Wednesday, December 24, 2014

A Warm Giveaway: Alice Hannah Designs

Being warm or looking stylish? That is one choice, that no one should have to make. And you can be both warm and stylish, if you choose to wear Alice Hannah accessories.

Previously reviewed on my blog (read here), Alice Hannah is a design company based in London. They design quality and fashionable accessories. Alice Hannah designs start with a blank sheet of paper - allowing designers to create new trends and color palettes of their liking.

Alice Hannah designs are unique and completely one of a kind. My mom and I took our cute accessories out for a test drive this weekend, while it was cold! We are modeling the furry cat mittens, furry cat hat and the cat shaped scarf.

The accessories are warm and cute and will be perfect to wear throughout the cold winter season, especially on snowy days! I am looking forward to wearing them when I walk on my college campus in 2015!

Scroll down for a giveaway opportunity below!






And now for our fantastic giveaway! One winner will win a set similar to the one seen pictured! We will run our giveaway a tad longer than usual to give everyone time to enter after the holidays.

Happy Holidays, Happy Winter & a Happy New Year 2015!


Giveaway Rules:
  • Enter through the Rafflecopter giveaway below (comment entries not accepted). Email Sandpipercatblog@gmail.com with any problems.
  • Open to United States only.
  • Winner contacted by email, must reply in 48 hours.
  • Giveaway to run from 12 am EST 12/24/2014 to 1/7/2015 at 12 am EST.
  • Good luck!
Receiving a complimentary accessories did not influence this review or anything we stated. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

SCB Second Annual Holiday Gift Guide


Ever year as the holiday season gets closer, I anxiously await to see what adorable cat products I can share with viewers. So snuggle up with your cat and enjoy browsing our 2014 Holiday Gift guide! (See last year's 2013 gift guide here).

All items are pinned on my Sandpiper Cat Blog 2014 Holiday Gift Guide board. Follow me on Pinterest and continue to check back as I add more gift ideas!

Category 1: Cat Toys



My lovely friend Shelley Rinker of Whimsily Ever After sells the most adorable cat toys in her Etsy shop. For the holidays, she is selling these uniquely designed toys including a dreidel with gelt ($16), a candy cane ($13) and lumps of coal ($6) (for naughty kitties). I appreciate that Shelley included a dreidel as an option for us Jewish folk, who have a harder time finding Hanukkah cat toys!

Shelley creates her toys from scratch, using her sewing machine! She stuffs her soft fleece toys with organic catnip from the USA. Piper reviewed Shelley's macaron cat toys and she can attest to the potency of the nip!

Category 2: Books



It is always so exciting when a purrsonal friend has a book come out. Our friends Teri and her cat Coco have a beautiful new children's book, The Adventures of Coco le Chat: The world's most fashionable feline, that we are thrilled to share with you!

Coco the Couture Cat is off on a fashion adventure in the city that never sleeps, New York City! Dressed in the chicest of clothes, Coco has fun zooming around the city doing her favorite activities. A stop at the Met, ballet at the Lincoln Center and Broadway are just a few of Coco's marvelous stops. She even makes a friend -- but you will have to read the book to find out more about that!

The fashion in this book is fantastic! I spotted a 3.1 Phillip Lim purse, that I recognized right away. Coco and I definitely share the same taste in fashion. I would love to spend a day on the town with Coco.

Coco le Chat is the perfect gift for all cat lovers, adult and children alike. You can purchase a copy on Amazon here. If you're interested in a paw-tographed copy, signed by Coco herself, you can email her owner Teri at furrydance@gmail.com. She accepts PayPal (shouldn't it be PawPal?), $15 a copy + ($6 shipping for one book, $7.50 for two books, $8 for three books.



Next in the book category are two fantastic memoirs that would make an excellent surprise for your favorite reader. Cleo and Cats & Daughters both by Helen Brown, are two heartwarming stories that detail two different times in the author's life. 

Cleo, came into brown's family after a devastating loss - and she changed everything. I gave a copy of Cleo to my dad one year for Hanukkah and he stayed up all night reading it - every last page. The story has just the right balance of sadness and joy, bundled up in a sweet black cat.

Cats & Daughters (also known as After Cleo Came Jonah) comes after Cleo's passing (don't let that deter you from reading Cleo, as she dies an old, happy and loved cat who had a long & amazing life). Brown swore she would never have another cat after Cleo, but as they say - never say never! Jonah helps the Browns through life's many changes and Jonah certainly gets in trouble along the way! Visit Helen Brown's Facebook fan page and keep up to date on Jonah's current doings!

