Rave and Review

Old Mother Hubbard’s Natural Dog Snacks

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: Day 31
 
As a first time dog owner, I now know that it’s not always easy to pick out pet products that are going to be both fun for your pet as well as good for their health.  Even picking out treats that won’t upset doggy tummies or add unnecessary calories to their diet can be a chore.  Around the holidays, there is delicious food everywhere, but everyone knows that the food we eat isn’t the best for our furriest family members.
 
If you’re like me and you’re looking for doggy gifts for Christmas, you should know that Old Mother Hubbard, who has been oven-baking gourmet dog treats and snacks since 1926, just expanded its healthy treat line for dogs.  Since the treats and snacks are oven baked and made with only healthy foods for dogs, you don’t have to worry about letting your little friends indulge during the holiday season as well.  The treats and snacks are full of nutritious ingredients like chicken, cheddar cheese, apples, carrots, sweet potatoes and oatmeal, and all without any artificial colors or flavors.
 
The treats are natural and bursting with flavor and now they come in new varieties that you may not have even thought of.  They even have a Mother’s Solutions 5 Calorie option for those pets that need help managing their weight!  Their Distinctive Collection has fun shaped treats that are wheat free for sensitive snackers.  Of course the Old Mother Hubbard Classic Biscuits are still the same great recipe as before.
 
My furry friend, Igor, loved all of the Old Mother Hubbard treats and went searching for more snacks after he tasted them.  I will definitely be buying more for him this holiday season - and throughout the year!

This year you can feel better about stuffing man’s best friends stocking with a few extra goodies to thank them for all those memories they have shared with you throughout the year.

If you’re wondering where you can buy these gourmet specialty treats, you need not venture past your neighborhood pet retail store.  They are sold all over the US so they are not hard to find near you.  For a convenient store finder, use: http://oldmotherhubbard.com/store-locator.aspx

Find out more at http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/

Connect with Old Mother Hubbard on Facebook and on Twitter

A big thank you to Old Mother Hubbard for sending their doggy treats for Igor to love.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

The CSN Stores Challenge: Rosle Cookware

Cozy At Home Event - Day 2

The fervor in which my husband used to collect CDs and DVDs has now been almost completely replaced by his obsession with kitchen gadgets.  Not just any kitchen gadgets, like the kind you would find at a local department store, but rather utensils, bakeware, tools, and gadgets from a fancy schmancy German cookware company called Rosle.  It started with a Rosle can opener, of all things, and has slowly taken over one complete wall in our kitchen and various other drawers and cupboards.

The thing about Rosle is that you can’t just walk into any kitchen store or discount store and pick up a gadget or two.  I know, I have tried.  In fact, our search for Rosle has taken us on an extensive internet hunt, as well as an international kitchen store tour in which we scoured four different countries in Europe looking to expand this obsession collection.  What we found is that Rosle has some serious diehard fans, and everyone we run into at specialty stores is more than willing to show us every single Rosle product they carry. 

So, when I was approached and asked to do a review of the CSN Stores, which is a collection of 200+ stores with one single checkout, I thought searching for Rosle products would be the ultimate challenge to see how great their selection is.  Secondary to the challenge would be to find a Rosle gadget that we didn’t already own, or something that we simply needed in our collection. 

Imagine my surprise when I found that CSN Stores has a better selection of Rosle than any other internet or brick and mortar store I have searched, and even a better selection than we found in Germany itself.  We’re talking 317 products from Rosle, as compared with 10-15 at most specialty stores, which includes utensils, bakeware, and cookware, as well as hundreds of products that we still don’t own but would love to. 

It took a long time for my husband and me to agree on four items to purchase from the CSN site, which is partially due to the fact that there were so many gadgets we coveted and partially due to the low prices that were much better than we’ve seen elsewhere.  We were thrilled when we found four Rosle gadgets we didn’t even know existed and absolutely elated when we saw that three of them were on sale. 

Having a huge selection and great prices on Rosle Cookware is great, but what’s even cooler is that CSN Stores gives you company background for each major manufacturer you search for.  On the CSN site, I learned that there’s a very good reason we adore Rosle craftsmanship – they’ve been perfecting their cooking tools and kitchen utensils since 1888 to be just the right mix of function and art.  And, that’s something I certainly appreciate ever since my husband installed a whole wall of their Open Kitchen collection which is not only pretty, it also makes having guests in the kitchen so much easier because they know exactly where to find everything. 

