.m. to see her newest employee standing at the end of her bed begging for help. The next day she discovers that the employee had been killed. Nikki doesn't believe in ghosts, and no one believes her until Brent Blackhawk, a paranormal investigator able to communicate with the dead, arrives to help. 

Unhallowed Ground (Harrison Investigations Book #7) takes place in Florida where Sarah McKinley has bought an historic mansion that she has always loved.  While the house is being renovated, remains of dozens of bodies – some dating back over a century – are discovered in a wall.

Meanwhile Caleb Anderson, a P.I. With Harrison Investigations, is in town investigating several missing-person cases. He soon comes to believe that his cases are linked to Sarah's house and its dark past. Sarah and Caleb are compelled to research the history of the house to discover the truth.

For all ten books in the Harrison Investigation series, click here.

Summary

The characters in each book are always interesting and the ghosts are delightful.  There is usually a romantic interest between the main male & female characters, of course. And the historic background of each area and place is fascinating.

An interesting fact is that the Harrison Investigation Series pre-dates the Krewe of Hunters series reviewed earlier here on ReviewThisReviews. From being private investigators for Adam Harrison, the group's crime solve-rate is so good that eventually the FBI becomes interested and the Krewe of Hunters become a group of unusual FBI agents who are called upon when something complex (and usually paranormal) is going on.

I have now read my way through both series and really enjoyed them. Therefore, I recommend them to anyone interested in this type of genre. Classic paranormal romantic suspense by Heather Graham.

*Harrison Investigations Book Series reviewed by Wednesday Elf

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Pampered Chef Boil-Over No More Pot Cover Splatter Guard Reviewed

When I was invited to a Pampered Chef party recently, I attended only because a friend was hosting it.  I have a few Pampered Chef items in my kitchen and love them, but I wasn't shopping their catalog or seeking more of the products before I received the party invitation.  I ended up finding several new products that I really wanted in my kitchen. One of those products was the large Boil-Over No More. 

I was shocked by how much I love the Boil-Over No More pot cover. The first time I used it with my T-fal 5 quart dutch oven stockpot, I was dancing around the kitchen praising the cover.  I could not believe it actually kept the pot of boiling chicken from boiling over.  After that experience, I could hardly wait to try it while boiling potatoes, which makes a huge starch-water mess on my smooth top stove when they boil over. I was thrilled to see that the boiled potato water did not boil over.

Needless to say, this is my favorite new kitchen cooking accessory! Now I always use it instead of the pot lid and my smooth top stove stays clean. 

 

The Pampered Chef Boil-Over No More 

There are two sizes available.  I only purchased the large Boil-Over No More for my large dutch ovens or stockpot, which are the pots I use most often when when boiling anything.

The Boil-Over No More sinks slighting into the pot and has little flaps on the top for steam release.  It is almost 13" wide and will fit most standard size skillets too.  The small handles on each side allow you to easily lift the cover off.  To check the water level, I simply lift one of the flaps to peak inside the pot without removing the Boil-Over No More.  I do remove the entire cover if I need to add water.

The Boil-Over No More is dishwasher safe.  I store my cover by leaning it against the wall inside my cabinet, next to my stacked pans. That makes it very easy to locate and pull out when needed. 

 

You can purchase your own Boil-Over No More by clicking the E-bay link below.

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Pampered Chef Boil-Over No More Pot Cover Splatter Guard Reviewed by:

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Special Days in May ~ A Gift Review

 While all of us are desperately waiting for Spring to bring forth it's flowers and warmer weather, May is coming along fast and furious with many "special days" to look forward to.  

Of course everyone knows it's Mother's Day on the 8th of May, but did you also know that we celebrate Nurses Day and Teachers Appreciation Week in the same month?

Mother's Day can be a time to give her something that she can really use to pamper herself just a little bit!  Instead of the usual chocolates, flowers or cards, give her the gift of Color Street and let mom indulge herself with a little self-care.

Teachers can be undone with all the coffee mugs and chocolates as well.  Why not think outside the box and give them some fun for their fingertips.  I can just see the little eyes wanting to check out the fancy nails on their favorite teacher.  

Nurses who are run off their feet with caring for others, could also use a nice little pick me up.  Color Street Nail Strips are perfect!  While your favorite nurse is on a coffee break, she can do up her nails in less than ten minutes.  A little self care help for the ones who care for everyone else before themselves.  

Your hands are always visible to everyone and when your nails are nice and polished they make a statement without having to say anything out loud.  It says, " I care about myself too!"

If you are anything like me, I don't like to sit waiting for things to be ready.  Color Strips Nail Strips are ready and done in less than 10 minutes.  Once applied, you can continue on your day and accomplish all the things that need doing.  No waiting for nail polish to dry and once applied, they last for at least 2 weeks.  No cracking, peeling, smudging is going to happen, unlike liquid nail polish!

