Macanna Salmon Dog Food and Giveaway

Grandma Lucy's recently sent us some of their products to try out free in 

exchange for this review. All opinions are honest and my own. 

Dog food.  I have learned that feeding your dog is almost as controversial as feeding your baby. Everyone has an opinion and feels like out of all the choices, theirs is right.  When you talk about dog food most people think of kibble.  There is canned wet food.  Then there is raw feeding. And there are freeze dried and dehydrated options too.

These guys have always gotten kibble. On the regular they get goodies added to their food.  Like turkey and chicken.  They love eggs, carrots and asparagus too. But the base of meals is always kibble. We have tried dehydrated food before, with mixed reviews but when Grandma Lucy's asked us to try their new Freeze Dried Macanna Dog Food, we were more than happy to help.

We got the most fun box from them.  And the dogs knew instantly that this one was all for them too. We got a bag of the Salmon Recipe as well as testers of the Beef Recipe and a Pre Mix that is everything but the protein.

My first thought when I opened the bag was "Yup, that's Salmon alright!" It smells great. If you like fish anyways.  I love it.  And my dogs are all about smelly foods.

Chico the Chihuahua is going to be 16 this November and a few years ago had to have some of his teeth extracted. He is also as stubborn as a mule and insists on eating kibble with Poncho no matter how much he has to crunch. But once I mixed him up a bowl of this, he dug right in.  Speaking of Poncho, he got a good sprinkle of the mix onto of his kibble. And he also helped himself to Chico's leftovers.

  

This is a freeze dried food. If I had to compare it to anything? I'd say its kind of like a flaky granola mix. Its not like the dehydrated food that I tried either. Its not powdery and uniform. You can actually see these ingredients in the mix! 

Lets take a quick look at the first 3 ingredients. Salmon, pinto beans and hemp hearts. Salmon is a heart healthy protein! Pinto beans provide the fiber and because it is slow to digest, it will maintain his or her energy for the day. The hemp hearts pack a punch of Omega 6 and 3 and will promote healthy skin and coat.  Followed by carrots, coconut, pumpkin kale, blueberries, turmeric.  All things you and I would eat.  Except the Pinto Beans.  Don't tell the dogs, but I am not a fan of beans. Luckily its their food not mine!

So what do we love about it?

I love that it is grain free with no preservatives. It is made in the USA. It is super simple to mix up and the bag doesn't take up much room.  Plus my dogs love it. 

Is there anything we don't love about it?

Technically we love everything about it.  But Poncho weighs in at 160 lbs.  Which means that he would need 5 cups and a 3 lb bag won't go very far.  And 50% of the year we have a foster Great Dane or 2 to feed so I'm not sure it would be a full time food for us.  But I think a bag of the Pre Mix is going on the list. It will last Chico a good while and a spoonful on Ponchos food so he doesn't feel left out is another way to stretch it out and still include him in the goodness!

We also got to try out some of the Macanna Treats.  And they are both awesome.  The Beef starters only have FIVE ingredients.  Beef, Pinto Bean Flour, Hemp Hearts, Coconut and Pumpkin. That's it! The coconut treats smell just like the Coconut Granola I eat.  It almost tastes like it too.  Yes, it smells so good that after stopping my kid from eating it, we shared one just to see if it tasted as good as it smelled.  And it does.  Minus the sweetness. The second Poncho hears me open the bag, he is at my side.  Chico is a little slower to get there and only comes because he is following his big little brother. But thats because he is deaf.  Im sure he would be faster if he could hear it too.

Want to give Macanna Dog Food and Treats a chance?  Grandma Lucy's has put together a Prize Pack including an assortment of their trial size packets and a bag of one of their Organic Baked Treats for one of my lucky readers. US ONLY.  Enter below and the winner will be announced next Sunday

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FX Networks Taboo Premiere and Diamond Giveaway #AD

This post is sponsored by FX Networks but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Its coming!  Are you ready?  Ridley Scott, Steven Knight and Tom Hardy.  Taboo premieres January 10th of FX Network.  And its going to be amazing.  Dark, gritty, revenge filled and in case you didn't hear me the first time, Tom Hardy!

The Ridley Scott mini series was created by Tom and his father Chips Hardy.  I think what I'm looking forward to the most is that it is something new and not like anything else on right now. There are still has a few familiar faces though. Oona Chaplin, Jonathan Pryce and Michael Kelley to name just a few.

Set in 1814, Taboo follows James Keziah Delaney, a man who has been to the ends of the earth and comes back irrevocably changed. Believed to be long dead, he returns home to London from Africa to inherit what is left of his father's shipping empire and rebuild a life for himself. But his father's legacy is a poisoned chalice, and with enemies lurking in every dark corner, James must navigate increasingly complex territories to avoid his own death sentence. Encircled by conspiracy, murder and betrayal, a dark family mystery unfolds in a combustible tale of love and treachery.

While you wait, the dark drama is bringing you a little light.  In the form of a diamonds!  The Taboo Diamond Giveaway will entrust 3 winners with a secret collection of diamonds valued at over $3,000. Feeling lucky?  Check out and enter the Taboo Diamond Giveaway now! 

Thankfully we can enjoy it from the comfort of our own homes.  Gone are the days of the London slums.  Where the lower class lived in one room dwellings backed right up to one another.  No running water, flushing toilets or electricity.  I can't imagine living back then.  Oh yes, I am thankful for all that we have now.  

So will you be joining me on January 10th for the premiere of TABOO?  Grab a comfy blanket, pop some popcorn and snuggle up for a night of mystery, murder and a darkness like no other. And who knows, maybe you will be one of the 3 diamond winners!