Once my shipment of Rosle arrived at our front door, it was like Christmas at Rave Central as we unwrapped each item and washed them for display (oh, and use, too).  As always, we were really happy with the quality of the items as well as the artistic flare in each of the Rosle pieces.  As much as we love our new toys, we were equally impressed with CSN Stores emails and followup after the order was placed and the fact that I was able to track my package all the way to my front door.  The shipping was extremely quick, the communication was great, and now we have four new additions to our Rosle family.  

Want to take the CSN challenge yourself?  Check out the CSN site and search for something – anything – that you’ve been hunting for.  I took this challenge over and over again with baby gear, sporting equipment, toys, cookware, furniture, accessories, and more and every time I was seriously shocked by the number of matches at the 200+ CSN Stores.  And, all these 200+ stores only have one checkout, so you can get everything for your house and family in one easy step.  Go ahead, try it for yourself.

http://www.csnstores.com/

Keep up with CSN Stores on the following social networking sites: http://twitter.com/csnstores
http://www.facebook.com/csnstores

  
A big thank you to CSN Stores for providing us with a $70 gift card to take the CSN Challenge.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Wild Creations African Dwarf Frogs and Classic EcoAquarium Starter Kit Giveaway

I’ve never been much of a pets person because I just don’t have the extra time to bathe, walk and fully care for a family pet at this point.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t want my kids to have pets to care for and love, it just means I want to make sure they are old enough to care for them with minimal help from me before I commit to adding to our household.  When I heard about Wild Creations African Dwarf water frogs and the minimal care required to maintain them, I knew they were the perfect solution for our family pet.

Since Wild Creations ships the African Dwarf frogs with their own self-contained aquatic ecosystem, the care and maintenance of the African Dwarf water frogs is really hassle-free.  All kids have to do it feed them twice a week and then have adult help while changing the water four times a year, and the rest of the time the African Dwarf frogs are self-sufficient in their aquarium habitat and incredibly fun to watch swim and leap frog around the tank.  The frogs are only about an inch long when sitting, so even though the tank is small, they still have plenty of room to swim and explore their habitat freely by diving, swimming and climbing with each other.

What is really cool is that Wild Creations ships everything you need (with the exception of the water) right to your door via 2 day shipping so you can start enjoying your new pets right away.  And, setting up your own African Dwarf habitat is easy and only takes about 30 minutes with the full kit and instructions that takes you through each step.  The African Dwarf kit includes two live frogs, a year’s supply of food, the tank, lid and base, and then the live and decorative gravel, bamboo plant and rock to make a great looking home for your new pets. 

Now that the frogs are all set up in their new home, there is little more to do but slip in the food pellets twice a week to keep them and your kids happy for months.  Once the water gets murky, you simply remove the water from the tank and refill with clean spring water.  If you’re like me and don’t even want to change the water every 3 months, you can simply get a fresh water snail right from Wild Creations or from a local pet store and let it do the cleaning for you, reducing the number of times you have to clean the tank even further. 

I really love that the tank is small enough to fit just about anywhere, including on a small counter or desk top, so you can easily find room in even the smallest apartment or office.  And, since the care is minimal, it’s the perfect pet for the young, the old, and just about everyone in between.  Not only are they fun to watch swim and play, they are the perfect way to introduce pets into the house and teach responsibility while learning about frogs and aquatic life.

Not only does Wild Creations offer some really cool products (with more to be released throughout 2010!), they also have one of the best customer service teams anywhere.  From the initial tracking number so you can make sure you are home when your new pet arrives, all the way to answering any and all questions you may encounter along the way, I had a wonderful experience from start to finish.  When I ran into a small problem with the starter kit, their customer service got back to me within the day and then not only emailed, but also offered to contact me by phone.  Quick diagnosing on their part and by the end of the call we not only had figured out the problem, they had a solution for me that involved them sending a package out overnight.  Clearly, Wild Creations stands behind every thing they sell, and their customer service is one of the best I have ever worked with because of it.

I would highly recommend the Wild Creations EcoAquarium with African Dwarf Frogs for any non-pet households, offices and even for teachers who want the enjoyment of pets without a large weekly time commitment.  Easy to maintain, fun to watch, and a great learning tool – it really doesn’t get any better than that!

www.wildcreations.com

We also have a special discount code for $10 off that you can use at Wild Creations until July 31st!  Simply order the Jewel Starter Kit style (retail price $39.99)  and enter "BLOGGER" (case sensitive) at checkout to receive $10 off!  (FYI, you can order other items too, but at least one Jewel Starter Kit must be in the order to get the discount.)

And now for the Giveaway...

One lucky Rave and Review reader will win a Wild Creations Classic EcoAquarium Starter Kit with African Dwarf water frogs to love!

To Enter: You must visit Wild Creations by this link and comment below with another one of their brand new products they are releasing later in 2010 that you would love to try!