Category 3: Human Accessories

I think most people swore that after the 90s, we were done with hair scrunchies. Hauspanther is bringing hair scrunchies back! And these aren't just regular hair scrunchies, they are in a custom junk-food (dry cat food) pattern.

Available for $6 a piece here, these scrunchies are one of a kind and super fun. And don't forget kitty - you can even get a matching cat toy to match!


The winter is my favorite time to accessorize with all sorts of scarves. And of course, any scarf with a cat print is a must-have! Triple T Studios has a gorgeous cat print scarf, that is sure to please the cat lover in your life!

Available in black, beige and pink. $9.99 per scarf. Free shipping!


I remember spending quite a great deal of my childhood in Minnetonka moccasins. When I saw that Minnetonka teamed up with Sanrio for a 40th Hello Kitty anniversary mocc, I knew I had to get a pair! And I am so glad I did, because they are the most comfortable shoes! I have a hard time finding shoes that fit and are comfortable, so I'm glad I gave these a shot. Available for purchase on the Minnetonka website here, $49.95 in pink (pictured), brown and black. Size 5-11 US.

Category 4: Miscellaneous but Marvelous



The Shu Uemura x Karl Lagerfeld line, Shupette, features a adorable white kitten on the products and it is a beautiful make up collection. For more information, read about the line in one of my recent posts here.



There are quite a few pieces in the collection and they are selling fast! I picked up the eye need shu trio for $35. It is nicely packaged (I'm a sucker for good packaging) and it is also high quality make up.



The Animal Rescue Site has the purrfect item for the baker in your life. The paw print muffin pan is fantastic for baking - I can attest as I own two of the pans! The muffins I baked went in and out of the pan with ease! And they really looked like paw prints. I highly recommend! Single pan, $12.95, two pans $19.95.

Wow, well I think that just about does it for our holiday 2014 gift guide! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season - whatever you may celebrate, and enjoy the togetherness of the winter season as well!

Love,
Rachel & Sandpiper




Disclosure: Some of the items in this blog post were sent to me for review. Receiving complimentary items did not influence my posts or opinions and never will. Some items were purchased with my own money.

Friday, October 31, 2014

Meowloween Saftey (Halloween 2014)

Piper says Happy Halloween witchees!
With Halloween just hours away, it is important to remember you should put away  your kitties when you are opening the front door for trick-or-treaters. That way, they can't scurry out the door while you are handing out candy to cute little ghosts, witches and the occasional cat.


At Sandpiper Cat Blog,  we take opening the front door very seriously. We rarely ever use the front door because we are worried about our cats getting outside, as they are strictly indoor cats. We even get into our house by going through the garage and laundry room. We call this the "air lock" because we wait for the garage door to be completely down before opening the door into the laundry room. Just like our cat May, Piper is able to jimmy open the laundry room door. Naughty girl!

Bobby says: Make sure all your black cats are put away safely!

For my family, it is crucial that we make sure our black cats, Henry, Bobby and PHolly, are away in the basement with the others. It would be really hard to see a black cat dart out the front door at nighttime, just as it would be hard for them to see a car going down the street.



Black cats have a connotation of bad luck, especially when one crosses your path. If we believed this myth, we wouldn't have three black cats. It is extremely important that all cats, especially black cats,  are firmly planted far away from the front door.

Halloween brings a lot of strange noises and strange people, and even the calmest cat can become frightened and disoriented if they get out. Just in case, make sure she has a collar and ID tag on at all times.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

PicMonkey #FrankenPet Halloween Contest & Coupon

PicMonkey's Halloween photo contest

Piper and I are excited to share with our readers a contest that anyone can enter. Pic Monkey, a photo editing website, is having a seriously cool contest where you can share your photograph with Halloween edits like so (and read below to find out how to enter)...



Halloween’s rough for pets. They can’t trick-or-treat, they can’t throw parties, and their costume selection is seriously lacking. To fight The Man Pic Monkey has partnered with fellow Seattle startup Rover.com—a nationwide network of dog lovers that connects pet owners with local, loving dog sitters—to put together a spectacular Halloween contest. It’s called #FrankenPet and you could be one of the winners.

How’s all this work?Simply don your photogenic pet in a costume (or not, it’s optional) snap a photo, and jazz ‘em up with our Halloween features.

Once your masterpiece is complete, share it. As long as you use #FrankenPet, we’ll see it on our TwitterFacebook*, PinterestInstagramGoogle+, and Flickr. You gotta share by 11:59pm on Halloween, and the winners will be announced on the 5th of November (remember remember).

