Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Clumping Cat Litter

Posted on by Mandy

Seriously, I could talk about our cats all day long. I know. But Clyde was my first “baby”, coming to us in 2001. My husband and I had only been married 2 years with no children, so Clyde was seriously spoiled.

His sister Bonnie (equally beautiful) passed away in 2009, so Clyde has been with us the longest. He loves to snuggle, knock over lamps during the night, and attack feet that move under the covers. He sighs so sweetly when he sleeps, and he also snores! Soon after my son started talking good and calling me “Mom”, Clyde developed the uncanny ability to meow loudly and sound exactly like he is saying “MOM!!”, instead of “meow”. He weighs in at a hefty 16 pounds. He loves to eat and sleep. Typical cat.

This is Pearl:

We adopted Pearl after Bonnie died. Pearl is 7 years old and just the sweetest thing. Pearl never bothers anyone, but if you sit down anywhere in our home, be prepared for Pearl to jump in your lap and purr like nobody’s business. She purrs SO loud, but it’s because she’s happy. She and Clyde have a pretty complicated relationship. Pearl belonged to an elderly lady and obviously was the only cat in that home, and a lap cat at that. She tolerates Clyde, but she keeps her distance. I was hoping after three years they would be closer, but if they can tolerate one another with minimal run-ins, then I’m happy.

Although they are two very different cats, we love them just the same and consider them part of the family. I’m always on the lookout for the very best I can afford for them, from food and toys to medical care. We want them to be around with us for a long, long time.

One product I had never tried with the cats is Arm & Hammer cat litter. I’ve had a friend swear to me that it’s the best as far as masking litter box odors, but I’ve always been loyal to another brand. Since we have two litter boxes, keeping them smelling fresh is always a daily job. I scoop our litter boxes obsessively. I can’t help it. I like a fresh smelling home. I was given the opportunity to test out Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Clumping Cat Litter in our litter boxes, and I have to report that I am pretty impressed with the results.

First of all, the Arm & Hammer Ultra Last litter has a nice smell. Most importantly, it really did hide the litter box odors, so much so that I started checking more often just to see if I had missed anything. Ha! The cats never seemed to let on that they were unhappy with the change, and it kept the litter boxes smelling fresh throughout the day. I noticed that when I came home from work that the smell of the litter box wasn’t the first thing to hit my nose when I stepped in the door. That is huge!

Need more proof? Check out these facts about Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Clumping Cat Litter:

New ARM & HAMMER Ultra Last Clumping Cat Litter features a highly effective formula in which each granule is coated with ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda. It also has powerful odor destroyers to provide extended odor control.

Long Lasting Odor Elimination and Control
*Baking Soda coated granules combined with powerful odor destroyers provide long-lasting odor control even when you can’t scoop every day.
*ARM & HAMMER Ultra Last Clumping Cat Litter creates rock solid clumps, allowing cat owners to easily remove the source of odors.
*Moisture activated fresh scent helps deodorize each time your cat uses the litter box.
*Among ARM & HAMMER® cat litter products available, ARM & HAMMER® Ultra Last provides the longest lasting odor control that will keep your home Fresh All Day.

So, if you’re in the market for cat litter that will do the job, I highly recommend Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Clumping Cat Litter, especially if you have multiple cats. It did not disappoint.

Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Clumping Cat Litter can be purchased at Target and Walmart stores nationwide, is available in 20 lb., 28 lb., and 31 lb. boxes and has a suggested retail price of $8.99-$13.99. For more information, please visit http://www.ultralastlitter.com/.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf Arm & Hammer and received a product coupon to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Ungrateful

Posted on by Mandy

Yesterday, I had a pretty big bout of the “ungratefuls”. I stomped around and huffed and puffed until I finally took a break and ran to the grocery store. The little “alone time” in doing that left me feeling pretty ridiculous by the time I had made it home. But have you ever had that day?

“I can’t stand these little closets in this apartment! Where am I going to put all this stuff??!! And the panneling in the dining room is getting on my LAST nerve! Can our neighbors stomp up and down the stairs ANY louder? Seriously? Will we ever buy another home?”

You have somewhere to live.

“I do NOT want to go to the store. I just want to stay in.”

You have a way to get to a store. You have money to buy food.

“I’m so sick of working when all of our money goes to bills. We can’t ever do anything we want to do!”

You have a job.

“Just great! Started the washing machine and now have to wait to bathe my son until there is enough hot water!”

You have a washer and a dryer. And hot water on demand. And a son.

“If I have to look at one more blog with the perfect family/home/decorating/cooking/photography/geemylifeisjustabowlofcherries thing going on again I will throw up!”

Really?

And on and on the conversation went inside my head. I joked with my husband that I was having “first world problems”. But in reality, it was just ungratefulness and pettiness. I hate that feeling. I want to have it all, do it all, and be all that is good and perfect. But I know deep down life isn’t like that.

But, do you ever just have those moments?

Pinterest Quotes- Adventure Edition

Posted on by Mandy

Seriously, what would life be without adventures? Sometimes they’re exhilerating, sometimes scary, but then when it’s all said and done, you realize what you could have missed out on had you not had the guts to throw caution to the wind and just go with the moment. Of course, not all decisions in life should be made so lightly, but isn’t it great to look back on something that turned out to be a great choice and give yourself a little high five for trying even when you were initially afraid to?

Source: lindawagner.net via Val on Pinterest

Source: imgfave.com via Kim on Pinterest

Mr. Chewy- Delivering Pet Happiness. For Real.