Until I found these Color Strips, I hated doing my nails.  I just could not seem to get a good application happening.  One coat would go on great and the second coat would get all smudged.  Frustration was the name of the game in my case.  NOT anymore! 

What I really like is that with these Nail Strips you can mix and match or mix and contrast as you like.  One set of strips are enough to do a full manicure if you have long nails, or two if your nails are kept on the shorter side.  Just make sure that you seal the package after you are finished with the Strips.  A curling iron will seal the package nicely until you need them again.  

 Under the Stars - Color Street Nail Strips, Blue Stars on White with Silver Glitter, FDG368Check Price Leaf it to Me - Color Street Nail Strips, Blue Leaves & Black Dots on Silver Backing, FDS602Check Price Wrap It Up - Color Street Nail Strips Christmas 2020, FDG335Check Price

Color Street Nail Strips are only available through a Stylist and they are not hard to find. So if your Teacher, Nurse or Mom really likes this gift, she can order for herself after having used your gift!  They are affordable and a really nice gift that says so much.

If you are a little bit artistic, you can do so much with these Nail Strips by thinking outside the box (so to speak).  

When you have a great product, people begin to notice and the awards for excellence start to roll in.  So it is with Color Street!  They have been awarded the Best in Nail Care!  Check this out:
 

Needless to say, I'm pleased to have joined this company as a Stylist and also appreciate that this company gives back to their communities.  You will find that they support causes like Epilepsy, Birth Defects, March of Dimes, Breast Cancer Awareness and so much more.  

If you want to see for yourself just how easy Color Street Nail Strips are to apply you can watch this You Tube video!

I hope you get a chance to try these out for yourself and I would love to know what you think!  Don't hesitate to leave a message!   For those of you who look after "Elders" these Color Strips also make a wonderful way to spend some time spoiling them with a little bit of fun!  

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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Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wing Recipe

 My air fryer crispy chicken wing recipe and method reviewed

Everybody in our family likes crispy chicken wings. I have never quite mastered crispy wings until I made them in our Ninja Foodi Grill and Air Fryer. So, if you like your chicken wings crispy this is the way to do it.

We had a crowd the day we made these so I used a 5-pound bag of chicken wings. Normally I would do about 2-pounds.

How I prepared the chicken wings:

one gallon zip lock bags

2 tablespoons olive oil per bag

3 to 4 tablespoons baking powder per bag

Seasoning:

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon brown sugar

All of the above ingredients are per one bag of 15 or 20 wings. The first thing I did was, rinse the wings with cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel.

You can really use any already made chicken seasoning, just add a generous amount to each bag. Place the wings in a zip lock bag, add all the ingredients and mix well. Set the bags in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

I sprayed the air fry pan with non-stick cooking spray. Then, I set the air fry temperature to 390 degrees and the timer for 22 minutes. When the air fryer was preheated I added the wings, fitting about 12 to 15 wings in the pan. After 11 minutes I turned the wings over for the remaining 11 minutes.

Preparing the hot sauce:

1 stick of butter (melted)

1-1/2 cup Frank's Hot Wing Sauce

Mix this together well in a large bowl. If you really like your wings hot add a dash of cayenne pepper. For me, the hot wing sauce is hot enough. Toss the crispy wings in the sauce and enjoy.

These crispy wings are perfect anytime for a snack or party. Your family and friends will love these air fryer wings.

Read my review of our Ninja Foodi Grill here:

Find more recipes on Review This here:

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Movie Review: The Biggest Little Farm

I recently watched The Biggest Little Farm and loved it so much that I am going to order the DVD so that I can watch it repeatedly. The Biggest Little Farm is a film documenting a couple who jump from apartment life to farm life and their progress toward regenerative farming. It is a beautifully filmed story about chasing and obtaining dreams as well as caring deeply for the land.

"This all started with a promise we made to a dog"

 In 2010, John and Molly were living in an apartment in Santa Monica, California. She is a private chef who specialized in traditional cooking methods. She dreamt of owning a farm and growing everything she could cook. While they lived in this apartment, she grew her own tomatoes on her balcony and shopped at farmer's markets.

John is a filmmaker. While filming an animal hoard situation, with over 200 animals being removed, John met one particular dog and fell in love. They adopted the big black fluffy dog with the just-look-at-those eyes and named him Todd.

"Todd filled us with purpose."

"We made one promise to him... our home would be his last."

Except Todd was not necessarily cooperative. He. Barked. Nonstop. Large fluffy dog in an apartment barking during every moment his family is away is not a good situation. The poor neighbors complained. Molly and John tried many different things to try to solve the problem including dog trainers, calming dog vests, and taking him everywhere they went. 

Eventually, the eviction notice arrived. Molly and John had some tough choices to make.

