BarkBox Review! (April 2012)

After reading the title to today's blog post, you're probably wondering,"what on earth is a BarkBox?" Well, you're in luck! Ranger, Macy, and Mykelti  made a short video that I've linked below with all sorts of information about this fantastic subscription service for dogs! Our first box was a huge hit with my dogs. We are really looking forward to next month's box!


Use coupon code: LYGRE005 and you will receive $5 off of your first box! Great deal!


~BarkBox is a monthly subscription service for your dog that sends out deluxe samples and some full-sized of products for you and your pet to try out. (It is like the canine version of beauty subscription services such as BirchBox and EcoEmi.) Very neat idea! 10% of proceeds from each order go to support shelters and rescues. One of the things that I REALLY appreciate about the companies they use in their boxes, is that most of them are made in the USA and offer healthy, natural options when it comes to treats and things of that nature. In addition to treats and chews, their boxes also include lifestyle products such as collars, dog treat trays, shampoos/ wipes, toys, pick up bags, and things of that nature. One neat thing about this company, is that they give you a survey to fill out when you register so that you can pick an appropriately sized box for your dogs. All boxes are the same price; prices are listed on their website and vary depending on how many months you choose to order. (So, a small Chihuahua will receive different treats/toys than say, a Great Dane!) For our first box, I chose the "Just Right" (20-50lbs) option for my medium-sized dogs. There are also options for "Small and Cute" (0-20lbs) and "Big and Bold" (50lbs and up). In hindsight, I should have ordered the "Big and Bold" box since I was sharing one box in between my three dogs. Live and learn! (:


One thing that I found really helpful about their website is that they offer a live "chat" option if you need to speak with one of the customer service reps. I was able to click the "chat" button today on their website and speak with one of the sweet customer service reps. She was very kind and changed our order so that next month they'll receive the"Big and Bold" box! Their customer service is extremely fast and friendly; that's something I always look for in any kind of business or company that I interact with. I would highly recommend this company to all of you dog owners out there!  


(I absolutely love the BarkBox company, and so do my dogs! My only suggestion to improve their company, would be to offer a box option for people who have multi-dog households!)


Want to check out BarkBox and learn more? www.barkbox.com 
~If you're interested in ordering a BarkBox for your pup, be sure to use the coupon code: LYGRE005  to receive $5 off of your first order! 


Check out the videos below!

(Be sure to pause the music in the right side bar before you press play!) 

Want to know more about BarkBox? This video has a more detailed review! 

Southern Terms of Endearment

I'm not gonna lie, I use a lot of these and even some that weren't listed! 

Thursday's Music Pick: Emeli Sande "Next To Me"

Today I thought I would share one of my favorite new artists with all of you, Emeli Sande. I've been following her music for a while now, and was so excited to see her make an appearance on the Conan show tonight! She has an incredibly gorgeous voice that will absolutely haunt you. The thing I really appreciate about her is her ability to breathe life into each song she belts out. You can really feel genuine emotion behind each song that she sings. She reminds me of an mixture of India Arie's type of soul/guttural songstress, but with an Alison Krauss type haunting to her voice. Emeli Sande is a unique and gorgeous musician. Go check her music out now!!!


(Be sure to pause the music in the right side bar before you press, "play")

Ranger and his doggy couch!

Ranger loves his little doggy couch! It's his favorite place to chew on his toys, read his doggy paper, unwind after therapy visits, and get naps in! This little Costco gem is probably one of the best things I've ever purchased as a dog owner; it was inexpensive and has really held up well!

When Ranger was 23 weeks old, I found a cute little doggy couch at Costco and brought it home for him; he loved it! Nearly 2 years later, it's still his favorite spot! 

Ranger and his newspaper...

He loves to take his toys over to his couch and play.

How is this comfortable?

Such a goof!

Not a care in the world....

 Being a dog is tough...

 He sticks his tongue out when he sleeps lol...(This one was taken on my couch, not his; although, he thinks both are his!)

