Healthy or not? Which is it?

I will be the first to admit that about five years ago, I didn’t spent too much time thinking about healthy ingredients, fresh air or toxic chemicals.  Thinking back, I can list the reasons why – too busy hanging out with friends, on weekend getaways and weekly happy hours, etc. (The list could go on and on but I will spare you). Those were the days (I kid).

How could you not want the best for this face?

Today, I try to eat a lot healthier and am more aware of what we (including Chunyo) breathe and buy. SO yes, I have to admit (proudly I guess) that today, I read labels, buy organic, support local farmers’ markets and surround us with “green” cleaning products whenever possible.  I am guilty- I have become one of those people that I once had no interest in becoming.  Call it age or just too much information (which I swear gets me every time).  Once I learned about all the bad stuff we eat and breathe, it was hard to go back.  And yes, the budget reflects it (that’s the bad part). I still have YET to understand WHY it is more expensive to live a healthier life?  A blog post for another day…. But if someone can explain, go for it!   

SO – back to this post…  For those of you who might be interested, I found this great website – HealthyStuff.org. They research toxic chemicals on a whole bunch of stuff related to kids, cars, house stuff (even those Christmas lights from last year – yikes).  But for the sake of this blog – I am focusing on the pet stuff. HealthyStuff.org tested over 400 pet products, including beds, chew toys, stuffed toys, collars, leashes, and tennis balls. You can search by Brand, Type, Level of Concern, etc.  Take a peek – it’s kind of cool.

AirKong Squeaker Ball

I tested it out to see if anything that Chunyo has is on there.  Lo and behold, I found the AirKong Squeaker Tennis Ball.  I know some of you out there own a few.  Well, breathe easy…  There is a low level of concern.  Pheww!! I was going to have to run outside and collect tons of tennis balls (don’t ask!).

HealthyStuff.org toxic level key

If you feel like checking out some of the things you already own or if you want to investigate a future purchase, visit this site.  

Do you ever check out products before you purchase them?  Curious minds want to know..

*************************************************

Side note: A birthday shout out to one of our readers  – Feliz Cumpleaños Ivan! 😉

Advertisement

Wordless Wednesday

Hope it's sunny where you are!

And the winner is..

Well after several hours to think about it, looks like Chunyo is back to his normal self.  He came up to us requesting to be held – a sign that he has forgiven us?!  Perhaps!

OR maybe it’s because he needed to get his act together to deliver some good news about the Max and Ruffy’s giveaway. 

 

According to Gus will receive a box of their Five Star Blueberry mini bites and a box of the Powerhouse: Sweet Potato and Alfalfa.  Congrats Gus!  And thank you to Max and Ruffy’s for the treats! The winner was selected using www.random.org. 

Gus, we’ll be in touch!

Trains, cabs, sore feet and a moody canine

Friday we mentioned that we had lots of plans for the weekend without our sweet Chunyo.  We took a quick trip to New York City to celebrate our 1 year anniversary.  We’ve been to NYC a few times but this was our first time going there on the train (my new fav way to travel).  I take a train to work every day and I must say, it is the way to go.  No long security lines, no traffic AND you get the chance to check out the scenery while you go.  Love it!  Sad part, no pooches.. 

We had a nice dinner on Friday (Sushi Samba – serves some great mojitos) and enjoyed some delicious (really!) banana pancakes on Saturday morning at Pershing Square.  I tasted these pancakes the last time I was in NYC with some girlfriends and never forgot them. I wasn’t disappointed – they were SO good!  We spent the rest of the day walking off our big breakfasts and even spotted a few cute Bostons along the way (made us miss our Chun).  After visiting Ground Zero, we ended the afternoon basking in the sun, people watching over some Blue Moons at Battery Park.  After a long day, we ended our Saturday night watching (and laughing) John Leguizamo’s one man show, Ghetto Klown (pretty good). 

9/11 Memorial under construction

Boston on the brain - our purchase from local vendor

 Our trip was pretty smooth up until it was time to come home.  We were at the train station ready to go and then realized that our tickets were for Monday not Sunday!  Yikes!  We flew to the Amtrak office to change our tickets and had to pay big bucks to make it home yesterday!  Agh!  Talk about an expensive mistake.  We had to get back to work otherwise we would have stayed the extra day.  Note to self: triple check dates. Have no idea how we missed that one.

So how was Chunyo when we got home?  Not pleased.  This of course is typical behavior for him when we go away.  At least he is consistent.  We spent the afternoon taking him on a long walk and playing in the back yard.  Think he might still be annoyed.  Hopefully, a good night’s sleep will lift his mood.  He has spent s couple of hours in the basement – think he needed some “alone” time. 😉 

Might take a little while for me to get over this..

