Wednesday, May 20, 2015

The Joy of Bed Head - Pixel Top 25 Rockin' 80's Hair Band Songs


Well, the vet and radiologist has discovered through scans of my spine that I have a couple of troublesome disc spaces between vertebrae sections T12-T13 and T13-L1. So, I'm STILL on continued limited mobility duty for now while they come up with a plan of action to get me better. All I do is lay around all day long, acting like a lazy rock star with nothing but time on my hands.
All my pet blogging friends are preparing for the BlogPaws convention in Nashville, but I'll be staying home this year. I sure wish I could be there, but I can read all about the fun and festivities through their posts and pages. I could be singing the blues...but I've got a better idea.
With all this forced "bed rest" due to my spine issue and funny walking, I tried to tell Mommy that too much time under the covers is bad for a girl's hair...but she's not buying it and won't let me run around like I want. I mean, look at this mess! I definitely should be in an 80's hair band with this crazy bed head happening right now. I figured I'd better get a good list of songs together, since I'm poised and ready to be in an 80's hair band, so I got all my Facebook friends to help me come up with a list of all the greats.
Pixel's Top 25 Rockin' List of 80's Hair Band Songs:
1. "Pour Some Pixel on Me" by Def Leppard
2. "Welcome to the Pixel" by Guns & Roses
3. "Home Sweet Pixel" by Motley Crue
4. "Running' with the Pixel" by Van Halen
5. "Every Rose Has It's Pixel" by Poison
6. "C'mon Feel the Pixel" by Quiet Riot
7. "Pixel Looks Like a Lady" by Aerosmith
8. "Pixel Medicine" by Bon Jovi
9. "Takin' Care of Pixel" by Bachmann Turner Overdrive
10. "What's Pixel Got To Do With It?" by Tina Turner
11. "Enter Pixel" by Metallica
12. "Pixel's Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
13. "I Remember Pixel" by Skid Row
14. "Hot for Pixel" by Van Halen
15. "Pixel Road" by Cinderella
16. "The Ballad of Pixel" by LA Guns
17. "More Than Pixel" by Extreme
18. "In the Pixel of the Night" by Whitesnake
19. "You Give Pixel a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi
20. "No One Like Pixel" by Scorpion
21. "Sweet Pixel of Mine" by Guns & Roses
22. "Don't Need Nothing' But a Pixel" by Poison
23. "What About Pixel" by Heart (these ladies had some of the BEST 80's hair of all!)
24. "Once Bitten Twice Pixel" by Great White
25. "Billion Dollar Pixel" by Alice Cooper
**SPECIAL THANKS GO OUT TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO SENT ME SOME OF THESE SONG NAMES AND BANDS. YOU HELPED MAKE THIS LIST ROCK!!!**
This is certainly not an all comprehensive list, but it is an excellent start. Now that I've got my song list, all I need is a road crew and I'll be able to go on tour!
And why stop here? What about an "I Love the 80's" list of songs from other greats like Madonna, and all those silly bands with interesting hairstyles and hats??
Leave a comment below of a song you want to see in my next list and I'll make sure to include it. I've got a second list going already. I hope you had fun friends!!
I love staying social with my friends! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

Thursday, May 14, 2015

The Joy of Success - One Story of #PerfectWeight Achieved with Hills 10 Week Turnaround Challenge

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Science Diet® Perfect Weight 10 Week Turn Around, but "Pixel Blue Eyes: Her Tails of Adventure" only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know I've been sharing with you about how important consistency, balanced nutrition and a healthy routine is for your pet to maintain #perfectweight and have good overall health and wellness. It's sad to say that up to 50% of pets today are overweight, and that can cause all kinds of health issues and decreased quality of life for pets. The struggle of overweight pets is real my friends. I've been there myself. I see where I've been and I know where I'm going. So don't worry if your pet is overweight right now, I know of a fantastic plan of action that my friends at Hill's Pet created to help your pet get back to where they need to be. In fact, I'm going to share a very special success story hat will make you smile like no other about a dog who succeeded when she tried that very plan!
But first, let's take a look at this brief video showing how the overweight struggle can be for pets:



Hill's does a great job at making the above video light hearted, but being overweight is no laughing matter for pets.
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL. Pets all across America are doing something to better themselves, including the dog you are about to meet. 


One Dog's 10 Week Turnaround Success Story: Keira's Perfect Weight
Meet Keira. She and her Mom took the Hill's 10 Week Turnaround Challenge and had phenomenal results! Her mom changed how she fed Keira by measuring her food portions, setting a strict feeding schedule and feeding her Hills #PerfectWeight Adult Dog Food. They also made some lifestyle changed to benefit Keira, and they both got more active to get Keira "moving" in the right direction. Keira went from weighing 88.4 lbs. to weighing a perfect 75.1 lbs. Doesn't she look amazing?
Watch this wonderful video that Keira and her Mom put together that documents her weight loss journey. You can also read more about Keira's amazing weight loss success on her blog Trendy Pet.
  This journey of success is possible for you too!