Who wins?Three winners. Three runner-ups. One for each category: Creepy Canines, Scaredy Cats, and Other Beasts (birds, lizards, monkeys, you name it). We’re looking for creatures with the most creative photos. Scare us, delight us, or make us say d’aawwwww!

Is there a method to this madness?!Photos will be judged by an independent panel of photographers and pet owners, based on the following criteria:
  • 40% creativity
  • 30% use of PicMonkey Halloween effects
  • 20% embodiment of contest theme
  • 10% photo quality
What’s in it for me?Grand prize winners will win one year of PicMonkey Royale and one of the following (depending on your category):
Runners-up will win a year of PicMonkey Royale and a $25 giftcard to Petco.

Wait a minute! Where’s your obligatory legal stuff?Contest Submission Agreement: By submitting to the #FrankenPet contest, you give PicMonkey and Rover permission to reuse your photos in future branded content and promotions. Neither Rover nor PicMonkey employees are eligible to win. Everyone is welcome to participate, but due to legal mumbo jumbo, prize eligibility is limited to the United States.
*If you’re posting to Facebook, your privacy settings will affect whether or not we can find your image. If your profile is set so only your friends can see your photos, we definitely won’t be able to find it. So you can either post your photo directly to our Facebook page, choose one of the other social media options to share your photo, or change your privacy settings for the duration of the contest (if you’re so inclined).

And visit Rover.com to find a dog sitter. You can use code "sandpiper20" to receive $20 off a dog sitting service.



I was not compensated for this review, though I will receive a free month of Royale services for sharing the contest. Coupon code void where prohibited.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Shu Uemura Shupette Make-Up Collection =^..^=

I love incorporating cat themed items into my life, especially when they are too cute for words. That is the Shu Uemura Shupette Collection designed by Karl Lagerfeld. Just in time for the 2014 holidays!

Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer. He works currently as the head designer and creative director for the fashion house of Chanel, as well as Fendi and his own label.

Shu Uemura is a Japanese make-up artist and the founder of Shu Uemura cometics. Uemura died in 2007 but his legacy lives on in his beautiful products.


"An exclusive makeup collection from the world's most famous furry beauty, Choupette Lagerfeld. Continuing a family affair, Mr. Uemura and Karl Lagerfeld were friends for more than 20 years - the world's most fashionable feline mademoiselle Shupette is ready to dip her paws into haute de gamme beauty creation for the 2014 holiday collection. 'Shupette by Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura.'" -shu uemura website.


Watch Choupette in action!

What is not to love from this collection? Everything from the packaging to the products are absolutely beautiful. 

My favorite item from the collection is the "shupette has-it-all eye & lip palette" which retails for $89. I love the sleek look of the palette, especially Shupette's bright blue eyes and black bow. He reminds me of my Pearl.

If you interested in seeing swatches of the Shupette collection, visit xSparkage - Leesha - a YouTuber and blogger, click here. Leesha has a coupon "SHUXSPARK" where you can receive a free Shupette tote and free shipping.

Personally, this was my item of choice -- the eye-need-shu trio 01, $35.

The eye need shu trio 01. Retails $35.

Let me know what you think of the collection and if you'll pick anything up!





Monday, October 20, 2014

Review/Giveaway: Critterzone

Let’s face it – when you share your home with pets, smells are unavoidable. And if you’re like my family and have seven (wonderful, albeit occasionally smelly) cats, it can sometimes be hard to control the odors.


In steps a revolutionary change in air purification: the CritterZone Air Naturalizer. The CritterZone is a godsend for our household. We have a wall unit that plugs in to an outlet and begins working its magic on any odors lingering in the area.

Launched in 2013 by Bill Converse, the CritterZone works to clean the air the same way that nature does through sunlight, wind and even thunderstorms. The process is natural, which means it doesn't need a filter or perfume cartridges - because those only make the air quality worse for our pets.
The CritterZone has many great qualities including the fact that it doesn't need a filter! No need for expensive replacements! The CritterZone is small which makes it portable. This ease of movability is great if for some reason a stinky spot pops up in a different room than where CritterZone is plugged in to the wall.
The CritterZone is designed to neutralize odors from pets. So unlike a quick burst of Febreze that will fade almost instantly, the CritterZone is constantly working to clear the air of odors.
The CritterZone can work to clean the air in an 800 square foot area, making it ideal for apartments and large rooms.
Don't make her beg!
The CritterZone is cost effective as it costs less than a penny per day to run. This makes it affordable to use to clean your air 24/7. Think of the CritterZone as a $99 investment.

 Purchase your wall unit here and use the code sandpiper for $10 off your purchase - making the CritterZone a wonderful investment at $89.

