Wednesday Minimal Speak and A Lot of Hopping

I don't have a lot to say other than
Aren't I really CUTE?

Join the fun and HOP here

I just wanted to say this again. Cuz I do

#Chewyinfluencer It's All About The LOVE

When the HUMANS came back from the Natural Products Trade show last year they were RAVING about this new dog food they had stumbled upon - I and Love and You. It is a very well thought out, grain free and healthy food that the dogs got to try and they LOVE it.

At the time they had no CAT food at the stand so they did NOT bring anything for me. That was okay. I am not completely on-board with trying a lot of new things like THAT PUG. But I do like variety sometimes. As per usual, Chewy.com came to the rescue this MONTH, as it were. On the February newsletter there was included a 12 pack of CAT FOOD by I and Love and You. Well, one look and I was convinced I HAD to try it.

Here are the reasons why

1. Three Flavors are included in the 12 can Variety Pack: Chicken, Fish, Turkey, all my favorites
2. They are grain-free. A Grand Ol' Dame like myself does not need grain
3. Real meats and no fillers for good dense proteins which are so important in a CAT diet
4. The only additives, if you want to call them that, are natural vitamins and minerals to keep my coat shiny, my joints moving, and my MEOW gusty

          *see ingredient list below

I think those are wonderful reasons to TRY a food.

But does SAID food live up to the hype? That is what I wanted to test. So I had my HUMAN order the I and Love and You for me and in not quite 48 hours, it was sitting on my door step. I tried it that night for MY evening REPAST.

This is what I thought as I consumed the first portion (of Turkey) - YUM

This is what I thought as I consumed the next day's portion (of Cod) - YUM YUM

This is what I thought as I consumed the NEXT day's portion (of Chicken) - I am SO SO in LOVE!!!

Yes, this is a food I recommend to all my FELINE friends and family. It is that good. And I have been told I look a little brighter and have a somewhat quicker step since eating this food. So it really does live up to its hype. 

Chewy.com also has I and Love and You DRIED cat food and treats.

Lucky for you Chewy.com brought I and Love and You on board. Look them up. I think you will agree. And By The WAY, Chewy.com carries a full line of I and Love and You dog products.

*Ingredients

Chicken Lickin' Good Recipe: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth, Cranberries, Spinach, Carrots, Natural Flavor, Sweet Potatoes, Alfalfa Meal, Flaxseed, Guar Gum, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Dl-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Salmon Oil, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid. Oh My Cod! Recipe: Cod, Chicken Liver, Chicken, Fish Broth, Cranberries, Spinach, Carrots, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Sweet Potatoes, Alfalfa Meal, Flaxseed, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Dl-Methionine, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid. Purrky Turkey Recipe: Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Broth, Cranberries, Spinach, Carrots, Natural Flavor, Sweet Potatoes, Guar Gum, Alfalfa Meal, Flaxseed, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Dl-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Salmon Oil, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid.

**We at A Bowl of Noodles received a 12 pack of the product for the purpose of trying it and developing an opinion about it. We are not paid for our opinions and we never accept money for our opinions.

Back to Normal

Well. . . the BOYS went home on Saturday. It was kinda weird around Casa de Noodles without their unique brand of crazy. No morning barking to get up and FEED THEM. No Moose trying to bug Molly and Molly reacting (I TOLD her to ignore HIM). No mad dash for treats. No entourage to the backyard for potties. None of that.

I am surprised to say I really miss them.

BUT I am willing to look on the bright side and that is -- ALL THE BEDS ARE MINE now.

It's Never Okay to BULLY #StopBullying

The Guilty Pawty

Moose is a really sweet guy. He is! And it has been really fun watching him come out of his shell this week. He is totally devoted to my Mommy and even lets her (and Aunt B who looks like Mommy) pet and pick him up. That is a huge difference from Sunday when he arrived.

And therein lies the problem. His devotion to my Mommy made him into a bit of a bully today. A little backstory. . .

Lulu is so dark you cannot tell her nose from her ears!

Mommy got a text yesterday from our FURiend Lulu. You remember Lulu - she spent time here at Christmas and last SPRING she spent a whole week. Well it seems her Mommy and Aunt had to go out of town on BUSINESS (that is NOT like bidness, which is what I thought and Mommy sternly said no. It is more like what SHE does all day in her office. . . and I don't mean NETFLIX) and didn't want to leave Lulu in a crate all day. And, not too surprisingly, Lulu didn't want to be in a crate all day, either. So she asked if she could come over to my house and play and I said an emphatic YES! We loves loves loves having Lulu over to play. And it would be fun to have 5 of us playing, huh?