Tasty Tuesday:Lydia's Strawberry Banana Blast Smoothie Recipe

Today I thought it would be fun to share one of my favorite drink recipes with all of you! The following is my favorite strawberry-banana smoothie recipe. I drink smoothies about as often as most people drink coffee in the morning! I LOVE fresh fruit smoothies! You can pretty much try any combination of fruit and juices in them and wind up with a fantastic combination each time. Feel free to get creative! (You can also add in veggies to yours as well if you want to increase the amount of vegetables you're getting into your diet! Spinach is a great one to add, especially if you're making a blueberry smoothie!)

(For added fun, serve in a margarita glass with a cute umbrella or stir stick!)

Lydia's Strawberry- Banana Blast Smoothie:

-1 TBSP Fat Free Cool Whip (If you want a richer texture, natural vanilla ice cream tastes great! I use Bryer's Lactose Free Natural Vanilla sometimes)
-1 tsp honey (If you're out of honey, you can add a pinch of sugar instead)
-2 cups strawberries (frozen or fresh) (You can always add in other fruit too: peaches, pineapple, mango, blueberry, lime, etc!)
-2 bananas
-1/2 cup ice water (You can substitute milk, orange juice, coconut milk or coconut water, pineapple or apple juice instead!) 
-1 cup ice

Magazine Monday: My top 10 picks!

I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite magazines with you all today! I typically gravitate to magazines that pertain to beauty/health, recipes, advice, decorating, animals, and things of that nature just to give you an idea. Here are a list of my top 10 picks:


1. Cosmopolitan: I have collected this magazine since I was 17. If you can get past the racy cover, there are actually some really great articles in each issue! This magazine covers everything from intimacy, career, dating, and  family advice, work out tips, safety, hosting, beauty, health, and even terrific recipes and decorating ideas! Nearly a decade later, it's still my favorite! 


2. Red Book: I've subscribed off and on to Redbook for a few years (I got it free one year as an offer with my Cosmopolitan subscription in the past. It's a great magazine with lots of fantastic home keeping, hosting, decorating, and beauty tips. I also find it gives good suggestions on how to dress for your body type/etc! Although there are lots of fantastic articles and I really do enjoy reading Redbook, I do find that its a bit more geared towards women with families. So since I'm a single lady, some of the articles aren't really relevant to me.


3. Oprah: I absolutely live Oprah magazine! About two years ago, they were running a special, so I got 12 subscriptions for only $5; that's a great deal! I find that Oprah magazine offers a good variety of topics. It covers beauty and household tips/shopping guides, recipes, inspirational articles, pet information, and life tips!


4. Glamour: I received a subscription to both Glamour and Allure magazines through a special that my local Ulta was running. I find both magazines to be fun reads! They are very similar to one another and primarily cover: Beauty, skincare/makeup, fitness, romance, clothing, health tips for women, and things of that nature. I enjoy reading both and find the beauty related articles to be my favorite! (If you enjoy reading Cosmopolitan, you might enjoy reading Allure and Glamour!)


5. Allure: (See Above!) I find Allure and Glamour to be VERY similar. The only difference I would really say is that I gravitate more towards Allure because they often offer less pricey suggestions when it comes to buying makeup and clothing than Glamour does. Glamour has more lifestyle articles / higher end shopping guides; Allure is more beauty/product driven and offers budget friendly suggestions.


6. Australian Shepherd Magazine: I love this magazine because it has great breed-specific tips and ideas that pertain to my pups! The only complaint that I have is that it's only released a few times a year! Booo!!!


7. Interactions (Delta Society/Pet Partners): Interactions is a magazine geared specifically towards pet therapy. There are lots of beneficial articles, training/visiting tips and such in it! As a therapy dog handler, I find it to be a very, very helpful magazine!


8. The New York Times: My cousin got me hooked on it! It's not something that I would have typically gravitated towards in the past, but after my cousin gave me a one year subscription a while back, I found myself really enjoying the topics and ideas covered in the weekly print! Not only does it offer fantastic ideas, view points, and a wide range of topics, it also has fantastic illustrations and cartoons that I enjoy as well!


9. Better Homes and Gardens: I had a subscription to BH&G several years ago that came free on the print off coupons I got with my receipt from shopping at Kroger. (Don't throw those babies away people, actually look at them once in a while; sometimes they have awesome offers and free things!) I really enjoyed the home decorating tips and gardening ideas in that magazine. I will definitely subscribe again in the future if I find a great special!