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar (2 extra entries, must be verified to count)

2) Become a Wild Creations fan on Facebook and leave a comment on their page letting them know Rave and Review sent you.

3) Subscribe to Wild Creations You Tube channel by following this link or subscribe to their Frog Blog by following this link (extra entry available for each subscription)

4) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview and after following (daily Tweet, just post link here)

5) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com homepage 

6) Place my button or logo in your sidebar on your blog or website (must have an active link)

7) Comment love.  Enter any of my other current Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne (at)raveandreview (dot) com (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

8) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs, logo in right sidebar (daily entry, just tell me what rank R&R has)

On June 25th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US addresses only, please.

Winner, Winner!  This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congratulations to Madeline who said:

Hi, I subscribe to Rave and Review

A huge thank you to Wild Creations for sending us their Classic EcoAquarium Starter Kit for review and for offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers.  All opinions are 100% ours and no type of monetary compensation was received for this Rave Review.

Waterproof Hammock Seat Cover by Solvit Products

"No Pet Left Behind" - a guest post by Rin

Keeping a vehicle clean in the Pacific Northwest is an almost impossible task, especially if your “children” are of the four-legged variety.  Finding any product that can help ease the stress of pet transportation is a welcome breath of fresh air.  The Waterproof Hammock Seat Cover by Solvit Products, is definitely one of the things top on our list and something any pet owner should have if transportation by sedan or backseat is the way they roll. 

The Waterproof Hammock Seat Cover is made of a khaki colored heavy duty fabric with a practical waterproof backing.  The Solvit Hammock was clean and crisp looking straight out of the package, and actually looked quite nice once installed.  We were incredibly surprised at how easy the installation of the Solvit Pet Hammock was, as anyone that has known us more than a few minutes knows we are not big on rolling out the instructions and going step by step.  It installs in mere minutes, but saves you hours of cleaning your backseat which just so happens to be one of my least favorite tasks.   We were very impressed with how easily we could remove the cover from the backseat if we need to cart around friends and family, and then just as quickly reinstall. 

The cover is adjustable in a number of ways, starting with the width of seat to fit anywhere from a smaller to larger backseat.  It is complete with 4 additional strap adjustments that slip over the headrests and allow for height adjustment of the cover.   Each side of the cover resting against the driver and passenger seats has pockets for leashes, gear or puppy snacks with a button down flap to prevent things falling out.  The cover comes with “Sta-Put” anchors that you place in between the seat and the seatback to help hold the Solvit Pet Hammock in place on the ride and keep your back seat as clean as possible.  

Which is good, because playtime at the dog park means pups can get rather dirty and you will need all the help you can get keeping your car clean.  But, even if the pups are filthy dirty, they can lie on the Solvit Seat Cover in the backseat without causing damage to the leather seats or upholstery.  Being waterproof is another huge bonus because the pups can drink from a water bowl and spill a little (or a lot of) water without it soaking through to the leather below.

We don’t have the pleasure right now of having a station wagon or SUV to support the dogs in the rear of the vehicle so we rely solely on the backseat to transport the pups.  With the Solvit Waterproof Hammock Seat Cover, we don’t have to worry about the pups making their way into the front seat or floor of the backseat while driving since the cover blocks the passage to the off limit areas and makes us far more relaxed when transporting.  Another bonus was that when the Waterproof Pet Hammock is installed, you can still use the foot area of the backseat for storage without worrying that the pups will get at whatever you store there. 

We found the “Sta-Put” anchors hold the majority of the Waterproof Pet Hammock in place even when the pups are most active, however the sides of the backseat can suffer a little as the cover doesn’t securely fasten to hold down the sides where the doors open.  Such is the nature of a one size fits all product, and really didn’t end up limiting our use of the Solvit Hammock, especially with the generous 56 x 59 size.  The only other downfall is the straps that wrap around the headrests can slip if the pups are extremely active, so you may find that adjustment is necessary on a long road trip or for frequent use.  All in all, pretty minor complaints considering the Solvit Seat Cover saves you having to detail (and then re-detail) your car after every pet trip. 

My husband and I are thrilled with this product and would recommend it to anyone who travels with pets, whether that is around town or cross country.  Any problems we had with the product were extremely minor considering that it is saving our backseat from being destroyed by our pups.
 
http://www.solvitproducts.com/and available at numerous online retailers sunch as Amazon and Americas Pet Store

Price: $39.99

Looks: Khaki and clean and far superior to torn and dirty backseats

Overall: A safe and easy way to protect your car and your pup. 

http://www.solvitproducts.com/cover_hammock_wtrprf.htm