Rugs to Rags and Back Again

Growing up on a working ranch meant we didn't really have a lot of frivolous decor in the house. Things needed to be useful, practical, and most of all, easy to clean. The hardest working "decorations" were the rugs. They took a major beating. Especially the rugs near the back door where we came in from the barn. We usually had one of the very colorful, very durable old rag rugs placed there. They were workhorses!  They kept the majority of the mud and other things from going further into the house.  I still have a couple of those old beauties that I try to keep anyone from stepping on because they're getting some age on them.



Old Rag Rug section



Here at MoonCat Farms we have our own share of mud and gunk from the gardens and the chicken runs. I had a cheap little throw rug at the front door that was doing a fairly good job keeping the muck out until Pippi ate it.  As in there aren't even pieces to show you!

She is one of the most destructive little dogs I've ever had! She eats my shoes (notice I said mine, NOT Mr. MoonCat's), books and whatever she can get her little pointy teeth on. I have to be sure to get to any packages from UPS or FedEx before she does as she REALLY likes to open boxes and mail for me. Please note that she has more toys and chewy things than a puppy or child could ever want to gnaw on - she just prefers things that belong to moi!

The only time Miss Pippi/Peepers isn't

eating my stuff!

Isn't my sweet big boy Chandler a cutie pie??

So back to the rug issue. Little Miss Peepers has given me the excuse I've needed to replace the rugs in the living and dining rooms (it's actually more like a great room all combined).  I've decided I want to go with somewhat more modern rugs than the plain older rugs we've been using. One of the other concerns besides the dirt trapping is keeping the wet doggy paw prints from being left on the hardwood floors. Here are two examples of what I am looking at:

Woven Diamond

This one is an indoor/outdoor rug that is handwoven. It's hoseable, scrubbable, bleachable and designed for high-traffic, muddy areas. I like that the design and colors combine to add a little punch.

Vine & Leaf RugThis lovely vine and leaf design fits well with my living room/great room colors and I think it would hide dirt well. It's also indoor/outdoor and said to be super easy to clean.


Both rugs are water resistant and could be hung out over the fence or big clothesline to dry when washed - not in the machine, but by being hosed down :)  I am a lazy housekeeper as I'd much rather be in the garden or out at the ranch with Dad and the horses. Ease of cleaning and practicality are VERY high on my requirements for things around here.

