How to Bathe a 200 lb. Dog

 

 

1.  Get every towel in the linen closet you can find (including the beach towels) and take them upstairs  He’s a big dog.

 

    Remember that

 

2. Put on your swimsuit, rain hat, rain coat, rain boots, waders, etc.

 

2. Go to McDonald's and get a 20 piece Chicken McNugget Meal. Make it Biggie Size.

 

Don’t use the Drive Thru it takes too long. You may get some snickers, stares, and jaw drops but once you explain the situation they will understand.

 

Trust me on that one

 

3. Eat 10 Nuggets in front of the colossal puppy and watch his drool slowly drip to the floor. Save the drink for later your going to need it.

 

4. Coax said gargantuan pooch up the long stairs to the second floor.

 

    This may take a while, be patient.

 

5. After about an hour and a half of groveling to your sweet stubborn pup you may need to call in reinforcements.

 

           recruit children, other adults in the house, your friends down the street.

 

6. Spend 20 minutes watching everyone make fools of themselves trying to bribe your precious elephantine companion up the stairs.

 

Be sure to snicker, point, and laugh. Oh and don’t forget to take pictures (make sure you remember to put the flash card in the camera first). Just say’n.

 

7.  After determining that this task is going to take all night. Ask said children, friends, resident professional wrestler,etc, to  pick your angelic canine and carry him up the stairs.

 

Be careful! He will wiggle free and you will have to start over.

 

8.  Now, the trick is getting your filthy dog into the bathtub. Commence the bribing again. This time use the French Fries.

 

It’s going to take a little bit of ingenuity but you’ll figure it out eventually.

 

9. After much pulling and pushing from all direction you finally decide that getting in the bathtub with said animal works best.

 

You may need some extra hands. Two to keep him from getting out, two to mop your face as you bathe him. The person holding him should be in the bathtub too. It just won’t work being on the outside.

 

And make sure your helpers have their swimsuits and rain gear on.

 

10. Wet dog

 

Make sure you close the shower curtain at every step to avoid having to wipe down the walls, ceiling, and floor . . .

 

11. Lather, Rinse, Repeat

 

12.  Lay about ten towels on the floor so your furry member of the family won’t slide all over the place.

 

Note: A sliding 200 lb dog is not a pretty site and may result in some bruises.

 

13. Cover your face and let your pooch shake to his heart’s content.  You wouldn’t want doggie drool to smack you in the face while he’s shedding the excess water.

 

Trust me on that. . .

 

Seriously

 

13. Coax your now squeaky clean horse down the stairs and onto the back porch to dry in front of the heater.

 

14. Take a shower and contemplate bathing your dog in the warmer months only

 

15. Make sure you mop up all the water on the stairs and the first floor. You wouldn’t want to fall on your butt coming down the stairs. . . you have enough bruises to deal with.

 

16. Sit on the couch the rest of the evening and drink your soda. You deserve it!

 

 

A Job well done . . .

 

 

Tiffanie

Technorati Tags: English Mastiff,Large Breed,Dog,Bathing techniques

Wordless Wednesday

 

                                    Pig in a Snow Storm

 

                                       Puzzled Pig

 

 

                                          Henrietta

 

 

 

                                        

 

                                             First Class Hen

 

 

 

I can’t say enough about Picnik! You just have to try it!

  Tiffanie

Giveaway: Jump Start your Child’s Education

JumpStart educational games are not new to me. My daughter used them from Kindergarten to Second grade as a tutoring tool. It got to the point where I couldn’t use my computer. She loved the games so much. Now that my boys are getting older I have looked for all the games for them. Now, I don’t have to look. The games are on the internet!

 

Over the past 15 years, the JumpStart brand has earned the trust of more than 20 million families with safe, fun games proven to help kids succeed in school and in life.

Today, Jumpstart's games are more engaging, interactive and fun than ever! With JumpStart 3D Virtual World, their latest and greatest, kids learn through endless gaming adventures in colorful, musical, magical and safe 3D virtual worlds. By blending learning and entertainment, these new games have created the perfect development environment for kids. Underwater adventures, icy mountain quests and exotic jungle challenges are just the beginning of the fun. These amazing new virtual playgrounds are already a favorite with kids ages 3-10.  .

 

The JumpStart 3DVirtual World allows your child to create their own avatar to help them explore and learn. The colors on the screen are so engaging. It really makes it easy for my kids to pay attention. And the voice quality  is very clear so they can understand the directions. The kids have enjoyed exploring and playing all the games. Not only do they enjoy playing the games their dad and I have been known to take over on occasion.

