Three Products I LOVE (And One I Do NOT) - Product Reviews Ahoy!

Okay, readers, I have not done product reviews in a LONG time, so today is the day! Check out my assessments below of some stuff I have around the house!

Yogi Ginkgo Clarity Tea

Yogi Ginko Clarity Tea is delicious!

I am not a big herbal person, but I'd heard about the alleged properties of ginkgo (read more at WebMd here). What attracted me to the package of Yogi Ginkgo Clarity Tea, however, was that it allegedly supports memory. Hmmmm....I can always use help in that department. 

This tea has a sweetness that makes it perfect for hot or on ice. Since it's decaffeinated, it's appropriate for drinking all afternoon since it won't interfere with sleep. 

And does it help my memory?

 I think so! I definitely notice a difference when I'm drinking it versus when I'm not.  This is my go-to drink, especially during the Summer.

Jack Links Turkey Jerky

Jack Links Turkey Jerky is great for you and your kids.

When I think of jerky, I think of chewing on rubber tires. Other jerky I've tried was so chewy it actually made my jaw ache. Not so with Jack Links Turkey Jerky!  Okay, so there were a few pieces that were on the tough side, but overall, it has a pleasant texture it is DELICIOUS! At 80 calories per serving (three in the package – of course, I ate the whole package) and 13 grams of protein, it's a great snack to have in the house and is a must-have in your emergency kit. My daughter loved it, too, so I'm keeping some in the car. 

 Fresh Step Kitty Litter

The ONLY kitty litter I'll buy!

A few years back, I cashed in any favors I had with the hubby and asked for a cat (I really wanted a dog, but a canine just doesn't fit in with our lifestyle right now). While Cosy is the family pet, since she's mine, I take full responsibility for the litter box. I tried the cheapie brands of litter and they are a total waste of money (except when you need traction in the snow - keep a bag in your trunk during the Winter).  I've also tried the new pricey crystals which are supposed to be soooo absorbent that they last the whole month. Bullshit! The crystals smelled like the cheap litter and, when the cat treks them on the floor, THEY HURT TO STEP ON (think tiny Lego, parents)!

Fresh Step Litter NEVER SMELLS even though the litter box is in the family room where any odor would be especially apparent.

I'm ashamed to admit that I've forgotten to scoop the poop, but even after four days, there's no odor in our room. Fresh Step is the only brand I'll be using.

Cosy, my kitty litter user.

So those are my favorite brands of late. I'll be reviewing products at least once a week, so stay tuned.

Now, do you agree with my reviews? Feel free to disagree!

The Lazy Mom's Life-Changing Vacuum

The Shedder

Anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT fond of cleaning. I'd rather have root canal, without anesthesia, than clean.  Life is just too damn short to worry about dust and there are far better things I could be doing (like writing or Tweeting) than tidying a house that, with two kids, is going to look like a typhoon hit it 5 minutes after it's been cleaned anyway. Plus I've got a cat that sheds fur balls the size of hamsters every time she jumps off the couch. I mean, why bother?

Hubby, who likes a clean house (what is WRONG with that guy?!), tends to do the heavy-duty vacuuming on the weekends. I supplement with a lightweight Red Devil, which picked up the aforementioned fur balls and potato chip crumbs, just to keep bugs at bay. I swore I'd never use our big, clunky, main vacuum until pigs fly. Still, when the old vacuum started to smell like the fireplace (can you say “upcoming explosion”), we decided it was time to get a new, primary vacuum. After a good amount of research, we headed over to Walmart to buy (drum roll please)..

 The Shark Navigator Lift-Away!

This sucker (pun intended) is only 12 pounds, so it weighs two pounds less than the damn cat! It swivels, which is convenient, yes, but it makes it remarkably easy to maneuver. With a flick of a switch, you can go from floor setting to rug, unlike the Hoover we returned because you basically needed a degree in Engineering to figure the bloody thing out. With our previous vacuum I used to use earphones to protect my hearing from the deafening motor; this one is loud, but not unpleasantly so. It even picks up cat hair like an over-caffeinated, crazed Mother-In-Law.


But the BEST thing about the Shark Navigator Lift-Away is that it comes apart in many, many ways. Why is this important?

• I can take the canister off the main part (see photo – that's not me) so I can vacuum the stairs without dragging the whole thing up and down.
  
• I can take the canister off, take it outside to the garbage, and then empty the dust cup via an upper trap door or lower one. In other words, it's EASY to dump the dust without making a mess!
• The attachments can be connected at any number of points and work really well to clean the couch of potato chip crumbs and even more cat hair (she may be going bald).

There are only two cons to the vacuum so far: 1) The non-retractable extension chord. Yes, it's a 25 foot chord, but a retractable one is more fun. 2) There's no place to put the attachments. There's a pedestal for one, but when I put one of the brushes up there, it still fell off. I got a boo-boo on my foot.

Still, this vacuum is a PLEASURE to use! I put the Red Devil away and am using this sucker a few times a week just because it's fun. Reviewers on Amazon had said that you don't know how dirty your house is until you get the Shark Navigator and I believe it! It's picking up stuff I didn't know was in the carpets.

Take a look at it here on Amazon, but check out the price at Walmart where it was much cheaper. Seriously, again, I am cleaning the house much more often because the vacuum is fun to use. Apparently pigs do fly! 

Thanks for reading!   My daughter has decided she wants a voodoo doll.  It's still playing out, so please check back in with me.  This should be interesting, folks! 

