Fit Snack-MY Go to for summer travel

Lately I’ve been traveling a lot.  My life has become a series of small trips, various challenges and unique days.  And with this scheduling change, I have found it a challenge to eat healthy on the go.  I can run in any city I visit.  I can usually find a hotel gym.  However, finding healthy food on the go is NOT easy. It’s also easy to get bored with the same old trail mix and start thinking about something less nutritious.  This is where FitSnack comes in.

FitSnack is a monthly subscription service that delivers healthy options to your door every single month.  The box will surprise you every time and can include everything from coconut oil to peanut butter protein cookies.  This keeps you guessing and keeps your pantry stocked with healthy options that you won’t feel guilty eating.  I love opening the box (and usually eating something right away), and then tucking the rest into my travel bag for my next plane flight or road trip.

My favorite snack this month was the Skinny Pop.  Instead of reaching for unhealthy chips, this is a sweet and satisfying way to snack.  AND it tastes amazing!  I also love the Honey Stinger Energy chews.  Perfect for pre workout or a mid afternoon snack!

It’s affordable too!  (Considering what you’d pay at a grocery store for this many healthy snacks!).  Check it out at www.fitsnack.com.  For any of our readers who order a FitSnack box, you’ll get a FREE GYM BAG!  YAY!!!!

Buddhi Box Love

If you are or know a yoga lover, BuddhiBox is for you.  It’s a subscription box like no other.  Every month, on the 10th, a box full of amazing products is sent to you.  Every product is selected to help you deepen and renew your yoga practice.

Please note I received a sample of Buddhi Box in order to write this post.  My opinions are my own.

It’s rare that you love every item that arrives in a subscription box.  Buddhi Box is the exception.  Every item is carefully selected for yoga lovers.

Most items in the box are organic and vegetarian.  All products come from companies that practice ethical business standards.  That’s so important today.  Know where your purchases come from and what those companies stand for.  Buddhi Box does the research for you!

This month’s box is filled with amazing treats.  There are headbands to wear to yoga, solid perfume, a Macro bar, lip balm and even room spray.  Every item is a delight and just so much fun to use.  These products allow me to take my practice off the mat and into my “real life”.

Some of my favorite items in the box aren’t products at all.  Every month you are given three cards.  One has an amazing recipe on it.  I love the vegetarian or vegan inspiration!

A second card describes a yoga pose, how to access it and the what areas of your body it benefits.  We rarely take the time to learn about our poses off the mat.  These cards help us do just that.

Finally, there’s a card with a quote. I love hanging these near my desk for constant inspiration or tucking them into my planner to use as an inspirational book mark.

Get yourself a Buddhi Box subscription.  It’s a way to treat yourself with amazing products, ideas and feelings every single month. We can all use a little more of special right?

Order it here.

Fit Snack - Perfect For Your Summer Travels

Lately I’ve been traveling a lot.  My life has become a series of small trips, various challenges and unique days.  And with this scheduling change, I have found it a challenge to eat healthy on the go.  I can run in any city I visit.  I can usually find a hotel gym.  However, finding healthy food on the go is NOT easy. It’s also easy to get bored with the same old trail mix and start thinking about something less nutritious.  This is where FitSnack comes in.

FitSnack is a monthly subscription service that delivers healthy options to your door every single month.  The box will surprise you every time and can include everything from coconut oil to peanut butter protein cookies.  This keeps you guessing and keeps your pantry stocked with healthy options that you won’t feel guilty eating.  I love opening the box (and usually eating something right away), and then tucking the rest into my travel bag for my next plane flight or road trip.

This month I was able to try some amazing granola from Bear Naked, some awesome protein powder, spices, sugar and more.  I am always amazed at the quantity of items that come in the box.  The variety is amazing as well.  They always seem to know things I want to try...I've been wondering about coconut water powder and voila, it arrives in this month's box.

If you like the items in the box, you're in luck.  Most products offer Fit Snack members deals on future orders.  For example, Sweetwoodsteaks.com is offering 25% off!

It’s affordable too!  (Considering what you’d pay at a grocery store for this many healthy snacks!).  Check it out at www.fitsnack.com/joy.  For any of our readers who order a FitSnack box, you’ll get a FREE GYM BAG!  YAY!!!!

How To Talk Your Dog Into Behaving Well

According to Experts, Reinforcing Positive Behavior with Treats Communicates Valuable Information to Misbehaving Canines

OGDEN, Utah (June 5, 2015) – To punish or not to punish a misbehaving dog is a question trainers disagree about how to answer. Most experts, however, advocate positive reinforcement as a more effective and humane training method.

