Black & White Sunday: Week 9

It's Been A Long Few Weeks

I've had such a horrible headache for days now. I think the stress from the holidays and things being slow for Jer at work is all catching up with me. I'm tired of worrying about bills. Especially for as hard as Jer works. He leaves Sunday evening instead of Monday like all the other drivers at his outfit, and doesn't get home until late Friday or most times Saturday, while everyone else is done before noon each Friday. You'd think he deserves a little appreciation for all his hard work, but is instead criticized for every little thing that isn't perfect and is barely paid for his time driving, let alone the physical labor and work involved loading and unloading. 

We need some r&r, preferably without a Bug sleeping across our entire bed ;)

December BarkBox #Review and Discount

The girls received their December BarkBox last week! Shipping was a little slow due to the holiday, but they still were able to enjoy their goodies for Christmas!

Here's what was included in this months' box:

Simply Fido Rope Toy:

This toy is made of organic cotton fabric, recycled fiber filling, is non-toxic, uses low eco impact dyes, and is environmentally friendly. There wasn't an identifying name for the toy, but if I had to guess I would say it's a goat rope toy. I could not find this particular one online, so maybe it was an exclusive for BarkBox? Average retail value for these particular Simply Fido toys is around $10. 

GoDog Yeti:

This was my favorite of the two toys in the box because it has a squeaker (Venus' favorite) but it also features "Chew Guard Technology" which is a black mesh netting underneath the outer fabric, preventing your dog from ripping apart the toy. So far, this technology has worked beautifully! Normal stuffed squeaker toys last a maximum of an hour in our home with Venus, but this is still going strong after a week! We received a mini in our "small" box which retails for about $10.

Planet Dog eats:

Wheat, corn, soy, and wheat-gluten free! We received Chicken and pumpkin pot pie flavor treats which naturally supports digestion with that yummy pumpkin. Normally we're not a biscuit household, but these were a nice size for the girls! These are normally sold in 12oz boxes for $10, but were sent in sample sizes of 4oz to BarkBox subscribers, which would probably be about $3.50 each.

Bistro Bites:

Teeny tiny crunchy treats, these have been a huge hit! They smell like peanut butter and are a little more airy than kibble, so easier to chew I think for the girls. A four ounce box runs about $8. 

BarkWorthies:

These are the most absolute favorite thing for both our girls, out of all treats, toys and chews they've ever tries. They are long lasting and help keep their teeth clean! A single 6" junior bully stick from Barkworthies is just under $3.

You can enjoy the fun goodies with your dog too!

BarkBox offers three subscription lengths in three different sizes. Small and cute ranges from 0-20 pounds, Just Right ranges from 20-50 pounds, and Big & Bold is for dogs 50 pounds and up. You can be billed monthly for $29 a month, every three months for $24 a month ($72 every three months), or every six months for $19 a month ($114 billed every six months). 

You can take $10 off any new subscription ($19 for a single month, $62 for a three month subscription, or $104 for a six month subscription) if you subscribe using this link: https://barkbox.com/r/NCXCSBZWX7

Or use coupon code NCXCSBZWX7 at checkout.

This $10 code is only valid through 12/31/2013! Starting 1/1/2014, this code will still work, but only be worth $5, so order now for maximum savings!

Merry Christmas

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! Sorry for not much of a post, we're struggling to get over the "Christmas flu" over here. Enjoy some cocoa and candy canes for us!

Black & White Sunday: Week 8

Meet the Mama of "Baby and the Chi's"

It's a blog hop! A "Meet The Bloggers" Blog Hop to be specific. I found this hop through our friend Dachshund Nola. You can find the requirements and instructions to join this hop at Bringing Up Bella.

I'm Samantha, the mama and blogger behind Baby and the Chi's blog!