And since we love the way the CritterZone works in our household, we wanted to give you a chance to win a CritterZone wall unit! Enter below via the Rafflecopter widget.

Giveaway Rules:
  • Enter through the Rafflecopter giveaway below (comment entries not accepted). Email Sandpipercatblog@gmail.com with any problems.
  • Open to United States only
  • Winner contacted by email, must reply in 48 hours.
  • Giveaway to run from 12 am EST 10/20/2014 to 10/27/2014 at 12 am EST.
  • Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The CritterZone featured in the pictures was purchased with my own money. I may be paid a small fee for units purchased with the coupon code. All reviews are my own opinion and are not influenced by this company or fees paid.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

National Feral Cat Day 2014

National Feral Cat Day 2014.
Welcome to Sandpiper Cat Blog and Happy National Feral Cat Day 2014! At SCB, we have been celebrating National Feral Cat Day for four years now! We celebrate in order to raise awareness for feral (community) cats that live in our world.

This year, the National Feral Cat Day theme is TNR: From The Alley....To Main Street, brought to us by Alley Cat Allies. National Feral Cat Day launched in 2001, on the 10th anniversary of Alley Cat Allies. The goal of the day is to promote TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) programs.


Watch the video below to learn the difference between feral and stray cats.



Community cat facts: 
  • Community cats have existed alongside people for 10,000 years.
  • They are called community cats, feral cats or outdoor cats.
  • Most community cats are not socialized to people, they are not adoptable.
  • Community cats (as members of the domestic cat species (like pet cats) are protected under state anti-cruelty laws.
  • Community cats should not be taken to pounds/shelters. 
  • Community cats can live full, healthy lives outdoors - but are usually killed in shelters.
  • Their kittens can be adopted into homes, but they must be socialized at an early age.


Alley Cat Allies is a wonderful organization, that was founded in 1990 and its headquarters are located Bethesda, Maryland. Alley Cat Allies is the only national organization dedicated to the protection of cats.

Please share our post today, or any day you come across it and help raise awareness about community cats.  Read our past posts from 20112012 and 2013.


Information courtesy of Alley Cat Allies. Used with permission.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Review/Giveaway: Catification by Jackson Galaxy & Kate Benjamin

Sandpiper Cat Blog is so excited for the release of Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin's new book, Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!). Especially because we have one copy to giveaway! Details below. 



This book is fantastic as it is filled with colorful pages and 15 do-it-yourself projects for cat lovers who want to create their own cat towers, kitty hammocks and much more. Catification is purrfect for the cat lover in your life, you and even new cat parents.



If this book isn't on your coffee table or bookshelf, you need it in your life ASAP. Get creative ideas on how to build a kitty super highway in your own house. Help your cats live stylishly and comfortably. 
Image from jacksongalaxy.com.
Jackson Galaxy is a Cat Behaviorist and currently hosts Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell on Saturday, 8 pm EST.
Image from hauspanther.com.
Kate Benjamin writes Hauspanther, a premier online magazine for design-conscious cat people.

Purchase a copy of Catification on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Indiebound.

And for our lucky readers, I am able to offer one of you the chance to win a copy of Catification. Enter below through the Rafflecopter widget.


Giveaway Rules:
  • Enter through the Rafflecopter giveaway below (comment entries not accepted).
  • Email Sandpipercatblog@gmail.com with any problems.
  • Open to United States
  • Winner contacted by email, must reply in 48 hours.
  • Giveaway to run from 12 am EST 10/14/2014 to 10/21/2014 at 12 am EST.
  • Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Receiving a complimentary copy of the book did not influence this review or anything we stated. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Caturday: Upcoming National Feral Cat Day


National Feral Cat Day is coming to you via Sandpiper Cat Blog on October 16, 2014!
Check out these 10 facts about NFCD before October >^..^<
Check back on October 16 for our NFCD post.

Read our NFCD posts from 2012 & 2013.

Monday, September 8, 2014

National Capital Cat Show 2014 by Harry Shubin

As my readers know, I do a lot of work with my local cat rescue - Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation. This weekend I attended the National Capital Cat Show with my family. To those of you who wonder why a person who is strongly for rescuing animals, went to a cat show...well, read no further than this guest blog post, by Harry Shubin, as to why!


Lost Dog logo
 
Volunteer... Save a Life!
VickieAnnabelleBerta face edited


Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation at the Cat Show?

 Cat Show Logo

  
This past Saturday and Sunday, LDCRF had a small presence at the National Capital Cat Show, sharing space graciously donated by one of our partner vets, Loudoun Cat Care.


