Furminator Review

Tis dog shedding season!  Hair!  Hair everywhere.  Floating through the air.  Laying on the steps.  Sneaking onto plates.  Wait!  How did it get there?  Ev-ry-where.  Ew.

So what's a girl to do?

Buy a Furminator!  

The Furminator came highly recommended to us by our groomer.  We happened to mention one day Red was there that he was shedding uncontrollably.  She gave him a quick brush down, and the amount of hair that came off of him was almost unbelievable.  So we decided to buy one.

The Furminator is a type of brush that also gets to the undercoat of the dog.  The description on Amazon claims that it can reduce shedding up to 90%.  I will say that it is rather pricey, but after using it, I believe it is worth it.

It is very simple to use.  You must use it when your dog is completely dry.  You just brush your dog like normal and take short strokes.  When the brush is full, you can use a little button on it to eject the hair.  I believe the instructions recommended brushing your dog at least twice a week for approximately 10 minutes at a time.  It also suggested using it more during heavy times of shedding.

I used the Furminator on Red the other day for only 5 minutes, and these were the results.  Hopefully the dust pan will give you an idea of how large the pile of hair actually was, and Red isn't even at his worst shedding point yet.  Remember this was only 5 minutes of brushing-not the recommended 10!  Also, those are 12 inches square tiles.

That's more hair than I lose in a year!

I try to brush him outside and gather the hair or let it fly away, but I brushed him inside so I could collect it all to show you.  I do brush him inside during the winter and try to do it on a hard flooring surface.  I recommend using the vacuum to suck it up because the broom will sometimes stir it up, and it will fly around!

So I would say as long as you're going to use it, it is worth it to invest in the Furminator.

Here is a guide to determine what size and type of brush to buy.  We have an 85 lb black lab and bought the large brush for short hair dogs.

There's also a handy vacuum attachment that I'm considering buying!

Moral of the story is buy the Furminator.  You will thank me and so will your carpets and flooring and clothes and food and bedding.  You get the picture!

Olivia Makes A Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associations Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  If you choose to purchase an item from one of my Amazon link, I will receive a very small compensation of which I will be eternally grateful.

Mother's Milk Tea Review

The joys of breastfeeding...

When I started nursing Mack, I never really thought that I would be a person who enjoys nursing.  I mean it hurts likes crazy when you start out.  How could that even be enjoyable, right?

Well fast forward 6 months, and I am now a mother that not only enjoys nursing but is slightly sad that her time with her sweet babe will be ending somewhat soonish.  I plan to nurse Mack until he is at least a year old and may go a bit longer, but either way, time is fleeting.  I so enjoy nursing my son.  We have arrived at the part of the relationship where we are each comfortable with each other and enjoy our time together.  I love seeing him nurse and spending the extra cuddle time with my bug.

Though my nursing relationship will end eventually, it's already somewhat interrupted because I have gone back to work.  *enter sad face emoji*  Obviously work is a fact of life for many people, myself included.  Yes, my husband and I have bills to pay, so it's off to school I go.  Don't get me wrong; I love teaching!  I really do like being in the classroom, and let's be honest, the days when your child won't stop crying and is being a hellion can make the classroom look like a breeze.  But I do miss him, and I miss nursing him while I'm at school

Right now our nursing schedule is morning, after dinner, and right before bed.  He takes two 5 ounce bottles during the day, so it is up to me to get those bottles pumped while I'm away from him. 

Usually I can get the bottles pumped, but not always.  Especially lately.  School is super hectic, and I learned quickly that teaching Family and Consumer Science is even more fast paced than I ever would have thought.  I try to pump twice during the day.  Usually I'll get enough from these bottles, but sometimes I'll have to pump a little at home to add in.  If it's a super busy, I'll pump in the car on the way to pick up Mack.

Lately, I have not been getting the 10 ounces I need just from my sessions at school, so I decided to start drinking Mother's Milk Tea again.  I  have used it on and off since I started back to subbing in November, but I try not to drink it every day because it is slightly pricey-although it is less pricey than other galactogogues.  