10. Real Simple: This is my absolute favorite home/organizational magazine, hands down! The tips and suggestions found in this little gem are fantastic! Many of the ideas teach you how to re purpose and organize things that you already have and wind up saving you money while helping your home look its best! My ONLY complaint about this magazine is that it can be a bit on the pricey end of the spectrum. I plan to subscribe once I find a reasonable deal! 

Saturday Musings

1. I'm running on 0 hours of sleep and I am about to crash....I NEED A NAP! (I couldn't sleep at all last night, so I'm paying for it today! A nap is definitely in order within the next few minutes!)

2. I spent all afternoon today at the Agility trials. It was so fun! I got to run leashes and help at the ring gate. Some of my friends run their dogs today, so it was fun to watch and cheer everyone on!  It was a great way to spend a Saturday. I can't wait until Ranger is feeling better and I can compete him! We have another fun filled day of Agility trials again tomorrow!

3. The last time I was  MAC (several months ago) , my favorite salesperson gave me a free sample of the Zoom Lash Mascara. I tried it out today for the first time....HOLY COW! It's amazing! I will definitely buy a full size tube sometime in the future; I was very impressed with the quality. I spent all day outside, and my mascara still looks incredible! Ladies, go ask for a sample and try it; you will love it! I didn't think MAC would be able to top their False Lash Mascara (my favorite from their line), but they have gone above and beyond with the Zoom Lash; it gives the most full, gorgeous look to your lashes! 

4. "Brighter Than The Sun" - Colbie Callait is the song stuck in my head at the moment.

5. I introduced my friend to Coconut + Pineapple Water today; I have officially converted another person to its awesomeness! Yay! 

....And now, I'm off to take a nap! Have a great day, my lovelies!

Red Hot Chili Peppers and Santigold Concert! So excited!!!

I'm so excited today that I can hardly contain it! Tonight, my best friend Renae and I are going to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Santigold play! We've been waiting for this for months; we are both die-hard RHCP fans!!! We got our tickets all the way back on December 3rd when they went on sale! The concert was supposed to happen back in February, but the lead singer for RHCP, Anthony Kiedis, hurt his leg pretty badly, so the concert got postponed until April. I'm glad he's finally feeling better now and that the show is happening tonight! Woo hoo!

(One of their newest songs! "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie". (Be sure to pause the music in the right side bar before you press "play"!)

(Our tickets! So excited!)

(If you've never checked out Santigold before, go do that now! She's awesome! She's got a bit of a lower range Rihanna sound to her, mixed in with some Rock! Love her!)

(original) Man In Nursing Home Reacts To Hearing Music From His Era

This is such a beautiful story, I had to share it with all of you! It really just goes to show how much of a positive impact music can play in the lives of others. When my therapy dog Ranger and I worked with our old therapy group, we used to visit a wonderful adult daycare that specialized in Alzheimer's/Dementia patient care. (Once Ranger is feeling better and off of medical leave, we will be visiting in similar facilities with our new therapy group, so we are looking forward to that!). Every time I brought Ranger in for a visit, I would see expressionless, unresponsive clients start to liven up, interact, and recall fond memories of the dogs that they used to own. Those simple interactions made such a huge impact! Henry's story below shows  how music can have a similar, incredible impact! His story really made me smile when I saw it; I hope it puts a smile on your face too! 

Tuesday Funny: "I Watch Way Too Many Episodes of "Criminal Minds" To Continue This Conversation!"

A little while ago, a salesman from a local alarm company rang my doorbell. At the time, I was taking a late nap. I hopped out of bed, left the Aussies in my bedroom, grabbed Macy, and went to check things out. I was expecting a package that I needed to sign for from the post office, so with Macy the Pit Bull sitting politely by my side, I answered the door thinking it would be a mailman. 


