Dogs

Are You An Ultimate Shopper?

Is Amazon Prime Day like Black Friday to you? You know how it is on Black Friday. Many savvy shoppers – especially those who LOVE shopping – are armed with their lists, cell phones charged up, laptop ready in case of a cell phone failure, favorite beverage in hand and an alarm clock. Is this you? You may want to plan on going to bed early the night before just to be at your very shopping-best.

And no one had better get in your way. NO INTERRUPTIONS! The Ultimate Shopper is in her groove. Yes, shopping for some is like an Olympic sport. First out of the chute wins!

This blog contains Amazon affiliate links – lots of them! ♥

When I think about it, I am kind of envious of all the excitement you will have. I am serious. Some gals, especially, tackle Prime Day as a challenge to be conquered! I will be looking for great deals Tuesday and Wednesday July 16 & 17, too, but I’ll bet you will be the winner!

SHOPPING TIP: Know the calendar. For gift buying, write birthdays and family events on a special calendar for this shopping purpose. Reminder: I don’t want you to get nervous or anything but Back to School is pretty much moments away and there are about 145-ish days till Thanksgiving’s Black Friday on November 22nd! So there is a lot going on.

STRATEGY: If the amount of shopping you have to do is overwhelming, only buy what you really are excited about this time and hold onto what can wait for November 22^nd 145-ish days from now. It is important to get our heads around what may pay off …think of the reasons to buy before Prime Day begins. I always look at what I am going to have to buy anyhow and try to do it on Prime Day.

Reasons to buy!

Anniversaries
Automotive Needs
Back to School
Beauty
Birthdays
Books
College Essentials
Health Essentials
Holiday Giving
Home Décor refreshing
I Love You Gifts ♥
Kitchen
Lawn & Garden Supplies
Life’s Essentials (i.e. STUFF FOR YOU!)
Office Supplies, Calendars, Planners
Party planning (stock up!!! )
Pet food and supplies
Showers – baby
Showers – wedding
Sporting Goods
Teacher Gifts
Toys
Weddings

CLICK HERE FOR AMAZON SEARCH! ☑️ Super Quick Access!

“SECRET” SHOPPING TIP: Amazon is running some really GREAT SALES even now! Often you will find highly customer-recommended items for 25 – 40% off!

Teachers, Buy Yourself a Gift!

Cute Teacher Pencil Coquette Bow Back To School Teacher Life T-Shirt

I bought this cute t-shirt for myself and it comes today. Can’t wait!!!

Skechers Women’s Hands Free Summits Dazzling Haze

Is Pet Hair around the house driving you crazy???

I’ve been there. Read about the BEST pet hair vacuum I’ve ever had or just go over and get one right now! Hint: it’s a Shark Navigator!

I would like to personally apologize to CAT OWNERS everywhere. I have always had dogs for pets. My quest for a great PET HAIR vacuum burst forth from sheer frustration from the abundance of white dog fur from my Yellow Labs Blondie, Lexi, Troy and Sadie. I could have BUILT A NEW DOG out of all that shed fur.

Little did I know that the CAT PARENTS OF THE WORLD also have a big pet-hair challenge on their hands. I assure you that the Shark navigator upright vacuums will also be YOUR dream come true!

Best Cat Hair Vacuum Ever!

Enjoy!

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

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Summer is here!!! And, Happy 4th of July to our friends in the USA. Do you have big plans this week? Maybe an outdoor barbecue? How about a trip to the beach? Is there a community parade? Many of our happiest 4ths in the Pies family have been spent at the baseball field! Well, whatever your plans, enjoy them. Enjoy your friends. Enjoy your family. Enjoy freedom!

And, enjoy this party! First we will admire some features from last week and then we will move on to this week’s new party!

