Friday, April 22, 2016

How to save money on your pet?



Hey guys,

Owning a pet is a great experience but also an expensive one between visits to the veterinarian and purchasing pet care products. Those furry little piles of love can hit your wallet hard, having a pet can cost so much money which is sure to put pressure on your family's budget.

Your pet doesn’t need fancy toys and accessories, just the basics of pet care are costly enough, as long as your furry friend gets plenty of exercise, food, water, and attention. Whether you have a dog, cat, or another type of animal in your care, you can always find ways to reduce expenses without jeopardizing care.

Here are 5 categories of everyday pet care to save money on.

1. Adopt

Adopting your pet from the pound or an animal shelter not only saves money, it also means you are helping an animal that needs a home.

I know many people who are against adopting from shelters due to the fact you know almost nothing about the dog’s past or heritage but when you’re on a Spending Fast or just monitoring your spending, adoption is an excellent route to go.

Please check this article about Ten Reasons to Adopt a Pet.

2. Health care

Annual preventive healthcare exams and regular preventive care – such as vaccinations, heartworm testing, fecal parasite exams, dental evaluation and others, save pets’ lives by ensuring they’re healthy.  They can also save pet owners money by reducing or eliminating the risk of health problems that can be more expensive to treat.

Before just going to the vet that is closest to your house, call around and compare pricing. I have found from experience that they can range as much as $20 in their visit fees.

Save money on your pet’s health care by ensuring that your pet does not become obese. obesity in pets can lead to several health problems — including diabetes, arthritis, and cancer, to name just a few. Those are costly health issues to treat.

Save money on a dog walker by walking your dog yourself.
C’mon admit it… you need the exercise as much as your dog does! Who doesn’t?

3. Food

Buy in Bulk. When you see sales, stock up on products you definitely know your pet will use. Visit warehouses and stores to find good deals on large quantities of items your pet loves.

Please check this article about Saving Money On Your Pets: Dog Food Tips And How To Save Money.

Feed them homemade meals. Please check the following articles:

Easy Home-Prepared Dog Food
Home Cooking: The Alternative to Pet Foods
Homemade Cat Food and Raw Cat Food 
Home Prepared Diets for Dogs & Cats

Dog treats aren’t too terribly expensive but why pay anything for them when you can make them in your own kitchen! Not only will you save money but you will also be providing your dog with a healthier option. Which could later save on vet bills.

Pet Treat Recipes
6 Recipes for Homemade Dog Treats
4 DIY Cat Treat Recipes
Chewy Cat Treats for Cats

4. Entertainment

 Toys:

You only need 5 to 10 dog toys total, because dogs always gravitate to their favorites. Once you find the type of toy your dog prefers, simply replace that one with a similar or identical one each time it wears out. Choose the most indestructible dog toys possible, and don’t give your dog access to all of his toys all the time. Instead, always keep some hidden away. Then, rotate your dog’s toys every week or so. That way, they’ll always seem “new” to him when they’re re-introduced.

You can always make your own, check DIY Cat Toys.
37 Homemade Dog Toys Made by DIY Pet Owners
How to make pet toys
How to make scratching posts

Accessories:

Save money on dog collars and leashes by resisting impulse buys and sticking to the highest-quality, most-durable leashes and collars that will last for years. Truth is, all you really need is a simple pet collar that is easy to clean and not too expensive to replace. Here are some DIY ideas:

10 Easy DIY Dog Collars
How to make pet collars & leashes
12 Fun and Easy DIY Pet Accessories
How to make pet beds
How to make pet clothes

 5. Grooming

It may take a little practice but if you love your pet and you want to save a few bucks through the years, then you’ll want to start grooming your pet yourself. It’s best to start early. The younger your pet is, the quicker he’ll get used to the fact that “this is just something we always do” and he won’t put up a fight.

The Importance of Grooming Your Pet

Pet pedicure can be easier if you follow 10 Steps to a Perfect Pet Pedicure. The tools you'll need are cheap, a nail file and a nail clippers.

