Cassie DeNisco

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French Bulldog Health Essentials

I get questions all the time about what I give Sky to keep her looking great. Often times with Frenchies they can get some health complications if you don’t keep up with them. This post is dedicated to my French Bulldog health essentials to keep your pet happy and healthy.

I have lots of French Bulldog posts, but I really wanted to do an updated one as I’ve been using some newer products for Sky! These are all affiliate links so if you want to purchase I make a small commission from these items! Whether you have a Frenchie or any dog, these products will be perfect to keep your dog happy and healthy.

Solid Gold Fish Oil

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french bulldog health

We got a recommendation from her vet to increase her fish oil intake to help keep her itchies at bay. She doesn’t have major allergies but we definitely know certain times of year she’s itchier and redder than others. I love this brand because this fish oil is a blend of fishes so she’s really getting a variety of nutrients. I also like this brand because its on the more natural side and doesn’t have all those crazy ingredients in it.

Probiotic

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French bulldog health

This was another vet recommendation but I’m a firm believer in probiotics and gut health. I take a probiotic and definitely benefit from it so I definitely wanted her to take one too. Your gut is so vital to your health in all aspects so taking things to help it work at its best just means overall wellness for you. It’s super similar for your dogs too. From allergies to just potty schedules a probiotic can help with a lot.

Glucosamine

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french bulldog health

This was a supplement I did my own research on and then her vet agreed with. Glucosamine is for dogs hips and joints. If you know anything about Frenchies, some of their main health issues are IVDD which is back problems and hip dysplasia. I really wanted to start her as soon as possible to keep up with her joints to help minimize those issues. Both of them are genetic so it could happen either way, but I wanted the reassurance that I’m keeping her joints and bones super healthy.

These are definitely supplements I’ve really seen a big difference in Sky and her french bulldog health. Frenchies are the best dogs but you have to be willing to work at their health because a lot of pups do have some health problems just because of the breed. You can read how to find a responsible breeder here!

Let me know if you liked this post and any other posts you’d like to see!

Spring Lululemon Haul!

I recently shared about my new found love for Set Active but I knew I still needed to share my spring Lululemon haul! Lululemon is my tried and true brand and I was excited to get my hands on some of their new pieces.

This haul definitely has some new favorites but also some definite misses. I love that they are trying to keep up with the trends but they definitely could’ve executed it better. As always these are affiliate links where I make a small commission but there is no pressure to purchase!

V-Waist Aligns

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spring lululemon haul

I was really wowed by these new align cuts. I went with the 25 inch inseam and they hit right at my ankles. Love how these make me look and feel. I will say because they cut right below your belly button I was trying to pull them up. With time, I will definitely get used to them though. These to me are the basic aligns that are just elevated and more flattering.

Align Mini Flare

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spring lululemon haul

These were a huge disappoint for me. I was so excited because I have the full length version but since I’m short they’re so long. Getting these I thought was the solution to my problems but this was definitely not it. They cut off at a weird spot and they’re barely flared. It’s like a boot cut legging as opposed to a flare yoga pant so these are just a no from me.

Perfectly Oversized Crew

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spring lululemon haul

I love this color blue! I also like how light weight this crew neck is. It’s going to be a really great transition piece for spring! The material is a little weird but I think I can get past it with just how cute it is. This is a crop so I got it in a 6 and it hits perfectly at my waist so teaching is still doable.

These new pieces are just what I needed to add into my spring Lululemon haul. I’m excited to rotate in these pieces to my active wear collection. Lululemon is truly a go to brand of mine!

Let me know if you liked this post in the comments below and be sure to subscribe to the blog to not miss a post!

The Hollywood Spy Book Review

Another month, another book! This month’s The Hollywood Spy book review is a good one! With historical fiction, romance, and murder mystery this book has something for everyone.

Not to mention this character is part of a series so you have plenty of reading if you love this book as much as I did! As always this book link is an affiliate link that I earn a small commission off off! No pressure to purchase but it’s definitely a good read!

