Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Tasty Wordless Wednesday

This is just a PREVIEW of what awaits us on THANKSGIVING DAY!


Pumpkin Popsicles!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Pugs and Dogs UNTIL TWO pm on Thanksgiving Day

The PARADE is over, football is on the horizon and the TURKEY is not quite ready. What do you do?

Give us some turkey and no one gets HURT




Well I usually tune into the Purina National Dog Show. I find it a lot more interesting than almost anything else on television at that time. And I always enjoy comparing myself in all my PUG glory to the DOGS parading around the ring. This year I hear they are advertising it as Dogs Until Two on Thanksgiving Day. Fitting.

Sometimes I start in on all of the Christmas movies that make the season bright. Although Hallmark and Family channels are already broadcasting them. I just watched "Fred Claus" the other night . . . and "The Town Christmas Forgot." I love them all.

Mostly I sit in the kitchen SUPERVISING the chefs. It is important that SOMEpug keeps them in check. Then again, there is always the possibility that some ort will find its way to the floor. I wanna be there to snatch it up and, ahem, keep the floor clean.


What about you, what do you plan to do in that twilight zone between the Parade and Football?





Monday, November 25, 2013

Angels Aren't The ONLY Ones With HALOS

I often ask myself about Celebrity ENDORSEMENTS. I mean, just because a celebrity likes something should we all like it? Celebrities are just regular folk who happen to be in the public eye. But that is all that makes them different - that and lots of money so they can buy anything they want. BUT that alone does not give them good taste. So that brings me to the subject of ELLEN.

Do you watch Ellen DeGeneres' show at all? I do when I have the chance (that means when Mommy is home during the day and turns on the television). I love her so much because she is insanely funny and ridiculously clever. On top of that - she is generous and caring. She cares so much she is always giving people things like nurseries for new babies, new cars, and so on.



I think this is what initially attracted me to HALO pet food products - It is partly owned by Ellen herself. Mommy and I MIGHT have checked the food out anyhow because we are always on the lookout for tasty, healthy food. But it would have taken us longer to do so because until Ellen endorsed the product, it was rather hard to find. Since this is THANKSGIVING WEEK and we are all thinking about thanking and giving, I want to point out that this past FALL they began a program to grant money to some lucky non-profit rescue groups: Petco Foundation Holiday Wishes Granted Program. I have linked to this so you can check it out. I hesitate to call it a contest, but in essence it was since only a handful of organizations would be granted their wishes.

Now Ellen says, if press releases are to be believed, that she believes pets should be fed as well as we feed ourselves. Pet owners have a sworn duty to make sure their pets have the best possible care and feeding. She happened to have a highly allergic dog (was it a PUG????) who did not do well with other foods she tried. She happened upon HALO and not only did her dog like it, but he did not exhibit any signs of allergies on the diet. She was sold in a flash and that is where the relationship began.

Recently, Mommy bought me some Spot's Stew WHOLESOME LAMB kibble. She got it because it was marked really really low due to it not being a favorite flavor and all. She would have gladly paid full price but would have gone with a smaller bag since we had not tried it yet. I pretty much like anything so that made the decision to buy the discounted big bag easier.

This is what is in Spot's Stew Wholesome Lamb:
Lamb, Whole Peas, Eggs, Oats, Pearled Barley, Chicken Liver, Pea Protein, Vegetable Broth, Flax Seed, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Salmon Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Green Beans, Carrots, Cranberries, Zucchini, Alfalfa, Calcium Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Inulin, Taurine, Salt, Vitamins (Folic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Choline Bitartrate, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Ascorbic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Magnesium Proteinate , Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium longum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product.

I actually did not read the label past the first SIX ingredients because I was already sold on it. I want to point out that the blueberries, green beans, carrots, etc listed on the label appear in the food as dehydrated bits. Oh and they are so yummy.

