Tips to Naming Your Puppy

Tips to Naming Your Puppy

You’ve picked out the perfect puppy. You spent hours on the internet, researching the right breed for you and your family. Then you went from breeder to breeder or humane society to humane society, meeting and greeting pups until you find just the right match.Now what? He needs a name!

Over the course of its life, you will use your dog’s name more than 35,000 times. So be sure you’re picking a name you can live with and love. With these seven simple steps, the key to finding the perfect puppy name is at your fingertips!

• Dogs understand short commands. Easy names with two or fewer syllables work well.
• Your puppy’s name shouldn’t sound like any commands. “Stacy” and “stay” are too close for comfort. Such a name will only confuse the issue.
  
• Remember, you’ll be using your pup’s name in public. “Stinky” may be cute among your fellow fraternity members, but it won’t go over well at the veterinarian.
  
• Make your kids part of the decision process. Kids like it simple, too, so if calling your Champion Cavalier King Spaniel “Bootsie” works for them, consider keeping the hoity toity name strictly for AKC purposes.
  
• You may think it’s an honor to name your pup after you’re favorite Uncle Norbert. Naming your baby after him may keep you in the will, but naming your puppy after him may not.
  
• If you’re bringing home an older dog, ideally, stick with the name it already owns. Can’t stand it because “Barney” was the first boy who broke your heart? Then stick with similar sounds when choosing a new dog name. “Barney” morphs into “Farley” easily.
  
• Once you’ve chosen a name, try it out for a day or so. You’ll know right away whether it’s a keeper. If not, there’s always more puppy names on your list!
  

Take a look around you. Everywhere you are, you'll find a variety of terrific ideas on what to name your pooch. At first glance, a couple things will stand out about your new puppy. Enjoy him or her for a day or two and take these into consideration.

• Appearance. What’s your dog look like? His color, size, and personal style inspires a variety of name choices. “Stubbs” would be a great name for a dachshund pup. Or you may call a cream colored cock-a-poo “Buffy.”
  
• Personality. Given a couple of days, your new dog’s personality will really shine through. Try “Cuddles” for the sweet little guy who loves to get cozy or “Puddles” for the pooch who can’t seem to find the doggie door.
  

If you want to go beyond the basics, many famous dog names or foreign dog names can fit the bill. Consider these favorite puppy names when making your decision.

• Celebrity puppy names. Today, pooches have more celebrity following than their famous owners. Chew on “Lola,” a name used by both Hilary Duff and the Osbournes.
  
• TV dogs. “Scooby” and “Astro” come to mind if you want to honor a famous TV pup.
  
• Movie dogs. Cool movies and cool dog names seem to go hand in hand. Cool Hand Luke’s “Blue” would be a fitting label for a variety of dogs.
• Comic dogs. “Snoopy” will always be a favorite, but also consider “Daisy” or “Odie.”
  
• German dog names. For starters, try out “Fritz” or “Kaiser.”
  
• Irish dog names. “Finn” fits well for any pup, as does “Murphy,” which just happens to mean “hound of the sea.”
  
• French puppy names. “Pierre” and “Gigi” are top contenders for any dog, especially those with a little oo-la-la in their genes.
  

The choices are endless. However, with these simple tips and some thought, before long, you’ll have found the perfect puppy name!

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How to Make an Apron

How to Make an Apron

If you are looking for a handicraft gift idea to make for someone special, perhaps that person would like an apron. When we think of aprons, we often think of mothers and grandmothers in the kitchen, but men can often benefit from having an apron as well. They often enjoy barbecuing, for one thing. They also can use an apron in the workshop. Children, too, can use an apron for many of their activities, such as arts and crafts. So, How to Make an Apron? Here are simple instructions for making a handicraft gift of an apron that can be adapted for anyone.

Start with a piece of sturdy fabric suitable for the individual for whom you are making the handicraft gift. The fabric needs to be wide enough to wrap 1/2 to 3/4 of the way around them and long enough to cover them from collar bone to just above the knee. For a large adult, 25 to 30 inches wide by 36 to 40 inches long should be about right. A slimmer adult can use a narrower apron, but if they will be wiping their hands on the sides of it, they might appreciate the extra width. An apron for a child of 10 could start with a piece of fabric about 18 inches wide by 25-30 inches long. The best types of fabric to use are sturdy cottons, such as medium weight denim or twill. Soft cottons such as broadcloth or muslin are all right in the kitchen, but will not last long, and would not hold up in the garden or workshop at all. Other materials you'll need are thread and a sewing machine. You will also need enough extra fabric to make a strap to go around the neck, ties for the back, and pockets.

When designing the handicraft gift, you can be as creative as you like with pockets. Every apron is more useful with pockets. A person who cleans houses, for instance, can use pockets for odds and ends they pick up as well as for their spray bottles, sponges, and scrub brushes.