Pet owners can learn more from a new website sponsored by Vita Bone^® dog treats: http://www.vitabone.com/learn. Here, experts like Steve Dale, nationally acclaimed pet expert and certified animal behavior consultant, provide training and treating tips to help people deal with some of the most common types of canine misbehaviors.

“The problem with punishment is that it doesn’t give a dog any information about what it should be doing,” says Dale. “While it does interrupt bad behavior, punishment doesn’t teach the dog a more acceptable alternative. Positive reinforcement works by rewarding dogs when they perform a desired behavior.”

Dog owners often complain that their pets jump up on guests entering their homes. Punishing the dog – for example, by shoving a knee into its chest – will undoubtedly stop the unwelcome behavior, at least temporarily. But it also can communicate to dogs that people are untrustworthy, crazy or unkind. Frequently punished dogs grow wary of all people and sometimes even begin to act aggressively toward them.

These undesired outcomes are only natural, as dogs in such situations are reacting to pain and anxiety caused by confusing human actions.

If dog owners want their pets to sit quietly by the door or fetch a favorite toy when visitors arrive – instead of jumping on their guests – they should convey this information through positive reinforcement. Showing dogs what to do and rewarding their success provides motivation for them to repeat desired behavior and enhances relationships with their humans.

The reward should take the form of whatever it is that a dog most enjoys – generally a special treat. It should be easy to eat, so that the dog doesn’t become distracted by the process of chewing and remains focused on the desired behavior it’s exhibiting. Pet owners should have treats readily available so that they can administer one every time a dog in training does what it’s supposed to do.

Dale recommends Vita Bone^® Chewy Sticks because they are easy to break apart for training sessions. In addition to being easy to eat, independent studies show that dogs prefer Vita Bone^® treats two to one over leading national brands. So their size, texture and taste make them ideal dog training tools.

While a more punitive style of training can be effective in certain situations – for example if a dog is about to run out in front of an oncoming vehicle, and its owners needs it to stop immediately – it cannot train dogs to behave the way we want. What’s worse is that it can erode the human-animal bond, as frequently punished dogs naturally begin to dislike and mistrust people.

“As a training tool, positive reinforcement isn’t only a more effective way to teach, it’s also more ethical than punishment – which is perhaps the most important point,” says Dale. “Today, more than 90 percent of pet owners in North America consider their dogs cherished family members. For all the love our dogs unconditionally offer every day, I purport that we should treat them the same way.”

For more information and dog training tips, visit http://www.vitabone.com/learn. 

About Vita Bone^®

Vita Bone^® Biscuits (www.vitabone.com) are baked using natural ingredients to enhance flavor and digestibility. Fortified with 23 essential vitamins and minerals, Vita Bone^® Biscuits also include omega-3 and -6 fatty acids as well as glucosamine from natural sources like salmon oil and chicken. These essential elements help promote healthy skin, well-conditioned coats and good joint health in dogs. Vita Bone^® Chewy Sticks are easy to break apart for training sessions or a great snack between meals. Vita Bone^® Biscuits and Chewy treats are part of the American Pet Nutrition family of trusted brands that meet the strictest standards of safety and quality for production and packaging. The company is based in Ogden, Utah, and has been family-owned since 1972.

Nashville!

I was recently lucky enough to be a speaker at the Blog Paws 2015 conference in Nashville.  My hubby and I decided to road trip down.  I'm going to share some of our adventures with you!

These paws were all over the hotel.  It was pretty awesome to see all the different areas that conference events were taking place in.  It was also just exciting to see paw prints on the floor of a nice hotel :)

Hattie B's is a classic Nashville restaurant.  It serves something called Hot Chicken.  It's fried chicken, with spice in the skin.  They serve it on a piece of bread with pickles.  I don't even really eat meat usually, but this was awesome. The line was out the door at ten pm! 

I love all of the signs in downtown Nashville!  While there are less Western stores than there were previously, many of the signs are still there and lit up.

The conference was full of amazing people. Everyone was an animal lover and there were lots of animals there!  I got to meet some amazing brands too.  Here I'm with Toe Grips which are designed to help blind, disabled or senior dogs with comfort on any surface.

These dogs were so adorable and so amazingly well trained I had to take a photo!  They had matching outfits too :)

Yes, there were baby ducks at the conference! I've never held one before and it was so soft, light and sweet!

So I had to compare duck faces :)

Lucy's Pet Products are a line of shampoos and dog grooming that were developed by vets in order to support a low and no cost spay and neuter clinic.  Here's Surfin Jack looking much cooler than I am.