Coat care is also simple if you get the right tools, search the web for the right tools for your pet's coat, long hair or short hair, each type has its own useful tools. Make sure you have the right brushes, combs, and clippers for the job. Ask your veterinarian which tools he recommends for your pet.

Pet Brush 2 in 1 Combo Brush for Long and Short Hair
Pet Fur Knot Cutter
Dog & Cat Brush For Shedding for Short Hair

I hope you found this post helpful, please give me your feedback in the comments down below.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

What I ate today?


Hey guys,

Winter stayed for so long this year, It felt like the cold weather will continue forever, we started turning on the heater at home at the beginning of October, and just last night I turned it back on, it seems like we will have a very cool spring this year.

So the sun is staying longer up in the sky which makes me very happy, and when we started getting the worm weather back, I got inspirited to wear cute outfits again, and that hit me in the back of the head when I tried to put on my cute pair of shorts and BAM they wouldn't fit anymore.

Bad luck, or bad eating manners, bummer.

I decided to eat clean to lose a few pounds to be able to get back in those shorts, so here is what I ate today, and remember I'm not a nutritionist nor I'm an expert in dieting, this is what works for me and feels right for my body and type of activities.

These are all vegan recipes that I absolutely love.

Breakfast: (9:30 AM)




I love oats, so  I had oats with my homemade oat milk and fresh strawberries and bananas, and added some oat milk to my coffee too. That was so good and super filling. I wasn't hungry until much later.

Snack: (11:30 AM)




My go to snack lately has been fresh fruits and some green tea or any herbal tea really.
Oranges, Kiwi, Strawberries, and some small melons.

I'm drinking Lipton's green tea or Alattar (a local brand) herbal tea.

Lunch: (2:30 PM)




My lunch was so good, I made my lentils, chickpeas and cauliflower Kurry recipe with brown rice and pickles.
Again oranges and melons yummy.

Snack: (5:00 PM)




My black coffee is my favorite thing in the world, and I had it with my Vegan Canary biscuits (local brand).

Dinner: (8:00 PM)


For dinner I had Dolma (Stuffed grapes leaves) one of my top ten top recipes, with lettuce and tomato salad.

Then I'm done for the day. I try to stop eating around 8:00 PM or so and I got to bed around 10:00 PM. Unless I'm up late finishing a blog post (like this one) and in that case a second round of biscuits may be in order!

Did you see any food you like or currently eat? Share below.

Please tell me if you want more vegan recipes I can dedicate a  post for my go to vegan recipes.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Home made Oat Milk







Hey guys,

I needed to find a cheaper alternative to dairy so I tried oat milk. It is so cheap, fast, and easy to make. Three things everyone loves! I also love that there are no emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilizers or other additives in homemade milk. It’s not going to replace the calcium and protein in cow’s milk so I make sure to keep our diet high in yogurt, cheese, poultry and leafy greens.

You'll find a printable recipe of my Homemade Oat Milk .

Ingredients:


 
  • 1 cup oats
  • 3 cups filtered water
  • 1.5-2 tbsp. honey (or pitted dates), to taste
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
You will also need a blender, a fine sieve, a large bowl, and measuring spoons/cup.

I haven’t tried this oat milk with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag yet, but if anyone does please leave a
comment and let me know how it goes.
 

Instruction:

·          Rinse and drain 1 cup of steel-cut oats. Place oats into a bowl and cover with water. Soak for around 20 minutes. You can soak longer (even overnight) if desired.

·          After soaking, rinse and drain the oats very well. This step is very important because you want to rinse off any of the oat slime that has occurred from soaking.

·          Scoop oats into your blender and add 3 cups water. I prefer using 3 cups of water as opposed to 4 cups because it yields a creamier/thicker milk. Just know the more water you add the thinner your milk will be.

·          Cover with lid and turn the blender on a low speed, increasing the speed gradually, and blend at the highest speed for about 8-10 seconds only.