To make the apron, fold the piece of fabric lengthwise. This will allow you to cut the shape with one cut, making the two sides symmetrical. What you will be shaping when you make the cut will be the bib section of the apron. The bib for an adult sized apron will need to be about 9 inches wide. Measure from the fold about 5-1/2 inches. This is half the width of the bib plus an inch to fold under twice to form a hem. The piece you will cut off the side to shape the bib will be a half bullet shape with the tip of the bullet being where the ties will be attached. The length of the half bullet shape should be about a foot, and the width will be from the spot you marked 5-1/2 inches from the fold to the outside edge of the fabric. When these pieces are cut off, the result should be an apron shaped piece of fabric.

Now decorate the apron with pockets and any other decorations you desire. After this it is time to fold under the edges all around and stitch down with sturdy stitching for a nice hem all around the handicraft gift. Cut two pieces of fabric a yard long by two inches wide. Fold lengthwise and fold raw edges to the inside. Press and stitch down along the length to make the ties. Attach the ties at the waist of the apron handicraft gift. (If these ties seem a little long, it is because a lot of people like to bring the ties to the front and tie them there.) Cut another piece of fabric 18 to 20 inches long by 5 inches wide fold in half lengthwise and press. Press again with the raw edges of the long side tucked under 1/2 inch. Stitch down the open side. Attach this piece to the sides of the top of the bib, sewing it to the back of the bib and top stitching on the front side of the bib. Be careful not to twist it when you attach it.

People who work hard at homemaking, barbecuing and in the workshop will appreciate a handicraft gift of a sturdy apron. Mostly they will appreciate the effort and design you have put into making a handicraft gift that they can use.

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Fun to travel with Pets Tips

Fun to travel with Pets Tips

Just because you have a pet doesn’t mean you have to stay home all the time, because Travel with pets can be fun and easy if you do it right. If you plan ahead and take a little care, it is easy and fun to travel with your pet. Here are some tips to make Fun to travel with Pets, just follow them to make your trip enjoyable for both you and your pets

1. Get your pet used to riding in the car by taking him on short trips. Go to fun places like the pet park, the fast food drive through (where you can feed him bits of meat from your burger), or to visit friends. You want him to think that trips in the car are fun. You don’t want your pet to think that all car trips end up at the vet’s office.

2. If your pet tends to get car sick, don’t feed him the morning of the trip. Having your pet travel with an empty stomach will help to prevent any car sickness.

3. Bring plenty of water and a water dish along. You will need to give your pe periodic drinks of water when you stop for a rest. It will be easier to get your pet to drink if it is familiar water from home. Water in different places often smells or tastes differently, and your pet may not want to drink it.

Be sure to pack your pet’s food, treats, favorite bed, toys, and leash.

5. If your pet uses a crate, bring that along too. If you don’t have a large vehicle, you can buy crates that fold up. When you get to your destination, you can put your pet in his crate while you go somewhere that you can’t bring him along.

6. How should your pet travel in the car? Some pets like to sit or lay on the seat, so bring a blanket to protect the upholstery. Other pets may need to be kept in a crate in the car. Be sure the crate can’t slide around and scare the pet while you’re driving. You can also purchase pet seat belts to keep your pet safe while sitting in the car.

7. Make a stop every few hours to walk your pet and give him some water. Some pets are frightened by the noisy trucks driving by, so try to walk in a quiet area. Be a good citizen and bring plastic bags along to pick up the mess.

8. If your pet is anxious about staying in a hotel or strange house at your destination, he might not eat or drink. You don’t want him to get dehydrated, so be sure to get him to drink, at least. You can mix chicken broth or gravy into the pet’s water. That will usually get him to lap it right up. You can mix chicken broth or gravy into the food too.

The first trip will be the hardest, because your pet will not realize that you are coming back. With the first trip behind you, if you have taken the time to make sure it is pleasant for your pet, future traveling with your pet should be a breeze.

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Caring for Cut Tropical Flowers

Caring for Cut Tropical Flowers

If you acquire tropical flowers like heliconias or even garbera or even if you were lucky enough to live in the tropics and have them for your garden, just remember a few select tips to help them thrive and to extend their shelf life as cut flowers.






1. Water your plants well and give them a big drink before cutting. This is important for foliage plants as well because some species “drink” incredibly little after cutting. Instead, they live off their stored sap. Tropical Flowers have adapted to their natural environment which means frequent however short periods of massive tropical downpour. Look at the flower heads and notice how the petals are “cupped” to catch and store as much water as possible. These plants drink from the top and like being showered with water. Look at the pattern on the leaves. The ridges channel water down to the stem where it's absorbed into the many layers of the Tropical Flowers.

2. If your flowers have been out of water for any length of time after cutting, submerge them totally in the bath for half an hour prior to placing them in a vase.

3. Cut 3 to 4 inches off the stem and then place the Tropical Flowers in a tall vase FULL of clean water.

4. Employ a spray bottle to mist the Tropical Flowers at least twice a day.

5. Change the water and trim a new end on the stems each 2nd or even third day. You are able to double the vase life of your cut flowers by applying these simple techniques.

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