Protect the Love - Vectra Flea & Tick Control Sweepstakes

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Vectra flea & tick control for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
 
I was just thinking this morning how we all tend to think of our pets as family.  We talk to them; we love them; we call ourselves 'mommy' and 'daddy' to them.  I like to think they love us too.  They're definitely spoiled rotten.  Check out Weasley - doesn't he look like he has it tough?

Part of the love we have for our little furry friends means that, as pet owners, we need to protect our pets, and that includes protection from pests.  Vectra 3D  provides long lasting protection for dogs. It repels and kills fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, biting and sand flies, lice and mites (excluding mange mites).  For cats, there's Vectra for Cats, which kills fleas within 6 hours.  It not only kills and repels adult fleas, but also controls flea eggs, larvae and pupae.   It's easy to apply, safe to use, and only available through your veterinarian.

This is my friend Liberty.  She is loved very much!  Isn't she cute?

If you're a pet lover, be sure to like Vectra on facebook and enter the Protect the Love Facebook Sweepstakes. They will be giving away a $100 gift card to use at your next veterinarian visit each week for the duration of the Sweepstakes.  So the sooner you enter, the more chances you'll have to win!

Everyone who enters can also get a  free dose of Vectra flea & tick control.  Just enter the sweepstakes and then visit FirstDoseFree.com and fill out the form to print out a coupon for a free dose to redeem at a Vectra veterinarian near you.  It's a great way to try it and see if it works for you and your pet.

***Protect the love™ is the official social identity of Vectra flea & tick control. Vectra is a product of Ceva Animal Health, LLC and has multiple formulas for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens. *DO NOT USE VECTRA 3D ON CATS

Be sure to like Vectra on Facebook and follow @VectraPet on Twitter for more information.

Throw a Unique and Memorable Shower

When throwing a baby shower for a friend or family member, you want it to be different and memorable. Unique baby shower favors at ABCFavors.com could be just what you need to achieve that ideal.

Seed packets are a really cute favor that ABC Favors offers. Each favor contains seeds that can be planted after the shower, symbolizing growth and new life, just like the impending bundle of joy.  They can be imprinted with the baby's name, or the names of the parents if the baby's name isn't known, along with the shower date.  The back has a sweet little verse:

Please plant these seeds
And watch them bloom
Just like the baby
Who will be here soon!
Thank you for sharing
This special day with us.

Favors that can be used, rather than just displayed are always appreciated. Vegan fruit flavored lip balms with personalized labels are a really great idea as well as vanilla buttercream whipped hand cream with adorable personalized lids. Little travel sized hand creams and sanitizers with personalized labels make great favors as well.

There are also personalized mint tins which can be used for other things after the mints are gone, providing a sweet little reminder of the event every time the tin is used. Bookmarks are another unusual and useful favor idea.  Anything that guests can use repeatedly in the future is a great idea.

ABC Favors has a wide variety of fun and unique baby shower favors. They are affordable, adorable and able to be personalized, making them fit your theme and reminding the guests of the special day they spent honoring the mom to be.

I Might Need Professional Help

Purple (after the) Rain (Photo credit: bcmom)

The grass is starting to turn green and grow.  It will probably be time to mow soon, and if it keeps raining the way it has been - to mow and mow and mow.  That's how spring usually is.  Things start growing, and the yard needs mowed at least once a week, sometimes more.

The trees are all ready to leaf out, and the plants in the front flower bed are starting to come up.  Now is probably the perfect time to go out and dig up everything I don't want to grow again or at least pull out the dead plants left over from last year - before everything goes crazy like it does every summer.  See, I really don't know much about plants, really could have used an expert landscaper north bay to plan our landscape 'design' here.  Instead I just planted various things.  Some of them took off and took over, and some of them were choked out by those that took over.  The ones that took over would be nice, in smaller doses.

There have been several times I have gone out and just started pulling things.  I ended up with piles of stems, leaves, and plant parts, and I always worry that I'll pull out something that I really want to keep, like the plants that get those gorgeous purple flowers pictured above.  See, I never remember what the plant looks like.  With all that pulling, you'd think they couldn't survive, but by the time they start growing again, you can't tell I did anything.  Maybe it's a good thing that these plants are hard to kill, because I'm not the kind of person to have plants that need lots of care.

And, yes, I've talked to one of my plant expert friends, but I never listen to what she tells me.  It's probably because I don't really understand what she's trying to tell me...  It would be so much easier to call somebody like the landscape design north bay guys and get some professional help.  They make things look so pretty!

What is the Purpose of Wedding Pictures?

