Our Family becomes Five.........

This is a blog post I wrote for a labradoodle website I joined.  This website was invaluable leading up to getting our puppy and I still refer to the site often....DoodleKisses.  A few weeks after getting Guinness I wrote this to add to the new puppy section to hopefully help new dog owners like myself.  ................

If you are reading this and are not in possession of your puppy yet, then I admire you, cuz you are just like me!!  I searched high and low to find someplace to read about just what to do with a new pup.  You see, my husband and I did not have pets growing up and our children (14 and 11) have had limited exposure to dogs, let alone puppies.  I wanted to find a book, an article, something that would tell me what to do from minute one....I did not want to mess this puppy up....I have great children, how hard can it be, right??

Yes, I, like you, have read all the books out there, asked everyone for advice (all varying in their opinions), stocked my puppy basket with all kinds of supplies, purchased a crate (2 actually) and waited for the 'due date'!  We dont need to chat about breed selection because you have already made what I think to be a wise choice, in purchasing (rescuing) a doodle.  

SO waiting for the day......bought the crates, the poochie bells, the dog food (a brand recommended by my breeder), some liver treats, some Kongs, a Tuffy toy and a soft blanket.  Ok ok ...I also bought puppy shampoo, dental foam, nail clippers, the stuff to use when you make a mistake with the nail clippers, a grooming brush, poop and scoop bags, a bully stick and an exercise pen.(did not use it as a pen, instead used the folded pen to block off our doorways)  Yes, a little type A here but I wanted to be prepared.  (what I would add to this list looking back is a container of dog wipes ...more on this later)

Day One:  My husband and I head to the breeders with our children around noon.    Everyone excited but I have a heaviness in my chest..feeling like our lives are about to change and I have no idea if its going to be for the better...that's normal right?  Breeder said to hold puppy going home (about a 20 min drive).  Pick up was calm and informative, we watched Guinness (our choc brown mini aussi doodle) pee outside (oooo and ahhhh-ing) and then we took the blanket the breeder gave us (scented with mom and siblings), all the paperwork etc and piled into the car.   I wrapped Guinness in the blanket I brought (Canada...winter) and sat in the backseat between my children.  We spoke calmly the whole way home while Guinness whimpered and squirmed but was pretty good all things considered.  

Arriving home, my husband took Guinness right out to the spot in our yard that had been cleared (snow..Canada) for him to pee, which he did.  We then carried him in, right to our family room that had been puppy proofed and gated off.  In this space, we had one of the crates, his dog food dishes and his toys.  We put out food but it stayed untouched for most of the afternoon.  Guinness wandered and explored, we kept our interaction low key, not too much fuss or babying..just let him sniff around to get comfy.  Within an hour he was napping on the soft blanket.  Right after the nap, we took him outside, he peed....then peed again inside!!   He ate and then had a huge poop outside.  

There are four times we knew that Guinness had to go out:

1.  After a nap   2.  After eating.  3. After being let out of his crate  4.  After a vigorous play session

That is pretty much always I guess..

Guinness stayed content to hang out and play or nap for most of the first day...we were outside for pee breaks quite a bit (I recorded the times and 'events' and I still am, heading into week two)  Around 8 pm we removed his water bowl and tried to keep him from completely conking out until 10 pm.  The breeder said the pups were sleeping by 10pm and up by 630am.  No night time pee breaks she said...is that too good to be true??  She also suggested that for the first night or two that we flip the crate upside down, remove the plastic tray and put his mat on the bottom.(with the blanket the breeder gave us) This allows you to slide you hand in thru  the wider spaces that are now at the top, so that you can soothe your pup when he is crying which I think is a guarantee for the first few nights.  So we did that to the crate that is in our bedroom, adjacent to our bed (my side)  I did have to get up quite a few times the first night, slid my hand in, gave him a gentle rub and said...shhhh  lie down, each time.  I let this happen for two nights, then righted the crate so I could not do it anymore and just used my voice to say shhh lie down if he whimpered....this lasted 2 more nights and by night 5 I did not hear a peep from my pup...yep   10 to 7......no going out midway thru the night, ever!!!!!!!