So what do you think, any suggestions? I admit I'm leaning more towards the leaves at the moment, but I always let the Mister put in his 1/2 cent - since I get 1 1/2 hee hee..

~~~~~



**I am a CSN Preferred Blogger and will receive an item for review in exchange for this post. My opinions and words are 100% honest and MY OWN and are not influenced in any way.

Feeling the Love

I am so grateful for those lovely readers who have commented and emailed me regarding that last post/rant/scream.  You are wonderful!  It is amazing how much a simple "you're not alone in how you feel" or just plain "you're not alone" can mean to a person ~ to me.  Thank you all so much for being there.

I'm actually feeling a tad bit better and poor Mr. MoonCat is like a little kid about sparkly decorations, so we're going to get with the program and try to cheer it up around here.  He is of the opinion that I will feel even better if I have pretty things to look at.. (If you have seen Chevy Chase's movie "Christmas Vacation", you'll have an idea of what Mr. MoonCat's vision of decorating entails....Mine is closer to the Charlie Brown version.)

Of course, my agreement to go ahead and decorate has now spawned arguments about the tree.  He wants a GIANT tree

while I would prefer a smaller, more manageable tree. 

His theory is that we have a giant ceiling in the great room so we should have the GIANT tree.  My counterpoint is that the big tree will cost 3 times that of the one I like and just because we have the space, doesn't mean we need to fill it! 

Plus, I have a vision of the tree sitting in the lower-ceilinged corner with goodies all around it ~ off of the floor where lions and tigers roam.  I have an old corner tv stand that we're not using similar to the one below:

I think it would be really cute to put the lighted Christmas village on the shelves behind the glass doors.  (It will be much, much safer for the little villagers to be ensconced behind the glass ~ we have large monster kitties that roam freely in this home!)  My stand isn't as nice as the one above, but I think it will do ~ for now... hint, Mr. MoonCat... I like the one above..

So what do you think?  A 12ft-ish tree or a more modest, manageable, magnificent tree of about 4 or 5 feet sitting on a pretty stand with a village nestled below?  Whichever way we go, you know it'll have to be made secure from the ferocious felines...

**Are you getting the impression that everything we do around here comes back to the critters?  How will it affect them?  What kind of destruction and havoc can they wreak?  Gotta love 'em or else....

Fall Fix-Ups

I'm sorry to disappoint you if you thought I was going to talk about fixing up single people with other singletons.  The topic de jour is actually fixing up our bathroom!

Much to the dismay of the ever tolerant Mr. MoonCat, I've decided to make some changes with our very blah guest bathroom.  It has blank beige walls, beige tile, and plain boring fixtures.  It is a snooze..

I tend to get into the "spring cleaning" mode in the Fall and it usually includes some type of refurnishing/rearranging.  Since we can't paint, one of the first additions we're implementing is bathroom shelving.  I looked at several places locally as well as online and have narrowed it down to the following choices:

So which do you prefer?

Contest Alert

Don't miss out on the

CSN Stores Giveaway

at

One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Enter for a chance to win a

$65.00 Gift Code

A Yard Sale and Redecoration

Mr. MoonCat and I are planning on having a really big yard sale next month.  We have amassed a very, very large amount of old hand-me-down furniture and, let's face it ~ junk!  It is amazing how much stuff we have both carted around in our "before the MoonCats met" phases of our life.  We have been sorting and tossing things like crazy.

We've been discussing various things we would like to get for the house once we purge ourselves of the clutter.  I mentioned to him that I haven't had new nightstands since I was about 7 years old.  Yes, SEVEN!  I still have one of the dressers from our childhood set as well.  So he agrees that our bedroom could use an update and some new grown-up furniture!

I immediately started checking out what my favorite online retailer CSN Stores had to offer.  I found some that would be perfect for our bedroom's decor:

Noble NightStand by South Shore

Newman NightStand

 but I also found the perfect solution to several problems when I saw this:

NightStand Pet House

Isn't this a great idea?  It would have room for all of my bedside clutter and books and be a perfect piece of furniture for the furfaces.  Especially for the animals who want a hidey-hole when they sleep.  They are also very popular for hiding the cat's litter box.  I'm seeing a lot of possibilities here.  What do you think?

CSN Stores Giveaway Winner

Thank you all for participating in the giveaway from the great folks at CSN Stores.  You know I'm a major fan of theirs! I'm also hoping that you will all stick around as we have a lot more coming up here at MoonCat Farms in the near future. So on to the drawing....

Our lucky winner is:

#3 -  Stephanie Suesan Smith, Ph.D. said...

I want the Alpen Outdoor 20X50 mini spotting scope

Congratulations Stephanie!  I'm sure this scope will come in handy in your outdoor adventures. 

And no, I've never had a rattlesnake poop on me :)

CSN Stores Gift Certificate Giveaway

Giveaway is now CLOSED

Did I mention that I need - OK want,  some new luggage?  I've been wanting to get a pretty set of my own that would be easy to spy on the airport conveyor belt thing or might hold up when the ramp rats are throwing all of the suitcases around before stowing them in the plane.  Look at what I've come up with so far:

Adolfo 5800-3 in Amethyst

or possibly this one

 CalPak Hardside LKB1020 in Purple

or, maybe even this one from the King Kong of luggage ~ Samsonite:

Samsonite Oyster Hardside in Purple

My old duffels just aren't cutting it! So what's a girl to do?  How about enter a drawing for a:

$50 Gift Certificate to

CSNstores.com

What a great idea! How fabulous...  But alas, I can't enter this drawing.   But YOU can.
 

Do I hear applause??? Thank you.. 

Well anyway, today is the start of the big giveaway I had been hinting about for a few weeks!  As a Preferred Blogger for CSN Stores, I am one being given the chance to share my love of CSN Stores with one lucky MoonCat Farms follower.   

It is very, very easy to enter.  Just click on over to CSN Stores and check out their HUMONGOUS inventory of just about everything under the sun.  Then come back and leave a comment to let us all know what you found there that really tickles your fancy and you might want to get with that shiny new gift certificate ~ if you're chosen by Mr. Random.org.  I will close the drawing on Sunday, August 15th and we'll find out just who the lucky winner is!

The only requirements are that you must be a follower of this blog, you must comment as explained above,  and that it is only open to the US and Canada.  I will notify the winner and once they're verified, I will forward the info to my pal Jamie at CSN Stores.

So what kind of good thing do you think you'll choose if  you are the lucky one?  My nosy mind wants to know..  Could it be purple luggage for yours truly??

Good Luck my friends and thank you so much to Jamie and CSN Stores for sponsoring this generous giveaway.