They decided that Molly's dream of living on a farm would be the solution. Farms are perfect for dogs. And for people who eat farm to table. Except there was a problem. Molly and John did not have the funds. So they got investors for this land and this "old way of farming". And they purchased Apricot Lane Farm approximately 1 hour north of Los Angeles.

They wanted to turn this neglected piece of land into a healthy and thriving farm with traditional farming practices and they highlighted how farms have turned into singular-focused businesses. For example, each farm specializes in one item such as avocados. Or chickens. But Molly and John wanted to "emulate how natural ecosystems work. They regulate themselves through diversity".  But how to achieve that? 

A man named Alan York mentored them. He had a vision that they couldn't quite see. And he had a plan. This plan included starting the land over and removing what had been planted there. John and Molly didn't quite understand where he was going with his plan. It's hard to understand what you don't know but they followed his advice the best they could.

In order to avoid spoilers, I will stop here.

Recommending The Biggest Little Farm

I highly recommend this film. The cinematography was breath-taking at points. The film was a combination of high quality and beautifully filmed sections that were "National Geographic" in quality mixed with clips from what appeared to be home-videos shot from a handy cell phone. 

I did find myself wondering how in the world they just happened to have all of these video clips over the years that were adequate to tell the story. And the cynical side of me thought it had to be set up or staged in some way. But during an interview I have since watched, John answers that concern. Being a filmmaker, documenting their journey was a part of his everyday life (I imagine much like I find myself filming my chickens, deer, and the sunsets on my ridge each day). In addition, some of their interns had a similar interest in journalism. So they decided to video and to save those videos; the good, bad, and in between. This is how they had so many pieces of the journey on video.

At points, I also thought that they were going to go down the path of farmer-bashing which would have irritated me. But they didn't. They pointed out that farming has been moving away from farms with a variety of crops/livestock to businesses with a single crop/focus.

Is their natural, regenerative ecosystem something I could replicate? Well. No. I am not up to the challenge of finding investors to buy 200 acres of land. Nor am I organized enough to bring in interns to help. I can barely manage myself most days. However, I would LOVE to have this sort of ecosystem, in miniature, on my land in some way. Much like when John and Molly listened to Alan York's directions in the beginning, I just don't quite get it. But I am trying to learn.

This is not a how-to movie. There are no step-by-step directions and I will have to do much research on my own. However, this movie does give a visual overview of how a very damaged ecosystem begins to find it's balance with some help. This movie inspires. This also is a movie about humans who loved a dog enough to give him his forever home.

Rent or Buy The Biggest Little Farm?

You can do as I did and rent this movie on Amazon Prime for just a few dollars. I realized that with Amazon Prime, I could rent movies and avoid buying the DVDs and Blu-Rays that stack up and collect dust when I don't care to view them again. When I rent a movie that I know I'll want to re-watch many times, I do end up buying the copy. This is one of those movies that I will order so that it is on my bookcase and I can watch it again and again.

 

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 Chair You Can Sleep In - Chair Beds

There is no doubt that if you live in the city, apartments are smaller and, unfortunately, much more expensive than in previous decades.

Maximizing space is critical. Thus, thinking in terms of dual-purpose use for each piece you add to your small area is essential.

Did You Know That You Can Get Chairs That Turn Into Beds?

Most of us are accustomed to couches that turn into beds. Rarely do we consider a chair you can sleep in as a guest-sleepover solution.

Of course, a chair you can sleep in doesn't have to be restricted to small apartments. They can easily be used as a guest sleepover solution in multiple rooms of a standard-sized home.

Skip all the mumbo-jumbo and go directly to the product page here. 

Eight Locations in the Home to Consider Adding a Chair You Can Sleep In:

• The baby's room! When mom needs to bunk in with the little one, placing a chair that converts to a bed is the perfect solution, especially with space issues.
• Place a chair bed in your home office. When you're working long hours, you have a place to rest, or when you host company, they have a place to sleep.
• A chair you can sleep in is ideal for the primary bedroom. Whether one half of a couple needs a place to sleep independently from time to time, or a child needs to bunk in with mom and dad, a chair bed solves those issues.
• For those who enjoy the luxury of a gaming or media room, a chair that turns into a bed is a comfortable solution for avid gamers.
• Plan for two of these chairs in your main room or family room, and you automatically get two extra beds when visitors come calling.
• These chair beds are must-haves for studio or small apartments. You automatically have an extra place for sleepover visitors.
• Do you have a she-shed? Does he have a man cave? If so, these adult metaphoric doghouses aren't complete without a proper place to sleep if needed!
• Sunrooms or enclosed patios are a perfect place to add a sleeping chair! 

Unconventional furniture is all the rage. Be sure you consider your space carefully before adding or changing out pieces. When you consider furniture as having a dual purpose, you save money and time in the long run.

These chairs can be moved from room to room - so you'll always be sure to find a place to put them as your life changes. 

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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