Day 2 to 7:  Looked like a steady stream of napping, pee breaks and play time.  I did not put Guinness in his crate for the amount of time that the books recommend during the day.  I did use the Kong (stuffed with dry kibble and packed in with Kong yogurt in a tube) and a teething Kong that had kibble pushed inside to lure him in the crate.  I did have to leave Guinness in his crate to run my children to school and to get groceries.  For these times, I gave him the Kongs, made sure he was calm, closed the door and walked away...no fuss   Upon returning home I could hear him whimpering and I did not let him out until he was not barking and sitting calmly.  So far this routine has been working well and occasionally I see Guinness crawl into his crate and play with the Kongs.  That is good, right ?  I do have the luxury of being at home currently so I am able to watch him closely, and when I can't, in his crate he goes.

**Day 3 we had a Vet visit, for the full once over, shots etc.  Our Vet was wonderful with us, patient and kind to Guinness.  We felt so reassured, I hope you find a good Vet too...ask around, it is worth the piece of mind .  BTW we opted for no pet insurance..major bills are pretty rare with this breed but can happen...Vet suggested putting the $$ aside that we would have spent on premiums..this way we will have a little bank roll if we need it, but its not gone to the Insurance company. Vet also mentioned that with the type of curly fleece Guinness has, he may have issues with "cling-ons" that could cause potential clogs to the poop shoot.  Yes, this did happen about three days later.  A quick trip to the groomer had Guinness clipped in that area (a reverse Brazilian I call it) and all seems good now.  We use baby wipes if we see anything 'hanging' around there.  

Day 7 we expanded Guinness' living space to include the kitchen...he had a pee accident on day 7 (one of three since we had him home) but fully my fault.  He explored the new space and had to get used to being "under foot" since he was now following me around everywhere...our hardwood is dark brown, almost his coat colour so things are still a little dicey when we are walking around.  By  Day 7 I noticed Guinness's appetite increase, he couldnt eat his kibble fast enough when I put the bowl down so the breeder said increase his serving size slightly.  Feeding three times a day, btw, and removing kibble after about a half hour.  

I am currently only on Day 10:  all things progressing like clockwork....most important, as a family, we have remained patient and consistent...all using the same cues  (go pee,  get busy, leave it, down, come)  Yes, I feel like I have a new born, that my life is not the same that it was before, but I do know that it will get easier and life will go on.  Guinness is a great little pup, so loving and obedient.  I really do marvel at how calm he is...for now.  I know things will get crazy at times and that we are all just finding our way.....Common sense does seem to help and having read a lot, I am always choosing which strategy to try and sticking with it.  

You are going to love your new addition...they will test you and your patience (and your sanity) but they are pretty amazing creatures.  Just remember that they are not babies, dont humanize them even tho they are so flipping cute, they are dogs after all.  

Just as a last note, these are the strategies I am trying...crate training ( a MUST, dont argue with me on this one), tethering for short periods during the day, Poochie bells to let us know when he has to go out, and I am trying not to treat train...instead I use treats to reward behaviour I see occurring  (i.e..  when he is laying down nicely, I say Good Lay Down..and give him a treat, same when he wanders in to his crate)  Guinness gets lots of positive praise for peeing outside or for laying on his mat etc)  Treat training can be a slippery slope and is a quick way to get compliance, but I like rewarding him with praise and treats when he is doing things he should "naturally" not on command.  Yes you can argue with me on this one, everyone has a system that works for them, you will find yours.  Whatever it is embrace it and be consistent.

Have fun................

Renovation of the Soul

My Juicing Adventure

I have decided to take a break from renovating my home to renovating my soul....wow, that is deep.

In addition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, good stress balance and physical fitness, I have been doing a lot of yoga!  Yoga is really all it is cracked up to be.......if you haven't tried, you really should.  I think all roads eventually lead to yoga, whether you  are a triathlete or a peri-menopausal woman, you will eventually find yourself in the healing embrace of a yoga studio somewhere, sometime!!