That's me, on the left ;)

1. What's your favorite non-animal related book?
The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice

2. What's your favorite non-animal related movie?
The Nightmare Before Christmas

3. What's your favorite non-animal related food?
Biscuits with country sausage gravy

4. Who's your favorite actor?
Johnny Depp

5. What's one thing you have to do every day?
Vacuum

6. What makes you feel fabulous?
Waking up early and putting on some make-up.

7. What do you wish you were more skilled at?
Photography and Dog Training.

8. What's your favorite holiday?
Christmas

9. Favorite meal?
Supper

10. What do you like to do in your free time?
LOL Free time? *sigh* ....
Blog, study for college, or clean.

11. What one word would people who know you use to describe you?
Ambitious

12. If your pets could talk, what one word would THEY use to describe you? 
Overly loving

13. What is one thing you've done that you're most proud of?
Became a mother (to dogs and a human).

14. How is your pet most like you?
Loves to sleep!

15. What can your body do for you that makes you most proud?
Heal fairly quickly.

16. If you could change one thing about your life what would it be?
Would love to own a house so we could adopt more dogs.

17. Other than blogging, what are three things you do that bring you joy?Cleaning, petting the dogs, cuddling with my son.

18. What's one thing you could do to be more kind to yourself?Eat healthier, specifically cut back on the soda.

19. What drives you nuts about your pets? What melts your heart?The barking at every sound and passer-by. The unconditional love.

20. If you didn't have your current pets, what pets would you choose to have?A boston terrier.

Wordless Wednesday: Week 17

It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Christmas!

Christmas has always been a stressful time of year for me. Growing up I had to split each holidays with each of my parents and step-parents, which was just far too much for a child to have to deal with. The holidays have since been a simple occasion for just Jer and I to spend time together as a family with the chi's, that is, until we started sharing it with Gabe. His first Christmas was right before he turned one year old, and he had fun walking around and investigating everyone's gifts. Last year he ran around and tried to open everyone's gifts. This year, I expect him to claim all the gifts as his own and probably throw a tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants! Never-the-less, I'm still super excited for this year. My almost three year old baby boy has a greater understanding of Santa, and Christmas Trees (as well as other decorations), making presents for family, and his favorite - Christmas music! The past month has been a blast with him as he's helped me set up the tree and hang the stockings, and helped my parents decorate their home. I simply cannot wait to watch him fully enjoy this years Christmas holiday!

Hugs & Chi-Chi Kisses,
Samantha, Baby Gabe, and the Chi's

Black & White Sunday: Week 7

PureBites Single Ingredient Dog Treats #Review

Dog treats (make that all pet treats in general) can be a scary subject these days. So many recalls due to contaminated ingredients that are probably questionable to begin with. Maybe you look for quality treats from trustworthy companies, but have a dog with special food requirements such as an allergy. Our family falls under that second statement where Venus has allergies, so even "safe" treats are questionable as to whether she'll react to an ingredient or not.

Thankfully, to solve all those problems, there's PureBites. PureBites are single ingredient treats, made in the USA, for dogs and cats. Both dog and cat treats are simply a freeze dried meat, vegetable, or cheese. Cat treats are essentially the same (give or take a few flavors) except they are a smaller easier size for cats. Both dog and cat treats can be broken apart into smaller pieces.

Dog treats are available as bison liver, turkey breast, duck, ocean whitefish, trail mix (beef liver, green beans, and sweet potato), cheddar cheese, chicken breast, and beef liver.

Cat treats are available as turkey breast, ocean whitefish, chicken breast, beef liver, and shrimp.

PureBites sent the chi's beef liver, turkey breast, chicken breast, and duck. All four of these flavors were a huge hit. I honestly can't say that they were more or less excited about one flavor over another.

The beef liver did need to be broken in half for Ocean as they are large solid rectangles, the chicken and turkey were perfect little sizes, but the duck was a little dusty. There were large chunks, small bits, and duck dust that ended up being a food topper for the girls inside that particular bag. That is my only complaint, if I can really even call it that. 

PureBites made it into almost every doggie Christmas gift we put together this year!

You can find more information about PureBites pet treats on their website. You can keep in touch with them and follow their updates via Facebook and Twitter.

