Revamped a bit

Check out our photos page. It's been revamped a bit. I have organized all the albums to that page to eliminate clutter on the navigation bar. Also, there is now a album for my art/photoshopping/photography.

Doodle of boredom

I get super bored being stuck at home all day. So this is what happens lol

Ignore my previous blog.

I was trying out a new system, and trying a "earn money for blogging" thing. Neither worked so well.

So- blogs will be first posted here and then put up on the website shortly thereafter. It is much easier to blog from my phone, and sadly (for apple blogs) there isn't an app for that....yet.

Not much new. Still job hunting, hae an interview Thursday and another Friday.

Cairo is being a real snuggle bug now that I am home almost all day with him.

Zeke loves hiding in a big box I gave him and chewing it from the inside. It's cute! I'll post a video shortly of what he does :)

~Posted from Heather's iPhone

Eco-friendly much?

Being environmentally friendly has it perks. Aside from helping the planet, you can help yourself.

Example: We live north of DFW, TX. The city that we live in actually PAYS us to recycle. Not cash in hand mind you, but a $5ish discount on our utility bill. That equals out to $60 a year, or $900 over 15 years. Nifty huh?

Just food for thought :)

Personal Blog has been moved

Blog has been moved to www.theacuffzoo.com

Please subscribe to the rss feed there for the most current updates on us and the fids :)

this blog will be solely for product reviews and thoughts related to: Health, birds/parrot products, eco friendly products, etc...

Izabo

Izabo went to the vet on Friday to do our yearly checkup we got some blood work done and the results came in today. Most of everything was fine but there were some irregularity's. I've got to go back next month to get some more blood work done, the vet wants to look at if the blood is the same or better or worse because fids can hide the illnesses very easily. So keep her in ur thoughts we will tell u what the blood works says next month and hope all will be well.


~Posted from Heather's iPhone

Catch me if you can!

Zeke now loves the floor. We let him roam a few times, and now every-time I look away for even a minute he is trying to sneak down.

He has a playgym in the computer room that is almost 3 feet off the ground. I looked away for half a second, and the next thing I hear is the typical "Grey Beep" and the pitter patter of little talons on the hall floor! He stopped, looked at me, waddled a few more feet, and waited for me to come after him. Then he "ran" as fast as he could while laughing and talking to himself! That silly stinker! When I caught him and scooped him up, he raspberried me 0.0

I don't know what I would do without our feathered fluff balls lol

Stolen parrot in austin

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/news/local/Stolen-Bird

Please pass this around to help get her beloved fid back.

Gift Wrapping for Bird Owners

Gift Wrapping for Bird Owners:

1. Clear large space on table for wrapping present.

2. Go to cupboard and collect bag in which present is contained, and shut
door.

3. Open door and remove bird from cupboard.

4. Go to cupboard and retrieve rolls of wrapping paper.

5. Go back and remove bird from cupboard.

6. Go to drawer, and collect transparent sticky tape, ribbons, scissors,
labels, etc. . .

7. Lay out presents and wrapping materials on table, to enable wrapping
strategy to be formed.

8. Go back to drawer to get string, remove bird that has been in the drawer
since last visit and collect string.

9. Remove present from bag.

10. Remove bird from bag.

11. Open box to check present, remove bird from box, replace present.

12. Lay out paper to enable cutting to size.

13. Try and smooth out paper, realize bird is underneath and remove bird.

14. Cut the paper to size, keeping the cutting line straight.

15. Throw away first sheet as bird chased the scissors, and tore the paper.

16. Cut second sheet of paper to size - by putting bird in the bag the

present came in.

17. Place present on paper.

18. Lift up edges of paper to seal in present. Wonder why edges don't
reach.
Realize bird is between present and paper. Remove bird.

19. Place object on paper, to hold in place while tearing transparent
sticky
tape.

20. Spend 20 minutes carefully trying to remove transparent sticky tape
from
bird with pair of nail scissors.

21. Seal paper with sticky tape, making corners as neat as possible.

22. Look for roll of ribbon. Chase bird down hall in order to retrieve
ribbon.

23. Try to wrap present with ribbon in a two directional turn.

24. Re-roll ribbon and remove paper, which is now torn due to bird's
enthusiastic ribbon chase.

25. Repeat steps 13-20 until you reach last sheet of paper.

26. Decide to skip steps 13-17 in order to save time and reduce risk of
losing last sheet of paper. Retrieve old cardboard box that is the right
size for sheet of paper.