This blog contains Amazon affiliate links ♥

Featured Posts

Elegant Independence Table Setting from Thrifting Wonderland

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers from The Kitchen is My Playground

Gluten Free EASY Homemade Fish Sticks from Mommy Hates Cooking

30 Clever Ideas for Pool Noodles from My Life Abundant

Red, White and Blue Pavlova Recipe from Anne’s Entitled Life

Editor’s Pick

Loaded Potato Salad from Cincy Shopper

LEXA 12″ Handmade White Bamboo Wooden Salad Bowl – 130Oz Lightweight Large Wooden Bowls for Food – Bamboo Wooden Fruit Bowl for Kitchen Counter, Wood Bowls for food – Wooden Serving Bowl for Snacks

Let’s say “Thanks” to our wonderful co-hosts!

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

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Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties, please.
Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.
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Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries will be seen no matter when you arrive.
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GREATEST PET HAIR VACUUM! Shark NV752 Rotator Powered Lift-Away True-Pet Upright Vacuum with HEPA Filter, Large Dust Cup Capacity, LED Headlights, Upholstery Tool, Perfect Pet Power Brush & Crevice Tool

Washing The Dog

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Do you wash your dogs? And, how is that going for you? Little dogs can be plopped into the kitchen sink and shampooed there. Easy, peasy. Big dogs are a whole different story.

I have big dogs. It would seem that the simple, logical thing to do is to bathe my dogs often. But, washing gentle giants like Saint Bernards, German Shepherds or a Newfoundlands, how do you do that?

Sadie, my big beautiful 100 pound yellow lab, won’t get in the bathtub. Same with Bailey, our 55 pound cattle dog – boxer mix. If I could get Bailey in the tub, she would undoubtedly jump out seconds later. So, how do you wash a filthy, uncooperative pet?

Do you wash your dog often? Here are some tips and ideas about getting that fur baby shampooed. #dogs #doglover #tips #dogsoftwitter Share on X

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Wash Big Dogs Outdoors

Well, my solution has been to fill up 2 or 3 pails with clean lukewarm water and a pitcher with soapy water and wash them out on the driveway. I hook them up, one at a time, on a long leash connected to our maple tree. Next, I soap them up [I use baby shampoo] and rinse them off by pouring each pail of clean water over them. Off course, I towel them dry and they are more than happy to help me with the drying process by shaking the excess all over the place!

My dream is to have a walk-in shower in my garage that is designed specifically for washing my dogs. They would love it and so would I. It would be so easy. Great fantasy but that is not likely to happen.

Another fabulous solution would be to hire the local pet grooming van to come by to shampoo my dogs once a week. Oh, how I would love that!!!

So, last week I was browsing online and found this dog cleaning wand that can be hooked up to a faucet or a hose. It looks so easy to use and I think the dogs will love it. Take a look at the video below and see what I mean. I haven’t tried it yet but I definitely want to.

What kind of dogs do you have? What technique do you use to wash them?

Enjoy!

The Best Vacuum For Pet Hair I Have Ever Used

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Those who have followed this blog for any time know the struggle I have had getting pet hair off my carpeting, floors and furniture. It has been a hot topic for me. My quest for the ideal pet hair vacuum for me included some absolute failures, including a new vacuum that CAUGHT ON FIRE! I kid you not. But when I found the right one, it STAYED the right one. I have used it for years and still love it!

.I am an Amazon affiliate and this blog contains Amazon affiliate links. ❤️ This article, however, is NOT a sponsored post. It is my own actual pet hair vacuum story.

I love my dogs and I love their fur–when it stays on them. I do NOT love dog fur when it is on everything else. So, I have been on a quest for ☑️ THE BEST PET HAIR VACUUM for a long time – and I finally found it! This is the wonderful style that I still own in 2026 and have used, now, for years. It is great!

2026 UPDATE: THIS super popular VERSION has LED headlights added to make it so easy to get all the dirt and hair up the first time!

2025 BEST Pet Hair Vacuum I have ever used

Before I found this amazing vacuum, I did get a couple of tools that truly helped minimize the problem. I bought a Furminator -which is great for grooming your dog and de-shedding some of its excess fur. I also discovered Arm & Hammer’s Pet Fresh powder for carpets. This product does a really good job lifting the pet fur from the carpet as you vacuum it. The powder deodorizes the carpet, too. Bailey, my most recent dog, is a bit sensitive to products – her eyes react – so I have discontinued using it for her sake. Lexi and Sadie were always A-OK

..For the longest time, though, I did NOT have a great vacuum cleaner to use. In fact, the various vacuums I had tried were mediocre, at best. Though they were top filling and “HEPA filtered,” they lost their suction power early in the game. Lint and fur were left behind no matter how many times I passed that vacuum over the same area. Have you ever had that problem? It is so frustrating.