If you're on Instagram, chances are you know about Theo and Beau.  A small boy and his dog nap together every day and the photos their mom takes are amazingly adorable.  I was sucky enough to get a photo and an autographed copy.

One of the areas in Nashville is called Hillsboro Village.  The area is filled with cool shops, restaurants and even some used book stores.  I loved getting to know a less touristy area of the city.  There are local artists to created murals like this one.

Take a peek at my adorable badge for the conference!  I will be attending for sure next year!

Summit Love

I’m here to tell you the story of Summit, a 6 month old, scrawny rescue dog who changed my whole life.  But let me back the story up for you a bit….

Four years ago my husband and I adopted out first dog.  My husband grew up with dogs.  I did not.  While I thought dogs were adorable, I hadn’t ever felt companionship with one.  And I certainly didn’t want one to LICK me.  If it happened, I acted like Lucy from Peanuts…screaming about dog germs, disinfectant and iodine.

So what possessed me to get a dog? I’ll never be able to answer that.  BUT I do know that after months and months of searching, I fell in love with Roxy on the Glen Highland Farm website.  She was just there for display and had been deemed unadoptable.  She had been through a number of families already and had been returned.  She had OCD issues and they were bad.  But this isn’t a story about Roxy. 

Fast forward about three years and Summit came into our lives.  A breeder who couldn’t sell him gave him to Glen Highland Farm.  He was also adopted out and returned to the farm.  We saw Summit on their website and though he was adorable (he was then known as Kiran).  WE thought to inquire about him, but in the meantime we were asked to foster him.  A volunteer drove him to our home one winter evening and I was smitten.

Summit was just a kooky as the rescue organization has stated.  But the cuteness level was off the chart.  He was skittish and while he was interested in us, he was also a little fearful.  We started by letting him sniff about and get some snuggles from us when he wanted them.  However, he had no idea what was to come.

In the following weeks and months Summit slowly and surely started training.  We redirected him when he was chasing things or racing around obsessively.  (While this isn’t a healthy habit, it certainly burns calories and I’ve considered taking it up on my own.)  We use positive reinforcement and redirection.  Meaning, if either dog is taking part in an undesirable behavior we change what they are thinking about.  If they are doing something we approve of, they get positive reinforcements.

 

I went out and bought an American Sign Language book, read countless blogs and starting doing all the research I could to give Summit the best chance of being able to communicate with us.  However, we had to stop the obsessing first.  This took a while.  (Months and months in fact.) However, during this time I just signed to him whenever we did something like going outside, eating a meal, or getting a little love. 

Eventually he started to calm down.  (And we’re still not 100% calm!)  At the same time, he started to recognize the sign language and all of those days, weeks and months of feeling like I was talking (signing) to myself were paying off. 

Summit now knows about a dozen signs.  He recognizes everything from stay to good boy.  His favorite sign is “I Love You” and means pets and snuggles are coming his way. 

We’ve had Summit about 18 months now and he just turned two. He is now a love bug who no longer shies away from petting, he demands it.  He would rather get snuggled than race around the room.  He prefers to have a careful eye on your at all times.  If he can be touching me, that’s even better.  For example, I work from home and he will sleep under my desk.  But he really prefers it if he can be ON my foot.  If I were to get up and move, he will know it and can follow suit. 

The bond between Roxy and Summit is amazing.  While I’m sure Roxy was thrilling being an “only dog”, but engages Summit a few times a day for a friendly game of hide and seek, chase and race around my office area.  If Summit has dithered off and I can’t easily catch his eye to get him to come back to me I can tell Roxy to “Go get Summit.” And she will!  Roxy was very well voice command trained and Summit is so in love with her, he follows suit.  It’s much easier for a deaf dog to have a buddy dog like Roxy. 

When I take Summit to places like the park or the vet’s office people are shocked to know he’s deaf.  He looks at me frequently and often the signs I give him are so small and quick that they can easily go unseen by someone who isn’t paying attention. 

 

Since I work from home, I could adjust my schedule to work with Summit, as he needed it.  I would have had a more difficult time training him if I only saw him in the evening hours after work.  I feel that his training success was due to repetition, patience and love. 

Summit has taught me that disabilities are not a disadvantage at all.  It’s a new way to see the world around us.  His deafness has taught me to think about others around me more.  I am now more empathetic to people who may be in need.  Summit brightens the day of everyone he comes into contact with.  Often people tell me they think it’s amazing I chose to adopt a deaf dog.  I think it’s amazing he chose me.