 

Now for the best part . . .

 

I am giving away a three months membership to JumpStart’s 3D Virtual World!

What do you have to do to get to check out all the fun for yourself? Visit the JumpStart web site and tell me a feature on this site that impresses you the most. That’s it. No subscribing to my blog (although that would be nice hint hint!), no tweeting (unless you want to), no singing “I’m a little teapot” (unless your kids have never heard the song before).

 

This giveaway is open to all. Deadline to enter is Monday March 2, 2009. I will draw the winner at midnight.

 

Get your kids to check the site out tonight and play a few games. They will be hooked. Membership is a great price so think about signing up! Your kids will thank you! They might even clean there rooms!

 

 

Tiffanie

Technorati Tags: JumpStart,Educational Games,3D Virtual World

Weekend Recap

1. I love my husband and I enjoy having him home during the week but i have this uncontrollable desire to be lazy while he’s home. So Friday I did not get anything accomplished.

 

Neither did he.

 

2.  I have found someone's sexy voice with a hint of prepubescent teenager. . .I’d like to have my voice back. If you find it . . .please return it.

 

Thank you!

 

3. According to Little Monkey . . .his Lego fan is Crap . . . .yeah took me a while in my no sleep, snot filled brain to figure out that he meant “cracked” not “crap”

 

4.  Apparently we are insects. . .Little Monkey insists that Tiger got his feelers hurt when Baby Girl left to go to her friends house.

 

5. Baby Girl has a social life. What am I in for? She was gone all weekend. I missed her.

 

6. Is there such a thing as sleeping too much? I slept most of the day Saturday. This infection kicked my butt!

 

7.  Tiger does not like garlic. He mistook the elephant garlic for an apple. YUCK!!! He still smells like Italian bread.

 

Not much went on this weekend since I was sick. Maybe something interesting will happen next weekend. How was your weekend????

 

 

Tiffanie

My Blue Eyed Wonder

I was playing around with Picnik this morning and created this collage. I think I’m addicted. LOL What do you think? It’s so much easier than photo shop. Granted I love to create my own pages too. But this is so much easier when you have a two year old under foot.

 

 

Tiffanie

The Truth is Out!!!

This is who I really am. Are you a super hero?

 

Super Mom

Kids today . .

Why is that if you have dark hair and dark eyes that kids automatically think you don’t speak English? I was walking home from taking Little Monkey to school one day and a student(not Hispanic) came up to me and stared speaking Spanish, truly expecting me to answer him in the same language.

 

I am Hispanic but I don’t speak Spanish. I can , enough to get around in Mexico if I had to but I’m not fluent. Do you find that kids automatically assume that if you are of a certain heritage that you don’t speak English? How do you handle it? Do you just pretend as to not embarrass the poor kid in front of his peers, or do you correct him?

 

Tiffanie

Wordless Wednesday

Valentine Treat Bags

Last week I was busy with my sewing project. Apparently I can not read blogs and sew at the same time. Some can . . .I am not that woman. So please forgive me for not visiting your blogs last week.

 

I saw a project in Crafts ‘N Things Magazine for treat bags. I thought this would be an easy and fun project for me to do for my son’s class for Valentine’s Day.

 

The project called for humungo stamps,  card stock and white fabric. None of  which I had. So I did the next best thing. Printed fabric and ribbon. I took the lazy way out and didn’t put the kids names on the bags. That’s right Ladies I AM a LAZY CRAFTER!!! So don’t expect too much from me.

 

If I attempted this project again (which I probably will since it was so easy), I will make the bag about two inches taller and one inch wider.  Anyways it took me two days to make them all (18 in all). I had to work around my two year olds nap schedule so I didn’t have to chase him after he takes my rulers, ribbon, and fabric.

 

I chose princess fabric for the girls and red gingham for the boys. I was a tad late on finding all the good valentine fabric. Next time I will look for it right after Christmas. Who would have thunk that the valentine’s fabric would be gone by January 5th! Who knew that valentine’s projects were so popular.

 

 

After I finished sewing the bags, Little Monkey and Baby Girl helped me fill them  with candy, play dough, and valentine’s from my little man. You should have seen how proud he was to be bringing the treat bags to class. You would have thought I had given him the entire first season of Handy Manny on DVD.

