Caring for My Chaos

Along with my entire family, I wear glasses.  I have for about 3 years now.  I had noticed about two months ago that my left eye was really bad.  I couldn't see anything out of it, just blurry blobs.  So,  I carried myself to the eye doctors, expecting to get a new prescription.  He dilated my eyes because my left eye failed all the tests.  Imagine my surprise when he tells me that at the age of 42, I have cataracts.  I couldn't believe it! He said this is extremely rare, but does happen.  I ended up leaving there with a referral to an eye surgeon instead of a prescription.  Now I'm waiting to go see the eye surgeon.  I'm a little nervous even though I know it's an easy,  routine surgery.  I will keep all you wonderful readers updated as this progresses!

**I received product in exchange for my 100% honest opinion. All opinions are my own** Now I have never really thought about cat litter. I usually only buy the cheapest cat litter there is. I didn't care if it clumped, was clay, it didn't matter. Just as long as it kept the smell away. Because I don't care how cute your cat is, they stink. Bad. So, I was really interested to try this Fresh Step Triple Action Scented Cat Litter. I had tried to steer away from scented cat litters because I had found the cheap ones made the smell worse. This litter surprised me. Not only did it keep the smell away for the whole week, the scent didn't make the smell worse! It clumps very well. And easy clean up. It came right out of the box without having to beat the box all to hell. Kitty seemed to like it too. I think the smaller granules are easier on the paws. Overall, this was a win. I was happy and Kitty was happy. What more can you ask for? You can buy this on Chewy.com in a pa...

We all know what this is. And I hope you clean it every time that you put a load of laundry in your dryer. But did you know that lint gathers at the opening on the outside of your house? And inside your dryer? You would be surprised how much is there. And this is a serious fire hazard. Every month, you should be inspecting the opening on the outside of your house and cleaning it. You can get a lint brush for only a few dollars at any store. I got mine at Ollie's for I think 3$. These are what they look like I have the rounder looking one. The long one is better if you have the kind of lint filter that is inside the drum. Mine is like the one pictured on top of the post. Also, about twice a year you should detach the duct from the back of your dryer and clean that out completely. All of this will also help prolong the life of your dryer! It won't have to work as hard to dry everything. So go clean out those filters and ducts!

** I received product in exchange for my opinion.  All opinions are 100% my own** This month's choice was Tiny Tiger wet cat food! This comes in a 24 pack with three different flavors - tuna, salmon and whitefish. Since my own cat won't eat wet food,  my grandcat was our guinea pig. Bean loved all three flavors! The portion size is perfect. The aroma wasn't too bad.  A little fishy but not overpowering.  I think this brand is perfect for the kitties. It is grain free and has chunks in thick gravy. Your kitty gets the protein he or she needs! If your kitty isn't a weirdo like mine and likes wet food, definitely check out Tiny Tiger!

If you are a follower of the blog, you know that my husband and I have gotten to the point in our lives that we are caregivers for his parents. For a while, it wasn't that big a deal; some cancer dr appts and keeping up with my father in law's care for his Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. But, right before Christmas, everything changed. My father in law had called and told me that his ankles were very swollen, which we had been told to let the dr know immediately if that happened. They instructed us to go to the walk in care clinic who instructed us to go straight to the ER. This started a whirlwind of hospital and doctors. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, this on top of the leukemia and emphysema. He had to have 3 liters of fluid drained from one lung. The first hospital visit, they put him on blood thinners which interacted with his cancer treatment and made his blood pressure drop to 73/37. That ended up in another ER/hospital stay. Now, I am not only keeping u...

**I receive product in exchange for my 100% honest review.  All opinions are my own. ** Introducing Canidae Grain Free Pure Heaven snacks! As you can see from the picture, these were a hit.  I chose the bison and butternut squash flavor.  They loved it! I really like the size.  I think it's the perfect size for a treat. Not too big and not too little.  The aroma is pleasing too. I hate when their treats stink.  These are all natural and grain free, which makes me feel even better about giving it to them. You should definitely check these out! They are also available in salmon with sweet potato and duck with chickpea.  Your doggies will thank you!