Now, there is a method to my madness: Although Macy is a complete sweetheart and in reality, she would lick a person to death before ever even thinking of being aggressive,  many people see that she is a Pit Bull x and think that Macy LOOKS mean. If someone is a stranger to my home that I've never met and don't trust, I don't want them to know otherwise that she wouldn't harm so much as a fly. I want them to think, "Oh, that dog might get me if I try to mess with her owner; I better act right!". So, although I encourage Macy to visit with others and show her sweet side while we are away from home at places like pet stores and parks, my home is a different story since I live alone! She is trained to sit properly at my side anytime I answer the door (Actually, all three of them are trained that way, I usually just grab Macy though since she based on appearance only, she looks more threatening to a potential criminal than fluffy Aussies do.) For those of you wondering at this point why I didn't use a peep hole to see who was at my door: the entry doors on my home are reinforced steel, so they do not have peep holes. Hence, why I only answer the door with a dog sitting by my side!


When I opened the door I was expecting a postal worker. Instead, there was a hot sales guy standing outside of my door...A REALLY HOT SALES GUY! My first thought was, "Damn it, I have bed hair, and no makeup on!" My next thought was, "Oh crap, last nights re-run of "Criminal Minds" was about a door to door salesman that killed people....CRAP! Hot sales guy is probably going to kill me!" 


While all of this is going through my mind, hot sales guy starts giving me his best sales pitch about security alarms and his company. All I could think about was 1.) Hot sales guy is really, really hot! 2.) Hot sales guy is probably a serial killer! While he continued his sales speech, I was trying to observe him and his body language (He had on a work uniform, ID badge, and a company vehicle parked across the street that I could see. He seemed a bit nervous, but that was probably because he thought Macy was going to make a meal out of him if he made one wrong move! I'm sure he was probably legit, and most likely not a serial killer. Either way, I wasn't going to chance it! I stopped hot sales guy mid-speech, and told him, "Thank you for your time, but I already have an alarm system and it works REALLY well." (Emphasis on my alarm system working REALLY well!) His response, while timidly looking at my Pit Bull, "Oh, well if you want to get paper and a pen, I can leave you my work information in case you change your mind."  Hummm....shouldn't hot sales guy  be carrying a business card with that stuff on it already?! Of course, I then responded to that ridiculousness by telling hot sales guy, "Shouldn't you be carrying that on you if you're going door to door trying to sell things to people? I'm sorry, but I watch WAY too many episodes of "Criminal Minds" to continue this conversation!" At that point, a very stunned, very hot sales guy politely excused himself away from my front porch and took off.....


Needless to say, I have trust issues sometimes when it comes to strangers at my front door! I'm also not ashamed to admit that I check behind my shower curtains for serial killers every time I go into the bathroom...yeah, living alone has its moments haha!


Perhaps, I should maybe lay off of watching "Criminal Minds" a bit....
On second thought, I could have saved myself from a hot sales man/serial killer! Ya never know, my lovelies! 

Honest Trailers: Twilight

I know some my readers that are die-hard Twilight fans might want to wring my neck for this (sorry!), but I thought it was too hilarious not to share! 

Happy Easter!

Ranger, Mykelti, and Macy hope you all have a good Easter!

Learning with Lydia: A lesson in music history...Impact Songs!

Prepare to have your minds boggled today, my lovelies! Most of you who are close in age to myself might remember Nirvana's song, "Where did you sleep last night" (My Girl). If you've never heard it, you're missing out! I've lined the video below so that you can check it out! 

(Be sure to pause the music in the right side bar before you press "play"!)

Long story short, "My Girl" stemmed from a song popular in the 1940's from an artist called Leadbelly...his version was called "Where did you sleep last night". He was an incredible blues artist! Kurt even makes reference to him in the video I linked above. Being a Memphis native (Home of the Blues) I absolutely adore this version of the song too! Isn't it incredible how different artists and stylings can completely change a song?!
                                                       

                                                                       




Sit Tight...It gets even more interesting! Lets just say that it gets a bit more complicated. This song has been around for over a century! It originated as an American folk song dating all of the way back to the 1870's. It's gone by multiple names as well: "In The Pines," "Black Girl," "Where Did You Sleep Last Night",  "The Longest Train I Ever Saw", and "My Girl." The style and even the lyrics have changed through various recordings, but all in all, the same principal applies! Everyone from Dolly Parton to Joan Biaz, The Grateful Dead, and Nirvana have covered it. I like to refer to this type of song as an "Impact Song" due to its uncanny ability to reach and appeal to such a wide range of audiences.