4 Things To Do to Get & Keep Your #PerfectWeight:
As a reminder, here are 4 things that Mommy and I do to help keep me at MY #PerfectWeight. YOU can do it too!
1. Set specific feeding times and stay on schedule. Everyday. Even when we go out of town together or if a family member watches me while she is away, I can't miss my scheduled feedings, so if we travel, an alarm is set for the times and we stop at rest areas to feed me. Routine is routine.
2. Measure the right amount of food for pet size. Mommy always measures my food. Period. This is critical. You must measure for the proper size your pet should be, not what they currently weigh. Refer to the side of the dog food bag/can or speak to your veterinarian. Do NOT free feed your pet. They can easily become overweight when the amount they eat is not regulated.
3.  Exercise and Play with your Pet. Mommy and I both get moving together, and she doesn't just exercise my body, she helps exercise my mind with fun games where I have to think and "find toys" or solve simple puzzles like "find the treat". Practicing my tricks and commands is another excellent way to exercise my mind and body.
4. Use the Hills 10 Week Challenge Calendar . Write down your entire routine on the calendar. It helps you stay on course, schedule things out, mark successes, see where you've been and where you're going.
5. Be patient and take things slow. Anything new can be hard, such as a new diet, a new exercise plan or routine, or even learning a new trick. So be patient and take it slow. If you choose to do the Hill's 10 Week Turnaround Challenge, remember it isn't a fad diet or "race against the clock". Every "body" is different, and the steady pace wins the race.
The very best thing you can do for your pet is feed them proper, well balanced nutritional food. The Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Formulas are available at your veterinarian's office or favorite pet specialty store such as Pet360. If your pet is a small breed like me, Hill's now has a new line out this year for Small and Toy Breeds. The breakthrough nutrition in Hill's® Science Diet® Small and Toy Breed Formula, including prebiotic fibers for gentle digestion, is formulated to achieve & maintain a healthy weight & improve quality of life in small & toy breed dogs. After all, 40% of the dog population is small and toy breeds.
Want to give it a try? Hills is giving it away!! That's right friends. Hill's will be giving away bi-weekly prizes of a 10-week supply of Science Diet Perfect Weight pet food. Enter today for YOUR chance to WIN! Simply select the Hill's 10 Week Turnaround contest link that will bring you to the official contest page with the "Enter Now" button. And make sure to read the full Terms & Conditions found on the entry form.
Remember, you have nothing to lose...except the weight! Keira did it, and so can you! Over 70% of dogs and cats who try the Hills 10 Week Turnaround Challenge lose weight with the Perfect Weight adult pet food, so don't wait another minute.




Go to the Hill's website contest URL (http://blogp.ws/1Ded0VZ) right now and enter for your chance to try Hill's #PerfectWeight Pet Food today!

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

The Joy & Breathtaking Beauty of the Beach - Pixel's Getaway in the Sand & Sun

Our family loves going to the beach once a year for a fun in the sun getaway. I love the feel of the ocean breeze, the coastal sunshine, the sand under my paws, and the smells that only the beautiful sea can bring. These are some of my special memories...
Each morning started with an amazing sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. This is exactly what it looked like...no alterations at all. It was incredible!


We'd go walking and exploring on the sand and find all kinds of shells, living creatures and interesting things on the beach. The living things, like starfish, living sand dollars and sea anemones we'd throw back into the water. Jellyfish we avoided like, well, jellyfish.
We went out exploring each day. It was such fun! I loved sniffing the shells, and occasionally would find one and pick it up if I liked it enough. Mommy made sure I didn't walk too much of course, Dr. Mask's orders, but I got to go out for little excursions with her.


Mommy and I found such pretty things. Beautiful shells, a lovely piece of driftwood, coral, a couple of conch shells, some cochina, and in an amazing moment when Mommy went to wash a simple shell in the ocean as the tide was going out, the sand suddenly separated away from a perfectly whole sand dollar that had long since dried out. There were even beautiful rocks at the beach!
One of the shells that actually made Mommy laugh was a shell that had her initials carved in them. We walked up on a pile of shells that had washed up during high tide, and there was her shell. "J/L" was carved in it from some little sea creature that was trying to get in or out of that shell.
She took a photo of exactly what she saw, then she just had to take it home with her!
The photo below is a small display of some of our favorite items we collected together.