My soul renovation started with the yoga and then one evening I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  (Australian man documents his journey of a 60 day juice fast)  That was an eye-opener of a movie!!  Even though I would consider myself a very healthy eater, the idea of juicing for a few days was very appealing...sort of like opening the windows and letting the good air in and the stale air out.


And so began my juicing adventure..............

I read a lot, then read some more and made a lot of notes.  Most sources gave pretty much the  same advice for a first time juicer.

  I decided on a 3 day cleanse which translates into 7 days actually.  The first 2 days you should eat mostly raw foods.  I did not have dairy, meat or eggs either. 3 days of juice only followed by another 2 to 3 days easing back into eating with raw foods once again.

 Plan for your juice cleanse.  Read all kinds of recipes and try a huge variety of juices.  I wrote down the juices and their recipes  I would try for the 3 days....  counted up all the produce (a lot!), then went to my local organic grocery store and loaded up for the 3 days of juicing.

I opted to forgo my daily hot yoga routine for a few days, unsure of how I would feel in the heat and under physical exertion.  Oh...and NO coffee.

I thought I was mentally prepared and I had my whole family supporting me...but I didn't expect the overall obsession I would have with food for the 3 days of the cleanse.

DAY ONE  of 'juice only' started well. Awoke to a full glass of water (should drink this every morning) The first juice I made was not exactly tasty but I gulped down the 32 ozs of it and tried to get on with a normal day.   I also drank a lot of water after I had a juice, as is recommended.

These are the ingredients of my first juice...the Mean Green

 My husband and I made a quick trip to Costco that morning and then it hit me...not wise to be in a warehouse full of food when you are not "eating".  We browsed around and then the smell of the hotdogs and fries from the snackbar was enough to send us quickly paying and hightailing it out of there!

By lunch time, the feeling of being 'hungry' set it....I just wanted to bite into something but I stuck with it...my husband ate his tempting lunch in another room while I juiced my lunch and drank.  The dull headache from caffeine withdrawal set it.

The hunger pains have a purpose and I knew that I was not going to starve so I did not give in to them. I knew that I was ingesting far more nutrients in my glass of juice than I would have "eaten" for lunch that day so I took solace in that and forged on.

I decided to cook for my family, set a lovely table, and then walked away when they were eating.  I know this is not conducive to family harmony, but it was only for 3 days and, quite frankly, I couldn't stand to watch them "eat"!!

Bedtime was very early on day one...after 4 large juices and lots of water, I was tired of peeing constantly and of thinking of food, reading about food, or seeing food on TV.  I was quickly coming to realize that we are inundated by food at every turn..something I was more or less oblivious to before the juice cleanse.  Lights out...probably dreamt of something crunchy...and salty..and coffee.

Another bowl of goodness.......

Day 2 was a struggle..I tried to stay out of the house and away from the kitchen..but the big world has  food at every corner..restaurants, drive thrus, grocery stores, billboards  food, food everywhere!!  I kept up with my 4 juices and lots of water.  Still had dull headache..very tolerable, but present.  At supper that night, my husband BBQed the steaks we  bought at Costco the day before.  I made the most amazing "smashed" potatoes and at one point, I licked the salt and butter from my fingers like a child.  I disappeared during dinner that night to say the least!  Bed really early.

Day 3 and I awoke talking myself out of this whole crazy thing.  Figured I had done 2 days, that was good enough.  Wanted to "eat"...still felt hunger pains, wanted to eat my arm , my young, anything would have been tasty!!  Told my husband he looked like a cooked chicken!!!!!!!

A funny thing happened however....I wanted a juice to start the day..didn't want coffee and felt that I needed the juice.  The day turned into lunch and I was almost there.  I did pop into our local Booster Juice and discovered a drink without any yogurt, milk or ice cream.  They have 3 on the menu that are veg and fruit blends with ice.  I tried the Spinach Is In It and I was in love.  Yes, not really a juice technically, since all ingredients are juiced except for the mango and spinach that get run thru the VitaMix.  It was heaven in a glass. It got me through and I was in the home stretch.  Still bed early tho !