Posted on by Mandy

Shopping for our cats is a weekly thing around our home. A large jug of litter will last us about two weeks, but we’re always making short stops at grocery stores and dollar stores for cat food. I’ve often wished there was a service that would deliver all of this to my home because I hate lugging around that heavy jug of cat litter. Sure, there are online pet supply stores, but the shipping costs are usually so high that it doesn’t make ordering seem worth it. Most, if not all, claim free shipping on orders over a certain amount unless you order something heavy, like bags of litter or dog and cat food.

I recently had the chance to shop online for our cats at Mr.Chewy, an online pet supply store that offers all of the brands you know and trust for your dog or cat. I was really impressed with the selection at Mr. Chewy. Not only did they carry the cat foods and litter we normally buy, but they also carry cat and dog treats, toys, and flea and tick medication. They have brands you will recognize, such as Science Diet, Wellness, and Felidae. You can even narrow your search for products by your pet’s age, special needs, or brand.

I was generously provided a gift certificate to use at Mr. Chewy, and since we had recently purchased litter and food for our cats, I decided on ordering them some Feline Greenies cat treats and a box of Frontline Plus Flea & Tick treatment. Ordering was a breeze and they delivered in no time flat! The cats were elated with their treats (it had been a while since we had purchased them some) and I’m happy to report both bags have been devoured (and not all at once, of course! Ha!). They’ve also received their flea & tick treatments, although they weren’t too thrilled with that, but it gives me peace of mind.

Overall, I am so impressed and pleased with Mr. Chewy. They really do offer everything we need to care for our cats at home and having it delivered to our door for such a reasonable price just can’t be beat! I’m happy to recommend Mr. Chewy to all of my readers and urge you to check them out online and follow them on Facebook for more information on deals and specials.

I was provided with a gift certificate to use at Mr. Chewy.  All opinions are my own.

Go Shorty, It’S YOUR BIRTHDAY!

Posted on by Mandy

My little short guy turned 7 last Friday.  I think a week to process this fact in my blown little mind (mah bay-bee is alll grown upppppp!!! *sniff*) is sufficient enough time to embrace it and become resigned to the fact that this really does happen to kids and someday he will sprout his little birdy wings and fly the nest and have the audacity to bring home some girl and tell me he is going to marry her.  The very idea!

So, this is what 7 years old looks like at his bowling party:

 

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And THIS is what birthday cake looks like after it’s served to kids:

 

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Why do they do this?  And my son is the world’s worst about it.  I mean, I know the frosting is the best part, but I told my husband we could get off way cheaper just buying the kids individual tubs of cake frosting and handing them a spoon.  Would that be so bad?

Childhood Memories- 80’s Technology

Posted on by Mandy

Remember the 80’s? Passing notes….watching the VCR….making “mix-tapes”? I never would have dreamed we would have the internet, cell phones (with internet!), and other gadgets and gizmos smaller than a Rubik’s Cube square that could hold music. While I certainly appreciate and use these technological advancements on a daily basis, I got a little nostalgic when I saw these:

Ahh, memories!

Smurf Cupcake Fail

Posted on by Mandy

Tomorrow is E.B.’s 7th birthday. I wish I had the time to bake him some homemade cupcakes to take to school for snack tomorrow, but I just don’t. So, I did the next best thing…I high-tailed it to Kroger to pick out some cool cupcakes with mile-high frosting and decorated with something way cuter than I could ever come up with. The selection was scant, but they did have the cutest Smurf cupcakes with plastic Smurf rings on top of each one. I figured the boys would appreciate the Handy Smurf and Papa Smurf ones, while the girls would go gaga over the Smurfette’s.

Apparently, I though wrong. Because Smurfs? Not so much cool with the kiddy crowd at his school, according to E.B.

I waltzed in the door and happily presented E.B. with the cupcakes, all proud of myself because not only were they cute, but he would get to take a “cool snack” for school tomorrow. The child took one look at my Smurfy offering and went crazy, and not in a good way. “I DON’T LIKE THOSE CUPCAKES!!! I DON’T WANT THOOOOOSSSSSSSEEEE!!!!!”. And the tears started like waterworks.

Well, now.

After the initial shock and the “Oh my gosh, I have raised an ungrateful child and wheredidigowrrrronnnggg????? feeling wore off, I finally understood. He said the kids would laugh at him. Smurfs were for babies. I reminded him he watched them on TV. He said it was ok to watch them on TV, just not in front of anyone else. And I get it. I really do.

I just didn’t think it would start this early….the deeming things “lame” and “cool” and “babyish”. The teasing. It kind of makes my heart hurt. I think what stuns me the most is that he is old enough to have his own little opinions about things. He really is growing up. It’s amazing and scary all at once.

So, in the end we compromised. I offered to take all of the plastic Smurf rings off of each and every cupcake. That made things all better, so now we just have some cool blue and white frosted cupcakes with mile-high frosting. And a bunch of leftover plastic Smurf rings that I have no idea what to do with.

I think I’ll put one on every finger and wear them to his birthday party Saturday. Mwuuahahahahahaaa!!!!

Vintage Children’s books

Posted on by Mandy

I’m still getting a feel for my library, and every so often I run across vintage children’s books still on the shelves.  Most of them have been weeded out, but if they are still in pretty good shape, they are still there.  I found this old book the other day and just fell in love with the beautiful illustrations. 

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This book, A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, had a copyright date of 1957.  It hadn’t been checked out in years, and may not ever be again, but I thought it was certainly a treasure and plan to read aloud from it to my students.