Before I Found the BEST Vacuum, Wait Till You Hear What Happened to the One I THOUGHT I Liked!

Next, in my journey to finding this TRULY best vacuum cleaner, I did find one that I really liked. When the first one became hopelessly clogged with dirt and debris, I bought another of the same kind because, when it worked, it worked well.

That second one actually CAUGHT ON FIRE! I am not kidding. Blue smoke started coming out and it was seconds from flames, I am sure of it. I unplugged that baby really fast and never tried to use it again. In fact, before discarding it I cut the cord to render it inoperable. I didn’t want someone taking this dangerous vacuum cleaner out of the garbage, thinking they’d found a treasure. Having learned my lesson, I never bought another one of that unnamed brand of vacuums again.

The Best Vacuum For Pet Hair

So, that is when I started to ask around. I was hearing very good reports about the Shark Navigator Liftaway Vacuum #Ad from some of my friends. They told me that they were thrilled with the results. I became very hopeful. This one is the basic model, which I still use.

Then I discovered that my own sister-in-law had one! She hadn’t even used it yet. She was going out of town and wouldn’t be using it for a while so I asked the unthinkable–could I borrow her brand new Shark vacuum for a day? She said “yes.” I love my sister-in-law!!!

I didn’t even have the directions but it was so easy to assemble that I figured it out on my own. I first tried it on my NAVY BLUE carpeting. Well, at least my carpet should have been navy blue. It was covered in white fur from my beautiful yellow lab, Sadie the “fur-making-machine,” so you wouldn’t know what color it really was. Labs shed like crazy! At the time, my floor was covered and EMBEDDED with lots of white dog fur!

So, I vacuumed it. Within moments, the carpet was totally clean. It was the completely restored to that gorgeous navy blue color I loved. Wow! I was excited!

Now, this part really sold me on this vacuum cleaner: emptying the canister!

My happiest discovery was the PLEASURE of emptying the canister, which was now filled with dirt, lint and fur. (Got to really test it so I vacuumed till it was super full!) With the flip of two latches and press of a button, the canister released from the housing, and popped open as I held it over a trash can. “WHOOSH” — all the debris swept out into the trash. NO DIRT GOT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CANISTER. No cloud of dust in the air. Just clean, clean, clean! And the canister opens from top and bottom so nothing gets left inside. It all goes!

yellow lab puppy

Yellow labs make LOTS of fur!

The Shark Upright Navigator Lift-Away Vacuum is:

Lightweight
Easy to maneuver
Simple to use
Thorough in cleaning
Never loses suction
Internally sealed–no dirt escapes it
Stores easily
Empties brilliantly! What a great design!
Various styles available. All are very reasonably priced in a range from about $149.00 to $340 retail.

. …

2026 Update=>A newer version has LED headlights, HEPA filter and easy to maneuver!

Do you love your vacuum cleaner? What kind do you have? Share your experiences with us in the comments!

The very BEST vacuum cleaner I have ever used for pet hair! #cleaningtips #vacuum #dogs #cats And wait till you empty it! A dream come true. Share on X

BELOW: Shark NV752 Rotator Powered Lift-Away TruePet Upright Vacuum with HEPA Filter, Large Dust Cup Capacity, LED Headlights, Upholstery Tool, Perfect Pet Power Brush & Crevice Tool, Bordeaux

Enjoy!

What Does Your Dog Do When You Are Not Home?

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When you are away all day, what does your dog do? Play? Bark at every sound?

I have suspected that mine sleep most of the time when I am gone. They also sit on the stairs in our hallway where they can see the driveway through the window, waiting for someone to come home! Thankfully, it has been quite some time since everyone has been gone long hours at the same time but I sure do remember what it felt like knowing that the dog was alone for 8+ hours a day. I hated it.