Baby and the Chi's was sent the items mentioned above for the purpose of providing a honest and truthful review. We received no monetary compensation for this post, and all opinions are 100% our own.

MODPawed Handcrafted Pet ID Tags #Review

Having an identification tag for your pet is part of being a responsible pet owner. There are so many options to ID your pet, but none quite as classic and easily identifiable as the dog tag. Having a chihuahua (or two) makes finding a small enough dog tag a bit difficult though. In the past we've found small tags but once they're on a ring and hanging from a collar, one of the chi's is tripping over it or walking like a constipated duck to avoid tripping over it. It's just a bother and we end up not using a tag at all.

Recently, I came across ModPawed on Etsy and was in complete awe over the detail and originality of their pet tags. ModPawed is featured in Modern Dog magazine, has been featured in Bark Magazine, and has been seen on Cake Boss and The Merilyn Denis Show. All of their tags are handmade in California, and can be shipped worldwide. I counted over 150 unique designs on their Etsy page, and even if one of those are exactly what you have in mind, they will work with you on custom orders too! {P.S. This is an AWESOME idea for the holidays! Not just a special tag for a dog or cat, but think of unique necklace or bracelet charms for your fellow human companions, or another special animal in your life.}

We received one tag for each of the chi's. Ocean got The Roxy and Venus got The Comet. Please note: as much as I love you all, I have blurred out my cell phone number from the girls' tags. I just don't trust the creepers out floating around the interweb enough to post it on my blog lol. Thanks for understanding!

The Roxy is a 3/4" copper tag:

MODPawed's photo

 The Comet is a 3/4" red aluminum disc with your personalized info on top of a 1" silver aluminum tag stamped with stars and dots:

MODPawed's photo

 

I found our MODPawed tags to be beautiful, classy, and durable. I love their customization as well as their extensive design offerings. My heart about melted when I saw The Comet for the first time. How fitting for a dog named Venus, don't you think? The Roxy looks so petite but the nice copper lets you feel that it will last. I found it to be the absolute perfect size for Ocean, and looked beautiful with her coloring. The only thing they need now are new fancy collars! Hmm... I see another Christmas gift in their futures. Honestly though, I am so overjoyed that I came across MODPawed and had the pleasure of working with Leo. It's not often you find such detailed and beautiful handmade items!

You can purchase MODPawed's tags, or contact Leo for a custom holiday gift through Etsy. You can keep up-to-date and stay in touch through Facebook and Instagram as well.

A nice giveaway opportunity for you all as well! Anyone who follows @modpawed on Instagram is automatically eligible to win a free tag each month! That's right, all you need to do is follow @modpawed and you are automatically entered to win a free MODPawed tag, every month they are running this promotion!

Black & White Sunday: Week 6

Our Most Recent Disappointing eBay Purchase

I mentioned in my November Pet Expenses post that we had an issue with a recent order that was supposed to be a Puppia harness for Venus. I've been trying to find a decent quality harness for her for quite some time now as she's gotten too chubby for her puppy harness now, and found a great deal on a Puppia harness for $15 on eBay. A little cheaper than retail, but a noticeable price difference than the cheap overseas harnesses from Hong Kong. I was excited that eBay had brought me yet another great deal and placed my order.

Super quick shipping brought on some extreme initial excitement, until I opened the package to find a thin pink Puppia-look-a-like without a Puppia tag. Uhm, yeah... if I wanted a knock-off, I would have paid $6 for one from China, thanks. I contacted the seller and received no response. I tried opening a case for a partial refund, but was only given the option to open a case and ship the item back for a refund. I refuse to pay to ship back a misrepresented item, though, so that's out of the question. I have no way to contact eBay directly, and eBay removed the listing so I can't even leave feedback.

I decided I would suck it up and just use the harness and deal with the fact that I overpaid. But that isn't the end of our story! After using it for about a day, the thin misrepresented piece of crapola that is this harness started to stretch out, and is now completely unusable! Little fatty Venus can slip right out of it! At this point, I was outraged. I opened a case on eBay, and left a note explaining that I would not be returning the item on my dime, but I demanded a partial refund to cover the difference had I just risked buying the cheap harness from China. I expected a fight from the seller since I did use the harness and I wasn't exactly nice-as-can-be since I never received a response from my first email, but in return got a completely understanding response to the case offering to send a complete refund and that I could keep the unusable harness.