So this morning, very very early, Lulu arrived. All of us rushed to the door and greeted her. Yay! Yay! Yay! She was a little shy and flustered because she did not recognize the other two dogs (Pablo and Moose). Once her Mommy left, she got a little upset and sat by the door crying. We kept telling her it was okay. She was only staying for the day because her Mommy didn't even bring a crate or bed or anything!

That is when it happened. Moose went over to her sitting there crying by the door and began to taunt her. He stood as large as he could and puffed out his little chest. Then he acted like he wanted to play but he didn't really. So Mommy called Lulu over to her and when Lulu got up to walk to Mommy, Moose ran toward her and got between her and Mommy, again standing tall and puffing his chest out. All this time he was not charging or biting, mind you. He was more or less making it clear he was "the boss" of Mommy.

A-hem. I am but I don't bully.

See his posture? Moose almost looks taller than Lulu and he is
not - by a lot

Then he got the zoomies and started dancing around Lulu to get her to "play." We were in shock and I admit, I didn't know what to do. Neither did Pablo as he'd never seen this side of Moose! Mommy took charge and picked Lulu up to comfort her and told Moose to knock it off. She told him he was still her good boy and Lulu was only at the house for the day. Then she had Lulu sit next to her as she finished the dishes AND then put my favorite RED BED (which is really Molly's) in the office and put Lulu in it. She told the boys to lay down on their beds, which they did.


We understand why Moose acted like he did - he is insecure . . . and it is a good thing he is able to bond with Mommy. But he should not have treated Lulu that way - especially since he does not know her and does not know she is already a member of our extended family - like he now is.

What do we do?

Molly chose to hide

And we should not have stood by and done nothing. We should have told Moose to knock it off and leave Lulu be. But we chickened out and didn't and now I owe Lulu a HUGE APOLOGY! And I think Moose understands now that Lulu is not a threat to his relationship with Mommy, just like I don't see him as a threat to my relationship with Mommy.

Mommy negotiating PEACE

We need remember that Mommys are able to love us all.

And we need to be more sympathetic to what others might be going through. Moose didn't know that Lulu was sad about her Mommy leaving her so he should have kindly SHARED my Mommy's time.

Despite Moose's past and his insecurities and fears, he should not have taken it out on somePUGGY younger, smaller (no, Lulu is a lot bigger than Moose), scareder, or what ever is going on in their lives.

There is simply NO EXCUSE TO BULLY.

I think Moose knows that now.

Visitors from Another Planet, Sorta . . . BUT First

I just want to say how SAD I am today. We lost one of our own - Blogville's Commissioner - the irreplaceable SARGE. I am sure many of you have heard the news by now and all would agree just what an influence he was on all of us. He was FUNNY, CLEVER, and COMPASSIONATE. Those are the qualities of a great LEADER. And Sarge was definitely a LEADER. So take a moment today and think of Sarge. And then go out and do something special for someone else. He would have wanted that. 

I love you Sarge - have fun with all of your FURiends over the Rainbow Bridge.

Now . . . our Visitors. . .

 These two are so FUNNY. It has been a pretty entertaining week with them here because they are kinda different from us. . . they are BOYS.

You know the book about Girls Are From Venus and Boys Are From Mars? I think that is very very accurate. Those two, Pablo and Moose, have a very different idea about energy. They are walking about constantly. And they follow my Mommy everywhere - even to the BATHROOM! Granted, I do that too, normally. I have given them free reign to follow Mommy everywhere she goes.

And you think I am a fast eater? I do not hold a candle to those two. Not at all!!! They eat faster and more completely than me. And there is NO LICKING the bowl afterward. No way! They are down the road and onto something else - and the bowl is licked spotless. They can eat faster than I can type E-A-T.

Toys are not safe around those boys. Well, toys are meant to be 

played with. . . I get it. But our toys are more for decoration than play. SOMETIMES we take them out and scatter them as IF we had been playing with them; but in truth, we just scattered them. These

boys, however, have playing down to an art. They each grab a toy, preferably with a squeaker, and then they run, and they squeak it, and they run, and they shake it, and they run. . . on and on. .

You get my drift? It is so different from how we play.

And when they get treats - well they become wild BANSHEES for a treat.

But when all is said and done, they are GOOD BOYS. They get along with everyPUGGY in the house and even let everypuggy pet and play with them. They are not at all possessive of their food dishes (Molly, ahem) nor their beds. I am guilty of always laying on their beds and they are CHILL (my house, my bed. That's my rule).