I've just been looking through our wedding pictures.  Yeah, looking through that wedding photography halifax page the other day got me thinking about those pictures.  It really is nice to have them, and looking through them sure brings back memories!  Wow - we were all so young back then!  And there were quite a few people in those pictures who we haven't seen in years and years, and some who are no longer with us, like my grandparents.

While there is at least one picture that I really should delete and destroy, because I really don't look good at all, and there are others where I wish the flash hadn't reflected in the mirror or that someone had told me how to stand so that I'd look better or told Jeffrey to move his arms so his tux jacket didn't pull weird, overall I like our wedding pictures.  No, nothing is perfect or perfectly posed, or even super creative, like if we'd hired someone like the photographer at halifax wedding photography, but we have a good overview of what our day was like and the people who were there to share it with us.  When we pull the pictures out, like we occasionally do, they bring back memories, and isn't that why we have pictures in the first place?

We remember that our flower girl cried the whole way down the aisle - but she still dropped those flower petals.

It's just that she was used to her daddy waiting up there at the end of the aisle - she'd been a flower girl before.  This time, it wasn't her daddy performing the wedding; it was mine.  He was waiting at the back of the room to walk me down the aisle, give me away, and then step around to the front and make sure he didn't get me back. She made it as far as the front row, found Jeffrey's mom, and spent the rest of the wedding on her lap.  She was fine afterwards.

We remember the lovely ladies who baked and help serve our cakes.  And punch.

We remember that our parents were younger than we are now.  How is that even possible?  Though Dad didn't have much hair even back then.  

And we remember that our wedding day was just the beginning of the life we would build together, and that is the most important thing of all.  It will be 27 years this June, and sometimes it seems like just yesterday.

We Have Photographic Proof

We were talking with some friends the other night, and somehow the topic of wedding videos and wedding pictures came up.  I think they were saying something about how bad their wedding video was, and it really wasn't something they'd want anybody to see - though their kids had thought it was fun.  It kind of made me wish we had a video to share with our kids.  I'm sure they'd get a kick out of it.

We did have the opportunity to have our wedding videotaped.  One of our friends had a video camera and offered to do it for us.  But we turned him down!  After all, we didn't have a VCR - what would we do with a video?  Yeah, that was back when we'd occasionally rent movies and the player from our local movie store.   Does anybody remember that?  Little did we know that we'd eventually own not one VCR, but several - and that technology would progress from there through DVD players and on to Blu-ray, and we'd have all those, too.  Of course, then we'd have to figure out the best way to get that wedding video transferred from the VHS tape to DVD, or we wouldn't be able to play it.  Again.

At least we do have wedding pictures.  We don't have anything nearly as exciting as some of the pictures featured on this wedding photographer halifax webpage.  We just have the basics, taken by three different people - one of my brothers and a couple of our friends.  At least we have photographic proof that we did have a wedding, we were very happy, and we had lots of friends and family there.  What else do we need?  I don't even know if photographers were doing some of the neat and very personal things that they do now way back then.  Check out the galleries on that web page I mentioned if you want to see what I mean.  We've got us lined up with our families, drinking champagne, eating cake, kissing - all the important stuff, I guess.

Maybe for my next wedding, I'll hire a photographer and get some fun pictures...

Paper or Digital?

English: A Picture of a eBook
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This question comes up quite often in the context of library services.  There are people who honestly question the relevance of an actual bricks and mortar library building with shelves full of books.  Aren't we moving toward digital copies and ebooks?

Of course, there are plenty of people, me included, who think that digital publishing is OK, but there is nothing like having a real, actual book in your hands. Maybe someday in the future, when this generation that has practically been born with a smart phone, tablet or iPad in their hands grows up, digital copies will be so prevalent that people will wonder why anybody ever bothered to take up so much shelf space with those old paper books.  Until then, I think there's still a place for real physical copies of books and magazines - alongside the digital copies.

The fun with the world of digital publishing is that the articles and stories and newsletters can be so much more than just words on a page.  They can include multimedia and hyperlinks for more information, allow for easy social media bookmarking and sharing, and so much more.  Not to mention that it's all so easy to take along anywhere - much easier than taking a pile of books or magazines.  Those of us who love to read understand the need to always have something with us that we can read - should we have a quiet moment.  Digital copies make it possible to always have not one book or magazine, but many.

That is a definite positive - not quite enough to convince me to switch completely to digital books, but a good reason to have at least a few ebooks of my own.  I could be more easily convinced to move to digital copies of magazines, though.  I like the extra interactivity and information that can be available - videos, links, songs, soundclips, etc. -  not to mention saving myself from those piles and piles of magazines that always seem to build up around here.  I think it would be easier to find the things I'm interested in with the digital copies and easier to share and save those things.  It seems like the possibilities are endless with magazines.  With books I just want to sit down and read them, no need for all those bells and whistles.