So, we now have a somewhat happy ending. I have to wait for a refund e-check to clear from eBay/PayPal (estimated to clear on December 10th), but then I can try my luck at ordering yet another harness for Venus. By the time all this is straightened out, it'll end up in her Christmas stocking! Hehe >.<

So that's that. New harness recommendations anyone?

$10 Off of BarkBox!

From now through December 31st, BarkBox is offering $10 any new box when you order through this link: https://barkbox.com/r/NCXCSBZWX7

What are you waiting for? Your dog thanks you ;)

Wordless Wednesday: Week 16

I Threw Out My Back

It's been a long time since I've had trouble with my back, over a month for sure. I managed to hurt it more than I ever remember by simply taking off my shoes after our morning walk today. That's all, just bending down to take off my shoes, and now I haven't hardly been able to walk all day. Venus and Ocean have been pretty sympathetic, and cuddling next to me while I cry out in pain, but Gabe has been a holy terror (to put it nicely). Yes, he too has noticed that mom is out of commission, and has really taken advantage of the situation. He's tried to be nice and helpful a couple times, but it's days like today that make me wish that my family was a little more helpful, or that Jer was home more often.

Thinking About Protein Levels In Dog Food

Our little baby Venus was my first dog, ever. Jared had several dogs growing up, but my parents were pretty particular about everything when I was young and didn't get dogs until us kids were older and on our way out of the house. When we first brought Venus home I spent almost all of my time reading and researching, wanting to feed her the best possible diet we could.

The backyard breeder we saved her from was feeding her Purina puppy chow. We picked up a bag that day, and from there it didn't take long to realize that it wasn't the best food for her. She itched a lot, her ears turned red every time she ate, and she has gas and messy poops. From Purina we went to Wellness Puppy. I loved their food, their packaging (the resealable bag worked great in the semi!), and their company seemed trustworthy. It wasn't until a few months later that Venus started showing signs of an intolerance to this new food as well. We switched from Wellness CORE (grain-free) and while she did well, I went through a period where we alternated between a raw diet and freeze dried.

Venus passed her fifth birthday in August, and from the day we brought her home in October 2009 until this past week I had found in all my reading that high protein diets would be best for her. Grain free was something we always stuck with because (as you may have realized above) she has an allergy. A few of them actually. But high protein seemed to be the way to go with dogs. It was the answer everywhere I looked, so I soon stopped questioning it and stopped researching as well. We've fed foods like Ziwipeak, Stella and Chewy's, Nature's Variety, and [currently] By Nature.

I recently started reading "Dr Khalsa's Natural Dog" and while she doesn't have anything negative to say about raw diets or dogs who need high protein, she does cause me to raise several questions about the diet and nutrition choices I've made for my dogs over the years. Past research has suggested that dogs are carnivores and while they have been eating commercial diets for over 100 years they still crave the meat and protein they would get from living in the wild. Dr Khalsa, on the other hand, suggests that dogs have quickly evolved over the years and while dogs may have the same carnivorous teeth as years ago they have since adapted to eating table scraps and man-made dog diets. Dr Khalsa also brings forward some interesting information about high protein diets feeding cancer and other diseases.

Things I had never questioned before suddenly have me thinking I've made a large mistake in the care of my babies. While their general health is alright, Venus has struggled with easily gaining weight for years. Ocean has only been with us for less than a year, so I cannot say if my diet of choice has made any impact on her health.

I'm only half way through this book right now, but a lot of good points have been raised in my mind. I hope to share more with you and if we decide to make a change to the way we think about the protein levels we're feeding the girls right now. I'm very interested in reading more opinions about this topic though. I would be overjoyed if any of you have any insight about high or low proteins in dog food, or what type of diets suit our modern-day dogs.

