I know that if we have another child it won’t be for a long while…um if ever, but I think our family might be ready for another pet. Our dog is older and very set in her ways. She is wonderful with the kids, but not very playful any longer. While she is in good health our vet suggested getting another dog for two reasons. One, she will keep my older dog active and will be good company for her and two, my kids can interact with the younger dog without stressing out the older one.
I also read that winter was the best time to adopt a dog because usually the shelters are full of young dogs that have been turned in by people, who weren’t ready to be pet owners and received a pet as a Christmas gift.
Winter, is a little bit harder time to train a pet, especially potty train them with the cold weather. However, if you want to really save or help animals, adopting them in winter when people are not always looking for new pets is the best time.
Also, adopting a pet will give the kids a lot of fun things to do, while being cooped up in the cold.
Here are some places to consider when adopting pets…
ADOPT A PET.com
Adoptapet.com is a national database of homeless animals sponsered by Purina and run by volunteers. The website has scanned human societies, SPCA’s and local shelters to find adoptable animals. All you need to do is enter your zipcode and animal preference for their database to scan adoptable animals. Since we are looking for a puppy…I found this cute little rascal. While we are not quiet ready for our pet adoption…this guy would be a perfect fit for our family.
Ahhh he is so cute. Look at that little face. Can you tell, I’m a bit of a sucker for animals…oh and kids too, trust me.
PETFINDER.COM
Petfinder.com is another non-profit adoption site that matches potential pet parents with homeless pets. You put in your information and they help you find the right adoptable pet for your family. While I’m a dog person, I sort of fell in love with this cat…
Look at that cute little fuzz ball. 🙂 Oh how about this pretty Siamese…
ASPCA
The ASPCA is a national shelter organization that runs shelters throughout the country. They also have a searchable database. When visiting a shelter, consider finding an older dog, cat or other animal. While puppies and kittens are fun, if you already have a baby at home, it may not be the safest thing for either the animal or human baby. Older animals are in need of loving homes and most are perfect pets. In fact many just want to be loved again and are often just happy to find a new family.
I know that a lot of us have our dream pet and most have pure breeds they prefer. My suggestion is to first search the databases to find a good match for your family and if you don’t find a good fit then try a breed rescue.
THE NATIONAL KENNEL CLUB
The American Kennel Club has a list of reputable breed rescuers listed alphabetically by breed. Check out this website if you want to find a purebred rescue.
LOCAL SHELTER
You can goggle your local animal shelter to find adoptable pets or go in person. Make sure to ask if there are any new arrivals in the back, if you haven’t found the right pet in the front cages.
While going to a shelter may be a bit depressing, just remember that you and your family have committed to rescuing a pet and so one less animal will be suffering and lonely in a shelter.
While it is tempting to buy a pet at a pet store, the cost is outrageous compared to the low price of adoption from a shelter. And while those store bought animals are so cute, they are making the pet store rich. Why not adopt a pet that is waiting for a home for much less money with added benefit of spaying and neutering for free or at a low cost to the adoptive family.
Remember to really assess your family’s readiness to adopt a pet and when you do decide to add a new furry family member to your home, know that it is a life long commitment. I must say, when I look at our older dog, I always feel proud that we adopted her, I know that she is one less dog doesn’t have a home.
Wow, this looks like fun. I went on the Amazon.com website and read the reviews and most consumers like this easy to use brewing method. The only advice I thought was really important was the fact that the simple brewing packages they send with the kit, seem to be for mediocre beer. The reviewers suggest that you go to the 
Unlike the drum set from last week. This does not have ear plugs…drat! But little people really love to make noise. And even though mom’s really don’t like the noise, we often have to weigh the pros and cons. Pros…kids are happy. Con’s…mom’s nerves are tried. However seeing your kiddo happy usually out weighs the noise irritation. So I vote that these are a great deal. Usually each piece is around $15, so this is a good bargain. My bigger kids still play with this set from time to time.
This is another Flip deal and the website says that this is not the newest model, but is still a great camcorder. If you don’t already have a camcorder for your Family Film Festival project from the my earlier post, this would be a great addition to your family. The flip is so easy to use and comes with its own editing software. It is also small enough to put in a pocket or purse, so that you never miss some of lives amazing memories.
Nothing beats the living room dance party. Torque up the tunes and dance, dance, dance. Add to your dance party by serving special juice smoothies and appetizers for dinner. Turn out the lights and grab flash lights, glow sticks and any other odd lighting to set the mood!!! Do your dance party after dinner and enjoy dancing together. Try playing 
All you need for your Family Film Festival are some old photos, film fotage and an imagination. Most of us own a video camera of some kind to capture all those precious childhood memories. Well, what better way to share those memories than with your kids. You can show old films and talk about when they were younger. A fun family activity is to put together a family film collage and then have a screening later that night. Also encourage the kids to make films by filming their toys and making up little stories. You can use a free editing program like 
Okay, it is tax return time and momma needs a new bag. Hey, don’t get in the way of a woman and her purse. Hello! Look at that hot mini backpack…oohh that’s nice. The whole site has great discounts on some super cute bags. Come on IRS….mamma wants to go shopping.
Go to 
which personally, I don’t love, mostly cause it feels smarter than I am and I have a hard time navigating the site. But that being said, it is the quintessential online music store and has just about everyone you would ever want to find. But if you are willing to be a bit
adventurous, here are some other music sites that allow you to download and buy music. 
Real store, Super Pass, has movies, television and music for a low monthly subscription rate, this is great if you download movies as well as music.
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Seriously you can look so cute in any of these fun looks from 
and only $32.99 could you just die??? How about these? $34.99 
this cute 
a 53% savings from its original $38.00 price tag.
Belgo lux purse originally $38 but only $15 at the $15 dollar store. How about this cute hoodie… 
only $15.00 Wow.
These hot jeans…$15.00. And a $102 sequined tank dress pictured below…ONLY $15.00. 
That is just so much fun. Take a look at the site and you will find some amazing deals on everything to make you look like a million bucks.
