5th Annual Prosperous Pet Business Online Conference
Mark your calendars for September 12, 2018!
Interested in growing your pet business? Are you thinking about starting a business. If you are interested in pet sitting, dog walking, training, grooming, or daycare, then join the 5th Annual Prosperous Pet Business Online Conference! This year you will hear from the top speakers from the previous 4 years!
Check back with PetsitUSA for additional information in the following weeks.
6 Ways To Take Better Care of Your Hair and Nails
Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Bubby and Bean possible. This post is sponsored by Ionicell for Women, but all opinions are my own.
I talk a lot about things I do to take care of my kids around here, but only occasionally do I mention taking care of myself. And this applies to my real life, outside of the blog, as well. I’d venture to say most moms – and women in general – could say the same thing. We tend to take care of others before ourselves, in all aspects of our lives. We are strong, badass babes, but we usually come in at the bottom of our to do lists.
That said, I’ve been working a lot in 2018 to change this. I’ve posted a few times about different efforts I’m making to remember that I’m important too. The most recent of these efforts has to do with my appearance – specifically my hair and nails. My hair and nails have majorly suffered since becoming a mom a few years ago. My hair changed after becoming pregnant for the first time, and started breaking and falling out more frequently. And taking care of little kids is a surefire way to make sure your nails are consistently broken. I decided it was time to do something to improve the health of my hair and nails, and my skin while I was at it. And it’s been working. More than anything, when I look good, I feel good. I think most of us would agree, so today I thought I’d share the things I’ve been doing, in case you’d like to take better care of your hair, skin, and nails as well.
1. Stay moisturized. Keeping both my hair and nails moisturized with a good quality oil (I use argan, but coconut oil works well too, especially on cuticles) seems to make a big difference in how healthy they look. I apply it to both my hands and my hair when they’re damp, which helps with absorption.
2. Eat blueberries. Blueberries are full of antioxidants (more than all other fruits!), which help protect cells against free radical damage – including in hair and nails. I’ve been freezing them, which makes for the most delicious (and convenient) dessert.
3. Take Ionicell for Women.
This has been the easiest and most effective step I’ve taken to improve the quality of my hair, nails, and skin. For the past few weeks, I’ve been taking this dietary supplement once or twice a day, everyday, after meals. IoniCell for Women by Mineral BioSciences is specially formulated and clinically proven to help our bodies generate collagen, rehydrate cells (for healthier skin!), protect cells, and improve their performance. The capsules are easy to swallow, and absorb quickly, and I’ve really started to see results. My nails are visibly stronger (and the longest they been in years!), which makes sense, since Ionicell for Women specifically helps to strengthen, protect, and nourish nails. Ionicell for Women may also improve hair appearance and luster (for all hair types!), and I believe it – my hair seems to be thicker and shinier, and doesn’t seem to be breaking as easily. My four year old daughter even told me I look like Rapunzel (I’ll take it), and is constantly asking to braid my hair. It also helps stimulate collagen for healthier skin, which is a huge bonus! IoniCell for Women contains something very cool called Ioniplex, which is a fulvic ionic mineral that contains from 65 to 72 essential macro and trace minerals. This combination of fulvic acid and minerals in an ionic form is super powerful, with all sorts of beneficial effects. So in addition to potentially making your hair, nail, and skin look great, it protects against cellular damage (which is a major cause of aging!), provides nutrients to each cell for energy production, enhances nutrient absorption, and helps neutralize free radicals. It genuinely affects changes in appearance at the cellular level, and enhances beauty from deep within. Pretty great, right? If you’re looking to improve the quality and condition of your nails, hair, and skin, I definitely recommend giving it a try.
4. Use a nail strengthening polish. Even if my nails are bare and I don’t have time to paint them, I try to keep them covered with a coat of nail strengthener. It only takes a couple of minutes, and it really does seem to help prevent breakage.