Many years ago I actually PRAYED that the Lord would send some kind of entertainment for our yellow lab, Blondie. I was desperate! When we got home from work there were paw marks down the dining room wall. My only guess was that there had been a spider on the wall just high enough to get her attention but out of her reach! LOL A one time blessing but I was looking for a daily solution.

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If you are in a hurry, just click here to find the BEST pet monitoring cameras under $99.00!

When Your Dog Has To Be At Home Alone

When we finally got a second dog it lifted the guilt quite a bit but not everyone can, or wants to, have two dogs. So, what can you do to make their days go better?

Leave the television or radio on for some familiar noise. It isn’t real company but the background sound may be comforting.
Leave fresh water and food.
Leave a light on, in case you don’t make it back home until after the sun goes down.
Leave SAFE toys. That is a tough one since one dog’s “safe” toy can be the next one’s trouble. You know your dog so choose those toys wisely.
Keep dangerous items out of reach. We have a basket of medicines on the table when we are home but it goes inside a safe cupboard each time we leave the house. Our 1 year old puppy is a paper-eater, too, so I have to do a search for napkins, newspapers and such to get them out of the way way before we go out the door.
Find reliable help. You can have a friend come by to let the dog out to go potty. If they love walking, perhaps they would be willing to walk the dog for you. There are professional dog walkers for hire, as well. If you are not going to be able to walk your dog after work, have someone do it for you.
Buy a pet cam. Our son has a video system that he uses to check in on his dogs while he is at work. It gives him comfort to know that all is well. On one occasion, he called us for help as he discovered that the electric had gone off in the house. We went right over for him to check on the house and his pets.
If your dog must be crated for several hours, get him a very big cage. My yellow lab, Sadie, sleeps at night in a crate that is sized for Great Danes (they call the size “ginormous” LOL) She has had some problems with joint pain and we want her to be very comfortable. With this super-sized crate, she can stand up and move around. Sadie is such a good girl that we wouldn’t crate her at all but at night we do it for our own safety. We don’t want to trip over her if she moves around the house. The puppy? Her crate is also big (it is the 42″ model) We just love spoiling our girls!

Now, this is really fun. There is a new interactive pet cam. It is the Petcube Pet Camera that Flings Treats! Pet parents can see and hear their pets and even talk to them. When your dog responds with panting or a bark, you will hear it and see it. You can have a regular doggie-conversation!* And, get this, you can even toss him a treat! No joke. That’s what this big boy [below] is waiting for in this picture. My dogs would be doing exactly what he is doing …. listening and waiting for that treat! (Do cats do that? I have never owned a cat so I don’t know.)

So, how do you handle things when you have to leave your pet for a long day? Do you have someone help you?

What are your pets doing while you are away? #dogs #cats #video #home Share on X

Enjoy!

5 Super Simple Ways For Pet Owners To Get Organized

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We love our fur babies, don’t we! Yes, we love them, we cuddle them, we play with them and we buy them toys. Heck, I just bought my puppy a sweater! Never thought I’d see the day that I would buy clothes for my dog but she looks so cute in it.

This blog contains affiliate links. ♥

With all the joy our beloved pets bring to our lives they also bring more paraphernalia to stash and lots more cleaning to do. But we don’t mind. It’s part of being a pet parent.

Just as with our own stuff, there comes a time where we need to find a place for all the gear. Organizing your pet’s things can be fun – really! Here are five simple ways to keep your puppy’s [or kitty’s] belongings organized and easy to find:

Hooks – use decorative hooks for hanging leashes, collars and dog apparel. Aren’t these little doggie behinds adorable? For those who like a subtler look, a nice pet command station may be up your alley.

Baskets – wicker baskets – and fabric ones, too – are lovely to look at and so convenient for stashing pet toys. They are perfect for Fido’s or Fluffy’s vitamins and medications, too.

Cleanup Pail – place a large pail just outside the door to the house or in your mudroom that will hold their shampoo, pet cleanup bags, brush ( I love the furminator!) and towel for those muddy paws!

5 simple ways to get your dog's and cat's stuff organized! #pets #dogs #cats #organizing #tips Share on X

Doggie Travel Bag – keep a “doggie on the go” bag packed for your pooch. Whenever you want to hop in the car and take your dog with you, it will be packed and ready!