There's a million other things to share about my time at the beach, so much beauty, so much precious time with family, to much to fit in one story. But I will end this time of sharing the joy and beauty of the beach with this amazing sunset that ended our first full day there.

We were awestruck by the vivid colors that crept over the western horizon at dusk and just kept coming. It was truly incredible and a memory we will never forget. The breathtaking beauty we experienced was so invigorating. We breathed it in, we felt it on our skin, we lived it as long as we could, and we took a little bit of it home with us.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Pixel's Top 5 Ways to Make the Best of a Tough Medical Situation - When Your Body Betrays You

When you are an active dog full of joy and vigor, you tend to believe and feel you can do anything and that life is an endless bowl of fresh dog bones. My endless joy ride came to a screeching halt a few weeks ago when Mommy noticed that I wasn't walking very well. She'd actually been noticing it for a little while longer but took me to the vet a little over 3 weeks ago. That was when solitary confinement started. Okay, not so solitary and not so confining, but confining enough for a little dog who could previously go wherever I wanted to whenever I wanted to in my own house.
Uncertainty and Limitations
With an uncertain diagnosis of my exact issue (either neck/back/spine related or neurological - another blog post coming with details on that soon), I was placed on 3 weeks of strict bed rest. And Mommy "RAN" with that whole "strict" word. There was to be no running, no jumping, no playing, no pulling, no tugging, no fun. Heck, my vet even limited walking. So I went from being Cowabunga Pixel, to being Princess in the Tower Pixel.
I was a sad Pixel for a while. Sad that I couldn't do all the gymnastics type activities I was so used to, sad that I couldn't run, sad that I couldn't jump up and down off the hassock over and over, and depressed that I was unable to grab a toy at a moment's notice and shake the Dickens out of it.
Mommy found ways to let me "roam free" on the bed but have zero risk of jumping off by using a rigged leash. She would keep me close around the house by literally walking me on a leash. I have been wearing a safety harness non-stop. And we have a huge mobile soft-sided "Princess Tower" playpen that I would hang out in occasionally and watch Mommy while she cooked dinner or did other things nearby.
My sisters tried to make me feel better. Peanut and Sassy would come visit me, snoodling and kissing my face and Sassy would either bring me one of our favorite happy balls or an already started chew bone. And sweet Dixie Mae kept sneaking into my bedroom and snuggling with me while I slept. It was a wonderful comfort. I stopped feeling sorry for myself, appreciated my loving sisters company, and realized that Mommy had my best interest in mind with all the limitations she put on me. She had to follow the doctor's orders to keep me safe and get me well, otherwise I might get worse and never be able to run again. It was time to make the BEST of this tough situation.
Appreciating the Little Things
So I started appreciating all the things that Mommy and every member of my family was doing for me. Things like getting my meals brought to me in bed and being carried around from room to room. Always having a fresh clean blanket available to me, getting many more loving belly rubs throughout the day, and having little treats brought to me because I couldn't walk over to get them with my sisters. I started savoring the chew bone Mommy brought me a little longer because I knew she chose the very best one for me, and I didn't complain when she prevented my ability to jump off the bed, because I knew it was bad for my body to jump down any more.
Oh, I've slipped up a few times and "gotten away from her" but mostly I've been a very good girl. I know it's hard on her too. She can't bear to see me unable to walk normally. I see her cry on occasion worried about whether or not I'll be okay, or whether my walking issue is a permanent neurological issue. We've got more vet appointments to go, scans and tests, and uncertainty ahead, but in spite of it all, when your body betrays you, like mine has for right now, you have to make the best of it.






Here's my Pixel Top 5 Ways to "Make the Best of a Tough Medical Situation":
1. Listen to your Vet/Doctor's advice on what to do. She said to rest, so I'm resting. Of course, Mommy is ensuring I do that because sometimes we need our family to help make it happen.
2. Take your medicine faithfully everyday. It will help you get better or at least feel better.
3. Find ways to stay positive and appreciate the little things. Thank those around you who are helping you. Encourage others who are in a tough medical situation too...you might be the positive direction that someone else needs. If you are positive, it will help you heal as well.
4. Take advantage of the time. Catch up on sleep. Read a new book. Sit outside and listen to the birds sing in the sunshine. Watch a few favorite movies. Enjoy a new TV show. Talk with old friends. Mommy and I spent an entire afternoon sitting outside doing nothing one day...it was GREAT!
5. Write. A letter, a story, a blog post or two. Start a journal. Write your story. You've got the time...make the most of it if you can.
Do you have other ways that you make the best of a tough situation? I'd love to hear them. Leave me a comment friends! And I promise to keep you posted on my own medical walking situation. This Thursday I will be having scans done of my body that, paws crossed, might show them something in the bones. Wish me luck!