5. Eat Greek yogurt. I’m a vegetarian, so I sometimes don’t consume as much protein as I need. Nails are made out of protein, and getting enough will help strengthen them. (It’s good for your hair too!). Greek yogurt is full of protein, and easy to incorporate into your diet. I eat it plain, but also in smoothies, with cereal, and as a sauce (it’s so good on tacos!).
6. Trim regularly. Did anyone else grow up with a parent or grandparent telling you that getting your hair trimmed makes it grow faster? While that’s not technically true, keeping the ends of hair healthy and free from split ends – through regular trims – will help prevent breakage. And I have found the same to be true for my nails. If I trim them occasionally, they tend to break less and therefore grow longer more quickly.
As I said earlier, when I look good, I feel good. I also feel emotionally and mentally at my best when I know I’m making the effort to take care of my appearance. And knowing that even simple, easy steps likes these can make a profound difference in the state of my nails and hair motivates me to continue to take care of them – and my whole self, too.
Do you have any tips or tricks for healthy nails and hair? Have any of your tried Ionicell for Women yet?
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Win a Handcrafted Dog Leash Hook from G3 Studios! #Giveaway
Summer means a time to grab your dog and head out for fun at a moment’s notice–and that means having your dog leash close at hand! Whether you’re preparing for a morning walk or a…
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Friday Funny: Dog Hours
I feel exactly the same way sometimes! Until next time, Good day, and good dog!
What does Non-GMO Actually Mean, Anyway?
There is much talk these days of non-GMO fruits and vegetables being desirable, but I’ve personally been a bit confused about it. When Halo changed its formulations to ensure there were only non-GMO veggies in their kibble, I wondered what my dogs were getting that I wasn’t!
What I learned was that all the vegetables and fruits in Halo pet food are sourced from farmland that prohibits the use of Genetically Modified Seeds. As part of their commitment to what they call OrigiNative® sourcing, the use of non-GMO ingredients means avoiding the vicious cycle of repeatedly tilling the soil to add chemical fertilizers and herbicides. By choosing non-GMO plants, it allows the land to function naturally, as it has over centuries.
Halo has a FAQ section of their website that explains non-GMO as well as many other of their commitments to the sourcing of their ingredients. In addition, they have information on their “What’s in Your Bowl?” page.
For my own diet, I actually find it near-impossible to be certain that my own fruits and veggies are non-GMO, so it’s a good feeling to know that at least Maisie and Wanda are helping the planet with their Halo meals!
Tracie Hotchner is a nationally acclaimed pet wellness advocate, who wrote THE DOG BIBLE: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know and THE CAT BIBLE: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know. She is recognized as the premiere voice for pets and their people on pet talk radio. She continues to produce and host her own Gracie® Award winning NPR show DOG TALK® (and Kitties, Too!) from Peconic Public Broadcasting in the Hamptons after 9 consecutive years and over 500 shows. She produced and hosted her own live, call-in show CAT CHAT® on the Martha Stewart channel of Sirius/XM for over 7 years until the channel was canceled, when Tracie created her own Radio Pet Lady Network where she produces and co-hosts CAT CHAT® along with 10 other pet talk radio podcasts with top veterinarians and pet experts.
Tracie also is the Founder and Director of the annual NY Dog Film Festival, a philanthropic celebration of the love between dogs and their people. Short canine-themed documentary, animated and narrative films from around the world create a shared audience experience that inspires, educates and entertains. With a New York City premiere every October, the Festival then travels around the country, partnering in each location with an outstanding animal welfare organization that brings adoptable dogs to the theater and receives half the proceeds of the ticket sales. Halo was a Founding Sponsor in 2015 and donated 10,000 meals to the beneficiary shelters in every destination around the country in 2016.
Tracie lives in Bennington, Vermont – where the Radio Pet Lady Network studio is based – and where her 12 acres are well-used by her 2-girl pack of lovely, lively rescued Weimaraners, Maisie and Wanda.
Air Bud in the NBA?
I don’t follow the NBA too closely, but since I live near Cleveland, it’s hard not to be swept up in the excitement. I love that Air Bud wants to play for the Cavs! Until next time, Good day, and good dog!
