Maybe a Haircut will Help...

Here's a dramatic before and after that gets me every time:

Dirty, shaggy, shapeless mutt...

...into handsomely groomed, bright-eyed puppy.

This is our dog Charlie. Charlie is about a 4 year old mutt, 'rescued' from an overwhelmed family. We got him when he was about a year old-- we think-- and he was kind of a mess. He was a shaggy, crazy, matted, but loveable guy... and we gave him his first haircut before he even belonged to us. Yup. We groom our dogs ourselves. Or I groom our dogs I guess.
I grew up with cocker spaniels, and my parents always cut their hair on the back deck. Before I got my westie, Winston, I had never thought much about dog grroming, or the fact that my parents had always done their own dogs, but I took him to the groomer once or twice and I was all... uhn-uh. That is highway robbery folks.
Simple bath and grooming for a small dog was costing me $40-$50 bucks a pop. And half the time my westie came back to me looking like a Schnauzer, and I was all, really professional groomers? REALLY? So I started doing my dog's grooming myself, and never looked back at those crazy over priced groomers.
I've been doing my own dogs, my parents dogs, and my friend's dogs on occasion for several years now, and while I am FAR from a professional, I have picked up some skills and a few tips a long the way that I thought I'd like to share with you, if you think maybe you'd like to save yourself the cash and try your own hand at it...


1. Invest a little... You will need to make an initial investment in a pair of good quality clippers and grooming supplies. Most pet pet supply stores should have everything you need. Expect to pay $100+ for a good quality pair. But when you start to divide that cost between hair cuts... they will easily pay for themselves within a year. Even faster if you have more than one dog you are regularly grooming. I have these clippers by Wahl and have been very pleased with the quality/durability... and also they have an extra long cord which is a lot more important than you might think.  If your clippers do not come with a set of gaurds, you will want to get those as well. You will also need a good pair of scissors/shears and a comb/brush/matt rake.

2. Do a little research... Before I cut my Westie's hair for the first time I hit the internet and watched several videos on youtube about how to groom a westie. Look up your dog breed, or several dog breeds and get a general idea of what you want it to look like, and how to accomplish that! Sometimes your clippers might come with a book/manual/dvd with instructions on basic cuts, so read through that! You can go to PetsMart and watch them cut dogs through the windows at their grooming salon, witness a few haircuts before you make your maiden voyage.
Have a plan, and even print off some pictures to refer to as you cut.

3. Work Smarter... not harder. Make it easier on yourself. Start with your pooch brushed out and free of matts and tangles. This will make your clippers and/scissors glide right through, and make the whole process easier for both of you.
Any undesirable task is easier in small chunks. If your dog's fur becomes especially matted over time... give him a quick brush out daily, or every couple of days. He will be more comfortable, and it can eliminate hours of painful picking through matts before you every get to the haircut.

4. Chill out... grooming can be strange and stressful for your dog... try to reduce the stressors in the environment for both of you. Play some music that you like. Have some water on hand for both of you. Try to do it in an environment free of distracting or stressful kiddos. Have a spouse or family member the dog likes and trusts on hand to help hold, pet, or comfort and encourage your dog if he starts to get too upset. Try to remain positive in tone, even if the dog is not entirely compliant. You want to make this a positive experience if at all possible-- scolding and frustration will just make them fearful of it.
And treats for everyone when it's done! Some good play time and a rub down, or snacks and a snuggle... whatever you do to enjoy each other, enjoy each other once you are all cut and clean!

5. Suck it up... We cut our dog's hair on the back porch or in the garage in inclement weather, and we keep the shop vac close at hand to suck up the hair as we go. The larger the dog, and the more you are cutting, the crazier and messier that pile of hair gets. take a break every couple of minutes to clean your work space of fallen hair. This will make the process and the cleanup much more manageable and enjoyable!

6. The difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut... is about 2 weeks. Or that's what my dad used to always tell us when we were teenagers. (and who didn't have a devastating haircut in their teen years?) You probably won't perfect the craft the very first time, and if you make a few mistakes, or the pup's ears are lopsided, or you forgot to put the guard on and the pooch is looking a little bald on one side... hair grows back. Give your pooch a little extra love, and yourself a little extra grace for the bad haircut, and give it a few weeks to grow out. Odds are your dog won't even notice, and you will find it amusing/endearing over time. :)

I hope that gives you a place to start, or maybe some encouragement to try something new. Pets are a part of your home and a part of your family, so of course you want to keep them looking great just like everything else! Let me know if you have any questions, or if you do decide to try your hand at some grooming, take before and afters and share them! I'd love to see your handiwork and your furbabies! :)

DO THIS: ...Because you never make me cookies.

