Childhood memories of casement windows

My family moved around a lot when I was growing up. When I look back, it really didn't seem like that big of a deal. Now I better understand the plus and minus of such a lifestyle. One of the houses we lived in recently popped into my memory because of the casement windows that were a prominent feature of that home.

At the time, I actually didn't know the window style had a name. It was always simple commands to "open the window", or "crank the window closed". Basically the casement refers to the fact that it can be opened and closed by using some sort of rotational cranking system.

Where I've now lived in for the better part of a decade really needs some updating and general home repair. I've started the process of searching for a replacement window company that will come in and give me the proper assessment of my current situation.

Mostly I would really like to see some of the current design offerings. Hopefully, they will include some great casement windows and possibly some very attractive patio doors as well.

In the end, the fleeting memories of our childhood are just that, fleeting. If installing similar windows brings back great memories, why not?!

The perfect breed

When my best friend decided to adopt a two year old rescued Boston terrier, I was a little bit skeptical. While I didn’t know a lot about the breed, I did know a few people who owned them, and those dogs tended to be a bit on the hyper side. My friend doesn’t have a lot of patience, and I was worried that having a highly active dog would be stressful for him.

I own a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and I suggested if he wanted a dog that he look into the breed. I love my cavalier and even at his most active he isn’t hard to handle. But my friend had his heart set on a Boston terrier.

I am happy to say that I was totally wrong! Maxie is the cutest dog and not over hyper at all. She’s getting daily runs and her obedience training is going wonderful. She turned out to be the perfect dog for my friend and it’s amazing to see them together. She even comes over for play dates with my spaniel.

I guess it just goes to show that you shouldn’t judge a breed based on interaction with only a few dogs.

Make Your Own Cat Toys

Do you spend a lot of money buying cat toys for your pet? There are a lot of really cool cat toys out there but you don't have to buy all of them. Some simple cat toys are easy to make at home. Doing this allows you to give your cat a greater variety of toys without spending so much money.

Ball cat toys are some of the simplest cat toys that you can make. Paper ball cat toys and tin foil ball cat toys are made from the paper or tin foil that you already have in your home. You simply ball them up and toss them to your cat who will bat them around and have a grand old time.

Cats also really like toys that make noise. A toilet paper tube filled with marbles, gravel or paper clips and sealed at both ends with a durable fabric makes for a great cat toy. Old socks stuffed with crunchy paper and sewn up are another DIY cat toy option.

This isn't to say that you shouldn't buy cat toys for your pet. By making these simple toys

yourself, you can save some money and invest it into getting a select few high-quality cat toys for your pet's enrichment and entertainment.

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom and I celebrated Mother's Day yesterday, since I'll be spending the late afternoon and evening today with my husband's family. So last night, I took my mom out to dinner, and then we came back to my house and watched a movie while my husband was out with his brother.

This is the season where there are lots of presents and lunches to fund. Today is Mother's Day; in less than a week will be my dad's birthday; and then of course Father's Day is next month, as well as my sister's birthday.

Last year for my dad, I paid for a year of FTP hosting as a combined birthday and Father's Day present. He was really excited about setting up his own website on German travel — one of his hobbies. It's a hobby site and therefore doesn't have a lot of traffic, so he didn't need a business FTP site, but I wanted him to be able to have something better than a basic free site.

My mom is less technical and easier to please. She insisted she didn't want anything other than dinner, but I always get her a little something. This year it was an original vintage outfit for a type of doll she collects.

How did you spend Mother's Day?