The Hollywood Spy by Susan Ella Macneal

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hollywood spy review

I initially picked this book up at my local store because I loved the cover art. It really drew me and I’ve been on a thriller/mystery kick these days. I wasn’t anticipating the historical fiction aspect but if you’ve been here awhile, you know I love that! This book immediately hooked me in as the murder takes place immediately.

In order to set the stage Macneal, the author, spends each chapter with a different character. Whether its the spy herself Maggie or the cops or other nefarious groups, this book keeps you reading page after page.

The mystery itself seemed to come together pretty easily for me but what I appreciated most was the attention to detail. This might be one of the best historical fiction books I’ve ever read. I finished the book learning something new about a time period I previously didn’t know about.

It was so well written and just seamlessly meshed in with solving the mystery of the murdered movie star. I ended up taking a lot away with this book because of how important the themes were. In the climate we’re currently in, this book was even more important to read with it’s themes of segregation and racism, nazis, and World War 2.

Another thing I loved about this book was I didn’t realize how much I liked it until it was over. When a book makes a lasting impact on you and you’re thinking of it even days after you’ve read it, you know it’s great!

You can check out more book reviews here!

My Chicken Roaster Recipe!

This is definitely a newer recipe for me! I love this chicken roaster recipe because it’s not only good the day of but I love the leftovers. Chicken is just about the only meat I’ll eat and making a roaster like this ensures I’ll have leftovers to use in so many ways!

I like to think of this recipe as my own at home rotisserie chicken. It’s essentially the same thing but I can season it how I want and it gets so fresh and delicious! You can serve with potatoes and gravy or really however you want to! It’s so easy it’s become a staple in my meal rotation!

chicken roaster recipe

Ingredients

Whole Chicken Roaster

1 tsp thyme

4 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp rosemary

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 and decide what pan you’re going to use. Sometimes I use my dutch oven and others I’ll use a throw away aluminum foil.
  2. Prep your chicken by patting it dry from the extra liquids.
  3. Melt butter and then mix in minced garlic, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary. Pour mixture over chicken in pan and make sure it coats completely. (sometimes I add more, sometimes I need less)
  4. Cooking time will depend on weight of your roaster.. typically it’s 2-3 hours for a young chicken and sometimes you can even get the one with the pop up timer!
  5. While it’s cooking, baste with the drippings occasionally to keep it moist!
  6. Carve & enjoy!

This is the easiest chicken roaster recipe to make for dinners! If you loved this recipe, be sure to check out more recipes like this here! You can follow me on Pinterest @cassiedenisco for even more content!

My Chickpea Orzo Salad Recipe!

I definitely have summer on my mind after these really cold days! There’s truly nothing I love more than a pasta salad in the summer so this recipe is getting me in my feels. I turned chickpea orzo salad recipe into a summer staple and really it became and instant hit.

Pasta salads can get really receptive and seem all the same after awhile but this one pairs chickpeas with a lemon vinaigrette and is just so yummy! You could even turn this into a meal and just pair some protein like grilled chicken with it on top!

chickpea orzo salad

Ingredients

1 lb orzo

1 can chickpea

1/2 red onion diced finely

2 tomatoes diced

2-3 mini cucumbers diced finely

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp basil

1/4 c olive oil

juice from 1 full lemon

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp fresh minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

salt & pepper

red pepper flakes

Directions

  1. Cook orzo according to package. Once cooked, drain and then put in a big bowl.
  2. Mix in chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, nutritional yeast, basil & parsley.
  3. Assemble vinaigrette by wishing together olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic, garlic, oregano & salt + pepper.
  4. Combine bowl with dressing and mix thoroughly. Let cool and serve with red pepper flakes on top!

I love a good pasta salad and this chickpea orzo salad is delicious! Its so refreshing with the lemon juice in the dressing! The protein from the chickpeas helps to elevate this and make it even more filling!

Let me know if you loved this recipe and check out more recipes from me here! Be sure to follow me on Pinterest @cassiedenisco for even more content!