The real test was the taste. Mommy's gauge, as some of you may remember, is WILL we (Me, Molly and Sunshine) do TRICKS for the food. If we will, then she can be sure it is yummy. If we eat it but won't do tricks for it, she knows it is MEH! So she asked us to do some tricks for HALO. We practically walked over hot coals for the stuff - SUNSHINE the cat included. It is that good. Mommy says she has noticed I do not get so fat eating it with a regular portion even though it is not a low-fat diet food. That's good. And Molly - miss super picky eater - will down a bowl without additives (gravy, pumpkin, etc) unlike any other food she has tried.

But TASTY FOOD is not NOT WHAT I CAME TO TALK ABOUT THOUGH. I don't just back a product because it tastes good - mostly because they ALL taste good to me cuz I am a PUG. No, I tend to look at the quality of the company producing said product. Are they environmentally friendly? Do they support rescue groups? Do they care more for the product than for the profit? My research shows HALO Pet Products answers yes to all three questions.  The deadline to enter has passed and I cannot wait to see who the lucky rescue organizations are. My point is, this is the kind of work I want my pet food company to do. Give back to the community that pays your bills.

And if there was an ANGEL in Hollywood, it would be ELLEN. She gives and gives and gives of herself. It is fitting that the pet food she endorses is called HALO.

No one asked me to write this post about HALO PET FOOD COMPANY. In fact, I get nothing in return for this endorsement. I am mainly saying THANK YOU to the companies out there who are making pets lead happier and healthier lives.

Friday, November 22, 2013

On Top of Ol' Smokey - A Kitty Tale



I am KITTY, hear me ROAR. . .
Nah, it's just me, Sunshine the Cat. I like to nap. There are several perches around the house expressly for that purpose. But, I pretty much sleep wherever I want to and usually that means the DOGS' BEDS. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

Today I had it in mind to sleep IN THE CRATE. If any of you remember, Noodles is particularly FOND of her crate. It is her sanctuary. . .  her happy place . . . blah. . .blah . . . blah.

So I sauntered over to said SANCTUARY to catch a few ZZZZs and what did I find? The door was closed. Oh, not just closed. . . but barricaded! What to do, what to do. That was when I noticed another favorite snooze place of mine - Noodles's very special SOCK MONKEY BED. Ha! I thought! That will serve her right for keeping me from snoozing in the crate!

The rest, as they say, is HISTORY!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Pug-O-War

Molly is a BULLY!
See, I said it and I don't regret it. 
She takes my toys and teases me
Then she engages in the most insidious of battles. . .

The PUG - O - WAR!



Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Winsome Wednesday!




WINSOME: :  generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence. 
As in - a winsome smile


I guess that applies more to me than Wednesday, huh?

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Busy Ballerina

I am pretty sure - well at least I hope - that you noticed I have not been around much over the last couple of weeks. Well it is that time of year when the ballet studio Mommy #1 attends has its annual showcase. We all get very involved with the show - we do everything from sort costumes to helping with the sets. I also help backstage as the official reminderPUG not to RUN. . . not to TALK. . . not to chew GUM. . . and that kind of thing. It is amazing what a little pug can accomplish.

It is also a crazy time of very little sleep, light meals on the run, and nonstop activity. It is tiring - but I LOVE it so much. Nothing makes me happier than standing on the stage and looking out at the seats. Really! It is the ONLY time I am not too afraid of shadows.

So this year, the theme was THE STORYTELLER. The character, The Storyteller, weaves a tale of fun and intrigue as it all unfolds onstage. I played the small village girl who alerts the Princess to trouble. It was so fun.

Here I am preparing to go onstage for the next to the last dance of the show. The last dance has all the sets put back onstage.

Then we stay to STRIKE the stage. This is when we younguns get to jump on and smash the paper sets. It is a gas and a good way to let off all that tension you build during the show.