 

Now that project is done, I will be able to concentrate on visiting all my bloggy friends. Until the next project. But at least if I don’t visit you will know why!

 

 

Tiffanie

Technorati Tags: Sewing,Fabric,Valentines

Weekend Recap

Technorati Tags: Weekend Happenings,shopping,Birthday

 

 

1. Friday was my birthday I turned 37 29. I did nothing all day. Well except wash the sheets.

 

2. Little Monkey’s class sang Happy Birthday to me after school! It was so sweet.

 

3. Received a package with birthday money from my dad! WOOHOO!! Thanks dad!

 

3. My mom and Step father took me and my family out to Japanese for my birthday. The fire fascinated Little Monkey and terrified Tiger. Hopefully Little Monkey won’t get any ideas.

 

4. Does anyone else feel foolish when they make you stand up in front of the whole restaurant and pretend your a chicken? At least i got ice cream out of the deal.

 

5. My husband gave me a gift card to this place  for my birthday! He loves me , can you tell?

 

6. Took the kids to Denny’s (our favorite breakfast hangout). The entire town was there to have breakfast!

 

7. I ate too much. That’s all i have to say about that!

 

8. Too tired to function. I fell asleep while reading a book with a blow pop in my mouth. Nice!

 

9. Went to the farm to visit with the horses and my mom and step dad.

 

10. Tiger loves horses, Little Monkey can do without them.

 

11. Too lazy to go back home, we stayed the night and had a French toast breakfast with Anya and Papa.

 

12. The boys (all of them) took a nap and I went shopping! All by myself with no screaming kids. It was heaven!

 

  

 

 

 

How was your weekend?

 

Tiffanie

Reader’s Choice

 

My husband bought me this beautiful console table at Kirkland's during there 50% off sale a few weeks ago. I am so excited to have something other than a blank wall at the end of the hallway. And I have these beautiful burgundy lamps to go it. But I’m just not sure they are the right size for the table.

 

I need a picture to go on the wall too but I haven’t found one that will work. It’s hard trying to find that perfect picture or painting to compliment the decor. I mean a girl has to have it just so. Know what I mean?

 

Isn’t this table beautiful? It was originally $200.00 but we got it for $112.00! It is cherry wood and the inset in the doors are tin. It’s really pretty.

 

Anywho,  I can’t decide whether these lamps are the right size. Do they look too bulky to you? Do I need another type of lamp? I just can’t decide. My mother says it looks fine. But I don’t know.

What if I got something taller and thinner? Something like this.  Only with a burgundy or Avocado green shade instead.

 

What do you think?  I promise I won’t bite. I’m just a tad bit indecisive lately. Should I go shopping for some new lamps? or use the ones I have?

 

 

Tiffanie

 

Technorati Tags: Decorating,Buffet lamps,Console Table

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

Technorati Tags: Wordless Wednesday,photography,5 Minutes for Mom,SEW

 

 

Tiffanie

The Bella Update

It’s been a while since I have spoke of my niece, Bella. Many of you have emailed asking how she was doing. She’s home from the hospital after a three week stay. I just got off the phone with her mommy a few minutes ago. Cheryl told me Bella was healing really well and able to keep her milk down.

 

More issues have surfaced for this little angel. It seems like when they resolve one, another one pops up. They found that her bones are fused at the elbow, a bone in one of her ankles is backwards and will need to be fixed eventually, she has scoliosis, and and MRI showed that Baby Bella has a very small brain compared to her skull size which means lots of developmental delays. Whether she is teachable or not remains to be seen. Only time will tell.

 

The doctors are waiting to see if the four holes in her heart will close on there own. And for sweet Bella to gain some more weight. So surgery on her heart is up in the air at this point. Pray they won’t have to do that. She is having difficulty breathing when she sleeps. Her respirations go sky high. But when she’s awake her breathing returns to normal.So far they haven’t figure that one out yet.

 

With the all of this going on it’s not surprising that Cheryl is not feeling well. She’s tired, frustrated, lonely, and anxious. Please keep her in your prayers as she goes about taking care of her little girl. She is so lonely. No one can come in the house to see her except for the multitude of therapists and with my brother working she can’t leave to take a break. They are working on getting her respite care so she can have little breaks. But the state is being finicky in that regards.

 

SSI was denied which is very frustrating to both Adam and Cheryl. There money is quickly depleting and Adam is the only bread winner. And private insurance is expensive and doesn’t cover everything they need it to cover. Medicaid is in the works but again the state is taking there sweet time.