Treat Jar– make it easy for you – and not so easy for your fur babies – to get to their treats by putting them in a decorative container right on the kitchen counter. I really like this one!

Got any great tips on how you organize for your furry friends?

This blog contains affiliate links. ♥

Enjoy!

Welcome Our New Puppy

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Being a work-at-home mom has its advantages. You can do things that you could never do if you had a 9-5 job outside the home. You can take time off for school field trips whenever you want to, for instance. How about this ⇒ you can work in your pj’s! You also can take breaks to clean out a closet, load the dishwasher, do the laundry or walk the dog. None of those things can ever happen in a traditional work setting. And – ta da – you can also get a new PUPPY!

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Adorable puppy mixed breed: Australian Cattle Dog, Boxer, Bulldog

Today that is just what we did. We got a puppy! Say “hello” to our new bundle of joy ⇒”Bailey!” She is an 8 week old mix: 40% Australian Cattledog, 20% Boxer and 20% Bulldog. Isn’t she pretty? Her story is kind of interesting.

My niece was pregnant with her 5th child. She was finding raising a young dog – “OB” for Obi Wan Kanobi of Star Wars fame – and four young children a bit overwhelming. So she and her husband decided to adopt a second dog to keep OB company. Seemed like a great solution.

Well, the little Australian Cattledog they adopted, Leia (yes Princess Leia!) was pregnant with pups, unbeknownst to them. It wasn’t till they could see the puppies moving in her tummy that they figured it out. Surprise!

Dog pregnancies are just 8-9 weeks long and only a few short weeks later 8 bouncing baby boy and baby girl PUPPIES were born! 10 dogs and four kids in the house. My resilient niece and nephew had a lot on their hands.

Our new puppy is so cute! #AustralianCattleDog #Boxer #Bulldog #mixedbreed #dogs

Now this is the part that I found fascinating. Apparently dogs can be impregnated by more than one male. Leia started out in a dog pound where they did not separate the dogs so, you guessed it, more than one doggy daddy!

It appears that there were 2 dads. My niece had the puppies’ DNA tested, as the prospective families wanted to know their new pet’s heritage. Three of the dogs are a mix of herding dogs and German Shepherd. You can see it. They are almost 5 pounds heavier and very fluffy.

The other 5 puppies, of which Bailey is one, are Australian Cattledog, Boxer and Bulldog. When I was a little girl I had three boxer dogs so hearing that made me very happy! And, though she doesn’t have any Labrador Retriever in her, her mannerisms and face do remind me of our beloved labs. Can it get any better than that?

You will think I am crazy but I swear that she asked to go out to go potty today. New home, only 8 weeks old and learning the ropes already? Probably not but it sure seemed like it.

This work-at-home mom just got a new PUPPY! Fun back-story to this little fur baby #doglover #puppies Share on X

Thank goodness for dog crates. We have one near my in-home office (in the kitchen) and another upstairs in the bedroom where Sadie’s crate resides.

Sadie, our lovely green-eyed Yellow Lab, only sleeps in her dog crate at night, which really is for our sake. She’d love to sleep in our bed with us – all 100 pounds of loveliness. She takes up so much space it gets hard to roll over and, if she slept on the floor I am concerned she’d change her location in the middle of the night and one of us could trip over her. Not a good idea. Good thing she loves her crate. I just bought her a super-sized one that is made for a Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog or Great Dane. She has lots more room to move around.

Tired Australian Cattle Dog puppy mixed breed taking a nap.

Though we have been in and out the door ALL day long, little Bailey is now curled up next to me on the couch while I write this post. Another perk of being a work-at-home-mom!

Are you a work-at-home mom? Are you a dog mom? Loving it?

Tell us a little about your life!

Enjoy!

Best selling dog supplies for happy dogs #pets #dogs #ad

Note: this author is an Amazon affiliate. That means that if you purchase something from Amazon through an ad or a link on Ducks ‘n a Row, at NO extra cost to you, I will earn a small commission. Thanks so much for shopping Amazon through me! … Sinea