Black & White Sunday: Week 5

Merry Fluffy Christmas #Giveaway worth $50+! #FluffyXmas

Welcome to the greatly anticipated 4th annual Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Event!! There are 56 blogs that are giving away cloth diapering prize packages $50+! Make sure you enter here and then hop to all the others!! There are thousands in fluffy prizes to be won! This year, there are also two HUGE Grand Prize packages, on both of the host blogs, And Then There Were 5 and Mommy’s Favorite Things! So make sure you enter to win those as well! Good luck!

Here at Baby and the Chi's, we're happy to offer a nice little starter package this year! Our prize package includes the following:

• a $20 Kissed by the Moon gift Card
• a "Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapers" book
• one dozen infant size prefolds from Cotton Babies

Giveaway is open to US residents only (due to the cost of shipping) who are age 18 or older. Please enter using the Giveaway Tools form below! 

Entry-Form

November Pet Expenses

I've forgotten the past month or two to make this post! This is our families expenses for our two chis for the month of November 2013.

Food: $11; This wasn't needed, but I bought a bag of Stella & Chewy's freeze dried lamb for Venus.

Treats: $0; Would you believe we really had so many treats backed up that we didn't have to buy any this month?!?

Toys: $5; Venus got a cute little purple monkey. It's been a while since she's gotten a new toy, and this one lasted all of ten minutes.

Vet: $0

Other: $34; BarkBox and a new harness for Venus (more on our counterfeit Puppia later...)

Our November total for two chihuahua's was $50. More than usual, but none of it was actually needed lol.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for this year?

Earth Heart "Travel Calm" Dog Spray #Review

Not all dogs are as comfortable as Venus while traveling. In fact, it was quite a saddening experience to hop in the car with both the girls after we first brought Ocean home and have her start whining and shaking during the ride. Travel anxiety was nothing I had thought about previously, but seeing Ocean's reaction and knowing that we needed to ease it was a real eye opener to me.

Venus sleeping in the semi

I came across Earth Heart when I first started looking at BarkBox so many months ago, and saw there was a past product of theirs include in the box before I had started subscribing. I had put off trying their products (due to forgetfulness) until a short time later when I also saw Earth Calm advertised in Dog Fancy's annual publication of Natural Dog. Here is an exerpt from their "About Me":

"Vicki Rae Thorne, certified aromatherapist and master herbalist, founded Earth Heart in 1996 to help others learn how to safely and effectively use herbs and essential oils as part of everyday life.

In 1999, Vicki was approached by a kennel owner who wanted help with calming her canine visitors. The dogs missed their families and felt anxious, agitated, angry or depressed. The formula now known as Canine Calm was developed to diffuse in the kennel, and it worked from day one! Kennel customers noticed that their dogs were calmer when they left the kennel, and didn’t fret so much when it was time to go back. And the kennel customers wanted to take that calm experience home with them.

Earth Heart mists are made in the USA, packaged in BPA free recyclable containers, easy to use, and can be sprayed directly onto cloth, skin or fur without staining or leaving a sticky residue. Feedback from dog lovers and professionals across the USA and Canada has shown that Earth Heart mists provide safe, easy, effective solutions for over 90% of dogs"

I was intrigued by their Canine Calm, as Venus struggling with new people and Ocean has mild separation anxiety, but they offered more than calming products! Earth Heart also offers a product called Buzz Guard which protects against bugs and other outdoor irritants, and Guard well which offers relief from hot spots, itching, swelling, and other bothersome skin issues. Earth Heart sent us a bottle of Travel Calm which is a solution for upset stomach, restlessness, drooling, panting, and whimpering associated with the stress of traveling.

