Friday Favorites: TREAT!

Let's be real for a moment. My adorable sass of a pup, Finnegan has had a bumpy year so far. Between an unexpected surgery, then a separate 3 day stint at the doggie hospital, and his most recent, random infection he has just been in a funk. Not to mention the fact that we in the Midwest are experiencing the heat of a million suns and when you're a furball of his variety- the heat sucks.

Enter, TREAT!

My first experience with TREAT started when a good friend and fellow dog lover gave me some homemade dog nibbles from a new animal treatery opening up online. We started with the Say Cheese Treats and Finny hasn't looked back since. He is absolutely wild about them! And I love them too because they are homemade with simple  and safe ingredients.

The dog, the myth, the legend- Finnegan O'Tater Shrock-Mannies

After becoming familiar with their pet morsels, I learned more about TREAT's animal massage services that they offer to the Indianapolis area. I know when you first hear "Dog massage" you might think, "That's more pampering than I get!" but let me tell you a couple of things.

First, you need to start thinking about entering the world massage yourself. I am a firm believer in the health benefits of massage therapy and have saved so much money and pain by seeing a massage therapist for my back. It has even helped me avoid surgery!

Second, think of it the same way for your pet. You want your pets to live long, healthy lives and have no problem taking them to the vet for check-ups, check-ins and vaccines. Why not make your last visit to the vet last a little bit longer by seeking the services of TREAT to keep your pup feeling good?

From the moment TREAT owner, Angela Jorden entered our house (yes, she comes to you!) I think Finny was in love. The first few minutes were spent talking about Finny's health, disposition, etc. and then the magic happened.

To set this up properly you need to know that when new people come around Finny is a complete nutcase. He's getting better, and in his defense he is still a puppy, but he's jumpy and like to investigate everything with his mouth. Within in 10 minutes of Angela's arrival, Finny looked like a pile of fur covered Jell-o.

Finny mid-massage and loving life.

Angela started with his head using slow, sustained movements. Did you know that dogs have pressure points on their ears and at the nape of their neck? Well, they do and that is something I would have never figured out from just petting him and will probably never be able to find myself. From there she worked on his neck, stimulating his lymphatic areas to help with his infection.

Next she worked on his extremities to help with his joint articulation. I was in complete awe of how well she picked up on subtle cues that Finny was exhibiting. Although on a more obvious note, it was pretty evident that he was in a state of pure bliss by the way he would let out a random long sigh, yawn, or look like his eyes were about to shut completely. From there she continued down his back, tail and then his belly. By the end I felt more relaxed just from watching!

My favorite part was afterwards when Angela said that most dogs will literally shake off the energy from the massage just like they do when they are wet. And, sure enough, Finny got up from his rub-down, stretched both his front and back legs, then got his shake on.

All in all, I have to say that I was really impressed. Impressed at Angela's knowledge of the canine body and which movements would work best, impressed by the way she was able to turn a nutty dog like Finnegan into the most laid back little guy ever, and by how much joy she gets from doing her job.

Here's a tip- At the end, I felt myself wondering, "What is the proper tipping etiquette?". I thought about it for a while and think that if you tip your groomer, you should tip for your pup's massage.

Finny's favorite Say Cheese Treats and his new pick, Bac'n Bones.

So, I have to say- not only would I recommend you pick up some treats (they do gift baskets too!), you should consider the benefits of the TREAT massages. Trust me, your pet will thank you and you'll feel good knowing that they got a little TLC right at home.

Here's a link to their shop!

Indy dog-lovers, talk to Angela about setting up an appointment and everyone else- hop on over to their TREAT! shop and order away! You will be so glad you did and so will your furry friends!

Friday Favorites: Curat Romania Handcrafted Soaps

Moldoveano Peak

Today's Friday Favorite is another vendor I made a purchase from at the Handmade Promenade and boy am I glad I went! Curat-Romania creates handcrafted soaps and has giant repetiore of artisan blends to pick from. Curat is the Romanian word for clean and let me tell you, their products live up to their name in the best way.