How about you - paper or digital?  Does it matter if we're talking about books or magazines?  Do you think there will come a time when all books and magazines only come in a digital format?

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With Rights Come Responsibilities

Chicago: Gun-Free Murder (Photo credit: KAZVorpal)

There's a whole lot of Gun Control talk going around.  I have friends on Facebook who have no personal desire to own a gun, and they don't feel anyone else should either.  They share and forward anti-gun slogans and articles and are quick to share every single time a crazy person shoots someone.  They scream, "Something must be done!" and "Guns kill!" and they really don't care that the vast majority of gun owners would never ever shoot anyone.

Of course, I also have friends who just as adamantly defend their gun rights.  Most of the time, the gun rights advocates make more sense to me because it really doesn't make sense to take something away from decent law-abiding people just because a few crazies and criminals have used them in bad ways.  If that held true, we'd have to take knives, hammers, baseball bats, cars, cell phones, and any number of things away from everyone because there are people who use them incorrectly and hurt and even kill other people.

Now, does that mean people should be allowed to own guns (or any of those other things that can be used to hurt, maim or kill) should not have to accept that the right to own a gun also comes with responsibility?  As all rights should.  No.  With rights come responsibilities.  That's just the way it is.  Unfortunately we live in a world that increasingly screams for rights and privileges, while trying to avoid the responsibilities that go along with those rights.   What if people voluntarily took responsibility for their own actions and their own possessions?  Think of the laws that wouldn't have to be passed.  Smokers wouldn't have to be told not to smoke in public places or within a certain distance of entrances to businesses.  People wouldn't have to be told not to text and drive.  Or drink and drive.  Or, well, I'm sure you can come up with your own examples.

Unfortunately that's not the way things work.  Responsible gun owners may always lock their guns away in biometric safes, use trigger guards, and take whatever other safety precautions necessary to insure their guns are not used by someone who may use them to commit a crime or to kill someone, and responsible gun sellers may run background checks and do everything within their power to be sure they do not sell guns to people who have no business having guns.  Unfortunately, there are too many people who are simply concerned about their 'rights' and not that concerned about the responsibilities that come with those rights.  And that's when laws have to be passed - laws that spell out the responsibilities that come with those rights. 

Just ask the smokers.  No-one took their cigarettes away; they just had to be told where it wasn't acceptable to smoke.  Or the texters.  They still have cell phones; they just had to be told it wasn't acceptable to use them for texting while driving.  These things should have been common sense, but when people can't figure these things out for themselves and be responsible, then somebody has to tell them.  I guess it's like warning labels - normal people know better than to do practically everything that is on those warning labels, but obviously somebody doesn't - otherwise how would they have even know what to warn against?

Is a Life Settlement Right For You?

Insurance
(Photo credit: Christopher S. Penn)

Life insurance is something many of us have.  It's not something we ever want to need, but we pay the premiums every month because we want our families to be taken care of if something happens to us. As people grow older, the kids grow up and move out, the mortgage gets paid, and the needs of the family aren't quite as high.  In the meantime, premiums continue to increase.  Often senior citizens are paying high premiums for policies that no longer meet their needs.

If you're in this situation, the question then is - what do you do with that life insurance policy?  There are a few choices -

• Continue paying those ever-increasing premiums - often on an ever-decreasing income.
• Cancel the policy and stop paying premiums - and walk away with  nothing of what you've paid in over the years.
• Cash in the policy for a small percentage of what you've paid in - somewhere around 10%.
• or Sell the policy via Life Settlements and get more from it - usually 25-30% of the policy value.

The option to sell your life insurance policy is not something that has been widely talked about, but it sounds like something to at least look into if you're a senior citizen looking for extra money or just trying to figure out what to do with that life insurance policy you no longer need.  It usually doesn't cost anything to find out what your policy could be worth, and you're not obligated to accept any offers you don't want to accept.  The only one who can decide if a Life Settlement is right for you is you.

We're not yet to the point that we'll be checking into this option, but we are at the age that the premiums are going to start going up.  We're also at an age that we need to concentrate even harder on making sure we have the money we're going to need to live on when Jeffrey retires.  This may be something we'll need to look into when the time comes.

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Increase Energy, Productivity and Stamina with an Adjustable Work Table

I'm reading on this website that physical inactivity - which would include sitting at a desk in front of a computer all day every day - is a contributing factor to many physical and mental health problems.  I know it has certainly been a contributing factor to weight gain for many people.  Gone are the days when daily activities were enough to keep people in shape.  Now we sit at a desk all day and have to go to the gym to stay in shape and healthy.  Or, and this is more likely, sit at a desk all day and talk about going to the gym.  Someday.