As I mentioned earlier, Ocean suffered from whimpering/whining, would shake, but would also pant heavily as soon as we got into the car. I tried to not bring her with everywhere we went, but there are times when it was more convenient to bring her along for a ride, or when I was ignorant of the fact that she hated the car and just wanted to have her close to me (I know, very selfish, but I love being around my dogs!). This is one product I was anxiously awaiting to try out! 

photo courtesy of Earth Heart

The first time I sprayed Travel Calm on Ocean, she got really amped up. Like the scent really energized her. It was pretty hilarious watching her run around in circles with her bum in the air! Then she proceeded to wiggle all over the carpet on her back, trying to rub the spray off. We didn't actually travel the first time we used the spray, it was more of a test run. So I let her do whatever she wanted after I sprayed her, and after bouncing around the house like a loon for about 15 minutes or so, she settled down.

The next time was the real test. We followed the directions and sprayed the Travel Calm on my fingers so I could massage it into her fur behind her ears, about 30 minutes before we were going to leave. In that time, she did try to rub it off on the carpet again, but the next experience was simply amazing. We walked out the the car and she sat down in the seat! She let out a long whine as I backed out of the garage, then curled up into a ball. No panting, no more whining, just a little shaking. I stalled in the parking lot and just stared at her. We made our trip to pick up Jer from the semi and back home in roughly two hours, and the biggest reaction we got out of her was some light shaking. She was like a different dog! 

My overall opinion is that yes, the scent of Travel Calm is a little strong, but that's where the effectiveness comes from! It's not a bad smell, mostly citrus and spice, and it was even calming to me. Of course, seeing the "night and day" results with Ocean made Earth Heart's product a real winner!

You can give any of Earth Heart's products a try for yourself with a nifty $5 coupon! Just enter the code VENUS at the checkout on their website. This code will expire 12/31/2013.

You can more information about Earth Heart on their blog. You can also connect with them on Facebook, LinkedIN, and Google +.

Disclaimer: Baby and the Chi's received the product mentioned above for review purposes only. All views and opinions are 100% my own. No monetary compensation was received.

So Tired

Is it just me, or is this cold weather really bringing in some sleepiness? It seems lately that I can barely make it through the day without falling asleep. I try not to sit on the couch for too long or I know I'll doze off. On the other hand, Gabe has been full of energy and even trying to skip his mid-day nap! What's a mama to do?

I feel bad because I really enjoy his nap time. Not that I don't love every waking minute I have with him, but between school-work, blogging, and the chi's... I just really need that couple hours to get homework done, try to plan posts and new reviews for the blog, and get the girls out and make sure they're spoiled!

The holidays right around the corner isn't making my time dilemma any easier either. There's more traffic when I need to make a "quick" trip to the store, there's more emails in my inbox to sift through advertising sales and holiday gift specials, and don't forget all the decorating and baking I'm needing to stay caught up on to keep the little guy happy.

I'm getting tired just thinking about it all.... How do you manage your time and stay awake throughout these busy days?

It's For The Dog #Giveaway $100+ Value!

"It's For The Dog" Giveaway

Hosted by:

Baby and the Chi's

Co-Hosted by:

Do Not Pet

Sponsored by:

Nina Ottosson, Natural Dog Company, BioBag, and Baby and the Chi's

We are so excited to finally be able to bring you all this giveaway. Our sponsors have been so very patient and generous, we just cannot thank everyone enough for all their hard work. We searched and emailed to bring you all these amazing healthy products for your dog, and wish you the best of luck with your entries!

Prize includes:

• Nina Ottosson MixMax puzzle
• Natural Dog Snout Soother
• By Nature "green tea and honey" biscuits
• Primal freeze-dried beef liver
• Barkworthies bully flakes food topper
• BioBag dog waste bags (regular and large size boxes)
• "I and love and you" "hey, nice grass" biscuits
• Blue Dog Bakery softies cookies
• 3 dehydrated food trial boxes from The Honest Kitchen
• PLUS over $10 in coupons for dog-related products

Details:
Giveaway will be open through November 30, 2013.
Due to the cost of shipping, giveaway is open to US residents only.

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: Baby and the Chi's is not responsible for shipment of prize. If you have any questions about this giveaway please send an email to babyandthechis@gmail.com

Natural Dog Snout Soother #Review

Dry skin isn't just a problem for us humans, you know. Along with dry skin and fur, dogs noses can take a lot of damage and dryness too. Natural Dog Company has come up with the perfect solution for dogs noses, and more!

