{Giving Back} WhipStaff Ranch & Rescue

“Whoever said a dog can’t be a best friend, never owned a dog”

IMG_6815-0 Words cannot begin to describe the love that I have for the ladies behind the rescue. I have adopted two dogs from WhipStaff Ranch & Rescue. Freckles an English Pointer lives with my Ex-husband and Cullen a Cocker Doodle is my trusty little sidekick. Freckles and Cullen were both very shy dogs, they just need a little love to help them break out of their shells.

Freckles lived on the ranch for almost a year. WhipStaff lets the animals stay on the ranch until they find a forever home, there is no ticking clock or end date. No animal is turned away, no matter the shape or size they find a place for them on the ranch.

Cullen was rescued from a puppy mill and he was in rough shape. Where most saw a lost cause WhipStaff saw hope and turned him into a mighty little dog. In August 2010 I emailed the ranch asking if they had a dog for me to adopt. I eagerly awaited a reply and by night fall they responded with “we have the perfect dog for you.” Sight unseen I made the 6.5 hour drive to the ranch and I’ve never looked back. I had a scared nervous muppet like dog at my side. Cullen has helped me in more ways than I can count. This little dog has provided me with endless amounts of laughter, fashion advice, and mostly he listens.

I set out to rescue a dog, but in the end it was me who got rescued. One little throwaway dog changed my life and I am forever grateful to WhipStaff Ranch & Rescue.

Whipstaff Ranch & Rescue is raising money to build an all new dog shelter for the rescue! Funds will be going towards materials and supplies to rebuild the outdoor enclosures and to build a new indoor shelter for the dogs. We also hope to rebuild some of the fencing for the horses if we are able.

For $20.00 (that’s the cost of 4 medium berry white mochas at caribou) you can help WhipStaff and get a really cool t-shirt. Just click the link under the photo and donate to this amazing rescue!

IMG_6984-0WhipStaff Ranch & Rescue Spring Cleanup Fundraiser

Whipstaff Ranch & Rescue is a 501c3 Non Profit all-species animal rescue group located in Solway MN that is dedicated to stopping animal abuse. We offer safe sanctuary to abused, neglected and unwanted animals of all species. We are hoping to get a fresh start in 2015 with a new look and some badly needed upgrades! We rely on your support to continue our mission!

{Honest Company} Essential Bundle 2.0

Feb14There are a lot of people who are going chemically free because they think it is the “in thing.” chemically free is a lifestyle choice not a fad. It is something that makes you aware of what you are putting into your body and brining into your home. I find myself reading product labels more, connecting with local artisans/farms, and my body benefits. I started going chemical free after I had my pulmonary embolism in 2009. My PE made me reevaluate what I was putting into my body. The FDA claims the NuvaRing is safe, thou 3800 women will tell you that it’s not. I started to wonder “if my birth control is capable of killing me, what else is deadly and what can I do to get rid of it?” Right then and there I pulled out my soap box and started my chemically free journey.

Enter in amazing companies like Ms. Meyer, Method, J.R. Watkins, Lush, Sabon, and my recent favorite The Honest Company. I hands down love The Honest Company and their amazing product line. All of the honest products come in cute packaging and smell like heaven. Best of all each product is free of the witches brew better known as formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is terrible terrible shit that is in a lot of cleaning and body care products. It’s even sprayed on clothes to reduce wrinkles in shipping. Formaldehyde has been linked to birth defects, cancer, and a whole crazy ton of health problems. It’s for a corpse not a living breathing human.
Honestly FREE guarantee:We believe the products people use should be safe and non-toxic (surprisingly, many companies don’t!) — not filled with questionable, risky, untested, or harsh ingredients. We also believe it’s better to be safe than sorry when deciding what goes in our products and we’re vigilant about the latest science regarding chemicals and health to ensure we’re being mind fully cautious.