 

I wish I had new pictures of Bella, but we need to take some time this weekend to show my brother how to get his pictures off of his phone and on his laptop. Apparently,  it’s very confusing. So as soon as we get that squared away and we fix there PC they will be able to send me pictures and videos of Bella so you can see her.

 

God has put a soft spot on my heart for this beautiful girl. I really want to be able to help them all I can. You have noticed my Chip In widget on the left sidebar haven’t you? It’s slowly increasing. And I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. My goal to to be able to buy them groceries, diapers, daily living staples, clothes, and to give them love and support they so desperately need every month.

 

You all have such great ideas and I want to ask you now to comment and give me some ideas to raise money for them so I can help ease there financial burden. With three kids and crazy schedules with our own therapy session for Little Monkey I don’t have a whole lot of time. But I can make time for them. I love my brother and sister in law and I will go to the ends of the earth to help them.

 

Technorati Tags: Baby Bella,Congenital Heart Defect,Penta X Syndrome,Fund Raiser

Weekend Recap

1. Apparently Tiger (my two year old) knows how to use the Ped Egg. I have never laughed so hard.

 

2. We went to Best Buy and according to Little Monkey we were there to find him some patience. Ummm Yeah . . . Good luck with that.

 

3. It’s amazing what you can get done when everyone but you is napping. .

4. Denny’s has become our new favorite breakfast hangout!

 

5. We have discovered that Tiger will not drink milk from a sippy cup no matter how much you bribe him.

 

6. Don’t know if any of you know this but Mrs. Tortillo’s (Handy Manny) chandelier is broken. She needs a new light canopy. It’s very dangerous. Just thought I'd let you know since Little Monkey has told me a thousand times this weekend.

Apparently it’s really important.

 

7. FYI: Little Monkey has informed that he no longer wants to turn 4 on Wednesday. Thank you!

 

8. The moon broke, it needs a new light bulb. Anyone have a ladder long enough? This was brought to you from Life according to Little Monkey.

 

9. 75 degrees on Sunday! We spent it outside. Woohoo!

 

10. I am so not ready to turn 37 this week. UGH!!!!

 

How was your weekend?

 

Tiffanie

Technorati Tags: weekend,ped egg,Handy Manny,Best Buy,Denny's

 

Calling All Mom Bloggers . . .

An Internet Marketing company is looking for  mom bloggers to post about a family friendly company. There will be compensation! We can all use some money can’t we? If you want to know more or are interested in this please email me at :

 

Tiffanie(at)steventiffanie(dot)com

Tiffanie

 

Technorati Tags: Mom Bloggers,Posting,Internet Marketing,compensation

Craft Project Thursday

Chocolate Kiss Mouse Valentine Craft

Is this not the cutest little mouse? What a great way show your valentine how much you care! Well Chocolate is always a winner for me! Hint Hint!!!

 

You'll Need:

Two wrapped chocolate kisses
Construction paper, craft foam, or felt
Thread
Wiggle eyes
Very small pom-pom
Glue Dots if possible
Craft glue

Directions

Cut a 1-2 inch tall heart from the paper or fun foam..
Place it between the two kisses ( bottom to bottom) and secure them with glue or glue dots. This is the mouse body and the heart makes the ears.

Remove one of the paper labels strips to make room for the face.
Then use your craft glue to attach wiggle eyes, thread whiskers
and a pom-pom nose. The other paper tag is the tail.

Try gluing a yarn tail on the end instead, then you can attach a note to your mouse valentine.
TIPS:
Using cardstock paper, stiff felt or craft foam makes it easier to cut small hearts.
Or to really save time purchase a bag of pre-cut hearts.

Try this version!

For little hands, or to cut down on supplies, make the mouse nose with red glitter glue and the eyes with a permanent marker.

 

Happy Crafting!!!

This craft is brought to you by Amazingmoms.com

Technorati Tags: valentines,crafts,chocolate

 

Tiffanie

Let’s Party

 

My son’s 4th birthday is coming up and I'm in the process of planning his party. I have always been frustrated when I can’t find the supplies I need. Fortunately, I found a great site with a ton of birthday party supplies to choose from.

 

Birthday Express has just what I need every time. This years theme is Handy Manny and sure enough, they have everything I need in one place. The prices are reasonable and they have so many themes to choose from. The only problem is choosing from all the great items they carry.

Not only to they have plates, cups, and decorations but they carry balloons,  invitations, party favors, keepsake gifts, and so much more! You need to check this out when you’re planning your next party.

