Puppies are sooo cute: Why you must spay or neuter your dog
If you have ever watched The Price Is Right (I even tried out for the show once) then I am sure that you have seen Bob Barker tell America to spay and neuter your pets as he concludes his show. So why does Bob care so much? It is an incredibly important campaign to control the population of unwanted pets in America. The campaign seeks to control the pet population so that there aren’t more additions to the numbers of pets currently being killed daily in animal shelters because they do not have home.
Kittens and puppies are both adorable (I’m not much of a cat fan, but I do think kittens are adorable), but it is not so adorable when you see what people do with unwanted kittens and puppies. Unwanted pets are often killed or abandoned. Someone I am no longer friends with told me she drowned her unwanted dog. Can you imagine someone drowning you because they don’t want you anymore? It is incredibly important that you care for the pets you have by spaying or neutering them so that they don’t reproduce unwanted babies.
Alarming statistic: In the U.S. more than 3 million cats and dogs are euthanized (killed) in animal shelters each year.
One of the benefits of neutering your dog is that it will calm him down because you are removing the levels of testosterone. One of the benefits of spaying your dog before her first heat is that it will lower her risk of female cancers.
Can’t afford the surgery? Most animal shelters offer free and low cost spaying and neutering. Call your local animal shelter and they will tell you everything you need to know.
- Mama
To Spank Or Not To Spank
“Go get my belt.” 
Those were the most dreaded words ever spoken in our house. It meant someone was going to get the belt, an extension cord or a switch from the plum tree in the backyard, one of those tools of discipline, liberally applied to their hindquarters.
These days we struggle with spanking, meaning that some folk believe in the saying, “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” others believe that hitting a child is abuse, period, and still there are others who believe that spanking within its limits is acceptable.
There are a couple of problems I have with spanking. For starters it seems to me that there are some folk who go to far. They spank to relieve their own frustration and rage, and that’s when it becomes abusive. More importantly hitting doesn’t teach an alternative behavior—the lessons learned after a spanking is next time don’t get caught.
So I checked in with what the American Academy of Pediatrics endorses as acceptable methods of discipline:
- Natural and logical consequences – meaning let the chips fall where they man when your child makes the wrong decision.
- Withholding privileges.
- Time outs.
Hmmm….
However when they surveyed random members from the Academy the results were very interesting:
- 31% completely oppose spanking.
- 53% generally oppose, but feel that an occasional spanking can be effective.
- 13% favored limited use of corporal punishment.
- 1.5% were unsure.
Were you spanked as a child? Do you spank your own children? Is it acceptable to hit another person in order to control them?
What do you think?
- Aunt B
Mama’s favorite commercial
I love this commercial!!!
A rainbow at the end of an STD shower
Every Tuesday Mama shares a personal story. This week’s story was written by Amy
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I was told I had genital herpes some time ago. I thought my world was over. I was 26 at the time, in a new relationship (the very person who gave it to me) and he never even knew he carried the virus. I was absolutely broken. I was inconsolable for days and simply thought I’d be a spinster forever.
I had a 2 1/2 year old son at the time and thought it would just be me and him forever, alone. The worst thing I could think of was meeting a brilliant guy, and then having to tell him I had genital herpes. Two weeks later, my boyfriend, who’d given it to me dumped me. I felt so alone.
Let me tell you my story…
I met a fantastic guy some time ago and really liked him. But at the back of my mind was, why bother, he will run a mile when I tell him.
He lived about 1 1/2 hours drive from me. He was obviously into me too, as he traveled over every weekend to see me. We hadn’t even kissed, we were just friends. As he was making all this effort, I thought it was high time I was straight with him.
We’d been out for a bbq in the evening and when we got home, I told him. I had done some reading and got some ideas on how to tell him. I didn’t apologize for having it, I was honest and up front, I didn’t belittle it, nor did I make it out to be something bigger than it was. I was shaking like a bag of leaves… he looked at me, leaned over and kissed me for the first time. I cried!
He said it didn’t change how he felt about me and it didn’t change anything between us. We have been together ever since and enjoy a happy and healthy sex life. He is fully aware of the risks and consequences of sleeping with me, and has chosen not to protect himself with a condom. We are in a serious relationship and I’m guessing he may be ‘the one’.
We were tested for all other STDs. I know with us having unprotected sex, I will not put me at any risks. I would be willing to use condoms for his protection, but it is his choice not to as he feels closer to me without them, and intends to be with me for the rest of his life. So if he gets it, he gets it. He will not be shocked or upset, its just life for him. Getting genital herpes for him outweighs living life without me. He makes me feel so special and so wanted, and herpes is no longer a subject, I think about all day, every day.
All I can say to other sufferers, especially those just diagnosed, is that there is hope. Somehow, somewhere you just have to pull something up from inside you and go on. Believe that you are worthy of being happy again, and that you will. Never ever risk not telling a sexual partner. You will only live with guilt and fear. Stand up, be proud of who you are, and don’t be ashamed of an affliction that was never your fault. This is life, there’s things far worse than herpes. Count your lucky stars its only herpes.
Much love.
Amy
It’s An Obsession… With Size
I think it started with “Biggest Loser,” but I might be wrong, somehow, thick folks have become popular on prime time television, according to the LA Times.