Ashes 2 Ashes

One of their products I'm particularly fond of is Ashes 2 Ashes, and it's exactly what it sounds like. The activated charcoal in the soap acts as a speedy detoxifier drawing out impurities and pesky bacteria from your skin. I use mine as a face mask and it has left my skin silky smooth after each use. It's  a total trip wearing it as a mask because it is black soap. Once it dried and hardened I reminded myself of an actor with lots of stage make-up wrinkles drawn all over my face. It's a weird image, but if you were/are a theater kid at any point, I'm willing to bet you get what I mean. If not, I'll just say I looked funky but it was worth it.

Cherry Sparkler

I also purchased Curat's limited edition Cherry Sparkler. The scent of cherry mixed with basil and spearmint is one the most luxurious and uplifting scents I've had the pleasure of purchasing. Seriously, this one is a real winner so I'm hoping to make another purchase before they run out!

If you're not out and about and able to pick up their soaps around town I highly suggest checking out their website. They have a huge variety of fantastic products and you can even search then depending on the type of scent you like. Curat also offers gift certificates so if you're looking for a gift but can't decide which scent, they have you covered!

Be sure to check out today's Friday Favorite today!

Friday (on Monday) Favorites: Green Illuminations

My new candle!

Happy Monday, everyone! Due to Blogger being down all day on Friday, I held off on posting the latest Friday Favorite until today so check it out!

Recently, I was able to stop by the Handmade Promenade on Massachusetts Avenue and I was thrilled with all the fabulous local talent! One of my favorite purchases of the day was my new candle from Green Illuminations. It's not just the one candle that I love, either. It's their whole concept and pretty much any products they have to offer!

Green Illuminations, founded and owned by Jarod Wilson and Shan Parker, takes beer and wine bottles and turns them into beautiful lanterns and candles. By taking the bottles and cutting them in half, one bottle becomes two different pieces. The tops are used to create lanterns and luminaries and the bottoms are filled with natural soy wax and turned into candles.

The candles are extremely environmentally friendly as they are scented with 100% essential oils.. For an extra green feature, their 5 oz candles include wooden wicks which burn slower and cleaner. You can only find their 5 oz candles at their craft shows to be sure to keep an eye out!

"For our first candle scent, I wanted to to use traditional Buddhist scents, such as Sage and Cedarwood," said Wilson.

Buddha

That's how the pair came up with their first scent called, "Buddha". Wilson went on to explain that after the initial scent, they decided to center all of the candles around people that have been enlightened in both the real and mythological sense.

"Monk was inspired by monasteries in southern France that grow fields of oranges and lavender, continued Wilson. "Juno was inspired by the Roman goddess who gave a bunch of oranges to Jupiter on their wedding day as a gift."

I absolutely love that.

Lanterns? Yes, please.

Apart from their candles, their lanterns are positively stunning and would surely make a lovely ambiance at any patio party. Don't you agree? We are in the middle of a backyard overhaul (more on that to come!) and I can't wait to add their lanterns to our landscaping!

And if that isn't enough, Green Illuminations also uses wine corks to make practical and pretty trivets and magnets. I am totally impressed at how they are able to up-cycle every part of a wine bottle.

Green Illuminations combines earth friendly methods with beautiful artistry in both product and concept so I do hope you will give them a try!

Their products can be found on their website, Etsy shop, and at the following locations:

• Little Green Bean Boutique - East 10th Street
• Indy Swank - Fountain Square (in the Murphy Building)
• HomeSpun Indy - East Washington, Irvington Area
• Nature's Karma - Clay Terrace
• Wholly Craft - Columbus, OH

And if that's not enough for you, the Green Illumination guys are offering a 5% discount to all RH readers using the code:RmnticHppie through their Etsy shop!

So, be sure to stop by any of the places above to check out their stuff! I have no doubt you'll love it just as much as I do!

Friday Favorites: Hammerman Garden Markers

One of the coolest gifts I received throughout our wedding season were these simply stunning Hammerman garden markers from my dear friend Haley. 

Hammerman uses rudimentary tools and antique spoons to create each marker by hand. Each marker has a unique patina and adds an understated elegance to herb beds.These made a  great wedding shower gift however the gifting possibilities for something like this, I think, are endless. Mothers Day, Birthdays or even giving a hostess gift would make a great case for sharing these lovely little creations.

Friday Favorites: Lovedrops, a free font

Jessica at How About Orange recently posted this free front and I think it's absolutely perfect for creating fun Valentines Day messages! Download Lovedrops here and drop some word love on your nearest and dearest this Feb. 14th!