Based on these beliefs, we created our Honestly FREE Guarantee — a core commitment we make to you and your children. And, it’s another way for us to be Honest — educating, empowering and inspiring people to make better choices for their health & families. Providing clear, credible, transparent information. No smoke and mirrors. No confusion.

Now that is something you can hang your hat on.

“What did I get in my Honest Co. Essential Bundle?” OH! I am so glad you asked! Let’s find out!

Feb 2014

Honest Bathroom Cleaner:Easily eliminate soap scum, rust, hard water stains, & other pesky nasties with our non-toxic bathroom grime fighter. Natural tea tree oil actually prevents build-up!
—————-> I am willing to admit that I totally look forward to cleaning my bathroom now. The cleaner smells amazing, it cuts through dried on tooth paste, and tells soap scum to hit the curb. Hello, super honestly clean bathroom!

Honest Floor Cleaner: Powerful, natural 4-in-1 formula for all your floor care needs. Designed to safely break down grease, food, bacteria & dirt – will not damage wax or other protective coatings.
—————-> I used to use harsh cleaners on my floor. That is until one day I spied the muppet like dog strolling on my wet floors and then saw him licking his paws. Paws that were full of chemically laced floor cleaner. That can’t be good for my little guy so I switched to organic cleaners. Non of impressed me as much as the Honest Floor cleaner, it cut through dirt like a hot knife on butter. Did I mention it smells like rosemary and sage? Oh it does, it does my friend, and I love it!

Honest Face + Body Lotion: is an Organic olive, shea, jojoba & safflower oils hydrate & restore skin’s natural moisture balance.
——————> This lotion is awesome! It is light and not greasy. It absorbs quickly and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth.

Honest Bubble Bath: Ideal for the daily bath routine – will NOT dry, irritate, or cause tears. A light, refreshing tangerine scent gently calms and relaxes you.
—————> I love a good tub over flowing with bubbles. I love good smelling bubbles even more and this fits the bill perfectly. You only need a little bit to get a tub full of bubbly fun.

Honest Dish Towels:Towels are 100% organic cotton, extra soft & absorbent.
——————-> They are dish towels and they do exactly what a dish towel is meant to do, dry my dishes.

Honest Liquid Laundry Detergent: Naturally clean stubborn stains & life’s unexpected messes without toxic chemicals or synthetic scents. Perfect for babies & sensitive skin and ALL your laundry needs.
————————–> I used the laundry detergent for the first time this weekend and all I have to say is “Wow!” I never knew my clothes could be this clean. It literally cleaned stains from hand towels that have been set in for months. So long Tide, Hello Honest Co.

Honest Oxy Boost Pods: The extra BOOST for your in-wash cleaning — naturally-derived ingredients use oxygen for destaining & deodorizing — attacking & breaking down stains, grease, and dirt.
————————> I loved that the pods dissolved quickly in the water and that they did not leave a powdery residue on my clothes. My clothes were visibly brighter. I used the pods in conjunction with the liquid laundry detergent. In my mind they are a perfect pair and should be in everyone’s laundry routine.

Honest Wet Dryer Cloths: the eco-friendly “WET” Dryer Cloths naturally infuse plant-based softeners directly into fabrics as they dry. Enjoy soft, static-free laundry without toxic scents!
———————–> What got me hooked was the fact that you can get two uses out of each cloth. Two uses folks, how cool is that. Out of a 32 cloth pack you get 64 loads of laundry. That is something to smile at. The cloths left my sheets feeling super soft. I loved the fact that when I reached into the dryer I was not greeted with an over baring perfume smell. Instead I just got really clean laundry.

I loved every product I got in my essential bundle and I am now an Honest Company fan girl for life. I can’t wait to try more products in the Honest Company Line. My goal is to try every single one, even if it means I have to borrow my niece.

Do you want to take a leap to the green side? I know you do! To get an essential bundle of your very own and to find out more about this great company please visit: http://www.honest.com

**I was not compensated for this post. Reviews are my own.**