·          Place a fine sieve over a large bowl and pour the oat milk very slowly into the sieve. You might have to do this in a couple batches depending on the size of your sieve.

·          With a spoon, gently push down on the oat pulp so the milk flows through. This helps push the milk into the bowl, leaving the oat pulp behind in the sieve.

·          Clean out your blender and sieve with a good rinse of water until no pulp residue remains.

·           Place sieve over top of your blender and pour the milk in once again and strain.

·          Add in 1.5 tbsp Honey, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon.

·          Then  pour the milk from the blender into a clean mason jar for storage in the fridge.

·          Notes: This should last in the fridge in a sealed container/jar for 4-5 days. Use it in smoothies, oatmeal, cereal, baking, or drink it straight. If you want to use it in a savoury recipe, you can omit the sweetener, vanilla, and cinnamon.

·          Note:  Homemade milk does separate (remember there are no added emulsifiers!), so be sure to give your milk a very good shake (or stir) before using. I just don’t want you to be alarmed when you see the heavier ingredients sitting at the bottom of the jar.

What can you do with the leftover oat pulp?

I suggest saving it and mixing it into smoothies. Use it in Oatmeal cookies. If you have a dehydrator, I assume you could also dehydrate the pulp and then pulverize it in a blender to make flour.

If anyone has any other ideas, leave them below.
Ups:
  • Very low cost.
  • Nut-free so good for those with allergies
  • Quick to make
  • You don’t need a nut milk bag or cheesecloth
  • Clean up was easy.
  • Decent, but not mind-blowing flavor
Downs:

  • Not as creamy compared to homemade almond milk
  • Slightly watery (although this is improved when using 3 cups water instead of 4)

  •  

    Friday, April 1, 2016

    Shower Routine

    Hey guys,

    I  guess we all mastered the 3-minutes showers, where you're in and out, and you feel clean. It's more than just practicing good hygiene, it's all about establishing a routine to make sure your hair will be shiny and skin will be glowing when you're done.

    Creating your routine will involve using quality products that will make you feel clean without harming and drying your skin or hair by the water and chemicals.

    I want to share my shower and hair care routine with you, the products I use, how do I take showers, and some tips and tricks to master the shower routine.

    Tips and tricks for the best showering experience:
    1. Make sure that you know your hair type to use the best products for your hair, lets say oily hair needs a different products than normal hair or dry hair.
    2. Brush your hair before to detangle it to reduce the breakage in the shower.
    3. Rinse your hair thoroughly before applying shampoo to make sure you loosened the oil particles.
    4. When conditioning your hair, only put the conditioner on the bottom half of your head just below your ears, this is the part of hair that's dry and needs the attention, putting conditioner on the roots of your hair will actually make your hair go greasy faster.
    5. Be smart when it comes to shaving, always do it last, when your body hair is soft and your skin is prepped, don't do it at the begging to avoid razor cuts and rashes.
    6. Rinse your hair and face with cool water at the end to make sure you closed the open pores so that you won't clog them with products you use once you get out of the shower. 

    Every shower routine starts before you get into the shower, what you use in the shower? and what you use once you're out of the shower?

    Before Shower:

























    • Brush your hair before you go into the shower to minimize breakage. Your hair is the weakest when it's damped, brushing it before hand make it easer to brush it after, sometimes I just use my fingers to brush through my hair. Use a Detangling Brush to decrease breakage.
    • Use a hair mask for 30 minutes to lock in the moisture of the hair when washing it. I use Energy cosmetics Hot oil Treatment.
    • Brush your teeth before hand, so you don't waste water while waiting for it to get hot. Please tell me down below if you want me to do a teeth care routine blog. I use my trusty Oral-B toothbrush and my Colgate Total toothpaste. 
    In the shower:






































    My shower routine is divided into two section, My hair and my body.

    Hair:

    Body:

    Face:
    After shower:






































    Hair:

    Face and body:

    That's my Shower routine, it took me a while to find my own and now this is what I do and it feels right. I only wash my hair every 4 days.

    Please tell me down below if you like the format of this blog.