     



If you've received an email from me directly, you've seen my signature - "Don't Shop - Adopt!" and you might wonder why LDCRF is not boycotting a "cat show" where cats and kittens will be sold.  There are several reasons, the most important of which is the opportunity to do more than "preach to the choir," in other words, to spread our message about the plight of homeless animals to people who might otherwise not think twice about purchasing a kitten. 
 
Many people who want a purebred cat have their minds made up, and for many reasons believe that a breed is the only cat for them.  Some of those people will not change their minds.  Others have just not yet heard the message.  Still others "know" about homeless cats, but want a Siamese, or a Persian... When I talk to potential adopters at our events, I usually work into the conversation the story of where our cats come from - the euthanasia lists of  various animal "shelters."  I am continually surprised that others are surprised that the cat they are holding would be dead, if not for LDCRF.  Many people who "have" to have a purebred don't realize that many apparent purebreds are available in the local rescues, and in breed-specific rescues.  This is our chance to teach them. 

 
LDCRF's Agnes - an apparent Siamese, recently adopted into a forever home

 Even for rescue folk, there's a lot of reason to attend a cat show.  Not only are there rows upon rows of toys, cat furniture, and fun cat-themed items, there is a lot of information available - information on nutrition and on behavior.  Many times responding to adopters with questions, we refer to the Conscious Cat, a website with a wealth of information on introductions, food, litter and behavior.

     
Author Ingrid King, the face behind the Conscious Cat and a sponsor of the show, with a display of Jackson Galaxy's Spirit Essences remedies for behavioral issues

Besides... where else can you see a cat powdered, and then taken by his paws, turned upside down, and shaken to remove loose powder - or observe someone touch up a cat's fur with paint.  Well, maybe it was make-up...

 
LDCRF's Agnes and Dr. Nefario 
Littermates Gru and Margo have already been adopted at the show!
 
The LDCRF booth at the show, in addition to finding a few cats forever homes, also gives us the opportunity to teach the very important message of spay/neuter.  What could happen if that message went silent?  What kind of cat show would there be in the future?
 
We're going to see cats, Emily. Real cats!" Rose's teeth chattered with excitement. She so well remembered the same visit she had taken as a child, when the Cat Show had come to the United States. "Ooooh, you mean cats like Tigger?" Emily's eyes widened at the thought of a bunch of Tiggers on display. "Nope. Real cats. Living, breathing, purring cats." "Hah! Everybody knows that cats are only in story books. Like unicorns and -- what's 'purring', Mommy?" Rose's smile widened. "You'll see, Pumpkin. You'll soon see. 

 Click this link to read the full story 

Harry Shubin 
Cat Volunteer Coordinator
Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation

Weekly volunteer email used with permission from Harry Shubin.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Special Bobby's Bulletin: Along Came P(H)olly Part 1

No, not this Polly came home with us!

This post is long overdue and it also comes as a surprise - because I did not ever think we would have seven cats at the same time again! But, on May 19, 2014, we brought home PHolly Shubin, the 7th member of our cat clan.

PHolly is our 3rd resident black cat.
First, her name is PHolly -- now you can call her Polly, Holly or PHolly (like Folly) but we pronouce "PHolly" with a silent P...! Essentially the easiest explanation of PHolly's name, is that her name was Polly at Animal Outreach of Cape May (where I volunteer in the summer). We always name our cats after Cape May, and for as long as I can remember, we would eat at Holly's Restaurant in Grasonville, Maryland on the way to the shore. So since Polly & Holly were pretty similar sounding, we decided to create PHolly!

Now, for the background on how PHolly came to live in our house...

When we adopted Bobby in December from Cape May, NJ, we knew he had a brother Charlie and two sisters, Polly and Meredith (who had previously been adopted). We felt bad separating Bobby from Charlie and Polly, but we were not planning on taking anyone other than Bobby.

But in the months we had Bobby, we realized that he was still quite a kitten and really didn't have anyone to play with. Despite having four other cats, they were a few years older than him and not as active. Bobby is a bursting ball of energy and the other cats could not keep up with him.

Bobby was lonely and had energy that bounced off the walls. His high activity level was the biggest motivating factor to bring home his sister (why not Charlie, you ask? Because he is bonded to anoter cat there, Marmie and they are a pair).

So when we took a trip up to Cape May in May for a 3 day weekend, we went to Animal Outreach to volunteer & visit - not expecting to bring PHolly home, because mom wasn't convinced.


On the ferry with PHolly.

But dad and I were convinced that PHolly needed to come home with us, and she was in good health, so we decided to take her home. Of course this was the day we were leaving and we were not expecting to bring her home. But even so, dad had an emergency carrier in the car and we popped her in it and off to Virginia she went!

To be continued...
In the car!