Yesterday we took a day off of school and work to just sleep, snuggle, and catch up on movies. It is such a fun time - I cannot wait until next year.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Barkin' Foggy

Today the weather was a lot different than it has been. The FOG rolled over the coastal mountains and settled in our valley coating everything with a fine mist. The morning SUN was hidden behind the gray shroud and everything had this eerie glow to it. It was almost otherworldly. Even the sounds of Suburbia waking up were VASTLY different from just yesterday. Have you ever noticed how sound is amplified when it is foggy outside? I sure have. Molly sure has. It seems like every little sound is now a BIG sound and that leads to some pretty LOUD barking in Casa de Noodles.

This pic has absolutely no relation to what
I am writing about. I just wanted to show
off my awesome portrait.

Mommy has tried time outs and reprimands but nothing helps. WE can't help it because our sensitive EARS are not processing what they are hearing like before. We try, really we DO.

Here's the problem. Fog is our characteristic weather pattern for WINTER. We have more fog than rain until February. So with this much fog coming down the pike, what are we going to do about all of this barking? And how can we stop it when there are so many strange noises that are not normally there?

And my bigger question - will Sandy Paws consider barking under these circumstances BAD PUG behavior?

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Wordless Wednesday




I reached way back in my archives for this classic photo of my smile.
I was a CUTE puppy, huh?

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

ElevenTwelveThirteen - What Can IT Mean?





  • Hey Molly!
  • What?
  • Eleven!
  • Eleven what?
  • Twelve!
  • Twelve what?
  • Thirteen!
  • What are you counting for, Noodles?
  • Today is Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen!!! Isn't that cool?


You are so weird, Noodles.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Punful Ponderings



DO you ever sit AND wonder about life? I do all the time. Here are some of my most recent musings:


I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it.

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

I did a theatrical performance about puns. Really it was just a play on words.

Small dogs with rich mistresses are often sitting in the lap of luxury.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYPUGGY!!!


Thursday, November 7, 2013

The Beggar's Ball . . .

If there is one thing we PETS excel at in our house, it is begging. It has reached EPIC proportions, in fact, where even the BIRDS do it.
The other day, Auntie T was sitting at the kitchen table reading her Kindle and enjoying a bite to eat. Sunshine, never one to miss an opportunity, jumped onto the table to ask for a bite. She was immediately removed FROM THE TABLE and placed on the ground. But she did not give up - she hopped onto the chair next to Auntie T and began her little "GIMME" meow.


Sunshine THOUGHT she had it in the bag. BUT look
who's lurking below

Lo and behold, Molly and I got wind of what Sunshine was up to and WE wanted in on the action, too. Not that there was ANYTHING at all happening. Sunshine was NOT getting tidbits of cheese nor bread, as we were sure she was getting. No matter, we began our TROT and SHOUT for food in hopes of a tidbit or two. Auntie T was having none of it. I don't know how she ignored us - we are so CUTE and everything. She just kept on eating and reading until she was done. Then she got up. . .


We circled like LIONS on the prowl


"WHAT do you three want," she said.
As if she didn't know

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

The Mustache and Beard

Taken with a non-smartphone


I was swiftly eating 
Yogurt from a bowl
Next thing I knew
A MUSTACHE I had grown
Added licks were soon heard
Lo and Behold!
I'd grown a BEARD!

Friday, November 1, 2013

That's a LOT of Walking



Molly and I went out TRICK or Treating last night with Mommy and Lil One. We walked and walked and walked. Sometimes we rode in the stroller - mostly Molly rode in the stroller. Otherwise, we walked and walked and walked.

I didn't get any candy. . . not a SNICKERS, not a Laffy Taffy, not even a Jolly Rancher! I did get a lot of "LOOK!" and "OH HOW CUTE" and "See the doggies." It was okay for a while but I was getting a little hungry after like a HUNDRED miles of walking.

So when I got home, Mommy gave me a treat - one that is suitable for pugs (and dogs, like Molly).

Happy Dia de los Muertos everyPUGGY! Happy Holiday Season! Happy November!