Nina Ottosson Dog Puzzle #Review

  I've enjoyed solely being a stay-at-home mommy these past few years (yeah.. I can't believe Gabe will be three in just a couple months!), but I've enjoyed going to school as well. This wasn't an easy transition for everyone though. Gabe, who is used to always being home with mom, is now with a sitter every other day. Granted, it's always family, but it's something he's been having a little trouble getting used to. The chi's haven't been taking this very well either. I've noticed it's really put Venus in a slump, and Ocean (as I've mentioned in my post about the ThunderShirt) has developed a mild case of separation anxiety. In the hopes to ease their loneliness and anxiety, I went on the search for finding a way to keep my girls busy, and came across the products available by Nina Ottosson.

Nina Ottosson has been developing toys for the mental stimulation of dogs since 1990. All of their products are manufactured in accordance with the strict rules and laws of both California and Sweden. Her toys are designed to challenge your pet both physically and mentally, then reward them once they reveal the hidden treat(s). This kind if stimulation is important to prevent anxiety, boredom, stress, and over or under-activity in pets. Games such as Nina's are also offer the perfect type of motivation an old or injured dog needs when they can no longer go out for walks or other routine exercise. Nina recommends starting to use these games and activities with puppies as early as 10 weeks to aid in their training. Nina's games and puzzles come in varying levels of difficulty (1-beginners, 2-medium for most dogs, 3-advanced for smart dogs), are made of either wood or plastic, and are offered for not only dogs now but cats too!

photo courtesy of Nina Ottosson

We were sent Nina Ottosson's new MixMax Puzzle for dogs in both medium and advanced, made from plastic. This puzzle is unique in the fact that you can use each "puzzle piece" as a maze or game for your dog, or you can connect the pieces to make a large and more advanced game too.

Venus struggled at first, but once she got the hang of it, she got really excited as was determined to get the rest of the treats out. I found this puzzle to be perfect for food motivated dogs (like mine) because of the holes in the top of the pieces allowing you to easily fill them with treats also allow the dog to smell and taste what they are working for. 

You should do your best to supervise your dog when playing with these puzzles as the pieces are plastic and can easily be chewed. Also if you have children, if you aren't watching closely enough, your two year old son can help your dog cheap and "solve" the puzzle for them and give them all the treats... (oh wait, maybe that's just my house! HA!).

All kidding aside, this is an excellent toy. I'm really happy with the quality, the thought that went into designing it, and how well both Venus and Ocean enjoy it.

You can purchase these Nina Ottosson puzzles (and all their other amazing products) in their webshop for $24 each (or $64 for a pack of all three) plus the cost of shipping. You can also connect with them via their website, as well as Facebook and YouTube.

*Make sure to come back for a giveaway featuring the Nina Ottosson MixMax Puzzle in level 3!*

Baby and the Chi's was sent the product(s) listed above for the purpose of providing an honest review. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this review.

@BioBag Certified Compostable Bags #Review

On my search for a more eco-friendly poo bag, I have another bag I'd like to share with you! I'd like to introduce you to BioBag. BioBags are certified compostable bags made from plants, vegetable oil, and a new innovative product called Mater-Bi. Mater-Bi is made from plants (like corn) and biodegradable polymers allowing it to be as versatile as plastic, yet still be consumed by micro-organisms in the soil. I received one of all three available packs of BioBags for review: one 3-pack of bags on a spindle roll (for use in a bag dispenser), one box of standard sized bags, and one box of large sized bags.

I like the feel of these bags. They feel thick and durable, and have plenty of room to *safely* pick up dog waste from the lawn. These would work well to clean out a cat litter box as well, but just remember to not compost cat waste. Although these bags will break down, and then allow waste to break down once exposed to the air as well, I still decided to not tie these bags, and to flush to dog poop I had picked up, and then compost the bags. It felt so much better to use biodegradable bags vs throwing plastic bags in the trash! I will never be able to use regular plastic waste bags again.

Not only does BioBag produce pet waste bags, but they also make food waste bags, lawn & leaf bags, packaging film, sandwich bags, and shopping bags too!

BioBags comply with California's state laws regarding compost-ability and biodegradability of products, and are available for purchase online, or in stores in the states of California, Oregon, Minnesota, Texas and Washington. BioBags are also available for purchase in Canada.

You can connect with BioBag via their blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google +, Instagram, and YouTube. You can also sign up for their newsletter to stay up to date on BioBag product news, events, tips, and coupons!

Look out for a giveaway event in the near future featuring BioBags as part of the prize!