While the “Biggest Loser” is all about sweat and willpower, Fox Network’s “More To Love” which premieres next Tuesday, veers from the usual weight loss storyline and focuses on finding love. But wait! (Or shall I say weight?) There’s more! “Dance You *ss off also premiered this season and coming soon to TLC is “One Big Happy Family” which will chronicle the weight loss story of a family in which every member weighs over 300lbs. “Ruby” on the Style Network follows the weight loss story of Ruby Gettinger who is walking across America to lose weight. She started the show at 500lbs and now weighs in at 350lbs. That’s not all. Fine Living Network has “Bulging Brides” and BBC America airs “You Are What You Eat.”
Now let’s just jump right in shall we?
The average size of a woman that appears on television is a size 2. Really.
There’s not one woman in my family that remained a size 2 after they reached adulthood.
What does this type of programming say about our obsession with size? While I’d like to be critical and call them reality show chubby chasers, that’s not all true either. The shows that focus on weight loss don’t focus on quick fixes, they emphasize the way to lose weight is to eat in moderation and exercise. Good information and modeling.
Pause.
However, I question the intention behind this programming. Living in LA, I often have a skewed perception of things. Is the pressure to be thin, to lose weight, to look like the women on television the same across the nation?
Or are women okay being curvier?
Is obesity the last “ism?”
- Aunt B
Mama’s Monday Favorite: Zola Brazilian Superfruits
Yesterday’s daily visit to Whole Foods Market led me to the Juice aisle. I had just ordered my 32 ounce of Bodytox juice but yet still craved a little something to take home.
While quietly studying the boxed and bottle juices neatly stacked in the juice aisle, I remembered that I still had the samples of smoothie drinks that Zola Brazilian Superfruits had Fed-Ex’d me. I decided to see if Zola could quench my thirst.
I choose the Acai. I had never tasted Acai fruit before and since I’ve received so much spam about Acai berries, I thought I’d give it a try. The Zola bottles are covered from head to toe. So it is a little difficult to see what the smoothie looks like before you open the bottle. I hoped a treasure awaited me. I opened the bottle and much to my surprise, the color of the smoothie was my favorite color: Purple. Can’t go wrong with purple juice right? Right! I loved the taste. If you’ve never tasted Acai, you are in for a treat. It is like no other fruit I’ve tasted. A smooth, berry, taste with a hint of powder. Acai berries are high in antioxidants and omega fatty acids. And…Zola drinks are USDA certified Organic.
Yum Yum. Try one and let me know your favorite flavor.
- Mama
**Mama’s Monday Favorite is the sole opinion of Mama. No monetary compensation was received for the feature. If you have a product that Mama might absolutely love, send Mama one of your products. If she likes it, she might list it as a Mama’s Monday Favorite.
Is Childhood Obesity a Crime? State of South Carolina thinks so
- Obese children and adolescents have shown an alarming increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes.
- Many obese children have high cholesterol and blood pressure levels, which are risk factors for heart disease.
- One of the most severe problems for obese children is sleep apnea (interrupted breathing while sleeping). In some cases this can lead to problems with learning and memory.
- Obese children have a high incidence of orthopedic problems, liver disease, and asthma.
- Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.
Serena the Wanna-Be Vegetarian – The Milk Alternative Taste Test
I took the kids with me to the grocery store (I deserve a medal!) to choose a milk alternative. In my last post we talked about whether or not cow’s milk was actually good for us. There’s been a lot of writing online about hormones, antibiotics and… eeeeew, pus, in cow’s milk. While we’ve never been big milk drinkers in our home, as we make the move from meat eaters to plant eaters, I thought this would be an easy change to make. Under my direction, the kids picked out three milk alternatives.
We decided that we would try the original varieties and not those flavored with vanilla or chocolate, and chose Soy Dream, Rice Dream and Pacific Organic Almond milk. All three varieties came in aseptic packaging, those cardboard boxes that need no refrigeration. I have to say that I liked the idea of being able to buy those cartons and keep them in the pantry
As the bacon protest continued this past Sunday morning, over pancakes and turkey sausage (we’re still eating poultry) I presented my family with a taste test.
The Soy Dream was first.
The seven-year-old: Spit it back out almost as fast as it went it.
The fourteen-year-old: Stuck out his tongue and said, “No way.”
The Hubby: Gave a thumbs down and claimed the taste was something akin to what his mother kept in a can on the stove when he was a kid. I’m interpreting that as old cooking grease.
Next came Rice Dream:
The seven-year-old: “It taste like watery rice.”
The fourteen-year-old: “Not this one either.”
The Hubby: “It tastes like skim milk, but bitter at the end.”
And finally… Pacific Organic Almond Milk.
The seven-year-old: Was set on not liking it, and actually refused to taste it at first. As it turns out, we got a smile.
The fourteen-year-old: “Mom, this one is the biz.” For those of you that don’t speak ‘fourteen’ I understand “the biz” to mean something good.
The Hubby: Thought none of them tasted like milk, but could live with this one if the children liked it.
So there you have our informal taste test, except for cheese, we have booted the cow out of the door. Chicken… you’re next!
- Serena