Absent

Well...it's been a while....I dropped off the face of the Earth, I know.  The last year has been messy, stressful and well....just darn sucky.

I don't want to while or bore you with the details, but we're taken more than one emergency trip in the middle of the night, spent a lot of time in hospitals and really had to examine our life.

Now I feel as if I'm coming out of a coma...and relearning things all over again.
So what do you do when life doesn't go as planned?  You adapt.  And lose a lot of sleep.
Here's what I've learned this past year.....

1.  The shit hits the fan from time to time.  It happens and all you can do is clean up the mess.  Sometimes there is nothing you can do to prepare.  Give yourself a break and know you're doing the best you can.

2.  Good sleep is amazing.  We were sleeping on an ancient mattress.  We bought ourselves a new one for Christmas and I now love sleeping.  That sounds silly, but I've always hated it.  Now I can fall right to sleep and stay asleep all night.  That's a mini miracle.  And, good sleep makes everything easier.

3.  The times when I swore I didn't have time for a run or for yoga are when I needed them the most.  Working harder when you're feeling flustered just makes it worse.  Taking a mental and physical break changes your thought process.  It's all about breaking the stress cycle.  I mean really.....will the hour I spend working out REALLY make a difference in my to do list?  The answer is no, but it will make a difference in how I feel.

4.  Mean people suck.  Common courtesy and niceness are becoming rare traits.  Just be nice to one another and be respectful.  Business owners seem to forget that they need to remain professional and respectful.  If someone sucks the happy out of you...walk away.

Thats all for now folks.  I'll be back soon with some travel adventures, running and yoga progress too!

How to Use Folders to Organize Paperwork

Last Day in Philly!

Well despite having to head back to CT, we decided to get in some last minute sightseeing.

We found a great parking spot and set off on foot.  We ran up the Rocky steps, posed with the Rocky Statue.  We did take a sneak peek in the art museum too :)

One of the hidden treasures in Philly is the rover walk.  It's a beautiful area by the water where people relax, picnic and fly kites.  There were a ton of runners, bikers, and even people on roller blades.

We walked down to Boat House Row where there were lots of crew boats out and about.  We climbed the area that had been blasted out and used to serve as the power station.

It was beautiful day and the sun was shining.  A great way to experience Philly and to relax and just walk and enjoy.  We were sad to leave, but we will be back for sure!

Philly Day Three

Today was another beautiful day in Philly!  We did some nontraditional sight seeing.  We started the day at Wawa (Again).  Their egg sandwiches are addicting.  Also, their iced tea lemonade is becoming a problem for me :)

Our first stop was the Eastern State Penitentiary.  It's an old prison-the first in the US and it because the model for many more to come.  It looks like a British castle and the methodology behind it was fascinating.  It changed a lot over time.  It was originally a place where all inmates were in strict solitary.  However, as the years passed, they were allowed to socialize, watch TV and even do things like cut hair at the barber shop.

Al Capone's prison cell.  He was allowed some liberties.

One of the main corridors where prisoners were held.

The prison held Al Capone for a while too.  It's down right creepy, dark, damp and cold.  The walls are in disrepair.  However, it is preserved so you can see it in it's original state.  Matt was able to procure a photographer's pass so he could use his tripod and take photos.  There are even photographer events all over the prison.  (They also have a Halloween night event!)

Afterwards we walked around and saw the area.  It was adorable with lots of dogs walking and upscale restaurants.  We ate at a place called Urban Saloon and it was a modern and sophisticated version of an old west saloon (swinging doors and all!).  I had a peanut butter, bacon veggie burger.  It's as awesome as it sounds.  

Day Two in Philly

So on our next day on Philly we were moving a tad bit slower due to M having a REALLY LONG day taking photos at the semi finals.  We decided to spend the day exploring.  We love just walking around the city, seeing the sights, taking in the people and stopping where we want.

We took this picture at the park….kind of like Philly's Central Park. It was a warm sunny day and it was hard to leave to head back to the hotel!

So Peanut Chews are a Philly "thing".  We were going to hunt some down while we were here. However, our hotel had some minis.  They are SO good!  Chocolate, caramel and peanuts.  Great combo.  I ate too many :)

The pretzel is popular in Philly because it was once a German populated place.  Many spoke German and since pretzels were very popular in Germany, they too made the trek across the ocean.  These little gems were in our hotel in the afternoon.  They too, were awesome!  