Here's an interesting idea to at least get people moving a bit- the Multi Table electronic desk. The height can be easily adjusted, lowering to just over 2 feet, and raising slightly lower than 4 feet, adjusting to individual needs and comfort.  People can raise the work surface and stand up periodically throughout the day, and still be able to continue working.  The website says that periodically standing during the day can significantly decrease health risks for both heart disease and cancers.  We're not even talking about working out or exercising here.  We're just talking about standing up periodically and working while standing instead of sitting in that same desk chair all day.

Would that be worth a try for these potential health benefits?

• Reduce cancer risks by 30%
• Reduce heart disease risks by 46%
• Increase energy, productivity and stamina
• Decrease back and neck pain
• Corrects posture to eliminate carpel tunnel issues
• Lose Weight. Standing burns twice as many calories as sitting

Companies need office furniture anyway.  I think it would be great if they provided something like this, giving employees the option of adjusting their work surfaces and positions throughout the day.  Not only would it be better for the employees' health, it would probably make them more productive, too.

What do you think?  Do you work sitting down all day?  Would you like one of these adjustable tables?  Me, I'm at home sitting on the couch (or the floor) working on my laptop all day and jumping up to do this, that, and the other thing all day, so I guess I'm standing periodically.  Truth be told, I'm doing all that other stuff before I finally manage to sit myself down at the computer to get something done, which is why I end up staying up so late, but that's beside the point.  If I was to work in an office all day, I'd want to be able to adjust my position throughout the day.  My neck and shoulders are starting to tighten up just thinking about sitting in one position all day - and all that other stuff that wouldn't get done without me.

Related articles

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Home Renovations Make a House Your Own

Once again we spent another Sunday watching shows about home renovations. And by watching I mean having the shows on in the background while we went around our business, which on Sunday includes going through the ads in paper to see if there's anything we 'need' and cleaning up the kitchen and the rest of the house which just seems to get so messy on the weekends.  I usually end up watching the beginning of a show to see what they have to work with, and then I try to see the end to see the transformation.

These shows get me thinking it would be fun to find a fixer-upper, hire somebody who knows what they're doing like renovations toronto company Woodsmith, and get a great house for a great price.  Except that the prices for those houses on the shows are usually outrageous considering all the work that needs to be done, but I know that's all about where the houses are located.

It always ends up being a better price than buying the house that already has everything they want, and the final result is just as good if not better.  I'd say better just because the homeowners or home buyers get to choose all the fun things like cabinets, countertops, flooring, bathroom fixtures, etc. instead of having to live with what the previous owners may have chosen.  That's probably the part that appeals to me most.  We've had both of our houses built, and we got to choose carpet colors, paint colors, cabinets and everything else.  It wasn't high-end, but it was what we could afford at the time, and we got to choose.  Then, as we could afford to do it, and as things wore out or needed updated, we did our own home renovations and improvements - putting ceramic tile in the kitchen, dining room, and bathrooms, for instance, and making our house what we want.  Not to mention all the changes to the exterior after the tornado.

That was the hard part about looking at houses and thinking about moving.  The people that owned those houses had either used a local builder, like Woodsmith home builders toronto for those in the Toronto area, or spent their time fixing up and personalizing their houses, and usually the choices they'd made were not the choices we would have made.  Like painting every single room a different bright color.  What's up with that?  Thankfully, repainting isn't a huge deal, but other things like flooring that needs redone or ugly cabinets or countertops that need replaced would take a bit more time and money.  If the purchase price is right, there should be money in the budget to do some renovations and make the house our own.  At least that's what I get out of all these shows.  It's possible to have the house you want for the price you want to pay, if you have the right people to help you.

It Doesn't Get Done Without Me

After a long weekend away spending time with some amazing people, I'm having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. There's laundry to be done, dishes to be washed, unpacking to be done - not necessarily in that order...

I've also got some posts to write, one of them on cloud monitoring, which I don't really understand and don't really have time to research.  It's something about virtualized data centers, using the cloud as a service and measuring end user service levels.  Yeah, if you're in IT, I'm sure you understand all that, and if you're not, I'd suggest visiting the page I linked above and doing some research of your own.  I know I've heard of the Cloud, but I just don't understand everything about how it works - or how you'd actually go about monitoring it.  Feel free to enlighten me.

In the meantime, I've got stuff to do.  For some reason, nothing seems to get done when I'm not home.  Maybe I could find a way to automate all the stuff I do every day, so it can do itself without me?  Then I'm sure I'd need some kind of monitoring myself - to keep track of all of that and make sure things are being done properly.

No sense in doing something or having it done if it's not done right the first time.  Otherwise, how does that really save me any time?  I'd just end up coming home and having to do it myself anyway.