8 Summer Pet Care Tips Every Pet Owner Should Read

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Summer is the best time of year - not just for people, but for their pets! Sunny and warm weather means that you’re more likely to to your dog out for a jog in the park, or maybe just spend a lazy day enjoying the sun while also avoiding the heat in your apartment with your cat.

Unfortunately, with the summer weather comes a number of dangers to pets, which become even more prevalent during heat waves and popular summer bashes. Fortunately, there’s a few easy things pet owners can do to ensure their pets stay safe and happy during the summer months.

The following eight tips are from apartmentguide.com:

Be sun smart

The first rule of summertime pet care is be careful when out in the sun. Remember that pets can experience heat exhaustion just like people. Buy pet-safe sunscreenand apply it to your dog’s nose and ears so he won’t burn. Stick to shady areas when playing outside with your pet. Limit the amount of time you keep your pets in the sun to make sure they don’t over-exert themselves.

Never leave your pet in the car

This is a basic rule of pet safety. Even if you anticipate a quick run into a store, don’t leave your pet in the car while you shop. In summer, a car’s internal temperature can skyrocket, and the inside can become like an oven. Just don’t take the risk of harming your pet in a hot car!

Keep your pet well-hydrated
Just as you need to stay well-hydrated in summertime, you will want to make sure your pet has access to plenty of water. You might add an extra water station in your apartment for your pet. If you have trouble, say, getting your cat to drink, make things fun for your furry roommate by getting him or her a water fountain. They can be inexpensive, and the movement of the water could entice your pet to drink more.

Don’t leave your pet unsupervised around water

In summertime, it’s fun to take dogs to the lake or the pool to lounge around. Don’t leave pets unsupervised near water, however — especially if you are unsure of their swimming skills. If you cannot spend all of your time watching a dog by the water, leave her at home or invest in a pet life jacket or flotation device.

Get your pet groomed in summertime

How would you like to wear extra, heavy layers of clothing in summertime? Summer is the perfect time to take your pet in for grooming to get rid of excess fur that can drive up body temperature. You don’t want to shave all the fur off, however, because some fur will shade your pet’s body from the sun. Discuss with your vet or groomer the appropriate length for both your pet’s health and beauty.

Schedule a check-up

Keep up with kitty or pooch health care by visiting the veterinarian for a checkup. In summertime, it’s more likely your pet will spend more time around other pets; you want to make sure he or she doesn’t pick up any parasites or other infections during playtime. Keep in mind that warmer weather may place more physical demands on your pet than they experience in the winter months.

Chip and collar your pet

Make sure your pets have proper identification by chipping and collaring them. On an outdoor adventure, or even while a door or window is propped open, your pet could run off. Having the right identification can make it easier to find them, should they get lost.

Test your window screens

Speaking of open windows, if you plan to let some air into your apartment this way, be sure to test your screens. Ensure your pets can’t push them out. This is especially important if you live on a higher floor where a fall out a window might mean disaster! 



The dog days are a perfect time to have lots of fun with your pets, but you also have to take extra care to keep them healthy and happy. A few warm-weather safety precautions will go a long way toward keeping them safe and sound this summer!

10 Cool Random Facts About Seattle (And Washington)

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It goes without saying: we love Seattle. How can we not? Seattle is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, as well as is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. Its local businesses and vibrant, diverse culture make the area an extremely exciting place to live.

Typically, everyone knows a few basic facts about Seattle and the state itself. The Space Needle is a must-see attraction; people tend to ride bikes everywhere whenever possible; whale watching trips aren’t that far from us; and it rains a bit more than we’d like.

But there’s a lot of cool random facts about Seattle and the state of Washington that aren’t as well known. For example, did you know:

1. Ever wondered why there’s no theme parks in Seattle? Seattle is considered too dreary and rainy for a theme park to be able to make a profit.

2. People may complain about the rain, but Seattle's annual rainfall is less than that of cities including (but not limited to) Houston, Chicago and New York City.