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Review & Giveaway: In Your Own Hands by Dr. Larry Berkelhammer

I have read this book twice now.  The first time, I feel like I read for months.  It is full of a lot of information. And I was a little overwhelmed.  Especially since I have memory and focus problems.  So I went back through and read it cover to cover a second time with much more success.

I first learned of Dr Larry Berkelhammer last year when he shared this guest post here. That is when I realized just how much I needed to hear what he wrote.  So when I was given the opportunity to read and review his book, I knew I would not be disappointed. What a great tool this book has been and will continue to be for me as I live my life with a chronic illness.

The book is divided into four main parts.  And there is a great section following them titled Mastery and Wellbeing Practices for Family Caregivers.  Because while this book helps us learn things we can do for ourselves those that help take care of us along the way will be impacted by our conditions too.  But my most enjoyed part of this book is the suggestions he gives at the end many of the chapters.

• Eliminate the words "should" and "have to" from your vocabulary.
• Practice saying no.
• Apologize to yourself.
• Don't do anything you wholeheartedly don't want to do.
• Hang out with people who are authentic and accepting.
• Get involved in an organization and volunteer for a cause you believe in.
• Look for simple things to do for strangers.

These are all things that would seem like common sense.  But sometimes it feels like living with an illness has stripped me of my right to make decisions.  I feel guilty and like a burden to my family.  I feel cut off from the rest of the world and left out of things.  And sometimes a simple reminder not to feel this way, is all I need to get back on track.

One of the chapters that touched home for me is titled Living with Chronic Illness. In this chapter Dr. Berkelhammer explains how for some people a diagnosis is a wake up call.  They start to really live their lives but he reminds us that living with a chronic illness also brings on feelings of fear and dread.  These emotions lead to things like temptation to put their life on hold.  I've been there.  The first few years I feel like I couldn't do anything.  I was so afraid to live that I just shut down and hit the pause button.  I thought I had a grip on it all.  But it wasn't until I realized that I needed to live my life instead of just sitting around waiting to get sicker than I realized what I had done.  I missed so much and I cant get back any of it.  And for what? I'm still waiting.

Also in that chapter he talks about depression and isolation.  Two more things I have struggled with.  But knowing that he to has dealt with these problems, personally, though his own life with chronic illness, reassures me that while I feel alone at times, I am not.

For those of us living with chronic health problems, its important that we don't take ourselves and our medial situation too seriously. ~ Dr. Larry Berkelhammer

When I finally got to chapter 20,  Practice Finding Humor, I knew I was going to keep this book forever. When people ask me how I live with being sick, I tell them its because I can laugh about it.  I have a super serious doctor who the first time he explained my transplant to me, I laughed and he scolded me and told me it was very serious.  I knew that.  But for me its laugh or cry.  And if I cry, its all downhill from there. I practice humor.  He gets me now and rolls with my sarcasm but I will never forget the look he gave me that first visit.  On days when I am sitting in bed feeling sorry for myself, I tell myself that of all the people in the world, I am one out of a million people who just got lucky enough to land this dang disease.  Then I joke that I should play the lotto.  I usually end up smiling and laughing at myself.  No more pity party.  Not everyone appreciates me making jokes about my liver.  Sorry mom, but if it keeps me from the dark side, I'm going to laugh and joke all I can.  But then again, I've always done it.  I could not have gotten this far with out cracking an inappropriate joke every now and then.

In review, this is a must have book for anyone living with a chronic medical condition.  This is not a doctor who learned what living life in fear in a text book or has never felt that struggle of just trying to get out of bed in the morning.  He has been though more than many of us ever will.  In this book he shares what he has done to help himself live his life the best he can.  He asks questions and gives us examples of things we can do in our lives to help us do the same.  Buy it, read it and share it with someone you know who could use some guidance to do the same. This is the only life we have, sick or not, we need to live it completely and enjoy ever second of it.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review as well as a copy to giveaway.  Enter here for a chance to win a copy of your own.

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Its Christmas Card Time

One of my favorite things about Christmas is getting cards in the mail.  I love seeing my friends and their families.  The new babies and growing families. The smiles!  I just love it all.  My guess is most people are ahead of the game and have their cards picked out or sent even.  Me.  I'm a procrastinator.  And I usually wait till the last minuet to do them.  This year is no different.

Do you take photos or have them done specifically for your cards?  The last few years I have just taken a few shots of the boys in front of the Christmas tree, but I feel like changing it up this year. And thanks to Shutterfly it is going to be super easy.  If I can pick just one card. There are so many I cant decide.  There are folded and flat cards.  There are many sizes to choose from including the new 6x8!  If you are asking me, I say the bigger the better!  How cute is this one?!

Watch the video about having a Family Photo Day.  It is what has inspired me to go out this weekend with my family and just have a little fun.  Capturing Cardworthy photos along the way.  And if you watch the video, you will see that it isn't just about the matching outfits and the perfect smile.  Its about having a little fun, leaving all the stress behind and getting the shots of your family just being your family.  And who knows, maybe I can even get a few shots with David and I in them too.  If you have a photo avoiding husband like I do, I bet this is just what he needs to let loose and enjoy having his picture taken.

There is also the Shutterfly Cardworthy Photo Sweepstakes.  The Grand Prize is a dream trip for a family of 4.  And I mean who doesn't want that!  And it could be a photo that you took, or had taken.  They are even accepting photos taken with your phone.  If it is cardworthy to you, send it in and see if you win!

And it gets better.  I get to give one of you a $50 promotional card to Shutterfly.  And its not just for cards.  They make everything from ornaments to canvases.  I personally have my eyes on a photo book! 

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