~~~~~
The gift certificate for 1 winner is being provided by CSNStores.com.  I received no compensation for hosting this giveaway.  All opinions and comments are 100% my own.

CSN Stores - Porkchop Approved!

Porkchop posing upon a purple platter
(now say it 3 times fast)

This is a post about CSN Stores, not Porkchop.  He just wanted to be in the middle of things - just as he is in the middle of his dinner dish in the above photo.

Porkchop and I've dealt with CSN Stores a few times this past year and have nothing but great things to say about them.  I recently received a gift certificate from CSN Stores in order to do a review of something from their Pet Products line. I chipped in a bit of my own cash and ordered two items that I have had my eyes on for a while.

The first product would be this great Smart Cat Ultimate Scratching Post.  I've seen this same scratcher in other online stores for quite a bit more money and was leery of spending that much (+shipping).  When I saw it for an average of $40 less plus FREE SHIPPING at CSN, I knew that Porkchop & the crew must have it! 

They love it.  It's super tall and very sturdy.  It really makes a nice piece of furniture for the little furfaces.  A friend of mine was amazed that it was an actual cat scratching post. 

The other thing I ordered was this Petmate Ultra Bubbler Watering System.  I'd researched this quite a bit and was really pleased to see the low price and again -  FREE SHIPPING.

The animals love it and are drinking more water which is one of the goals.

Our Petootnia loves water.  A few minutes after I'd put the waterer in the bathroom, a soaking wet "Toot" came dripping down the hall.  She had a ball playing with the bubbles.  Now that she's used to it, she just tests the water with one paw before drinking. 


***Talking about the waterer leads to another point I'd like to share about CSN Stores.  Their customer service is outstanding.  I had trouble with my first waterer making a tight seal.  I don't know if it was something I wasn't doing right or what, but when I told them I was having a problem - they were on it.

The reps were so nice, they didn't make me feel like an idiot or like some companies I've dealt with - that I was trying to pull something.  They understood that I was having a problem and they were determined to fix it.  They kept me informed on every step and within just a few days, I had the replacement waterer here and bubbling away.  I was very impressed with their professionalism and courtesy.  It reminds me of the old fashioned (and much missed) way of doing business where the customer comes first. 

I highly recommend you visit CSN Stores and check out the fabulous finds in their 200+ stores. With free shipping on most items, I guarantee you'll have a hard time NOT finding something that you must have!

