I hear the Toad vs Frog conundrum quite often, but there are many similar species out there that might be hard to tell the difference between the two.  This fun cheat sheet can help with the most common ones:

As for Toads and Frogs?  You can tell most toads and frogs apart by the appearance of their skin and legs.  Both amphibians make up the order Anura in the animal kingdom, but there are some key differences.  Most frogs have long legs and smooth skins covered in mucus.  Toads generally have shorter legs and rougher, thicker skins.  And, yes, all toads are frogs but not all frogs are toads.  That should settle things. 🙂

Another year is drawing to a close, and in just a few hours millions of people will be celebrating in their own way the beginning of a new year (woohoo, 2016!!).  Some have a night out on the town, some watch fireworks in their cities/towns, some cuddle up with their loved ones and stay in (sign me up)… there are countless ways to celebrate.

No matter how you celebrate, if you have furry or feathered loved ones in your home (you know the ones, they love you unconditionally and you feed them… it’s really the perfect relationship), please keep their safety and sanity in mind tonight and throughout the rest of the weekend.  Fireworks going off, having strangers in their home, and all that edible (or not so edible) confetti and food on the floor all pose dangers for your pets.

So!  Here are a few ways to keep your fur babies safe this New Year’s:

• Make sure your pet’s ids are all up to date in case they get out.  Doesn’t help to have a microchip or collar with tags if the contact info is not accurate!
• Exercise your pets.  A tired dog is a happy dog (and owner), and also helps them be less stressed out when things get a little hectic.
• KEEP THEM INSIDE.  This one is vital.  One boom of a firework and your dog could bolt clear over your nice fence and down the street far enough to get lost.  Shelters flood with lost animals every New Year’s, so make sure your babies are safely inside where they cannot run away.
• Find them a quiet space away from the hubbub.  Whether you’re having a party or just a few friends over, it can be a lot for your pets to process and handle.  Make them a quiet, comfortable space with some white noise (back bedroom with some Mozart, perhaps?  Or Schubert, I don’t judge!).   Give them their favorite toy and some treats to keep them content while you party in the living room!
• No human food or access to the new fun stuff laying around.  It’s easy to want to share in the delicious dishes you prepare, but that will only lead to upset stomachs and possibly some major accidents in the house.  It is also good to remember that the vast majority of human foods are poisonous or at the very least, an allergen, to your pets.  And don’t forget, all that new stuff in the house (party hats, confetti, etc) will be pretty interesting to them so keep that away as well!

2016 promises to be a year with many changes and challenges for us all.  I wish you the brightest of New Year’s and a happy, healthy, enlightening 2016!

This Halloween was a busy time for me and I was able to wear four different costumes at six different events.  This is actually the first Halloween as an adult (out of college), where I got into things.  I put together costumes, went out with friends, carved pumpkins… I’m not sure what has changed from this year compared to previous years, but it was actually quite wonderful to partake in so much this year.

As Keyboard Cat, I joined forces with some amazing friends and went bowling for the Fort Collins Cat Rescue fund raiser.  We didn’t win any of the costume contests, but we were all the famous kitten memes and it was hilarious.

As Miss Frizzle, I handed out goodie bags at the Wellington Trick or Treat Down Main Street event and hosted a costume quiz for Geeks Who Drink.

As Daenerys Targaryen, I attend the Boys & Girls Clubs annual costume staff meeting and participated in the Phantom 5k with my dragon, Monty.

And then as Sadness from Inside Out, I went out with friends to enjoy the evening Saturday night.

I will be traveling through Iceland this coming week, so stay tuned for a post (or posts!) on my travels!  This is my first solo international trip and I am equal parts excited and nervous – wish me luck!

Pets don’t understand Halloween – and it can be a very scary, unsafe time for them!  Please be aware of your pet’s safety and never force them into a costume if they don’t want to wear one.  Here is a great graphic on Halloween safety tips:

My dog, Monty, and I love to share a bowl of blueberries every now and then and he’s a huge fan of stealing a little banana while I’m making my post-workout smoothies.  Check out this amazing chart to know which “human foods” are good for your pup and which are a horrible idea to share with them.  Bon Appetit!

This past May, I took the plunge and joined Instagram.  Not one to take a multitude of selfies, I decided to use this social media medium to do a personal happiness project.  Every day, I take a picture of something that makes me happy and post it to Instagram.  It typically covers my choir practices, fur babies, and weekly volunteer gigs for the Fort Collins Cat Rescue, but I try to find something unique each day that brings me happiness.

Feel free to check it out – and definitely consider doing this yourself!  It’s been a great lesson in appreciating the life I have and world around me and I look forward to continuing this on for many months.

My Instagram page (Enjoy!)

“I think we risk becoming the best informed society that has ever died of ignorance….” ~Reuben Blades

There is nothing wrong with celebrating the birthdays of your pets.  In fact, I highly encourage it if you aren’t currently doing so!  It’s a fun way to bond with them and enjoy your time together, and also reminds you to take pictures of and with your beloved fur baby.  Time always flies by too fast with our pets, and birthdays are a wonderful reminder to reflect and celebrate!

To honor Monty turning 9 on the 9th of August, we did the Nine Days of Monty!  Two of the days were planned for outdoor fun, but Monty sprained his ankle on day 3… so activities were unfortunately limited, and his birthday hike/swim has been postponed.  (way to finally show your age, pup!)