My husband and I have this joke... because I love cookies of any kind and always always want them, and he is not a bag fan. I'll have a cookie craving and start begging for cookies, and he will shake his head no, and then I say... "Z, You NEVER make me co-oo-okies!!!!" In the whiniest voice ever.
And it's true, he doesn't. But he always laughs at me when I say that to him. The only kind of cookies he will make are slice and bake from the store... which, despite Pillsbury's best efforts, still taste like the plastic tube they came in. (To those of you out there who think you are passing those things off as homemade... drop the charade. We all know. Most of us don't care and will eat plastic flavored cookies when the other option is no cookies, but please stop lying trying to say they are from scratch, so we can stop lying pretending to believe you.)
This is by no means a new or earth shattering idea... but was a small, AHA! moment for me the other day. While you are already in the mess of making cookies... double batch that thing! Then use your cookie scoop (or rolls balls of dough) to make a pan of cookies (unbaked) to pop into the freezer for a few mins to set up, then you can throw those things in a bag and store in the freezer for your next cookie craving.
Last night when Z got home, I showed him the bag of frozen, unbaked 'cookies' in the freezer, so the next time I whine, "...You NE-EH-VER make me cookies!" he can prove me wrong. Yay.

While we are on the topic of bags in the freezer, and the like... I may be behind the time here, but the ZIPLOC vacuum freezer bag has pretty much changed our life (and our food storage).

This thing is a freezer bag with a small valve built into the upper corner... and it comes with a hand pump. So you can basically vacuum pack ANYTHING you can fit in the bag. We have used it to store and freeze uncooked bacon and meats. Blocks of cheese (NO MORE MOLDY CHEESE! Which I know is... kind of a contradiction.). Coffee beans. Fruits and veggies. Leftovers. All kinds of stuff! 

It's a little bit pricier than our normal off-brand zipper bags, but we have already saved $$ from food that has not spoiled, so that makes it worth it. It's pretty great. And my husband gets a kick out of using it too, which means he occasionally helps put food away after a meal... so it's pretty much worth it's weight in gold.

DO THIS: Love a Farmer(s Market)

The picture above is what I love very most about summer.

This beautiful caprese salad is made with heirloom tomatoes (purple Cherokee, great white, and red pear) purchased from the local farmers market. There is this guy there that now knows me as a 'regular' (I know him as tomato guy) and every week I show up and talk to him about tomatoes. I have never in my life met someone so passionate about tomatoes... so I thoroughly enjoy our conversations. I bring home my spoils and make ridiculously indulgent dishes from the yummy fresh foods I bring home.

As well as the spoils I have collected from my tomato guy... I have brought home from my local market this year: Peaches, sweet corn, black berries, blue berries, raw honey, homemade jams, home made specialty pastas, zucchini, watermelon. Also at our farmers market they have people selling everything from plums to peppers, cucumbers to home made bread, roasted coffee, flowers, and barbecue!

Here are some tips I have learned about making the most of your trip to the farmer's market:

1) Carry Cash: This is the only form of payment most vendors will accept. Don't show up with your credit card... you will have no luck.

2) When to arrive: Come early (when they open) if you want the best selection, and late (before closing) if you want the best deals. A lot of times vendors will cut prices in the last hour to get rid of the stuff they have.

3) Case the joint: Take a lap around to look at everything available before you blow your whole budget on the beautiful berries at the first stand... only to find tomatoes you can't live without, but now have no money for at the next stand. On this first trip make a mental shopping list for your next run through.

4) Ask questions and make friends! Just like my tomato guy-- the farmers whole sell their products are passionate about what they do, and what they sell. Ask questions about the produce you are  purchasing ripeness, uses, varieties, or even the farmer's preference.(What is this? How is it different from that one? What's the best way to prepare this? What do you recommend for this dish? Which is the best one here?) You can learn a lot about varieties of produce-- I previously assumed a tomato was a tomato... but oh have I ever been corrected!

Also, if you don't see something you want... ask about it! Often I have discovered that farmers may keep extras, specialties, or seconds set aside, just for people who ask about it. Oooorrr... if you make good friends sometimes they will set it aside for you the next week. YES! That's amazing, makes you feel totally VIP.

5) Take seconds! Often times vendors will have 'seconds' that you can purchase for half or less... They taste just as good, just aren't as pretty. But if you are making tomato sauce or jam or the like... What does it matter? Cheap and wonderful. perfect!

Most farmers markets run through the end of September, so you still have a few weeks to seek out the local ones this season... and I highly encourage you to do so! Besides the *YUMMY* benefits, it's good for your wallet, good for the economy, and the environment to buy fresh local stuff... plus, I think it's pretty fun! So enjoy! (I hope you find a Tomato Guy!)