I think I am going to MISS Pablo and Moose when they return home on Saturday. They are different than us, true. But they are good boys and very entertaining.

I hope Auntie L and Cousin L are having a good time in PARIS, France; because we are sure having a good time here.

We are WHIMZEED out! Mommy gave us each one to eat
and we did. Then we napped. Molly was downstairs
"protecting" but not eating hers.

A Picture Essay

What do YOU Think the Story is?

You DON'T Have to Go To Disneyland For a Good Churro!!! #chewyinfluencer

My Mommys go to Disneyland a lot. By a lot I mean more than twice a year. We live in NORCAL and THE LAND OF MOUSE is in SOCAL. So it takes a bit of doing to get there. Nonetheless, they manage to get there multiple times and for multiple days. It is, as my Mommy #2 put it, their HAPPY place.

One thing they always eat when at Disneyland is the CHURRO. It is well known that Disney Churros are among the best. My Mommys tell me this is because

• They are crunchy with tender interiors
• They are light but not too light
• They are sweet but not cloyingly so (?)
• They are always fresh (delivered frozen to the cart and warmed up onsite)

BusinessInsider photo

 

No one, THEY say, does it better. They even have CHOCOLATE ones now. Sounds good.

So when the Chewy.com newsletter came out and CHURROS were on the list, well Molly and I decided we HAD to try them.

Yaky Churros are really a clever take on YAK chews. Unlike Yak Chews, they are not as dense nor do they provide much chewing time. I can finish mine in less than 5 minutes (that's better than most chews which I finish before Mommy closes the bag). Molly took about 20 minutes but she doesn't have as much chewing power.

Despite the lack of chewing time, though, these are seriously GOOD EATIN' of the TREAT VARIETY.

 Here's some insight into what you are getting when you bite into a YAKY CHURRO -

• Himalayan cheese flavor
• No lactose, grains or gluten
• Softer texture that’s easier dogs to chew . . . I'll say!
• Natural enzymes that help remove plaque from your dog's teeth (I do wonder if they work whether or not the DOG IN QUESTION actually chews the treat?)
• A unique shape that gets to those hard to reach places between teeth - it's GROOVY!

The ingredients are pretty self explanatory, I think

Potato Starch, Cheese (Pasteurized Processed Skimmed Milk, Salt, Lime Juice) Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Vegetable Glycerin.

A couple of things Mommy #2 really likes about the CHURROS is they are pliable enough for her to cut into two pieces for Molly and Me. They are also only 122 calories for each one so HALF of one is. . . uh. . . HALF the calories. It makes her happy to know these things as she is keeper of the svelte pug thing.

We shared a couple of Churros with our house guests, Pablo and Moose and guess what? Well, I'll let them tell you in their own words

                nous aimons beaucoup les collations

They speak French. . . I forgot to tell you. What they are saying is they LIKE the SNACKS very much,

We highly recommend the YAKY CHURRO for a tasty treat. And it comes in two other flavors, Vegetable and Fish. I am pretty sure FROM A PUG'S point of view these CHURROS can give Disneyland's Churros a run for their money. And in truth, at Chewy.com prices, Yaky Churros are A LOT cheaper.

**Chewy.com provided us with a bag of Yaky Churros free of charge and for the purpose of trying them and developing an opinion of them. They in no way paid us for the review or told us what to say. All opinions on A Bowl of Noodles is ours alone.

Pablo and Moose Visit Casa de Noodles

Pablo at top, Moose at bottom. Mommy
could not RIGHT this pic

Mommy left on Saturday evening. She was headed up the Peninsula to spend the night with her friend Auntie L. Auntie L and her daughter were going to PARIS, FRANCE for L's dad's birthday. Because of the quick turnaround on the trip, they could not take their two pups, Pablo and Moose. I know you have heard of my great FURiend Pablo. He is this super cute Havanese who came over a long time ago. But Mommy sees his HuMom a lot so in a way WE keep in touch. His brother is rather new. Moose was a Foster Fail and became Pablo's brother last Fall. Moose has a lot of emotional problems because it seems he was abused in his former home situation. PLUS he was a Street Pup for a long long time. So he has developed a lot of fears and phobias. Nonetheless, he is a really sweet pup and I am happy to call him FURiend.

So Mommy was gone ALL NIGHT and I was pretty sad. I sat right by the door waiting for her and then had a pretty lonely night sleeping without her. I understood - but it still made me sad.

