Something Is Different But I Can't Put My Finger On It

I'm Feeling a DRAFT on My Mouth

A Very Unexpected Thing Happened

Meet Daisy

I don't know what it is this time of year but strange things happen all the time. I cannot explain beyond that. But trust me - if it is DECEMBER and close to CHRISTMAS, something usual and not necessarily sad, will happen.

So I was going about my business on Saturday, as usual when the doorbell rang. Hmmmm, I thought. I am not expecting anyone. And I wasn't! I was all snuggled down on Mommy's lap for a nap figuring this was about as good as it was going to get.

So I let it be known that I, Noodles the Pug, was at home and their presence, though unexpected, was certainly welcome. Best to let folks know where they stand right away. But when the humans opened the door, there stood Little Un's friend from school, with her Mom AND this tiny dog. What is going on? I thought. So I got up to investigate. I said my hellos to the humans and made myself very cute and adore-worthy. All the while, Molly was barking and barking and , , , more barking. She just would not calm down and assess the situation.

After a little while of hellos and how are yas, the strange humans left and the little dog remained. Um. . . Mommy, I said. Did they forget something? No my Mommy quick;y told me - this is Daisy and she is here to visit. But, but, but. . . I stammered. I don't know her at all, I said only slightly whiney.

Oh Noodles . . . she is testing us out because her family needs a family to watch over her at Christmas time. So be nice and show her around. I kinda didn't, though. Daisy sat on the stairs for a long time before she was brave enough to wander. Then when she was brave enough, she was everywhere. I kept hearing "No, Daisy. . . no Daisy. . ." over and over. She is one curious pup. Generally, though, we did not play together at all. In fact, we kind of kept our distance and she found a nice place where she could feel safe and at home - usually on someone's lap. That was okay. I know she must have been scared. We kept out distance for the most part and I only exerted myself once or twice to let her know MY MOMMYS' laps were OFF-LIMITS!

So there you have it. Daisy, a 7 year old Yorkie that MIGHT weigh 8 pounds is going to be our houseguest from Christmas Eve until New Years. I am not sure if I am excited about it but I am not opposed to it either. She is a nice pup, although she is definitely higher energy than either Molly or myself. It will be interesting to see how Sunshine interacts (or doesn't) with her. She spent ALL DAY Saturday hiding in Aunt T's room.

Tip-Top Topper - a #chewyinfluencer Adventure

Hi. It's me, Sunshine the Cat with another FOOD adventure. This time I stalked the tasty wild country for a Salmon and Turkey treat - Halo's Mix'n Mores. These nuggets of goodness are freeze dried to freshness and to retain the taste and wholesomeness of the salmon and turkey. And these tasty treats provide easily digested protein which is so important in a senior Cat's diet. Add in no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and you have . . . well. . . a TIP-TOP TOPPER!

Chewy.com carries a whole line of these treats by Halo, a well respected and conscientious company that specializes in wholesome and natural foods for pets. We all know what happened when I helped myself to a bottle of Halo Liv a Littles . . . let's just say there are STEP programs to deal with that kind of behavior. So I was pretty surprised that I was allowed to come anywhere near these. I am glad the Humans trust me enough to let me try them.

These freeze dried nuggets are just the right thing to add that je ne sais qua to my mealtime. A little goes a long way toward satisfying my hunger, too,

See this torn bag. It is proof that I have actually tried the food of which I speak. The ingredients of this food are as follows

Salmon, turkey, whole flaxseed, salt, mixed tocopherols (a preservative), taurine, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, vitamin e supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, niacin supplement, manganese sulfate, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin a supplement, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin d3 supplement, vitamin b12 supplement, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid

I see Salmon. I see Turkey. I see Flax Seed? Whattha? I don't know what it is but is must be good for me and I am assured it is a natural product. Impressive, though.

I truly am enjoying this addition to my daily kibble. You know how we Cats are. We tire easily of the same flavor over and over and over. Adding a little something to the top is a great way to add variety without changing foods a lot. So touche for Halo.

I award Halo Mix'n Mores a medal of HONOR for its quality and its simplicity. Sometimes good things really do come in small packages.

*I was sent ONE bag free of charge in order to try and assess the treats. No one tells me what to say or do so this review is 100% mine. I was not paid anything to share it with you. Thank you chewy.com for this opportunity.