3. Seattle is the most literate city in the U.S.; it has the most bookstores and libraries per capita, and the most library card-holders to check them out!

4. Washington state produces more apples than any other state in the union.

5. The Washington State Ferry System is the largest in the country and the third largest in the world, carrying over 25 million passengers annually. Seattle’s Pier 52 is the busiest ferry terminal in the U.S.

6. When it comes to the number of live music shows performances in general per capita, Seattle is second in the U.S. only to New York City.

7. But even New York City can’t beat Seattle's Pacific Northwest Ballet, which has the highest per capita attendance in the country.

8. The Farmer’s Market at Pike Place Market is the longest continuously operating farmer’s market in the US; it’s been open to the public since 1907.

9. 11.52% of Seattle is made up of green parks and open areas.

10. Washington state has more glaciers than the other 47 contiguous states combined.

Want to keep reading up on your Seattle and Washington state trivia? Use these links:

• http://jetcityorange.com/seattle-trivia/
• http://www.nileguide.com/destination/seattle/overview/local-info
• http://www.50states.com/facts/washingt.htm#.Udwp4T7Eo2s

Mark Your Calendars: It’s Summer In Seattle

With the 4th of July already behind us, it may seem like summer is going by way too quickly. Don’t fret! Take advantage of the beautiful summer days by knowing exactly what is scheduled to happen when around Seattle.

Not sure how to find out what there is to do around Seattle? Don’t worry: we’ve got you covered. Use these three websites to figure out exactly what is happening when:

● The Downtown Seattle Summer Guide: Just click here to head on over to downtownseattle.com’s summer guide. All you have to do is click on the image of the pamphlet and begin turning the pages. Every single major Seattle event, from art walks to theater shows to fitness classes, can be found in this little online brochure. It’s easy to read and use, too!

● Seafair: From now until September, we have plenty of Seafair events to look forward to! The Seafair official calendar can be found here. Bookmark it and use it well!

● Head to the parks: More of a park person than a downtown- or sea-life person? We’ve got you covered. Use this handy guide to figure out what is happening when in Seattle’s parks. Dancing, art displays, movies and more await you!

Image courtesy of www.downtownseattle.com

Those are our top three ways to stay up-to-date with Seattle events this summer. Did you miss anything really cool that you think belongs on this

How - And Why - You Should Meditate

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What is meditation? Does meditation have anything to do with yoga? Is one better than the other?

Let’s answer those questions one at a time:

According to one yoga instructor, “Meditation—generally presented in the three broad categories of concentration, mindfulness, and contemplation—are forms of mind training, operating on the fundamental premise that the mind determines the quality of your life. Meditation is about making friends with yourself, learning to see what is just as it is, and freeing yourself from reactive conditioning.”

Meditation actually merges into yoga classes very easily, given that it’s considered one of 8 limbs of classical yoga; different yoga positions better prepare a person for actual meditation. Combined, yoga and meditation help improve a person’s physical, emotional and spiritual health.

While yoga is extremely popular, not every person who does yoga follows it up with a round of meditation. This video that we’ve included not only provides 10 tips on how to meditate - it also includes these 5 reasons that you should do it.

Add A Dash of Freshness To Your Apartment

Image courtesy of renters.apartments.com

Our apartments need to be somewhere we come home and relax at the end of the day; for some people, that means coming home to a neat, clean apartment. For others, that means bringing in some take-out and sitting in front of the TV for an hour after work. And for some of us, that means adding a little sweet something for us to breathe in - something that will make us exhale all of our stress away.

If you’re looking for ways to make your apartment smell fresher, here’s a couple tips on how to do that - they may surprise you!

Bring in Nature
Bringing in nature is easier than you think. Sure, you can open windows to freshen up the rooms and make sure to dust in order to remove allergens, but there are other natural ways to freshen the air. Consider green plants throughout the apartment. Even in small studio apartments, there are areas that green plants can become beneficial. Hang plants in kitchen areas, place them on shelves as a decorative item in living rooms, or place a large green plant in the corner of a bedroom. Green plants will automatically allow nature to take charge and clean the air throughout the apartment. The plants remove odor, clean the air, and release it back into the environment without the use of harsh chemicals or overpowering scents.