@Thundershirt ThunderLeash #Review

Not too long ago I shared my review of the ThunderShirt for dogs. Ocean loves her ThunderShirt, but as you may recall, ThunderWorks offers several other anti-anxiety products now too! I was so excited when I was later presented with the opportunity to share the Thunderleash with you.

The Thunderleash is the "anti-pull leash solution" to prevent strain on the neck of dogs who pull when excited, anxious, or just can't be patient enough for their owners *wink*. What's unique about this leash is that is has special easy hardware that turns this into a leash/harness combo, plus you can use it just as a leash if you wish as well.

Please watch the video below to see how it works:

As I mentioned in the video, the leash comes in two sizes: small for dogs 12-25 pounds, and large for dogs larger than 25 pounds. Venus is around 15 pounds, and I found it worked very well for her. We use her ThunderLeash all the time now. 

I honestly have no complaints about the leash. I think it's an excellent product, even if you don't have a problem puller. 

The ThunderLeash is sold on the their website for $29.95; ; and connect with ThunderWorks on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Disclaimer: I was sent the product(s) mentioned in this post for review purposes only. I was not compensated for my review. I have provided an honest review using an opinion that is 100% my own.

August Dog Expenses

Can you believe it's September already? I sure can't... But with school starting, I guess it's too hard to deny now! Of course with a new month starting, that means it's time to share this months expenses for Venus and Ocean. You may have noticed last month I called it our pet expenses, but our Facebook followers have seen that we recently added a fish tank to our home, so I've renamed this the "dog expense" post. I'm not really sure I want to point out to myself how much has been spent on this tank already....

Food: $20 -I really didn't need to buy food, but I came across a deal to buy 12 (13oz) cans of Ziwipeak Venison for $20 (including shipping) so I just couldn't pass it up! That was more than 50% savings!

Vet/Medical: $0 -No mishaps this month, no check-ups, and didn't need to buy any preventatives.

Treats & Toys: $0 -We received our BarkBox and Pawalla boxes this month, but they were paid for in July so there were no expenses this month. Pawalla closed down, and I'm holding off on BarkBox for another week until I can purchase a 6 month subscription.

Gear: $0

Misc.: $0

Total dog expenses this month: $20.

Earth Friendly {Pet} Products Review

Earth Friendly Products has been a leader in the eco-concience revolution for decades. If you've shopped around for plant based laundry detergents, you've probably seen their Ecos line in many organic markets, grocery stores, and even your local Wal-Mart. But did you know that Earth Friendly Products has much more to offer than just laundry detergent? Dish soaps, bathroom and kitchen cleaners, carpet cleaners, and even multi-purpose cleaners; all plant based and never ever tested on animals. The soaps used in their detergents and cleaners break down in water before they can harm any plant or aquatic life. They are also biodegradable, non-toxic, phosphate-free, petroleum-free, and have a neutral ph. [You can read more about Earth Friendly Products here.] It seems like they have every kind of cleaning product you could possibly ever need (oh, and did I mention they have eco-friendly ice melt?), so you can just about imagine how excited I was when I saw their pet product line!

Earth Friendly Products sent us a bottle of their Pet Stain & Odor Remover and a container of their Pet Wipes to try out with Venus and Ocean.

The Pet Stain & Odor Remover spray is for use on stains and odors caused by pet accidents, urine, blood, food, vomit, and other natural waste by-products. We presented the ultimate test for this spray with a spot in Gabe's room. Gabe managed to pee outside his crib a short while ago, and in the process of trying to clean it up, he made a game of trying to pee in the same spot on the carpet for three nights in a row. The spot kept spreading as I tried blotting and scrubbing. It no longer smelled like pee, but the color and placement of the spot made it a little obvious what had caused it.

After less than five minutes, the spot was almost completely gone. I think I went back to check Gabe's room 20 times throughout the rest of the day to make sure it didn't magically come back, and it didn't! I am still in shock over this. This spray is amazing! It leaves a nice citrus scent too.

Before

After

The Pet Wipes are perfect for in-between baths. Perfect for use on your pets face, paws, anus, and ears. These wipes are also great for controlling allergen-causing dander.

I don't like giving full baths because I worry about dry skin and irritating Venus' skin due to her allergies, so these have been great. Especially for Miss Ocean, who loves to roll around outside in the lawn. Another use that I found particularly helpful was using them in conjunction with an upset tummy. Ocean seems to have a very sensitive tummy, and I hate letting her straight in the house when she has the runs, because she sits down right away. Ugh! But I've been keeping this wipe tub right by the door and it has been one of those items that I swear I don't know how I made it without before now! I loved that the wipes had a nice fresh citrus scent as well.

You can purchase Earth Friendly Products on their website. You can also connect with Earth Friendly Products on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and MySpace.