Why You Should Consider Adopting a Rescue Dog

I have a dear friend in Connecticut that was with me on my last scuba diving trip. It was the first time I had seen her in several years, and we enjoyed catching up. Since I am such an animal lover, she knew the first thing I would want to know about were her dogs. I asked her if I could share her story, because it represents so much of what we all go through when we have pets: joy, routine, heartbreak, and the decision to go through it all again!

Lily’s Story

I had Max, my Shih-Tzu/Maltese mix, for almost 16 years when he passed away. Life felt empty without him following me around the house, barking at people walking down the street, even sleeping next to me on the bed. I was sad.

Initially, I thought I …

The It Gets Better Project is Headed to MTV and Logo

The It Gets Better Project was created by syndicated columnist, author, and LGBT activist Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller in September 2010 as an inspirational response to anti-gay bullying and the hike in (publicized) LGBT teen suicides. Since then, more than 30,000 touching and motivational videos have been created by countless celebrities, public figures, and regular people like you and me with one resounding message to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens who are being bullied and facing discrimination, intolerance, and hate today: It Gets Better.

This project has achieved amazing success; by just the end of 2010, it raised over $100,000 from $2,500+ grassroots contributors that has gone to increase support and resources available to teenagers in the LGBT community through the project’s affiliation with the Trevor Project suicide hotline, GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), and the ACLU LGBT Project. By the end of this month, the It Gets Better Project will reach an even wider audience with the premiere of the It Gets Better special that will air on both MTV and Logo on Tuesday, February 21st at 11:00 p.m. ET.

Wedding Invitations Don’t Have to Be a Nightmare — Personalize Your Own at Hello!Lucky

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hello!Lucky. All opinions are 100% mine.

Every time I think of the stress that accompanies finding the perfect wedding invitations and making sure they show up on time and without error, I think of an episode of Gilmore Girls. Granted, I can very well compare most of life’s events to an episode of Gilmore Girls because I am one of those obnoxious fan types, but bear with me here. In this particular episode, Sookie’s wedding invitations arrive at the inn she works at with Lorelai. When Lorelai brings them into the kitchen, Sookie immediately begins to rip open the box, eager to see them while excitedly telling Lorelai how they are pearly white with a beautiful lavender stripe and how she …

The Psychology of Color [Infographic]

Did you know that fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Pizza Hut use the color red in their logos because the color red is proven to stimulate the appetite? Or that blue is often used in corporate logos because the color blue represents feelings of something being non-invasive?

Even more interestingly, did you know that during the 15th century green was the preferred color choice for wedding gowns because green has long symbolized fertility? White wedding gowns were not always the norm, which is a pretty radical thought when you look at the wedding industry today.

There is an unspoken psychology behind colors and how they make us feel–whether we like it or not. The following infographic explores color psychology, including what specific colors have long symbolized and why, as well as what colors are best suited for the walls of a particular room in your home, which I will definitely be taking note of when I move into my new home next month.

Teaching Kids Responsibility: Don’t Go It Alone

Raising responsible, caring kids is a tall order, especially when we live in a society steeped in rampant consumerism and narcissism. The task can seem downright overwhelming at times, and I don’t believe parents can do it alone. We need all the help we can get.

Teachers and Other Caring Adults

My son had a fabulous student government teacher that believes high school is about more than algebra and college application essays. He believes that high school teachers can, and should, teach students lessons in integrity, service, and community involvement. Instead of asking continually for donations and pledges from community business owners, he constantly looks for opportunities for the students to serve the community.

Students are expected to complete at least 30 hours of community service on their own. Additionally, they complete several service …

Stop Bad Pet Behavior — Comfort Zone with Feliway Review

I have written about our younger cat Vincent here before, and about the behavioral issues we experienced with him from the time he first came to us when he was just 8 weeks old, up until fairly recently. Vincent was the second cat to come into our home. We also have Devin, a female cat who is significantly older than Vincent, so I really didn’t know what I was getting into when my partner and I were asked if we would be willing to take in a kitten who was very different than the exceptionally-behaved, low maintenance cat we had for years.

Vincent had energy like I had never seen before; he climbed up curtains, scratched our furniture obsessively, was afraid of the lid on his litter box, and would urinate where he slept, whether it …