 

What’s better than having all your party supplies in one place? It sure is better  than driving all over town checking to see if several stores have what you need only to be disappointed. Not to mention wasting gas.

 

So for all your birthday party supplies, check out Birthday Express. You won’t be disappointed!

 

 

Tiffanie

 

 

Technorati Tags: Birthday Express,Birthday Party Supplies

 

Wordless Wednesday: Horse’n Around

Technorati Tags: Horse,Wordless Wednesday,Egyptian Arabians

Book Review and Giveaway

 

Doctors told Cathleen Lewis that life with her son, Rex, would be difficult. There would be limits, even worst case scenarios – wheelchairs, feeding tubes, no verbal language. In the beginning it was hard, excruciatingly hard.

 

Her blind, autistic toddler didn’t walk, talk, or eat solid food, withdrawing deeper into his dark world everyday. A usually indomitable woman, Cathleen teetered on the verge of a nervous breakdown . . .crying out to God. What was all the pain and struggle for? Why had God given this tiny innocent child such and overwhelming disability? How would he ever connect with the world around him?

 

For his second birthday, Rex was given a piano keyboard that would change his and Cathleen’s lives forever. Ad Rex banged away on his little keyboard, notes began to take form. He was unlocking the mysteries of his world. It was only the beginning of many miracles to come.

 

Rex has been called a savant, and also a boy touched by the divine. He has been profiled twice by CBS’s 60 Minutes, and featured on a British production entitles The Musical Genius.

 

This is a mother’s story of how her son used his otherworldly musical gift as a bridge to life, breaking the chains of blindness and autism. And how his music and joyful spirit have touched the lives of people around the world.

 

Exceptionally challenged.

 

Divinely gifted.

 

I could not put this book down. As a mother of a child with autism, myself I found her emotions, her frustrations and her will to fight for her son so close to what our life is like. I could identify and see that I am not the only one who struggles to stay sane sometimes. This book was such a wonderful read. I highly recommend it .

 

I would like to bless someone with my copy of this wonderful book. To enter to win just leave me a comment. That’s it. No doing crazy stuff or subscribing, tweeting. Although if you want to you can but it won’t increase your chances!  This giveaway is open to all. I will pick a winner on Friday, February 6th at 9pm.

 

 

Tiffanie

Tips for Traveling with Your Baby

  Bringing a new baby into the picture certainly has a way of changing around the life we’re used to. Just because a newborn is on board doesn’t mean our travel life has to stop; it simply has to adapt. If you’ve always been one to catch the travel bug, now’s the time to learn a few tips on how to include the youngest member of your family along for the ride so that you can enjoy traveling as you always have and your family can experience the adventure together.

Baby Furniture: While making your accommodations, check in to see if your hotel supplies a baby crib for you or if you will need to bring your own. It’s best to find out all of the facts in the beginning so you don’t find yourself spending precious vacation time in the stores for necessary supplies. In the case that your destination doesn’t supply the baby furniture you need, look into bringing a portable crib along that easily folds flat in a matter of seconds. Whether you’re renting a car for a road trip or going cross-country via train, this foldable crib option is flexible and user-friendly for any family vacation.

Baby’s Suitcase: Once your baby comes along for the ride, they’re going to win the award for having the most outfits for one trip! It’s best to bring as many sets of clothing as you can fit in order to be prepared for any situation. You never know exactly what the weather may be like for long-term trips and what situations you’ll find yourself in during your vacation. Also, make things easier for yourself and do hand washed laundry as you travel in order to cut back on a high volume of messy cleanups at the end.

Avoid Ear Infections: Be sure to pack a pacifier to use during airplane take-offs and landings as this will help keep your baby’s ears clear and help prevent infections. Other options that help do the trick are to nurse or give your baby a bottle during these changes of cabin pressure.

Expect Delays: No one wants to start a vacation thinking the worst but in the case of bringing a child on board, it actually helps prepare you for those occasions that you normally wouldn’t expect. Accept the fact that you could get caught at the airport, in bad weather, or in lines for the rental car company. During these small inconveniences, it’s best to keep your baby happy by bringing extra amounts of baby formula, finger foods, bottles, and small toys to keep your child busy. Your diaper bag should be your best friend on this trip and it’s smart to keep it stocked with plenty of diapers, rash cream or ointment, and wipes.

 

This post was brought to you by Suzanne, an expert at CSN Baby.com