If you want to delve more deeply into the song, it is open for interpretation! Many musicians have changed the lyrics around to appeal to different audiences. One thing is certain however, it is a relatable song.


~The Pines: can be used as a representation for loneliness, sexuality, adultery, fleeing slavery, and even death.
~The person who goes into The Pines: A representation for any man, woman, or child. Slave, friend, or foe.
~The Train: Represents loss, distance, death, and even the murder of an individual.


 The Tenneva Ramblers made a version of this song called, "The Longest Train I ever Saw". It became immensely popular all over again with a new group of people: coal miners. Bill Monroe also did a version. That version became so popular in fact that it is still played on some of the lower dialed radio stations. The first time I ever heard that song was about 4 years ago while I was driving in the car. I IMMEDIATELY recognized it. I could instantly identify it was the same song that Nirvana had covered in the early 90's. It's absolutely incredible to me how these songs that were vastly popular decades and decades ago can be revamped, recovered, and redone to impact new audiences in incredible ways. It's been done over and over again with Hymns and other pieces. This song is another fantastic example of durability throughout music. There have been countless covers done of it. I thought it would be fun to link some of the covers below:

Tenneva Ramblers

Bill Monroe's version incorporates a lot of blue grass and even yodeling!

It's recently been redone again by WZRD (Kid Kudi). I'm really enjoying their version!:

To sum it up, the staying power of this song is astounding!  It reaches all audiences, ethnicities, and ages! Now that, my lovelies is an Impact Song!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!!!!

So, who's version do I prefer, you might ask? Hands down, Nirvana's version! In my humble opinion, nobody will ever be able to top the raw, urgency of Kurt Cobain's vocals. That being said, I am so pleased to hear new artists breathe new life into this song decade after decade. This is the way music is supposed to be! It's supposed to touch you deep down on a personal level and it should always be open to interpretation....that's where it's true art form and genius come shining through! 

The wonderful READ dogs of West TN Therapy Dogs made an appearance in the Commercial Appeal appeal this week! I am so excited to share this fantastic news with all of my loyal readers! West TN Therapy Dogs is a terrific organization of therapy dogs and handlers who enjoy volunteering their time throughout the community, and sharing smiles with others! Therapy dogs can help others in many different facets through Animal Assisted Activities and Animal Assisted Therapy. Ranger and I recently had the opportunity to become members of West TN Therapy Dogs, and we couldn't be happier! (Ranger is currently on medical leave right now, but is looking forward to getting back to work soon!)


Our READ dogs are registered through Intermountain Therapy Animal's READ program. READ, is a program that encourages young and often hesitant readers to enhance their skills through non-judgemental reading sessions with specially trained therapy dog teams. The dogs can help the children sound out tough words, provide stress relief though being petted, and even their mere presence instills encouragement! The calm disposition of the dogs puts the children at ease, and offers a non-judgemental way to make learning a fun experience! The dogs never laugh at a stutter or a mispronounced word; they offer up kisses and comfort. As a result, young readers learn to embrace their newfound skills and seek out more opportunities to read and learn. What a wonderful thing!


Please be sure to check out the Commercial Appeal article I've linked below. We have a wonderful group of therapy dogs that love visiting with others throughout our community! If you are local and have a child that would enjoy reading to a therapy dog, please stop by for a visit! We READ every Saturday to children of all ages from 1:00-3:00pm at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, and the fourth Saturday of each month from 10:00-12:00pm to registered children ages 5-11 years old at the Bartlett Branch. Want to learn more about West TN Therapy Dogs? Visit: http://westtntherapydogs.org

Reading buddies: Therapy dogs' attention helps children bolster skills, confidence

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/apr/05/reading-buddies/

10 Things Thursday

Today has been an interesting day to say the least. Lets just say I'm looking forward to this week ending and to the weekend beginning! Here are a list of my 10 randoms for today:


1. My Aussies decided to wake me and my other pup up an hour early today. One whole precious hour of sleep before I had to get up this morning! (Keep in mind I was an insomniac last night, so I only wound up with about 3 hours of sleep). I wasn't thrilled that they pounced me before my alarm clock went off, but in hindsight, I'm glad they did! As soon as I finished walking all three dogs, it started to POUR down raining, hail and all! They really did have good timing after all!