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Max and Ruffy giveaway, we will announce the winner tomorrrow morning.  Stay tuned…

Finally… It’s Friday!!

Glad it’s the weekend. We have lots of fun things planned (unfortunately, for us not Chunyo).   But he’ll be alright.  He’ll spend a little time with our family. Hope everyone finds some time to relax!

 

Psst!  Don’t forget to enter Max and Ruffy’s Giveaway – ends Sunday night!!!

 

Hmm... I have a feeling I am being left out of some fun this weekend 😦 And I don't like it!

Low on fuel…

We had a mouthful of news yesterday so we have little to say today EXCEPT don’t foget to enter Max and Ruffy’s giveaway 😉  OH and don’t forget it’s Cinco de Mayo. Margaritas anyone?

I'm a little beat today..

Max and Ruffy’s Giveaway

It’s Wordless Wednesday but we have plenty to say 🙂 We are happy to announce that Chunyo is participating in his first giveaway (details below).

Some of you might remember that we reviewed Max and Ruffy’s Five Star Blueberry mini bites a while back.  We love this product because of their healthy, organic ingredients.  Chunyo is also quite the fan!

Max & Ruffy’s is an ethical dog treat company based in the DC Metro area.  Their goal: to bring dogs everywhere healthy dog treats! Committed to the health and well-being of your dog, Max & Ruffy’s uses only 100% organic human-grade ingredients.   Their passion for:  high-quality, a drive to lessen the enviromental footprint, and their committment to customer satisfaction, make them an excellent choice for your dog’s snack source! 

 

Max and Ruffy’s has generously agreed to send a winner two boxes of their treats.  They are giving away a box of their Five Star Blueberry mini bites  and a box of Powerhouse: Sweet Potato and Alfalfa (original size). 

 

Five-Star Blueberry (Grain Free) – These healthy dog treats are packed with antioxidant-rich blueberries, and blended with extra-virgin coconut oil to lend to your dog’s shiny coat and healthy skin.  We then add a hint of ginger to create a grain free dog treat that dogs love.

 Powerhouse: Sweet Potato & Alfalfa (Grain Free) –  These sweet potato treats are a fusion of two nutritional powerhouses, sun-cured alfalfa and sweet potatoes. Loaded with beta-carotene and dense in trace minerals, this nutritious dog treat packs health benefits and irresistible flavor!

 

A Few Details and How to Win?

• Giveaway begins Wednesday, May 4th and ends Sunday, May 8th.  Winner will be announced on Tuesday, May10th!  Winner will be selected using www.random.org
• “Like” Chunyo’s Corner Facebook Page
• Follow Chunyo’s Corner on Twitter (@chunyoscorner)
• Leave us a comment on this post. Tell us your dog’s favorite treat.

**Bonus Entry** 

• Visit Max and Ruffy’s website and answer the following: When did Max and Ruffy’s begin making their dogs treats?

Thank you to Max and Ruffy’s and Good Luck!  

Max and Ruffy's treats are yum!

  P.S.  Head over to www.blogpaws.com for Wordless Wednesday’s pics.

Any green thumbs out there?

It’s that time of year again –  time to put our garden gloves on, gather our tools and get to work. Fun, huh?  For some, I suppose.  I am still working on my “love” for gardening. Dirt has never been my thing. I just always feel SO overwhelmed by our garden (plants are all over the house). But it’s got to be done whether I like it or not! I have tried putting it off – it’s never pretty.

We decided that this spring we are going to try to move some plants around and fill in some gaps with new plants. We are also going to try to keep it as pet friendly as possible (wish us luck on this one). Listen up gardeners – we are totally open to suggestions. Any??

In the meantime, we have done a little research. Here is a  list of good and bad plants for dogs and the ASPCA’s Guide to Pet Safe Gardening. Do you have any special plans for your garden this year?

Don't get alarmed! I was just checkin' out the rocks..

That was quick!

How time flies! Monday already?

We had the family over on Saturday and lucky for us we had a clear, sunny sky. We had tons of food and spent hours watching Chunyo playing and wrestling in the yard.  My brother’s dog, Taz came over and both dogs went nuts.  Unfortunately, we also had a bit of a scary incident.  Chunyo ran out the backyard and down the street to our neighbors – scary!  He wouldn’t stop when we called him. In fact, he ran faster. Really, it was embarassing – it took four of us to get him back home! We have never had this problem with him.  In fact, we never let him out of our sight.  He might have been too excited.  Whatever the reason – we won’t be letting him out of our sight again and will have to work with him on coming when called. Back to square one.  ALL tips welcome from you experts out there..

AND before I forget  – we  are planning a cool giveaway this Wednesday – so stay tuned!

Where's the party?

Now this is a party!

I'm beat!