When I drink even just one cup of Mother's Milk Tea, I notice that I usually pump an extra ounce during my first session the next day and an extra ounce or so in my next session!  Two ounces doesn't sound like a lot, but my pumping mamas know two ounces of liquid gold is a big deal.  It starts to put my mind at ease!

I read a lot of reviews before I purchased the tea and some said that it smelled and tasted gross.  That somewhat deterred me, but I decided to give it a shot.  My opinion is that the taste and smell are not terrible but not great.  Since drinking semi-regularly, I have found that I am used to the taste and actually don't mind it now.  It does have a black licorice smell to it, but I believe that can be attributed to the anise in it.

Though I'm super-duper frugal, I am willing to spend money on the tea.

Here's why I justify the costs:

• The tea really does work for me.  I notice a significant (usually 2 ounce) increase in milk supply within a day-or sometimes sooner if I drink it in the morning.
• As a result of drinking the tea, I can provide enough milk for my babe while I'm gone.
• By providing breast milk, I don't have to pay for formula.  Even though I have to pay for the tea, it's still cheaper than buying formula.

Please note that while I breastfeed my child, I do not condone formula shaming at all!  Just feed the baby, right?  We actually give Mack a bottle of formula when he wakes during the night, so I can get back to bed and get some sleep. I need sleep.  It's quite dangerous to be a zombie when keeping tabs on high school students cooking.   

Also, know that I bought the tea with my own money and have not been compensated at all for this review.  It is 100% my own opinion and experience. 

Olivia Makes A Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associations Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  If you choose to purchase an item from one of my Amazon link, I will receive a very small compensation of which I will be eternally grateful.

Fix-It and Forget-It Review

Crock pot, oh how I love thee!

Who doesn't love a good crock pot meal?  Throw it all in a pot in the morning and have supper ready when you walk through the door.  That's what I'm talking about.

Side note: Crock pots are excellent shower/wedding gifts!  That's where I got mine!  Thanks Miss Langham!

I usually have about a half hour between when I get home and when Josh gets home.  Even though he's not the type of person to demand dinner right away, we both like to eat early.  

I am into easy, easy recipes.  See my super easy chicken stuffing casserole here.  I could definitely give Rachael Ray a run for her money with a 30 minute meal.  We're pretty plain Jane in our house.  Many times I'll make grilled chicken/steak and veggies or even eggs.  I like dinner to be quick and uncomplicated.  The only thing that is better than that is having dinner ready when I walk in the door.

Enter Fix-It and Forget-It.  I bought this cookbook shortly after we got married.  I was still in college and working, so I didn't have a lot of time or energy to make dinner in the evening.  I love my crock pot and have found plenty of awesome recipes from this book!

Like many cookbooks, Fix-It and Forget-It is split into several categories.  

• appetizers, snacks, and spreads
• breakfast foods
• breads
• soups, stews, and chilis
• main dishes
• bean main dishes
• vegetables
• desserts
• beverages

So as you can see, there are plenty of recipes and categories to pick from depending on your mood for dinner.

Fact about me:  I'm the type of person that buys cookbooks or gets cooking magazines and then never cooks anything from them.  Yeah, money out the door.  But this book is different.  I have made many different recipes from a crock pot chocolate lava cake to Strogranoff, and I continue to try new things.  If you want to adopt the crock pot lifestyle or even make your life a little more simple one or two nights a week, this is the book for you.  

Not only does the book offer a variety of categories, but each category is filled with many recipes.  The soups, stews, and chilis section contains the most recipes because those are prime crock pot meals.  I would like to note that many times there will be more than one recipe listed for the same type of meal.  For example, I am sharing my favorite vegetable soup recipe from the book, but there are also several different recipes and variations listed.  Everyone has a different take on dinner.  Why not try them all and pick your favorite?

Long story short, this is a purchase that was definitely worth it for our household.

To close, I will leave you with one of my fave recipes from the book.  I've even made this and put it in the freezer for later.  It's versatile and easy!

You can download a FREE 4x6 card of the recipe here!

BONUS TIP:if you are making a meal but will not be home to turn the crock pot on at the right time, get a manual timer and set it!