Kitty Caps: A Great Alternative To De-Clawing Your Cat

 

 

I love our family cat, but every once in a while, she decides to scratch one of us. I called our beloved vet to gain some insight and he told us that random acts of aggression often happen in felines who were taken away from their mothers at too early an age. Bummer, but therapy for Cossette is not an option, and, aggression will not tolerated. Outside of de-clawing, what is a cat owner to do? We tried some of the “calming” sprays and collars on the market. While they worked for a bit, the cat still managed to scratch my daughter the other day for no apparent reason. Enter: Kitty Caps.

I'd seen these equivalent of human fake nails before and knew that, much like the fake nails ladies put on, you glue them over a cat's nails. This way, when the cat scratches, she doesn't hurt anyone. I'd also read mixed reviews about them being hard to put on and that they tended to make cats a little more nippy. Still, with no alternative except to de-claw our beloved pet, I decided to try them, especially since PetSmart has a 30-day return policy even if the package has been opened.

Armed with the salesman's warning that after applying the nails, you needed to keep the cat quiet for a while, I chose the largest size available (Cosy is a tubby 15 pounds). Timing with her is important, so I chose to apply them the next morning when she tends to be sleepy. I also decided to only put them on her front claws since those are the ones she attacks with. Following the package directions, I trimmed her nails (she's great with that since she gets a treat right after). While she retired to the couch, I got the Kitty Caps ready.

You're supposed to fill the nail half way with glue and then slip them on each of the cat's nails. Therein lies my biggest problem with this product: the glue does not flow out smoothly. I actually had to use pliers to squeeze any glue out. The manufacturers give you an extra fine tip to slip over the glue tube which I found completely useless. After making a gluey mess out of a few of the nails, I finally got the hang of filling one half way. I then grabbed my unsuspecting feline and slipped it over her claw; then I held her for about a minute (the package says you're supposed to hold the cat still for 5 minutes – good luck with that). I got all the nails on with nary a “meow” and she went back to sleeping.

I've watched her behavior over the past two weeks to see if there has been any increased nippiness and haven't seen any. When she attacked my leg the other day, it stung from the impact but she didn't even pierce my thin leggings. I check the Kitty Caps every other day and when I saw that one had fallen off, quickly and easily replaced it. Cosy has used her scratching post and doesn't seem to be effected at all by the fake nails.

So far, I enthusiastically recommend Kitty Caps. They've made my family safer from random cat attacks and have saved Cossette from the only alternative to getting rid of her – de-clawing. If you decide to try them, just make sure the merchant you're buying them from will take them back even if the package has been opened.

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Thanks for reading! Visit me at www.thegeekparent.com and http://momscrayon.blogspot.com.

What's A Cat Got To Do With Menopause?

You may have noticed my cat on this blog. No, I am not a  crazy cat lady nor am I even a cat person (not that there's anything wrong with that), but this particular feline does, in fact, relate to my being in menopause

A very forgiving animal, indeed.

(or menopaws, if you will). She is also the result of the one time I overtly and successfully manipulated my husband. Here's the story.

For 13 years, we had a beagle named Bailey. The dog pre-dated my kids and we adored him even though he had a multitude of bad habits such as eating a full, raw head of cauliflower and then farting all night, eating unrisen bread dough resulting in a $500 vet bill,  and walking into telephone poles whenever a squirrel caught his eye. Bailey also had epilepsy, not his fault, but a challenge just the same. My husband and the beagle had a very close relationship (think Elliot and E.T.), so when the dog died, he could not bear to get another pet for quite a while.  Plus, we needed a break after having had an animal who required so much energy and damage control. 


Finally, after about three years without a large pet (the hamster didn't count), I wanted something.  I wanted a companion, someone who would like me even when the kids didn't. I realized that a dog would not fit into our schedule, so I started surfing pet adoption websites like some men surf for porn. Cats seemed to require much less work than dogs, so I learned more about them and realized I wanted one even though my husband and I remain dog people to this day.


Finally, when I turned 50, I asked my husband to at least entertain the possibility of another pet. I mean, a half century is a milestone birthday and it should be celebrated with something monumental, right? I started visiting a local shelter and tried to acquaint myself with the cats that were there. Several were cute and would have fit the bill, but we have a rule that for a new member to join the family, EVERYONE must agree to it. Hubby just wasn't there yet. However, one day, I did convince him to come with the kids down to the shelter to see the cute little kittens. He emphasized to the kids that there was a good possibility that we would NOT be bringing a new pet home and I fully agreed. Better to come home empty-handed than with something we would have to return.


We played with several kittens that day and had finally agreed on an energetic one named Feisty when we learned that she had already been taken. Her cagemate, however, was available. There she was, in the back of the cage, a little gray ball of fluff with a half pink-half gray nose. When I put my hand out, she licked it. I was in love. This was the half cat-half dog that I wanted. Hubby was still skeptical until I played a card I had only been thinking about, a full-fledged, obvious attempt at manipulation that I was ready to unleash with the force of a dozen hot flashes.

“We'll call her Cosette,” I said, knowing that Les Miserables is my husband's all-time favorite musical. His eyes lit up.  The name appealed to him and even though he knew that I was shamelessly trying to coerce him, he began humming a tune from the show. I joined in. Even the kids knew something magical was happening.


The rest is history. I mistakenly misspelled her name, so it remains Cossette or Cosy for short. She brushes off my hormonal moods, forgives any menopausal insanity, and it has not escaped me that my mid-life crisis pet is, in fact, gray, much like the color my own mane is turning. This feline is infinitely patient with my children and every night, serenades us with lovely music (we call it meowsic). She also brings me her toy and plays fetch until she gets bored (she is a cat, after all). One day, she will be my empty-nest friend when my kids go off to college.


You'll see Cossette from time to time. She makes the house a less-stressful place and makes me happy. I hope she brings a smile to your face, too.

Soft Kitty