The next few days were going to be combinations of juice and raw foods but I found myself wanting the juice.  Feeling great, energized and satisfied!!!! I was shocked. Day 4 brought on a new perspective I guess.  Since I now could "eat', I didn't want to and it was so much easier to get through the day.  I did have half a pear for breakfast and a salad at lunch, but juice the rest of the day.  Didn't want or need the coffee either!!!

After the cleanse is a great time to reintroduce some foods that you suspect may cause other issues, like bloating, fatigue etc.  I found that bread (gluten) was a trigger for me when I put it back in.  Limiting my gluten intake has reduced that bloated feeling I would get after eating.  I have also drastically limited my red meat intake (that is a struggle in a house full of BBQ lovers..I am trying).  I also lost a few pounds but they came back quickly when I started eating full meals again.  This is not really a diet...its a cleanse.

Fast forward to a month later, I still have a juice once  or twice a day and  no coffee.  I have read Brendan Brazier's book Whole Foods To Thrive and I am trying to only put nutrient dense food in my mouth.  Its a struggle, but I feel so great and want to maintain this lifestyle.

What advice can I give if you are thinking of trying a juice cleanse???

• Plan well.  Read a lot, plenty of info in books and on line.  Map out your cleanse and shop once prior to starting.  You won't want to venture into the grocery store while juicing...just painful.
• Drink a lot of water.  Have a least 4 large juices a day but have more if you like...go crazy.
• Don't beat yourself up if you crack and sneak a carrot or 2.  Lots of people recommend first timers add in a salad or raw foods.  
• You will read that lots of people have colonics prior to juicing.  I did not go down this road, but apparently it helps to curb any food cravings..your choice
• Drink your juice as soon as it is made.  Just drink it.  Dont save it,  you will lose a lot of the good stuff as time passes
• I avoided exercise but looking back I could have done regular yoga and light exercise.  I did not ever feel weak.  In theory, you should feel great and I did, just not right away.
• Juicing Machines vary in price and productivity.  There is a lot written about the value of high end machines that process juice and maximize nutrient yield.  I have an old Jack Lalanne juicer and it was perfect for me.  
• There is a lot of prep to juicing, cleaning the produce, trimming to size, coring etc.  As well, the juicer clean up is a huge pain but be sure to drink your juice before tackling the clean up.
• Be prepared for how amazing you are going to feel.  Really!  You will.  How can you not...you will have lived for about a week putting amazing food and all the healing properties into your body, while not ingesting all the "crap" that we do on a regular basis.  Its like a clean slate and you wont want to undo what you have just done!!

                                     My Juicing Plan

Day One

The Mean Green
4 celery stalks, 2 apples, 6 kale, half a lemon peeled , one inch piece of ginger

Celery and Green Apple
2 celery stalks, 5 med granny smith apples, 1 med bunch of spinach (large handfull)

Carrot Apple and Lemon
6 carrots, 3 Fuji apples (these are the best for juicing), 3 celery stalks, I med red bell pepper, 3 leaves Romaine, one lemon peeled

Cucumber, Beet Juice
12 med carrots, 1 cucumber, 1 large red beet, 3 medium beet greens  (the beets will stain your juicer so drink juice while cleaning up after this one)

Day Two

Morning Glory
4 kale, I large handful spinach, 3 romaine leaves, 1 cucumber, 3 celery stalks , 1 green apple, 1 lemon peeled

Sunrise Citrus
2 grapefruits, 1 med red pepper, 2 pears, 6 carrots

Romaine Celery
3 pears, 2 celery stalks, 6 kale , 1 med lemon peeled , 6 romaine leaves

Day 3

Morning Sunrise
2 orange bell peppers,  1 navel orange peeled, 4 carrots, large handful fresh pineapple, 
1 lemon peeled

Celery Cucumber
2 med celery stalks, i med cucumber, i med lemon peeled, 3 granny smith apples, 3 kale leaves, 1 sm piece of ginger

Mini Juice
1 apple, 3 romaine leaves, 2 carrots


Will I juice cleanse again?  Definitely!!!!  Maybe by the end of the summer after all the summer fun and food, I  will want to cleanse again.  Knowing that you will not die from lack of food and that perhaps you will thrive instead...that is appealing!!