The winner of the Lotus Trolley giveaway was Elizabeth D.! Congratulations! Thanks to all that entered!

I thought this would be a good way to kick off the year! Remember my post about the Lotus Trolley Bag? The one that saves tons of plastic bags from being used and are reusable? Well, this fabulous company has made produce bags too! These are very well made with cinch closures at the top. They come in different sizes and are reusable. No more fighting those flimsy plastic bags in the produce section! I've teamed up with Lotus Trolley to bring you this giveaway for a 6 pack of these awesome bags. Just enter below! The giveaway starts today and ends 1/12/2019. I'll be announcing the winner then! Good luck!   a Rafflecopter giveaway

See that guy on the right? He's my favorite father in law and it's his birthday! He turns 83 today! This man was born to be a papa and I am so grateful he's in our lives! Happy birthday Pa!!!

 Merry Christmas from my family to yours! I hope every one of you have a fabulous day and that Santa was good to you.  Give your loved ones lots of love and cherish the time with them!

**I received product in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own. ** This is my grandcat, Bean.  He was our guinea pig since my cat is a jerk and won't eat wet food.  Bean loved Hills Science Diet Adult Savory Entrees.  I chose the variety pack and he went nuts for every flavor!  There were turkey, chicken and turkey liver.  I really liked the consistency; it seemed more like human food to me.  And with Hill's, they make sure their food is as nutritious as it is delicious. They include vitamins, minerals and amino acids.  I would highly recommend this for your cat!

**I was given product in exchange for my honest opinion.  All opinions are my own and my granddogs'** Look at those good boys waiting patiently for their Merrick Fresh Kisses Holiday Mint treats! These treats are adorable.  They look like little toothbrushes.  And they really make their breath smell better.  They are infused with mint breath strips.  I have to say,  Bolt liked these more than Bentley.  Bentley could take them or leave them.  He's not a minty kind of guy I guess.  But Bolt loved them.  These would make a great gift for the fur babies in your life this Christmas! Go check them out on Chewy.com !

As some of you know, I am over 40. Almost 42 to be exact.  And a few weeks ago, I got it in my head that I was too overweight.  If you consult a BMI chart and look up what I should weigh based on my height,  I am morbidly obese. That says I should weigh 120. Let's just say I am no where close to that, nor have I been for quite a few years.  I decided to diet.  I am horrible at dieting.  I have a mean sweet tooth and no self control.  But I bought my Slimfast shakes and started.  I was miserable. And only lost 2 pounds.  Then I had a realization.  No matter what I do, this body will never be the body I had in my teens or even 20s. It has gone through too many changes.  My hips will never fit into a size 3 again because I carried three children.  They destroyed me.  (Kidding) And now, after all those changes it's been through, we are headed into perimenopause. This realization changed my perspective immensely.  I am ...

 We have a lot of stomach issues in this house.  BothBubby and Doodle have been to a stomach doctor before.  They never really were diagnosed with anything, but from time to time, their stomachs will be upset. I'm always looking for natural ways to relieve their symptoms. I was thrilled to find UpSpring Stomach Settle.  These little hard candy- like stomach reliever is all natural.  It contains ginger, spearmint, lemon and B6. It works for nausea, upset stomach,  indigestion, gas and motion sickness.  I tried one three other night when I had some indigestion and it tastes really good! I really liked it.  And it helped my stomach quickly.  I like you can give this at any age, as long as they are big enough to have hard candy.  You can find them on Amazon and Wal-Mart . Go check them out!

Here's another from scratch recipe that was just for Hunny! He loves scalloped potatoes but I have never tried to make them from scratch because I thought it was too complicated. Imagine my surprise when I went looking at recipes and found out that it was simple! Of course, I took a little bit from a bunch of recipes and made it my own, so here it is! 4-5 good sized potatoes sliced about 1/4 inch thick. I used red potatoes so I didn't have to peel them but feel free to use whatever kind you have on hand. 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup chicken broth 2 cups milk 2 cups sharp cheddar (I think you can use whatever kind of cheese you like, but we love cheddar) Preheat oven to 400. Grease 13x9 inch pan. In medium saucepan, melt butter. When butter is all melted, whisk in flour, salt and pepper Let cook a few minutes until nice and bubbly. Slowly add chicken broth, whisking after each addition. Slowly add milk, again whisking after each additio...