It's Like Thanksgiving Everyday . . . #chewyinfluencer

Just before Mommys #1 and #2 took off for SoCal, our monthly box to review FROM CHEWY.COM came. We met it with the usual excitement as it is one of our most favorite things. Inside the box was a bag of CAT treats for Sunshine - Mix 'N' More by Halo and some cans for me an Mommy of the scrumptious sounding Merrick Grain-free Thanksgiving Dinner. OMD we could not wait to try them. Sunshine got to try hers first BUT we had to wait until dinner time (thank goodness we did not have to wait until THANKSGIVING or it would have been mutiny in Casa de Noodles.

Merrick makes their Grain-free Thanksgiving Dinner in two sizes, regular DOG and SMALL dog. We got the small dog size since we are. . . small dogs, that is. They are small cans, about 1/3 the size of a regular can and the idea is they are a one meal size. Good thinking, huh?

We get 1/3 - 1/2 a can of food along with out crunchy kibble and some fresh stuff, Our fresh stuff lately has been broccoli, sweet potato, and romaine lettuce. But with the Merrick Grain-free Thanksgiving Dinner we really don't need any fresh stuff because it is included in the meal along with tasty turkey and gravy. We COULD totally get a can each but Mommy doesn't like to do that unless she HAS to. HINT - she never has to.

Merrick Grain-free Thanksgiving Dinner has the following ingredients: Deboned Turkey, Turkey Broth, Chicken, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Green Beans, Apples, Peas, Potato, Dried Egg Product, Natural Chicken Flavor, Carrageenan, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate), Guar Gum, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Cassia Gum, Canola Oil, Olive Oil, Flax Oil, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite), Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lecithin.

Are you as impressed as I am? And here's the thing - it TASTES like all that fresh stuff. I go totally goofball for this food and Molly does a great impression of a go-go dancer when it is time to BE SERVED.

So here's where we're at with this luscious foodable

• We love the TASTE
• We love the TEXTURE
• Mommy does not mind the SMELL
• We and Mommy love the smaller packaging which is perfect for pups like us
• It is very affordable for us AND it is sold at our favorite food supplier (okay, TRUE CONFESSIONS TIME . . . we get ALL of our food at Chewy.com. But we wander in PetSmart and PetCo and PetFood Express once in a while and they all carry Merrick. It is pretty much available at your favorite pet supply)

We HAVE to give Merrick Grain-free Thanksgiving Dinner a big 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 paws up for exceeding even our expectations. And for me that means edible and only marginally so.

*We offer our opinions free of charge and no one dictates what we write. All of our opinions are also based on trying a product (supplied free of charge from Chewy.com) for a period of time and observing behaviors and physical reactions. And let me tell you - it is WORK!!!

I Got The Monday Blues

Mommy's already working away because she has a presentation to do this week. She has been WORKING on it since before her vacation. She scoffs at the idea that she was on vacation, by the way, because she working 5 of the 7 days she was gone! But she is dedicated to her work and so she puts in the time. I just hope she gets a day off soon (yes, she worked all weekend) so we can sit on the couch and watch a MOVIE or two. I love to do that with Mommy.

(I am referring to Mommy #2 because as we all know, Mommy #1 is away at college)

The weather has certainly changed as well. We have had mostly cool CLOUDYdays for weeks now. Some cool but sunny days here and there but a lot a lot of cloudy days. And windy! The other day I went out  back to do . . . you know . . . and I almost BLEW away! I was mentally preparing my postcards even, that's how close I came to an impromptu adventure. Crazy, huh? Just a month ago we were still basking in 80 degree weather and wondering if WINTER would ever make an appearance.

(insert a bluesy guitar riff here)

So that is my story - My MONDAY BLUES tale. I gotta relinquish the computer the the workaholic now any ways - It's all good. I hear my Star Trek bed (from Pugs in the Kitchen) a-calling my NAME.

Mom's Busy So I Gotta Make This Quick

Sweater Weather

So yes, I didn't get to go to SoCal with my Mommys BUT it isn't like she didn't think of me. Me and Molly are the proud owners of NEW SWEATERS.

How do you like them? I really like mine and it keeps me toasty warm. Molly is not too keen on the hood but otherwise she is pleased with her sweater.

Sunshine tried on one of the sweaters! She actually liked wearing it and Mommy wishes they had thought to get her one. But they didn't. Sunshine was really angry when Mommy took it off of her and pouted for a good HOUR.

The holidays just would not be right without out new sweaters, huh?