BTW:  You need to stay tuned to this bat channel as we will be hosting an awesome giveaway from CSN Stores in the near future.  You won't want to miss it!

~~~~~
*Disclaimer:  I received a gift certificate from CSN Stores in order to review their products.  I also used some of my own money to facilitate this purchase and review.  The opinions expressed in this review are 100% MY OWN and I was under no obligation to post a positive review.

Light Me Up in the garden

Mr. MoonCat and I really enjoy being outside, especially in the evening. Our wedding was held in the great outdoors and the photo below shows a couple of the hanging lanterns we used:

These hung from shepherd's hooks, trees and fence posts.  We really enjoyed them, but they're not practical for everyday use.  It was really pretty, but fire was a concern due to the candles in the jars.  Plus, once the temperatures go up - the candles go down and melt away with the heat.  The paper lanterns were lit with led lights and tiny batteries.  They were cute, but time consuming and a bit pricey to put together considering how fragile they can be. 

We loved this basic look so we're searching around for similar alternatives for our garden.  The exterior of our house has very very minimal, basic lighting.  We want something with a little ambiance and charm (and let's face it - more light to keep ME from falling on my face.) This search brought me to CSN Lighting which is one of the over 200 shops in the CSN Stores family.  You might remember them from the review I did on the EarthBox Garden Kit earlier this month.

So here are just a couple of the candidates I found on their site:

Light Pewter Nautical Solar Light

Moon Stick Solar Light

Three Tier Solar Light

I like the idea that all of them are listed in the Eco-friendly category too. So what do you think?

CSN Stores EarthBox Garden Kit review

Back in March, I posted about a review I would be doing for CSN Stores on their EarthBox Garden Kit.  (You can find the original post Here).  I know it was quite a while ago that I started on this review, but I wanted to really give it a thorough test and not just an "oh it's cool", "I really like it", etc.  even though I hadn't really put it through it's paces.  I won't do a review post on anything that I haven't truly tried out personally.  So, without further ado; my unbiased opinion - I love it!!!!

I planted the grow box the same day I received it back in March.  I put young strawberry plants in both the EarthBox and also a similar planter that I already owned.  The planters are roughly the same size and shape.  I put a total of six strawberry plants in each, all the same size and variety.  The plants have all had the exact same conditions and treatment.  I followed the directions on the EarthBox exactly as they instructed.  Since the EarthBox did come with fertilizer, I added the same type to my white planter as well.  I really believe the system they've come up with is a winner.

This photo is of the EarthBox on the day I planted it:  (I'm sorry I can't find the photo of the white planter from that day - I believe it was part of the laptop casualty files.)

The photos below show the EarthBox and the regular planter now:

regular planter

EarthBox

side by side

Above photo shows them side by side.  Isn't the difference in plant size amazing?  I was very impressed with this kit and I think I may just have to get myself one or two more for next season.  I like that the planter is on wheels and is very easy to maneuver around.  I think it would be great for some of the delicate plants or those that don't seem to make it here due to gophers....

As for CSN Stores, I was very impressed with their service and communication.  James was the representative who had initially contacted me for the review and was extremely helpful from start to finish.  Once we decided what I would be reviewing, he placed my order and it was here within about three days.  Their huge inventory and major amount of selections are very impressive as well.  They offer free shipping on many of their items too so it's a great idea to check them out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: I received the above EarthBox Garden kit for review purposes. The opinions and views expressed here are 100% my own. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

 

Spring is Almost Sprung

With the slightly warmer weather we were having, I have been on a kick to get our patio and backyard "party ready" for this Spring and Summer.  My ultimate goal is to design a very "liveable" outdoor living space.  I have recently been drooling over some fabulous home bars from CSN Stores that will fit this plan perfectly.  They have an extensive selection so the biggest problem I am having is narrowing it down to only one favorite!  Their prices are quite competitive and since they have over 200 stores with just about anything I could possibly use for this growing project, I am spending a lot of time making my list(s). The fact that many of their products also include free shipping just adds to my drool pool...

So.... imagine how tickled I was when I was given the chance to review an EarthBox Garden Kit from CSN Stores.  Needless to say, I jumped at the chance with all fours and will be giving you an in-depth opinion very soon!  I'm looking forward to testing this planter as it looks like it will be another time and labor saver in my gardening adventures/endeavors/mishaps.  Plus, you know how much I enjoy trying out different products and sharing my take on it; the good, bad or ugly.  Stay tuned and I'll fill you in shortly.