The next morning, they all got up and ate some breakfast. Then they took the boys on a walk so they could have good feeling for Mommy. THEN, Mommy took everypuggy to the big big airport near SF. (In fact, it is called SFO). After dropping off Pablo and Moose's HuMom and HuSister, Mommy and the boys headed south to OUR HOUSE.

They were very good boys on the long drive to my house

Once they arrived at Casa de Noodles, I made sure the boys felt very welcome and I swear, I only laid on Pablo's bed when HE said it was okay. But I got into a little trouble anyhow because Mommy said it was a bit of a power move and NOT ACCEPTABLE. Okay okay. I get it. I went back to dominating Molly's red bed while she hung out with Cousin C.

Later on we showed them where to potty (Opps, Moose still had a couple of accidents - but I think he will catch on) and at dinner time we all RESPECTFULLY ate from our own bowls.

Finally, after Mommys #1 and #2 and Cousin C returned home from the hockey game (Go Sharks!!!), everypuggy settled down for a good night's sleep. Pablo and Moose preferred sleeping next to the front door because, I am pretty sure, they think their HuMom will be over soon to take them home. It's okay. All of the FURiends who stay here do the same thing.

I am thinking this could be a fun week.

Happy Year of The Pug. . . Dog . . . Whatever Floats Your Dragon Boat!

Did you know PUGS are Chinese by origin? Yes, it is something I learned along the way. And my Mommy #1 was born in China so I feel very comfortable celebrating the Lunar New Year.

This year is especially SPECIAL because it is the Year of the DOG. Or, as I like to say it, Year of the Pug

If you have ever seen Chinese statues called Foo Dogs then you know they look a lot like a pug. In a Shih Tzu kind of way.

The year of the dog (and this is an EARTH DOG year) is characterized by a more grounded and stable year.

We can all use a little more comfort and stability, wouldn't you say?

Mommy #2 is making some Chinese-style food for dinner. She is a good cook so I am sure what ever she makes will be tasty. I doubt I will get much more than a snow pea or two. But since I love those. . .

So celebrate, eat well and HAPPY New Year! May the Year of the Guo Xu Bring you Health and Prosperity.

It's NOT Okay

I'm NOT in a good mood today. In fact, I am very sad. There was ANOTHER school shooting yesterday. This time in Florida. A lot of young people lost their lives. That makes me very very sad. Sadder than a PUG should be.

It is not OKAY.
A PUG should never be sad.

Happy VALENTINE'S DAY

Roses are pretty RED

Violets are NOT

I LOVE all my Furiends

And that is a LOT

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

EVERYPUGGY

I Love Surprises - Don't You? #chewyinfluencer

It was THIS kind of afternoon. I was taking my usual NAP when Molly started to YAP.

This is not unusual. Molly YAPS a lot. She stands by the door watching the world go by and YAPS whenever she sees movement SORTA toward the house. And she keeps YAPPING even tho' everypuggy in the house is telling her to stop it. And I am like - "Stop it Molly! Stop it Molly!" And she keeps on yapping. And so I walk over to her and say IN HER EAR "Stop it Molly! Stop it Molly!"  But she doesn't and pretty soon I am doing THE PUG SCREAM "Stop it Molly. . . stop it Molly . . . stop it MOLLY!" Then we BOTH get time out for being yappy. But. . . but. . . but. . . This happens all the time.

But I digress. That is a story for ANOTHER time.

So Molly starts yapping and the next thing I hear is a THUMP at the door. That's it. Just a THUMP. Well, that's odd, I thought. But then Cousin E, who was still home at the time, yells downstairs "It's your package from CHEWY." Hmmmmm. We hadn't ORDERED anything from Chewy.com. That's ODDER.

But it wasn't ODD at all because there have been PLENTY of times we got unexpected TREATS from Chewy.com. They treat us like OLYMPIC GOLD and we love them so much.

So Mommy opened the door and sure enough, there was a CHEWY.COM box sitting on the stoop. Mommy brought it in and immediately tried opening it despite Molly and myself a-jumping on her legs and acting like out-of-control kangaroos. Yes, we were that bad. We KNOW what a Chewy.com box means.

Inside was a HUGE bag of something called Dr. Lyon's Dental Treats and a note addressed to Mommy #2. I SWEAR, Mommy, I did NOT do anything wrong to cause Ms Natalie of Chewy.com to TATTLE on me!!!! I only wrote one or TWO emails begging for treats. . . I said over and over while looking at Mommy with my BIG BROWN LIQUIDY EYES. She said she was aware of that. Whew.