Their Natural Dog Snout Soother is an all natural balm made from shea nut butter, organic hempseed oil, kukui nut oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, rosemary extract, natural vitamin e, and candelilla wax. [click here to find out more about these ingredients] Natural Dog Company lists on their website that their Snout Soother can be used for:

• dry/cracked/chapped/crusty dog nose
• hyperkeratosis
• nose rolls and folds
• pain relief
• windburn prevention
• natural sunscreen (kukui nut oil, shea nut butter, and vitamin e provide about a spf 9)
• extreme weather protection
• dry dog skin
• rashes and skin irritations
• puppy acne
• fading scars
• canine dry eye
• discoid lupus
• brachycephalic breeds
• potassium bromide nose
• shiny show dog noses
• and people too! (feet, elbows, knees, hands, face, lips...)

Now, I'll admit that after I read up on this product, I really felt like I had been neglecting the chis' noses. They never looked cracked to me, but I will also [shamefully] say that I never paid *close* attention to their noses. I had tried different balms in the past for Venus' paws because of her allergies causing redness, dryness, and cracking as well as her itch-relieving chewing wrecking complete havoc on her nails. Of course after paying closer attention, I noticed how dry and chapped Venus' nose was!

 

When we first received our Snout Soother we started applying it every morning and night. I noticed a difference as soon as I applied the balm to Venus' nose. The results would last a few hours at first, but after a few weeks I was able to start applying the balm just once a day as her nose had begun to repair itself with the use of the Snout Soother. I always apply it right before bed so it can work it's hardest while she's sleeping and her body is busy healing itself. Of course both Venus and Ocean try to lick at it as soon as I rub it on their noses, but since the balm is 100% natural there was no reason to worry! Of course, this was a great time for the girls to play with their Nina Ottosson puzzle while I waited for the balm to soak in.

I've been very happy with our Natural Dog Snout Soother! Not only has it kept the girls' noses in check, but I've been using it on Venus' paws as well, and for the first time after trying several different balms over the years, I have finally noticed a dramatic improvement! I've been using it on Gabe's cheeks, on my legs and hands, and we've both been using it as a lip balm.

Natural Dog Snout Soother can be purchased on their website; a 2oz tin for $15.95, a travel size for $4.95, and a tin of each for $17.95. Natural Dog Company also ships internationally.

You can connect with Natural Dog Company on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.

***Make sure to come back for a giveaway featuring a 2oz gift wrapped tin of Natural Dog Company's Snout Soother!***

Disclaimer: Baby and the Chi's received the item(s) mentioned above for the purpose of providing a 100% honest review. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this review.

Ocean Had A Seizure

I'm still panicky right now, so I apologize if this post seems scattered.

Jer took off work today because he has only been getting part of a day off each weekend instead of the whole weekend, and it's really been hard on Gabe, so he stayed home with Gabe and the girls while I had class this morning. When I got home Jer mentioned that Ocean had been really clingy and whiny today, which I assumed was because I was gone because she's more attached to me than Jer or Gabe.

I was home for a couple hours and Ocean started pacing really fast, I thought she suddenly had to go out so I pulled the hose out of the fish tank (was in the middle of a water change) and before I could turn around Jer was calling to Ocean to please stop and telling her that she was ok. I turned around and she was spinning in circles and her eyes kept darting back and forth. I started screaming and crying and scooped her up into my arms trying to calm her. She was able to come out of it, Venus was frantically trying to lick her, and Jer kept explaining that that's what Missy used to do during her seizures. 

Missy (for anyone who may not remember my mentioning her back in this blogs days before Gabe) was a chihuahua mix Jer had bought for his mom a month before she passed away. After Jer's dad remarried, his new wife and him got into a huge fight and [being more concerned with making a scene and upsetting each other than paying attention] they backed out of the driveway out of rage and ran over her. She bled out in Jer's arms.
 