Happy Golden Birthday, Mr. Montague!

Cecil the Lion (and how being mad at his murder does not mean I don’t think black lives matter).

Unless you have been unplugged from all electronics the past week, you already know about the tragedy of Cecil the Lion’s murder by a Minnesota dentist, Walter Palmer.

Trophy hunting is near the top of my list of horrible things people still do for some dumb reason.  I will never understand the mind of a person who wants to kill the most magnificent creatures on this earth just so they can put their body parts up on a wall.  It is the makings of a serial killer to have the capacity to see a beautiful living thing and have your first thought be “I want to murder that being and put it’s head in my house”.

I was happy to see the amount of people upset at this and took a moment to really appreciate how far we have come that so many are up in arms about Cecil.  Then a few moments passed, and the other voices online, in the news, and in person started flooding in.  Comments about “Cecil the Pig”, about the companion animal euthanasia problems, that more people are upset about a lion than the most recent black person to be killed by a cop.  And I got frustrated.  Really, really frustrated.

There are THOUSANDS of problems with our society and our world.  THOUSANDS.  If people are up in arms about an incident, that doesn’t mean the general population isn’t upset about other things, too.  It means their focus is on the tragedy that just occurred.  Yes, I am livid that millions dogs and cats are euthanized each day in this country.  I am livid that billions of farm animals are tortured their entire lives just to be slaughtered for meat.  I am livid that so many cops abuse their power and are killing innocent people every day.  But that doesn’t mean I am not allowed to be pissed that a trophy hunter killed a vital animal in a nature preserve.

Some people are civil rights activists.  Some are animal rights activists.  Some people aren’t activists, per se, but do have morals and emotions, and get upset when an unnecessary tragedy happens.  This does not necessarily mean that a person dedicating their life to animal rights doesn’t care about people (or the other way around).  Or that someone who normally isn’t push for a better world in some capacity on social media doesn’t care.  I cried tears of anger when I heard about Cecil the Lion.  I also cried tears of anger after watching the video of Sandra Bland.  I didn’t post about either on my Facebook page.  Does that mean I don’t care about either living being that lost their life in a horrendous way?  No.

So please don’t knock someone for standing up for a positive change in this world.  If we all focused on those one or two issues we are personally passionate about and demanded positive change, this world would be an amazing place.  So focus on your one or two issues – and I’ll focus on mine…  And I look forward to a day where all lives truly matter and this wonderful earth of ours is a happy, healthy place.

There are so many ways to give back to your community and the world in general.  I’ve listed a few ideas to get you started, but please consider what you can do to make a difference!

Volunteer

I personally volunteer with the Fort Collins Cat Rescue, currently as a weekly cattery cleaner for their off-site adoptions location at the local PetSmart.  It takes only 2 hours out of my week, and I feel absolutely amazing afterwards.  Volunteering doesn’t have to take a lot of time, and there are nonprofits in every sector looking for help – finding one that supports something you are passionate about is as easy as using Google to search for local opportunities!

Join a Nonprofit Board

There are so many amazing nonprofits, and all of them legally have to have a board of directors.  This board is the nonprofit’s governing body, and most nonprofits struggle to make their boards as effective and diverse as possible.  If you are passionate about a specific cause and/or have expertise in an area that can help a nonprofit (examples are law, accounting, insurance, human resources, etc), consider joining a board!

Donate Blood

This is such an easy way to give back and feel great about it!  When I was 17, I received a blood transfusion that helped save my life so I now give back by donating four times a year.  I prefer to donate directly to the local hospitals so they don’t have to deal with the middle man like the Red Cross (they charge hospitals for your blood donation).  Here in Northern Colorado, I donate to the Garth Englund Blood Center, which is part of the Poudre Valley Health Systems.  Even if you have a fear of needles, give it a try – you could save several lives with that one pint of blood and it only takes an hour to do it!

Donate Hair

Every two years, I cut a foot of hair off and donate it to a nonprofit that makes wigs for children suffering from hair loss (usually from cancer treatments).  I used to joke that I needed to be careful when I cut my hair while in a relationship because I would like to have long hair for my wedding, but that doesn’t seem to be something I need to concern myself with anymore.  (one of the few benefits of being single!).   If you have longer hair and are looking for a new hairstyle that would involve at least 8 inches of hair being cut, donate it!

Places to donate your hair

Join the Bone Marrow Registry

I joined the registry a few years ago when my friend, Tia, was battling cancer and needed a bone marrow transplant.  She asked all of us to register after she learned how difficult it can be to find a match.  The odds of there being a match is pretty slim, but for the person who could be a match with you, it will save their life.  It only takes a minute to do the test and drop it in the mail!

Info to join the registry

Attend a Charity Benefit

It could be a 5k, dinner at a specific restaurant, a sale at a bookstore, a fun and fancy gala … nonprofits are constantly putting on events in your community that help benefit their cause.  Just this past week, I ran in a 5k benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County and shopped at the Eclectic Reader and had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant to support the Fort Collins Cat Rescue.  It’s a fun way to support a cause while enjoying your community!  I have never been to that bookstore or restaurant before and this was a great excuse to explore what Fort Collins has to offer while also knowing I was supporting a great cause.  Many local community calendars will post these types of events, or your favorite local charity will post it on their website/facebook page.

There are many other ways to help than what I just listed here.  Get out there and help however you can… if we all do a little, this world would be a much different (amazing) place!