.

The Dweller Gets the Reno Bug...Dining Room

Just like all good things in life, a successful renovation just keeps you wanting more!  So it is with that attitude that I persevered and decided to tackle our dining room.  This room is just across the hallway from the Oasis so while I am dwelling, I will get to enjoy the view to this room as well.

The dining room is currently a gold colour from Benjamin Moore, Quincy Tan HC25 .  The floors are an espresso brown oak and the room is long and narrow with a bay window facing the street.  The  wall unit and small bar are black and the table is a medium brown.  The chandelier is a "goldish" metal of some kind and I am thinking that might have to be replaced or repainted.  Sadly the upholstered chairs have to find a new home as well as the gorgeous new, yes new, artwork!

The  professionals arrived and began with the usual coverups and well as starting with a coat of primer everywhere.  My plan is to have panel moldings applied to the walls, similar to the oasis but with a beefed up crown piece and a small second panel rectangle in each panel in the top quarter.  I am also planning to have two sconces installedon either side of the mirror above the little black bar piece.  The crown molding that currently exists in the room is plaster, fancy and was probably quite expensive for the previous homeowners.  Instead of demolishing it like we did in the oasis, we hope to simply cover it with a larger piece of plain molding.  The baseboards will be replaced and panels installed not only in dining room but in the adjacent walk thru pantry as well.  Paint will be trim white on panels and Benjamin Moore's Kendall Charcoal on the top third.  Whew!  A Tall order


Fingers Crossed!!

 The walk thru pantry leading from dining room to kitchen, dark brown cabinets covered with plastic on right.

The bright spot is one of the two new roughed in areas for the sconces......

So far so good.............

Full On Reno....Dining Room

The original plaster molding

Covering up the crown was a tall order and caused a delay right away as the molding had to be special ordered.  It was a very inflexible type of molding and was difficult and time consuming to install.  The finished product is stunning but it set our completion date back.

Newly installed crown with small additional piece of molding on bottom.  In order for this molding to fit snuggly the carpenters had to chisel away at the decorative plaster ....more mess and time sadly!

The panels have been started and we have discovered that with the placement of light switches, etc that the second smaller panel cannot be added.  This was disappointing as I had hoped it would add more of a formal feel to the dining room.  Oh well!!

The panels are the same dimensions as the ones in the Oasis.  The baseboard is  7 in doorjam and will be finished with a simple shoe molding on the bottom along the floor.

Getting closer.  Hard to tell in this photo but I have painted the chandelier with metallic pewter paint.  I will be changing the shades to a white colour.  I have been told that they can be spay painted.....will update on that result in a few days!

Dining Room Paint Day

I am so happy with how this room is shaping up.  The first coats of paint already look fabulous and I cant wait for it all to be complete.  The dark grey is Kendall Charcoal and the white is trim white.

Almost There.......

Just a few more finishing touches and the crew will be rolling up their drop sheets and leaving me with a beautiful new room.

Funny thing about this light fixture........it was formally a Restoration Hardware piece...sort of a tarnished bronze finish with 8 gold linen lampshades

I used metallic paint from a craft store in a Pewter finish.  The paint went on thick and smooth.  Took no time at all to have a beautiful new faux finish.

I then painted the lampshades (yes painted!) with white fabric paint.  That also went on smoothly with a roller and left behind a flawless finish.

Here is the final product. I was so happy with it UNTIL..........

I turned on the light switch and MY OLD FIXTURE APPEARED!!  The gold from the linen shades glowed right through the 4 coats of white paint.  The metallic finish also took on that gold hue and looked exactly like it did before I painted it!!   It has become the marvel of the entire room.  My kids especially like to turn the switch on and off saying "new light, old light, new light, old light"  hahaha

The Finale: Dining Room

The project is done and I am thrilled with the results.  The crisp white wall panelling is stunning next to the dark grey above.  The espresso oak floors never looked so good and I didn't even touch them!!

I love deep plum and will be accenting with that colour when the Begere chairs are finally finished!

Now if only the dining room came with its own gourmet chef...................

BEFORE

                                                                         

                                                                                    AFTER