The letter was an explanation of WHY we were getting these treats and WHAT they were. As Influencers, we are privileged to try these DENTAL CHEWS before they hit the CHEWY.COM webpage.

Oh My PUG!!!! It was like going to Church, it was such a religious experience. A HUGE bag of treats for us?

Mommy immediately started taking photos leading up to the moment we could actually TASTE the enclosed treats.

If we SMILE will we get the T-R-E-A-T?

 Molly: Hey Noodles! These smell GREAT!

Noodles: Oh yes, Molly, they smell really yummy.

 Mom! You are totally TORTURING us now.

At last! We get to eat these and it isn't even a mealtime and we didn't do anything GOOD? In fact, we were kinda bad? Mommy, you do realize you are reinforcing BAD behavior. But, if you are willing to let bygones be bygones, I GUESS I could try a small nibble.





HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! A small nibble. . .



Mine was gone in under 2 minutes. I am pretty sure it had a good FLAVOR but I didn't CHEW it long enough to be sure. Maybe it still has dental powers if unchewed?

Molly's was gone in 5 minutes which, for an almost toothless pup is very respectable. She normally takes 2 hours to consume a dental chew.

So what is my take away at this point?

• They are UBER tasty
• They are too soft for a pug to get chewing action
• They are TREATS so I don't care, gimme more

Mommy said I should also give you the DETAILS about the Dr. Lyon's Dental Treats. So here goes:

They are GRAIN-free which is important to many dogs AND they have a minty flavor. My breath smelled GOOD for a long time. 

The BRUSH shape (looks like hearts on each end, one smooth and one ridged) helps clear tarter and plaque from teeth as one chews (as if).

They do NOT contain corn, wheat, soy so they are digestible.

All natural ingredients - some imported - and the treats are made in the USA.

Ingredients: potato flour, pea protein, vegetable glycerin, pea starch, gelatin, water, natural flavors, sunflower lecithin, ground flaxseed, sunflower seed oil, citric acid, zinc propionate, peppermint oil, and mixed tocopherols.

Each (small dog) treat is 50 calories so they definitely should be factored into a calorie conscious diet, like MINE. Recommended limit is 1 chew a day.

So like I said, it was such a pleasant SURPRISE from Chewy.com and it really made my otherwise HO-HUM MONDAY turn into a fun and exciting day. I gave one dental chew each to my two boyFURiends, Pablo and Moose, for VALENTINES DAY and to see if they like them as much as Molly and I do. I am pretty confident that they will.

** We paid nothing for these treats and we promised nothing for these treats. Everything written in this blog comes from OUR hearts and minds only.

Weekend Wanderings

The weekend here was GLORIOUS. In reality, the WHOLE week prior to the WEEKEND was glorious - warm, sunny and very UN-WINTER-like. As a result, we did a lot of this and that out doors. We even harvested TWO strawberries from the garden and I was the lucky recipient of both.

Molly and I went on several walks with different PEEPS everytime. Now THAT was fun. It was warm but not too warm for me and the sidewalk was cool. So I really felt like I could walk for miles and miles. But I did not.

We celebrated Cousin E's birthday yesterday. The house was decorated and presents were wrapped. And the smell of special food was all over DA HOUSE. We had Mexican food. I SAY we, but you know I did NOT get that lucky. Molly and I had to settle for DOG FOOD. But Mommy got us some special CANNED food that is a special LIMITED edition kind: MERRICK Pugs n Kisses. We heard about it through the GRAPEVINE and begged and begged for some. We generally like anything Merrick sells.

This one is especially yummy - partly from the PUGS on the label and partly from the recipe . . .

Real de-boned beef in a savory broth, along with fresh sweet potatoes, green beans, peas and apples. My mouth is watering just describing it for you. And it is grainfree so it is easy on sensitive tummys. I don't have one but I have heard Mommy complain about my stinky belches. As if! With Merrick Pugs and Kisses I do not belch as often or as "stink-aly". 

I'm not reviewing this product, just sharing. We love it.

I spent some time waiting in the foyer for Mommy (and a bonus Mommy #1 was home from university for Cousin E's birthday pawty). She went to a Celebration of Life for someone very near and dear to her. And she went to the OPERA which is a lot of singing. Strange singing. She loved it - to each her own. To be honest. I like it as well. The arias are very emotional.

We watched a lot of Olympics when it was dark and that was great. I especially like the DOWNHILL and SNOW BOARDING events. . . and the Ice Skating and Dancing. . . and the LUGE. . . and the Speed Skating. . . I guess I really just find it all fun and exciting.

Whew! What a whirlwind, huh?
How was your weekend?