Stop Misting and Spraying

If you have tried the air freshener route to no avail, then you know misting and spraying only offers a temporary sweet scent fix. Instead of using chemical mists and sprays, try using a fabric softener sheet in air vents. The fabric softener sheets will last for several days and keep the air circulating with a fresh and clean scent. If you are not comfortable with the fabric softener approach, there is still hope. Scented oil reed diffusers, wax simmer pots and potpourri simmer options will also create a sweet scent that will keep your apartment smelling clean and fresh. Just remember to keep simmer pot options in safe locations and to extinguish them at night or when you leave the apartment.

The best ways to keep your apartment smelling fresh and clean are to open windows at least once a week, vacuum rugs to remove debris, locate any odd odors, and of course add green plants for a natural odor eliminator. If you combine those basic methods with a light scent from diffusers and simmer options, then the scent will take care of itself.

Read the original apartments.com article to learn a little more about how to make your apartment smell fresh!

*Photo Credit: apartments.com

4 Easy Ways To “Go Green”

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Even today many people seem to think that “going green” is a difficult, monumental task. It’s such a shame that this idea persists when everyone can go green, easily, in different ways and to different degrees.

We’ve posted in the past about ways to greenify your apartment, but now, we’re giving you four more super easy ways to make your life a little greener - these are so easy, you probably forgot they were options!

● Recycle. Find out what your apartment building’s recycling program is and make sure that you have a container. Donate gently used items rather than throwing them away. Check with the village or town hall and find out how to dispose of items such as batteries, paint and cell phones in your area.

● Ride a bicycle. Saving gas, reducing emissions and getting a little exercise are all positives. If biking isn’t practical or it is too cold out, see if you can start a carpool to work, take the bus or ride the train.

● Reduce junk mail by using the Direct Marketing Association’s consumer section on the Internet to take yourself off of mailing lists.

● Bring a canvas or cloth bag to the grocery store instead of using their bags.

What do you think - had you already embraced some or all of these tips? Do you have any additional ideas to add to this list? Tell us in the comments!

Do you have photos of these items on your phone? You should!

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Phones today are the most useful and necessary tools that a lot of people have at their disposal. Forget voicemails and texting - our phones now help us navigate, find new music, calculate how much money we should leave as a tip, and a whole plethora of other things.

But are you taking full advantage of one of the simplest features on a modern day phone? It’s not a secret that many people use their phones in place of a camera. It’s also not a secret that many people use their e-mail or a Notes feature on their phone to keep track of little details. But why not combine the two into a far more useful reminder?

A picture is far more vivid and helpful than a few words that you may misspell or forget the meaning of. So what should you be taking pictures of and saving in your phone? Apartmenttherapy.com has the answer:

Here are a few things that can easily be remembered with a quick snap of your camera phone's shutter button:

• A reminder of where you parked. Parking in the city is no joke.

• Your printer cartridges. Make sure you can see the refill numbers.

• Your family members' clothing sizes.

• The measurements of your air filter.

• Travel confirmation numbers. Take a screenshot of the email your airline sends you. When you check in later and need to find confirmation numbers, your photo album will be less cluttered than your inbox.

• Pictures of current medications. Make sure you can see the prescriptions' names and dosages in the photo.

• The types of lightbulbs that fit your home fixtures.

• A recipe from a book or magazine that you want to use soon.

• Anything "borrowed" that you might want to buy later, like the brand of a smooth-writing pen at the bank or a great-smelling hotel shampoo.

• Expensive home furnishings you just know you can DIY at home. Get shots of all the important angles for when you're ready to DIY.

Read the full original article here - and tell us in the comments if you use your camera to help you remember anything else that’s not on this list!