New Test for Cats & Dogs May Catch Kidney Disease Years Earlier Than Before #AskYourVet

This post is sponsored by Pet Health Network® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help create awareness for the importance of the IDEXX SDMA™ kidney screening test for pets, but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Neither Pet Health Network® or IDEXX is responsible for the content of this article.

We’ve talked a lot lately about how our pets are one of the family – that we would do anything to protect them, and keep them with us longer. We take them to the vet for check-ups, (or emergency remove hook from cats mouth surgery..yes, that recently happened to us!) we feed them healthy dog/cat food, we make sure they get enough exercise, we get them their shots, give them heartworm meds, and everything else to keep them healthy and happy.

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Image courtesy of IDEXX

But sometimes things come up that we weren’t expecting – and sometimes unfortunately, it’s just too late. Things like Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is really common in household pets – 1 in 3 cats, and 1 in 10 dogs will develop some form of kidney disease in their lifetime. In fact, recent studies suggest that kidney disease is even more common, and until recently has been under-recognized.

Fortunately there’s test like the IDEXX SDMA™ which is a kindey function test that helps enable you to diagnose CKD in cats and dogs months or even years earlier than traditional methods.

Know what that means??

It means its possible to intervene earlier – and help effectively manage the kidney disease.

Kidney disease is a leading cause of suffering and death for cats – kind of like what heart disease is for humans; and as a cat ages, the likelihood of developing kidney disease increases. In fact, more than half of cats age 15 and over are afflicted.

Cats are good at hiding their issues – and typically there won’t be any signs of the illness until their kidneys have lost most of their function.

So the IDEXX SDMA™ test is a breakthrough! Being able to detect kidney disease when the cat’s kidney function is still intact is life changing – for you and your pet.

IDEXX SDMA™ gives you and your veterinarian the chance to take action and give your pet the best shot for a healthy, happy, long life even with kidney disease.

Ask your veterinarian for the IDEXX SDMA kidney screening test. It’s available to all veterinarians via IDEXX Reference Laboratories.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pet Health Network®. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Firecracker Rice Krispies

If you are looking for a fun patriotic treat for this weekend, check out these yummy firecracker rice krispies!

This recipe will yield 6 large Firecracker Rice Krispies bars from a 9×9 pan:

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
Two 10 oz. bags of marshmallows
10 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
3/4 cup Wilton Royal blue chocolate melts
1/2 cup Wilton red chocolate melts
6 jumbo marshmallows
1 black licorice wheel
Betty Crocker white cake frosting can with star tip (tip comes with it)
Red white and blue star sprinkles

Fire Cracker Ingredients

DIRECTIONS TO MAKE RICE KRISPIES
1. Spray a 9×9 pan with a non-stick coating spray and set aside.
2. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat.
3. Add the marshmallows to the butter, stirring constantly until melted.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the cereal and salt (optional) until well-coated.
5. Transfer the cereal mixture to prepared pan and press down firmly.
6. Cool for 30 minutes and cut into 6 large bars.

HOW TO DECORATE FIRECRACKER RICE KRISPIES
1. Line 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper and set aside.
2. In a double boiler pan, heat the blue chocolate candies until melted, stirring occasionally.
3. Dip the bottom of each Rice Krispies bar into the melted chocolate. Set on first cookie sheet to harden.
4. Microwave the red chocolate melts in a microwave safe bowl for 45 seconds. Stir until melted. (Depending on your microwave, you may have to heat in additional 8 second increments until melted).
5. Roll each jumbo marshmallow in the melted red chocolate, covering each one entirely. Place on the second cookie sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes to speed the hardening process. Set aside the remaining melted red chocolate for later.

Fire Cracker Process 1
6. Cut 6 two inch pieces from the black licorice wheel.
7. After 10 minutes, remove the marshmallows from the refrigerator and take an ice pick or mini meat thermometer and poke a hole into the top of each marshmallow.
8. Insert a 2 inch licorice strip into each firecracker to resemble the fuse.

Fire Cracker Process 5
9. Reheat the leftover red chocolate in the microwave. Dip the bottom of each marshmallow into the melted red chocolate and place on top of each Rice Krispies bar, squared in the middle.
10. Using a star tip, pipe the vanilla cake icing on all 4 corners of each Rice Krispies bar.
11. Sprinkle the star sprinkles on top of each icing star.
12. ENJOY!!

