Rough to Ruff!

A day where I had hoped to accomplish much before work, has turned into a less-than-productive one.  In the first few seconds of stretching before what was suppose to be my workout - a fun one with dancing involved - (in the privacy of my home because no one should have to see that!) - I pulled a muscle in my back.  In the same place I popped a rib out a few weeks ago.  If this would have happened on a Monday instead of today, I know I could get to the chiropractor and get some quick relief.  Unfortunately, it didn't, and the office isn't open until Tuesday of next week.  So ice and rest and taking it easy is in the works.  That's the Rough part.  Especially when I work in retail.  On a negative note - this makes it pretty hard to keep working on the weight loss and fitness.  :-(

On a positive note - I found a fun and very easy craft to do that wouldn't hurt my back while I did it!  :-)  I'm all about being frugal, recycling, up-cycling, re-purposing, whatever you choose to call it.  My husband was throwing out some tank tops he had that were too stained to wear for work, but nothing else was wrong with them.  I snagged them from the recycle box and decided to make doggy chew toys with them.  That's the Ruff part!

Here are the instructions:


1.  Cut the front, sides and back so you have four pieces of material.

 2.  Cut each piece from the bottom to the top in thirds, leaving the band that was sewn in the top to keep the fabric together.  Pull each band to stretch it.  I find that this makes for a longer, stronger rope.

3.  Simply, but very tightly, braid the pieces together, keeping the fabric pulled tight as you go.  The top part where the edging was on the shirt forms a nice little chewing end for your dog.

4.  When you get to the end, simply but very tightly tie knots, alternating each piece.  This provides another knot and chew surface for them to 'brush their gums and teeth'.

Voila!  You are done.

For my husband's lab Molli, (who happens to have extremely strong jaws and teeth like bolt cutters),  I braided three of these finished ropes together for a little bigger, stronger challenge.  For my daughter's mini dachshund Chloe, I left one of the small ropes made from the side of the shirt as-is for her little mouth.  As you can see by the pictures, they love them!
 

 

In case you are wondering, they aren't going to last forever, especially if you have a dog like Molli.  But they do last just as long as the chew toys I buy at the store, without having to spend an extra $5-$10.  Success!

Now it's time to ice the back, watch The Waltons, and rest before work tonight.   Enjoy your day and the blessings God provides therein!