2. Last night I made a skillet of homemade cornbread. I hadn't made any in quite a while; it turned out so good! I'll do a blog post with pictures and a recipe soon! I sent half of it to my Granny's house today for her and my Uncle. They love it! 


3. My cats have a ginormous nice cat tree. Yet where do they prefer to sleep most of the time? They all 3 cuddle up in one tiny cat bed on top of the dryer in the laundry room. It cracks me up!


4. I got the stitches taken out of my arm today! I'm a happy camper!


5. The Aussies have Agility tonight. Mykelti has Ob-Fam and Ranger has Advanced Agility; lets hope the rain holds off for the rest of the evening so that I don't have to drive in it! They REALLY need to run off some energy; they've had the zoomies all day! While they go to Agility my other pup, Macy will get to enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet all to herself. (She loves her naps!)


6. Today I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items that I needed. It boggles my mind that I only paid $35 at Aldi today for groceries, when I know that at Kroger, my total would have been closer to $80 at least!


7.  Song that's stuck in my head today is "Little Miss" - Sugarland


8. I still have no clue what I'm doing for Seder/Passover and Easter. I need to get on that!


9. The older I get, the more comfortable I really feel in my own skin.I'm not perfect, I'm just learning to accept myself and recognize beauty in different facets. Typically, I am big into makeup and beauty products. I absolutely love the way that they give me a confidence boost and help me accentuate different areas. I absolutely love trying out new shades, colors, and just genuinely having fun being creative with makeup! Sometimes though, I have days where I just don't have time for lavish makeup or other things. And you know what? I'm cool with that too! Today was one of those days. I was literally running out the door earlier this morning when I was pressed for time. I didn't have time for makeup and despite that when I looked into the mirror, I still felt confident and beautiful. I think it's all about perspective. I think it's a good idea for us ladies to embrace our natural beauty once in a while and to take confidence in that! God made us all beautiful in our own way! Embrace it, confidence is attractive!


10. Today I found out that I am allergic to sunlight. Yeah...SUNLIGHT! What the heck, right?!?! It's really a crazy thing to hear something like that! My initial response was "What the f...?" (In a bit of a frustrated moment, I just blurted it out before I could censor myself! Thankfully though, the assistant and doctor just laughed a bit too). A little background: About two weeks ago I developed a rash with blisters in various areas all over my body. I had some other symptoms as well, so I decide to high tail it to my family physician to get checked out. Long story short, she had no clue whatsoever she was looking at and I wasted money on a copay for nothing! So, the next day I went to the dermatologist as an emergency. She biopsied a section of the rash on my arm to send it off for testing. (Which is why I had stitches that I mentioned in #4). At the time, the rash looked VERY similar to Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease (I even had a spot in my mouth), so that was her diagnosis before she got my biopsy results in. I thought maybe I had picked it up from volunteering to read with children at the local library. So, for the past two weeks I've tried to stay inside and avoid being around other people too much because I thought I was a contagious "leper" of sorts. Today I went back for my doctors appointment to get my stitches removed and to find out the results of my biopsy. As it turns out, I'm not contagious, and I do not have Hand Food and Mouth, thankfully! I am however allergic to the sunlight according to the biopsy results. Weird! I have a condition called Polymorphous Light Eruption. (Fancy wording for: I get blistering bumps and rashes all over my body whenever I'm exposed to light...AWESOME!) I get so frustrated sometimes folks; I seriously have a crummy auto immune system! For most people, the rash usually goes away within a week...I'm on week two now and it still looks just as awful as day one. I'm hoping this all clears up soon! In the mean time, I'm not supposed to go outside unless its absolutely necessary (Um hello, I have three dogs! :/ ). Once it clears up, I can go outside during low sunlight times (early morning, late afternoon) and I have to load up on sunscreen and clothing. I have three dogs that like to go to the park every day; this could get interesting once summer time kicks into high gear...*Sigh*