27. Put present in box, and tie down with string.

28. Remove sting, open box and remove bird.

29. Put all packing materials in bag with present and head for lockable
room.

30. Once inside lockable room, lock door and start to re-lay out paper and
materials.

31. Remove bird from box, unlock door, put bird outside door, close and
re-lock

32. Repeat previous step as often as is necessary (until you can hear bird
from outside door)

33. Lay out last sheet of paper.(This will be difficult in the small area
of
the toilet, but do your best)

34. Discover bird has already chewed the paper. Unlock door go out and hunt
through various cupboards, looking for sheet of last year's paper. Remember
that you haven't got any left because bird helped with this last year as
well.

35. Return to lockable room, lock door, and sit on toilet and try to make
torn sheet of paper look presentable.

36. Seal box, wrap with paper and repair by very carefully sealing with
sticky tape. Tie up with ribbon and decorate with bows to hide worst areas.

37. Label. Sit back and admire your handiwork, congratulate yourself on
completing a difficult job.

38. Unlock door, and go to kitchen to make drink and feed bird.

39. Spend 15 minutes looking for bird until coming to obvious conclusion

40. Unwrap present, untie box and remove bird.

41. Go to shops and buy a gift bag.



~Posted from Heather's iPhone

I was laid off Tuesday at 4pm. I applied for unemployment as soon as I got home and started sending out resumés. Yesterday (Wednesday) I spent the day applying tomore jobs, put in applications in person as well as online. I came across a posting around 3:30pm and called. They wanted me to go for an interview at 4:40pm (1 hours drive in traffic) so I got dressed and rushed or the door. Got there, filled out an application, inteviewed, and left. 8pm I called like they said. I got the job! So I went to orientation today :) Total time unemployed: 27 hours and 51 minutes.


~Posted from Heather's iPhone

Location:Unemployment....

Yummy good food

Zeke is a seed addict. He refuses pellets and most veggies and fruits (except apple) unless he has had nothing else available all day. Well, when I heard Beak Appetit went out of business I decided to buy all I could find at local stores for Cairo and Izzy. Izzy wouldn't touch it, Cairo pigged out, and Zeke actually ate it!

Let me explain a bit why i am so excited Zeke is a picky boy, especially if he doesn't get seed first. And he is a very dainty eater who refuses to get messy (even with mac n cheese). So imagine my surprise when I looked at him and his WHOLE beak was covered in the Beak Appetit and he hardly came up for air! I have finally found him a nutritious food source that he doesn't refuse! Now to try and buy up all that is left in the USA lol.

~Posted from Heather's iPhone

Holidays and parrots

I really want to decorate for the holiday season, but with Izzy flying around the house and landing on everything I am petrified she will get hurt. Cairo and Zeke stay on their perches pretty much so I don't worry about them getting onto anything.

What do yall do to keep your pets (and decorations) safe? Do you decorate at all? We would love some input :)

~Happy Christmahanukwanzaakah from Heather's iPhone

Snow in Texas?!

Sure enough, I went to bed last night while it was raining and we woke up to snow. Brrrrrrr. It's supposed to be icy for the next few days, so it's time to bundle up. Personally I am wearing 2 shirts, a sweater, leggings, pants, and socks...and I'm still cold when I step outside. Go ahead and scoff, I've always been cold natured and can't take anything below 55°F (much like a parrot lol). Time to turn up the space heaters and bundle up with 5 blankets!

We keep a space heater in their room so that doesn't drop below about 70°F, and one in the living room for when they are on their playgyms.

So what do y'all do when it gets too cold for your fids (feathered kids)?

~Posted from Heather's iPhone

Homemade Toys

Homemade toys are the best. They are far less expensive than store bought toys, and our fids (feathered kids) seem to enjoy them more.

Example: in the picture above Zeke is ripping apart a box. I took three boxes, cleaned them, and poked holes and zip-tied them together. You can't seen inside, but he has made a giant hole from inside the top box on the middle box's top. I'll try to get a photo of that later with a better camera.

Here's a list of other household items and small things we have used as toys:
Phone books (on the cage floor for Zeke or hung on a toy chain for Cairo).
Cereal boxes (empty) filled with treats, toys, and stuffed with paper.
A spoon with a smidge of peanut butter and dipped in seed for an occasional treat.
Bits of old toys strung together with untreated wood from a craft store.
Cover a small metal bucket with a few sheets of paper and zip-tie it shut, make sure there are goodies inside :)

The possibilities are endless.

So what does everyone else do for toys?

~Posted from Heather's iPhone