We are lunch at the Reading Market. It's an amazing place, filled with food vendors of both ready to eat items and produce, fish, and other local goods. It's reminiscent of an old fashioned market.  It's busy, loud and so colorful.  We found an amazing and authentic Cajun place!  I had gumbo and it was fabulous.  I haven't had gumbo this good or authentic since I left New Orleans.  And believe me, I've tried!

Matt was all smiles while we ate our cajun lunch.  It was amazing!

Philadelphia Day One

So I travel for business at least a few times a year.  Usually M tags along with me and we get some sightseeing done.  He helps me prepare for presentations and supports me as I go.

This trip, HE is the one conducting business. He's taking photos of the Frozen Four-the national college hockey tournament.  I'm so proud he has earned a spot and can take part.  I'm also thrilled because I get to tag along and sightsee in Philadelphia!

I'll first say that I packed all kinds of running gear in hopes to get in some runs while M was off taking photos.  However, the hotel is on a semi highway, 6 lanes wides so I'll be working out in the gym AND I packed a MP3 yoga class and my mat.

Today we saw a lot of the historical part of Philadelphia-The Betsy Ross house was awesome!  It's just a tiny house where she RENTED two rooms her whole life.  She had 8 children and three husbands.  If that isn't enough to surprise you, she started sewing flags for the revolution at 24 years old!

This is a statue outside the Betsy Ross House.  It was just so adorable I had to take photos.  Everyone pets the cat as they walk by.

We also saw the Liberty Bell. It was neat to learn about it and see it up close.  M had a great time taking photos of it as well.

The historical cemetery in Philadelphia contains FIVE of the signers of the declaration of independence.  To give you an idea of the historical significance of the time, the founder of psychology as well as many commanders in the Revolution are all buried there as well.  It signifies good luck to throw a penny on Benjamin Franklin's grave to honor his saying of "A penny saved is a penny earned."

We did some walking around the city and it was a beautiful spring day.  Really the first we've had!  It was great to see the cobble stones on the on the streets and all the historical buildings.  The buildings are very narrow and made of hand crafted materials.  It's beautiful and amazing to think about what transpired there.  It's also amazing to think about the bravery of the individuals who signed our founding documents.  History was made on these streets!

The night before we came into town and hit what we were told was THE place for cheese steaks.  Now I don't even like red meat, but when in Rome.  The quintessential cheese steak has Cheese Whiz on it!  I had no idea.  Add in some onions, steak and amazingly fluffy bread and you have a great dinner.

Running with Your Dog and Kurgo

Heading out for summer fun means you need to do a little preparation and be safe with your pooch.  I was able to try out some of Kurgo's products to help you get and stay fit (and safe!) with your dog!

Their Quantum Leash is pretty awesome.  I love it because I can grab one leash and use it any way I need to.  I like to run with my dog around my waist and that's easy to do.  If I'm walking and need to be hands free for a phone or coffee, I can wear the leash cross body.  Of course you can also hand hold the leash or tether it if you're stopped at a picnic table on a hike.  The best part, is that this leash does double duty for two dogs!  The leash is soft to hold (For other dogs owners who have dogs who are high energy you know why this is important!) and bright in color so you can always find it.  Working out with your dog means better health for everyone.  If you have the right gear, it's going to be easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

If you're thirsty, your dog is too.  And while many owners bring water bottles for themselves, they often forget their pooches.  Instead of taking an extra bottle, just bring along a collapsable bowl like Kurgo's Collapse a Bowl.  It pops down so it's flat and attaches to their Quantum Leash.  This way you always have it on hand.  You can stop, let your dog drink and then collapse it again and be on your way.  It's BPA free and dishwasher safe.  I like that it is light weight and can be thrown into any bag without taking up space or adding weight.  Because it is silicone, it also sits easily and firmly on the floor of a tent or car.

Being safe means being seen.  Kurgo's Reflective Dog Vest runs on batteries and offers visibility for hundreds of feet.  Even if you decide not to use its light up feature, the reflective orange vest stands out in the woods.  Awesome for hiking, hunting or swimming, this vest helps you see your dogs and others see both of you.  (I like to use it while my dog is swimming so I can clearly see her in the water.)  It's adjustable and my dog doesn't even know she's wearing it.  It's light weight and cool and gives me peace of mind and safety.

Pet Infographics

We all know how much I love my dogs.  However, there is a lot of information to learn when you are a serious pet owner.  I've search for some info graphics to share some info with you.

In particular, I want you to be aware of deaf dogs and their special needs.  Owners will often have a notification on their dog that they are deaf.  This doesn't mean they are not friendly.  It simply means they should be approached with caution.  You should never pet or talk to a dog without the owner's permission first.