Formal Ryu

July 2013

As mentioned in my Taiwan post (http://goshrooney.blogspot.com/2013/09/round-2-taipei-taiwan.html) I got Ryu a bow tie at the Shilin Night market.  Here is the picture I took after him in his bow tie.  

Can he get any cuter?

Review: Honest Company

August 2013

Honest Pet - Ryu the Pup. 

Earlier this month I got an email from the Honest Co with $10 free dollars to spend - on top of that it was free shipping over $50 dollars.  After debating if I should use this opportunity to try the Honest products - I finally decided to go for it.  

Now before I get to my review of the products - let me explain my hesitation.  

1.  Shipping:  I dont know how I feel about paying $8 - $10 dollars on top of my bill to ship products to my home when I can get similar products at Whole Foods/Target.  Granted with this free shipping over $50 dollars - I wouldn't have to pay for it - but I was not sure I would get over $50 dollars.   

2.  Quality:  Since I had never used this brand before - I wasn't sure if the products would be any good?  There is a trial pack that you get from the Honest Co - and even though that is free - you still have to pay 6.95 for standard shipping.  Now for me that isn't worth it to get trial size products.  

3.  Monthly packages:  Since there are only 2 people (including me) and a dog in my household - I really don't have a need for the bundle packages yet and most of the deals they come out from the Honest Co are bundle related which makes sense when you have a family - I am just not there yet.

After looking at the website for over 30 minutes trying to decide what to order I picked the following:

• Floor Cleaner
• Laundry Detergent  x2
• Dryer Cloths x2
• Conditioning Mist

With this line up I was able to get to free shipping by spending over $50 dollars and I used my 10 dollars off making my purchase around 48.00 dollars.  Within minutes my order was processed and by the next day I got a notification saying it shipped.  Shortly after it was on my door step.  

Now for my review of the products:

Floor Cleaner:  This stuff is magical!!!  I have a 4 month old pup (which you should know by now I am obsessed with) and although he is potty trained - on occasion he will miss the potty pad by a few centimeters or it will leak through the pad (if it was a big pee).  This not only causes the whole apartment to smell but the hardwood floor in the kitchen had a permanent discoloration and smell to it - even when I would clean it daily using everything from green generation wipes to Clorox bleach wipes to home made recipes of baking powered and vinegar.  I bought the floor cleaner with the intent to use it on the floor in this area and to sub in for my Swiffer wet wipes.  When I got the package I immediately ripped it open and sprayed the floor cleaner on/around the potty area.  Not only does this product not have any toxic chemicals - it has a wonderful smell to it.  I left the spray on the area for about 3 - 5 minutes and then wiped it up with a paper towel.  The pee smell was 75% gone and so was the discoloration to our floor!  As I continue to use it daily to clean our hardwood floors - the smell is 100% gone and I can say this item is critical in getting my deposit back when I decide to move out.  Because I use this item so much - I am looking for a Swiffer like item to help wipe up the area.  Currently I am using paper towels but ideally I would like to use something a little more eco friendly going forward.  

Laundry Detergent:  I have not used this yet as I am just finishing my Ecos detergent up. 

Dryer Cloths:  Similar to my take on the floor cleaner - this is magical!!!  Not only does it not have a strong scent or irritate my skin (like other brands do) these dryer cloths actually work!  They make my clothes very fluffy!  And as odd as it sounds - the lint that comes out of my dryer is fluffier and thicker than before - so I know its working!

Conditioning Mist:  Now I am a girl that uses expensive shampoo and buys expensive hair products - with that said - my previous detangler was made by Bumble and Bumble which I loved however it is hard to justify the price tag on a detangler...  Now knowing the quality of my standard products - I have to admit the Honest Co product works just as well and smells better!  I am not sure how long the bottle will last me - as it is semi small.  But I will def be ordering this again - probably along with the shampoo to try!  

Overall I am extremely happy that I ordered these products from the Honest Company and I cant wait to try more of the line.  In regards to my hesitations - 1.  you really cant help the shipping cost unless you find a deal the website - so keep your eye out!  2.  The quality of the products are top notch and justify spending the extra money to have the items shipped to you.  You really cant find many other products on the market like this.  3.  I would use this when I have a family - but for me it is not practical at this time.  

Love Love Love.  I rate this a must try!  

Recent weeks in Pictures

July 13, 2013

Unfortunately I have been so busy recently I haven't been able to post so I figured I would post my past weeks via pictures so you can see what I have been up to.  So here it goes (mostly puppy related):

Random:

Ryu!

After a nice long walk - tyty Ry!  

Fourth of July:

Happy Fourth of July!

Making Red, White and Blue cupcakes -- They taste better than they look.  :)

Ready to set sail on the SF bay for fireworks...
shortly after this picture I put on sweats cause it was so cold!

Coming out of the Richmond port and heading towards the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito.  

Amazing views of the Golden Gate. 

SF fireworks from the water are the best!  (Bay Bridge in the background). 

Lake Tahoe:

First time in a hotel.

Loving Tahoe. 

Kiva Beach, Lake Tahoe.

Kiva Beach, Lake Tahoe.

First days with Pup Ryu!

6/11/2013

I had been looking for a pup on and off for over a year through petfinder.com.  I feel very strongly about adopting a dog from a shelter compared to a breeder/puppy mill.  But searching for the perfect dog through a shelter is very difficult and competitive.  I applied online for multiple dogs however each time I was just a little bit to late or was not qualified because the dog needed to be around people 24/7 and was not suitable for a working household.  I decided to add some additional sites to my search including Craiglist which has ads for 2 kinds of adoptions:  1.  Breeder/puppy mills trying to sell there dogs and 2.  People who got a dog but could no longer keep them for different reasons.  Since I was okay with number 2. I added that to my search as well - and that is how I stumbled upon Ryu.

There was add for a Maltese/Poodle mix up for adoption in south San Jose.  He as purchased by his owner from a breeder a few days prior and then the owner found he could not keep animals in his apartment complex and he could not break his lease.  The owner was in San Jose visiting and was going back to LA that night and he was hoping he could find a home for the puppy in a matter of a few hours.  That is where we came in.  We contacted the owner and met up with the owner hours before he left LA.  So I left work to meet the pup of my dreams.  I was really nervous about doing a Craigslist transaction -- however -- I followed the safety method of not going inside, meeting in a public place etc.

Once I met the pup it was love at first sight!

Next was figuring out what I needed!  And here are the necessities:

- Carrying case/crate
- Puppy bed
- Food/Water bowls
- Puppy pads
- Toys (Puppies are always biting!)
- Puppy gate

All of these items can be found at specialty stores like Petco or Petsmart, or discount stores like Ross.

The upcoming weekend Ryu had his first doctors appointment.  At the vet we bought a puppy package which includes stool checks and all of his first year shots.  It was determined at the first visit that he had not been de-wormed yet.  Apparently worms are common in puppies and the process of de-worming the puppy is a 3 days of medication to kill the worms in their stomachs which will then appear in their poop!  SO GROSS!  After some tummy pains and difficulty with the medication (vomiting and diarrhea) Ryu is fully recovered.

Ryu already had his first bath - I dont think he knew what to think of it...

This upcoming weekend - Ryu will be 8 weeks and getting his first round of shots and he will be going on his first road trip with me up to Auburn to meet my Gma!  I am so excited!  :)

I got a puppy...I got a puppy!!!

6/7/2013

This past Tuesday I left work to go pick up this little guy from his owner who could no longer keep him.  

Ryu the Pup

More to come on my search for a dog and what I learn as we go forward.  

As of right now...I just cant get enough!  Check out instagram hashtag #Ryuthepup.