Category Archives: October 2016

Dog Treats, PART 3- Duck Treats: Dried Duck Feet

Dog treats, October 2016 Leave a comment

Anything duck is a good.

PRODUCT: BarkWorthies Dehydreated Duck Feet, made in USA. Or FreshIsBest Freeze Dried Duck Feet, made in USA.

DESCRIPTION: by the pieces or in a 8oz jar, dehydrated or freeze dried duck feet. Each one is a little different as expected. It’s like no two snowflakes are the same. The feet feel a bit sticky but it’s no big deal. They are crunchy and I’m sure they pack a whole lot of calcium and collagen. They are hard, so don’t pack it into a toy. And for small dogs, pet parents do keep an eye on them as they feast on these crunchy feet. Another note, they don’t smell like bully sticks when consumed, which is a good thing. Don’t expect them to last long like a bully stick either. The freeze dried duck feet can be rehydrated.

Dried duck feet

INGREDIENTS: Dehydrated Duck Feet.

COST: $1 +/-, per foot. Or $12.99 per 8oz jar.

OVERALL: 10 human hands/10 dog paws – Eclair quickly does these feet in and I’m sure she wishes they lasted longer or there were more feet given to her. I prefer to buy the FreshIsBest for her but when we run out of feet, I buy the per foot at the local pet shop to supplement. FYI, I love FreshIsBest products (www.freshisbest.com) they’ve got good solid animal treats that are sourced in the US and produced. Yeah, with a large german shepherd like Eclair, treats like these go down fast but I feel like she is healthier and happier with them. Oh does my pocketbook suffer.

Dog Treats, PART 2- Cookie Treats: Wet Noses Berry Blast

Dog treats, October 2016 Leave a comment

Coooookies!

PRODUCT: Wey Noses Berry Blast Dog Treats, made in USA

DESCRIPTION: 14oz bag, dry cookies. Made with limited ingredients (grain free) and is organic!

Wet Noses berry blast

INGREDIENTS: All ingredients listed are organic. Pea flour, molasses, blueberry puree raspberry puree, blackberry puree, crushed peanuts, canola oil.

COST: $9 +/-

OVERALL: 7 human hands/7 dog paws – These cookies are hard and you can’t break them into smaller pieces by hand. They are great crunchy little cookies for a dog with grain issues. It comes in a large bag with lots of cookies. I can tell Eclair like them but isn’t thrilled with them compared to meat treats. This bag actually took us forever to go through. Worth the money? Definitely. Useful in treating her for good behavior or playing hide-and-seek? Not really. They are too big and like I said not her favorites. Buy it again? Yes, only if it came in a smaller amount.

Dog Treats, PART 2- Duck Treats: PureBites Duck Liver

Dog treats, October 2016 Leave a comment

Liver pieces are always a home-run with Eclair.

PRODUCT: PureBites Freeze Dry Duck Treats, made in USA

DESCRIPTION: 1.2oz or 2.5oz bag, freeze dried livers that will crumble when forced and can be broken into smaller pieces.

Purebites duck treat

INGREDIENTS: Duck liver. Ducks sourced in USA, USDA inspected.

COST: $5.80 +/- or $11.50+/- (respective of bag size)

OVERALL: 9 human hands/10 dog paws – This is another type of treat that is high in quality and high in price. However considering it’s all duck liver, this treat is given sparingly.  It’s high in protein 67% and high in calories. So we don’t run through these treats as quickly. Too much would cause diarrhea in Eclair’s sensitive tummy, but she probably could care less. She’s all about the taste.

Dog Treats, PART 2- Duck Treats: Orijen Duck Treats

Dog treats, October 2016 Leave a comment

High quality…high price

PRODUCT: Orijen’s Brome Lake Duck, Made in Canada. (Has a change of name, new name: Free-Run Duck Treats)

DESCRIPTION: 3.5oz bag, freeze dried duck morsals. Easily broken into shredded pieces/powder.

Orijen duck treats

INGREDIENTS: Duck and duck liver, period. Duck is sourced from Ontario, Canada.

COST: $12.99 +/-

OVERALL: 9 human hands/10 dog paws – I like the single ingredient, duck. I know there is nothing weird like preservatives in it. The price is on the expensive side, and its harder to find the larger bag (which larger bags are more cost effective). Eclair goes through these quickly, eve when they are in a toy for her to dig out. I’d buy them again and again, if it weren’t for the cost. But that’s what you get for wanting quality products.

J. Crew Icon Trench vs City Trench 2016 styles

Home & Lifestyle, October 2016 Leave a comment

I was searching for a trench that works for me, and I decided on J. Crew. Who doesn’t like J.Crew outerwear?

Here is some information about me and JCrew sizing. I’m JCrew size 00 for dresses, XS-S for sweaters, S for an late 90’s – early 2000’s JCrew Pea Coat, 0 for JCrew Factory 2015 coat. I’m 5’6″, 105lb. I’ve got straight shoulders and hate shoulder padding of any kind, light or otherwise. My body type can be described as straight.

Needless to say, I was up in the air for either the Icon or the City trench coats.  I purchased both to try them at home and here’s what I learned about the two coats.

ICON Trench ($208, with coupon)

iconbackfronticontrench

I bought a size 2, after reading JCrew reviews online. And it’s still tight in the shoulders. I can wear a light cardigan under it. The material is 100% cotton, made in Phillipines, a true khaki color. I think the color is more cold. The cleaning tag suggests “Dry Clean”. The cotton is thicker and stiffer.

CITY Trench ($110, with coupon)

citybackfront citytrench

I bought a size 0, also after reading reviews. The size 0 is a good fit, and I can wear a sweater under it. The material is 100% cotton as well, made in China, “nut brown” color. I think the color is more warm, reminds me of a classic German Shepherd brown “red”. The cleaning tag says Machine Wash. The cotton is softer and I can fold the sleeves easily.

Details of Differences Between the Two Trenches: The City trench is 1-2 inches longer than the Icon trench. If you see in the pictures the over shoulder panel is opposite sides. This might affect you if you have a shoulder bag. The back lower vent is different. The City has an actual vent. The Icon has not actual vent and its held by a button. The backs are different too, there is a button holding down the back for the Icon. And the Icon’s lining was boring, satin polyester, and the City has a fun striped navy and white lining. Though the City does have a chain for hanging and a lot of stitching details. There is a removable piece at the cuff on the neck of the City, button removable.

Results:  For my skin tone the Nut Brown of the City Trench looks better. The cotton was softer and easier to fold, and for my styling purposes I wanted that. The shoulder fit was important for me. Even as a size 2, the Icon was still tight in the shoulders. The waist was good, so sizing up to 4 would have made the waist too wide. As for the price, it was  $100 dollar difference.

I decided to keep the City Trench over the Icon due to the fabric, color, overall fit, and price. I’m excited for the weather to be right for this Autumn and the follow Spring. Now I just need to return that Icon trench…hmm where is the nearest physical store?