This is what was for dinner tonight! I have been going back to trying to cook more from scratch and trying new recipes. This one is a mash up kind of recipe where I took the idea of it from Taste of Home Most Requested Recipes and added my own spin. I made it a little simpler, with less chopping of vegetables. Here it is- 2 bags mixed vegetables 3 large chicken breasts cooked and cubed 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup butter 2 cups chicken broth 2 cups milk Biscuit topping 2 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 2 t sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter cubed 2/3 cup milk In a 13x9 inch greased pan, mix the veggies with the chicken. Set aside. In a frying pan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour. Let cook a few minutes. Slowly add the milk and chicken broth, whisking after each addition. Let cook until nice and bubbly. Pour over the chicken veggie mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the butter, cutting it in until it is pe...

**I received this product in return for my 100% honest review. All opinions are my own** Now, I have seen these cat scratchers before and thought "How can cardboard hold up to a kitty scratching?" I have to say, I am impressed! Mishka went nuts for this! I think the catnip that comes with it helped, but she went to town scratching it and you can't even tell she did! There's no damage. Above is an action shot of her having fun on it. Plus this is double sided for it to last longer. It is also made out of recycled and recyclable cardboard. It's big enough for her to plop down and sleep on it too when she's worn out.  There literally isn't anything about this that didn't impress me! I was even impressed that the catnip is made in North America. If you have kitties, go grab one at Chewy.com!

**I received product in return for my 100% honest review. All opinions are my own!** Oh, my goodness, am I excited to share this! I know a lot of people are trying to be more green and use reusable bags when they shop. I would like to but the thought of carrying all those bags with me is such a hassle, I just give up and get plastic. Introducing the Lotus Trolley Bag System. This is such an ingenious invention. It's 4 heavy duty reusable bags that attach to each other with handles to keep them upright in your basket. Just carry it with you as shown above, put your groceries up on the conveyor, open this up and put your groceries in! Easy peasy! Here it is in use! There's even a cooler bag, an egg holder and wine holders in there! They come apart so you can easily use one at a time if you want to. And it cut down on the time it takes me to bring all the groceries in. Usually it takes me at least 5 or 6 trips back and forth to get the whole lot in, but I was done in 3 with...

**This is a sponsored post. I received product in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own** I love Chewy.com ! I don't think we have found a product that isn't high quality! This month's is no exception. This month's choice was Greenies Pumpkin Spice Flavor Chews. As you can see in the picture, the pups love them. These smell heavenly and definitely make a difference in the doggy breath situation. The pups don't know that they are getting their teeth cleaned; they think they're just getting treats. These are just the right size too. Not so big that they get too full, and not too little where they feel cheated. There are other flavors of Greenies, but this flavor I thought was appropriate for fall. Everything has to be pumpkin spice now doesn't it? Why leave the pups out? Go check out these treats here and grab some for your pup!

**I received product in exchange for my 100% honest review. All opinions are my own.** This is so exciting! Introducing the MasterPan! Cook up to three different things all at the same time in the same pan! Isn't that fabulous? I received one of each of their products to try out. There is the 3 section skillet, shown here, the 2 section skillet and the deep grill. I'm in love with all three products. They are made from 100% die cast aluminum so they conduct heat evenly and are nonstick. And we even tried bacon on these, which always sticks and had no problems. They are covered with Xylan which is PFOA free and chemical free so you are safe cooking. These are very sturdily built; I'm really impressed with the craftmanship. All three have a grill section, which is fabulous. (Obviously the deep grill is all grill section) There is also a heavy glass lid that fits all three that came with them (NOrmally sold separately) and I really like that too. Nice and thick, with a ha...