I've sent an email to Oceans previous owner asking if she has a history with seizures that she failed to mention or if this would be the first time.  I'm also trying to find a vet that will be able to check her over thoroughly and take payments from us so we can see what's going on. She seems fine now, but I'm worried for her, and I know Jer cannot emotionally handle going through this with another dog. Thankfully Gabe was in the bathroom for the majority of everything so we didn't have to try to explain what was happening to him.
 
I'm just asking that if you can, please keep Ocean in your thoughts and pray this was a one time thing. I plan to keep you all updated as we find out more.

@Yoghund YoPup Probiotic Biscuits #Review

While walking through the pet section of any local store it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the treats available to your furry pal. It can be difficult to find treats that are healthy and safe for your dog, but have you seen many that are really beneficial to their health and bodily functions? Yoghund has developed a unique line of treats that ease digestive upset due to diet change, exposure to unknown people or dogs, a routine change, or stress and anxiety with the use of probiotics. Yoghund adds these amazing little probiotics to three of their products:

• Frozen Yogurt: with 6 added strains of live bacteria cultures. Available in All Natural Banana & Peanut Butter, All Natural Apple & Cheddar, Organic Banana & Peanut Butter, and Organic Blueberry & Vanilla Bean.
• Mutt Love: treats drizzled with probiotic icing. Available in Belly Balance (digestive blend) and Immune Tune (immunity blend).
• YoPup Probiotic Biscuits: biscuits drizzled with probiotic icing. Available in Happy Belly (pink icing supports healthy digestion), Wellness Builder (peach icing builds your dogs immune defenses), Odor Control (yellow icing settles bacteria imbalances), and Less Stress (blue icing helps your dog manage stress by calming). 

Yoghund sent us Happy Belly YoPup Probiotic Biscuits to try out. The bag itself it cutely designed and the biscuits look like something you would buy from a specialty shop, the way the probiotic icing is drizzled so nicely over the top. I gave Venus one a day, and Ocean a half each day broken up due to her missing teeth. I noticed more firmness in their poops, which have been runnier on the days I have to kennel them while I'm at college.

I am truly impressed with these biscuits. I wasn't sure that a biscuit with some delicious looking healthiness dribbled on them would really make a difference, but it did and it was a quite noticable difference at that! I'm very glad we were able to try these out with the girls and give them something to ease their tummies while I am away from home.

You can find out more about Yoghund, including where to purchase their wonderful products, on their website. You can also connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, and Google +.

Disclaimer: Baby and the Chi's blog was the product mentioned above for review purposes only. No monetary compensation was received to provide this 100% honest review.

Annie's Macaroni & Cheese Microwavable Cups

Thank you to Influenster and Annie's Homegrown for sending us this cup for review!

Snack time is rough. Kids get sick of the same old things. Even sprucing up lunch time can be quite a task. I'm so glad we were sent a cup of Annie's Homegrown White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese. Usually Gabe is a good eater, but he does grow bored with his usual favorites from time to time. I was amazed to see him munch down this organic pasta and real cheese with gusto! 

~ Quick ~ Easy ~ Delicious ~

Dr. Scholls For Her Comfort Insoles to the Rescue!

Thank you Influenster for sending us these amazing inserts from Dr Scholl's!

Having foot and back problems, I've tried several different expensive inserts in the past with claims to ease the pain I was experiencing, but none ever could. I had long since given up on inserts and came to the realization that I would always have to just deal with the pain. This year has been the worse, with the cold weather coming in overnight I've been in too much pain to walk.

Influenster recently sent me a pair of Dr Scholl's for Her inserts in their latest MamaVoxBox and I skeptically decided to try them out. However, I was pleasantly surprised! They are super squishy, and the comfort lasts! I was able to wear my shoes out for the day and walk comfortably, and wasn't raring to kick my shoes off as soon as I walked through the door.

Dr Scholl's has made me a lifetime customer and a believer in comfortable insoles. I couldn't be happier! I recommend buying a pair for each pair of shoes you wear regularly, so you don't have to move them out and around each day.