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Posted in Holidays, Recipes | 1 Comment

No More Dropped Calls – and Great Deals with Verizon Wireless

This is a Fashionista Event and a promotional item was provided to me. Hosts for this event are Still Blonde after all these Years and ModlyChic

Years ago (I know it makes me sound old) I had a no-name carrier for my cell phone provider. It had patchy service, and there was one spot that I always dropped my call. It was always at the corner of the street going into my Mom’s neighborhood – without fail, in fact I had gotten so accustomed to the dropped calls, that I would warn the person I was talking to that I’d have to call them back as soon as I got close to her neighborhood (definitely wasn’t cool when it was a work call!)

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Then the time I went to visit my in-laws in Maine. They live way way out there – the most North Eastern part of the United States. I had absolutely NO service at all. Do you know how frustrating it is to have no access to your phone, when you are used to checking your e-mails, texting, and Facebooking all day? (I felt like I was smart-phone detoxing!)

Finally I had enough, and we decided to make the switch to Verizon

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Verizon is #1 cell service provider for speed, data, reliability, and overall network performance in the U.S. according to an independent third-party testerVerizon not only offers great coverage – but they offer some great deals on some pretty awesome phones.

Save with waived activation fees for phones and tablets through June 11, plus $100 off select smartphones with code VZWDEAL through June 30!

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*Waived activation available through 6/11; $100 off select smartphones available through 6/30. Both the waived activation and $100 off are available online only and cannot be applied to upgrades. $100 off select smartphones does not include the SamsungGalaxy S7 & Galaxy S7 Edge, HTC 10, or the iPhone SE.

In fact, were so excited about the deals that we are offering $100 Verizon gift card for 5 winners! Contest ends June 30th, so make sure to get your entries in!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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And This Is WHY Your Kids Don’t Listen

I try to stay away from controversial topics – I like to keep my post fitness, travel, food – and fun focused stuff. But last night I witnessed something that bothered me and I decided that I needed to write a little rant.

My oldest had a recognition ceremony at her middle school last night – she will be a Freshman next year, (I know, I don’t think I look old enough to have a Freshman either LOL). They were celebrating their last years as “kids” , and moving into being young adults. A fresh new exciting start to their lives – I mean, everyone remembers high school right? It’s a major stepping stone to becoming an adult.

The Principal and teachers spoke before handing out awards, and asked all the parents that they HOLD THEIR APPLAUSE until the end.

They said this not once, not twice, not even three times. They said it five times. But do you think these parents listened??!

No.

Now I know we all think that our kids are super special – that they deserve all the hooting and hollering and to let them know we are proud of them.

But rules are rules right?

Well obviously not – at least not in our neck of the woods.  Now it didn’t just happen once – it happened time after time after time.

GRR.

I sat there with my youngest daughter begging me to shout for her sister – she wanted to yell “SLAY!” because she knew it would amuse her sister. But I firmly told her no. The Principal & teachers had literally told us multiple times to wait until the end. So that’s what we were going to do.

Then kid after kid had their parents and family members hollering and clapping and someone even brought a fog horn.

Then there would be the families that actually listened, so those kids accepted their rewards in silence.

Then more and more families that completely ignored their own kids teachers and Principals request, and continued to hoot and holler.

Now tell me how it works when you tell your child to behave in school after you got a phone call from the Principal that they were being disruptive in class?!

If you don’t have to listen – why should they?

The more we sat there, the more upset I got. .

So the next time your kids don’t listen to you – or they get in trouble at school – just remember you are the ones teaching them they don’t have to listen. After all, they learn from example right?!

 

 

Posted in Parenting | Leave a comment

The Best Deal on Diapers Around

I first started shopping for diapers over 14 years ago – (that makes me sound so old!) I was in college, and on a budget and decided I would start researching the best – yet cheapest place – to buy diapers and wipes.

For my kids, Huggies Little Snugglers were the right fit – Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers help keep your newborn’s perfect skin clean and healthy. The GentleAbsorb* Liner (sizes N-2) has tiny, soft pillows that provide a cushiony layer of protection between your baby’s skin and the mess. And I love the color-changing wetness indicator lets you know when your baby’s diaper is ready to be changed.

The Huggies Simply Clean Wipes are soft sensitive hypoallergenic, fragrance and alcohol free, with a touch of aloe and Vitamin E, they are give your little one a gentle clean.

So I started searching where I could find the best deals. I did my research; I checked place after place, after place.

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Sam’s Club beat out the competition then – and still do now.

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Right now they make the deal even sweeter:

Buy any two packages of Little Snugglers diapers and/or Natural Care wipes between 5/9/16-6/30/16, snap a photo of your receipt and email/text it to Huggies@ by 7/15/16. You will receive a code and instructions within minutes to get your $10 Sam’s Club e-gift card.

You will also get $3 in instant savings off Huggies Diapers at Sam’s Club from 5/11-6/4

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