Dog Mom Hacks I Can’t Live Without!

I feel like I’m constantly on the hunt for things that make my life easier! Being a dog mom, I’m always interested in finding dog mom hacks to make life move easier!

I feel like this past month I really was intentional with my purchases for my Frenchie and found some really great items. I have a little bit of everything to share this month to help you whether your a new dog mom or an old pro!

Beis Carrier

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dog mom hacks

This is definitely pricy but I’ve had my eyes on this for awhile now! I wanted a carrier for Sky for when we travel or just go out in the car since she hates her carseats. This seriously does the trick. She definitely doesn’t like it but it holds her in place and forces her to just lay down.

I also love this because you can flip it the other way and wear it as a backpack. This is TSA approved so if we ever want to hop on plane Sky is good to go which I also love. This is seriously game changing and I can’t wait for our travels this summer!

Bone Holder

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dog mom hacks

I was very against giving Sky any sort of bone for awhile because I really have a fear of her choking. Now, not all bones are good bones however you need to decide which you will give your dog yourself. I love this tool because you can screw the bone into place so it won’t move.

You don’t have to worry about your dog shoving the whole bone down their throat or breaking off too big of pieces. Sky loved this because it helps to hold the bone up for her so it definitely is worth it to me. Not to mention it’s pretty inexpensive and gives you just a little peace of mind. Just remember you should always watch your dog eating any sort of bone.

Produce Containers

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We’ve been switching Sky over from “dog treats” to more fresh treats like fruits and veggies. I love having storage containers in the fridge like this out and accessible. I wash the produce and pop it in these in the fridge. It keeps her treats easy to reach for.

We do still love our Bocce’s but I’ve found she just does better overall with more fresh foods in her diet. These containers are even great if you aren’t a dog mom because they’ll make choosing healthier snacks easier.

As you can see, these little dog mom hacks just help to make life easier. I love keeping my dog happy, healthy and with hacks like these, it makes your life easy too! You can check out more pet posts like this here!

The Luckiest Girl Alive Review!

I definitely am late to the party on this book since it’s already a movie, but The Luckiest Girl Alive review has been on list for so long! I’ve committed to 50 books again this year and this was book 3 for me.

I actually didn’t previously watch the movie not because I wanted to spoil the book but I honestly was super interested in it. It didn’t look really great to me but I am definitely going to be checking it out now.

The Luckiest Girl Alive

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the luckiest girl alive review

Trigger Warning: SA, School Shooting

I won’t lie, this one started out slow for me. For some reason I couldn’t quite get into it and was almost just like confused at where it was going. Once the flashbacks started it slowly started to piece together and make sense. I really liked looking at Ani’s life in the present and how she got there.

This book has the NYC girl boss feels with twists and turns towards the end that you’ll never have guessed. When Ani is asked to do a documentary about an incident that happened in her Pennsylvania private school, the reader doesn’t find out about the incident until the end.

You almost think you know what it is about and then there’s another turn that twists even more. I loved that you got to see a sneak peak into her glamorous current NYC life juxtaposed to her less rich and exciting high school life.

There are definitely heavy topics that this book dives into which is why I listed the trigger warnings above. I really liked this book because you just didn’t expect the ending so it kept me on my toes. Sometimes thrillers miss the mark and are too easy to guess but this really was it for me.

I hope you enjoyed this Luckiest Girl Alive Review! I would rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars so I definitely recommend to read it! You can check out my January book of the month post here!

January Amazon Essentials!

Last year I shared my Best Amazon Purchases and you loved that post! This year I’m going to try to share my Amazon essentials each month so you get my real time favorites! These will be shorter posts only because I’m hopefully not going crazy on Amazon!

I love watching videos and reading blogs like this because I am a sucker for product recommendations. Any time I see something kind of cool, I instantly become obsessed and need it! This month I really prioritized health with these Amazon essentials!

Hatch Restore Alarm

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amazon essentials

I’ve been using this for a solid 3 weeks now and seriously love it! I love to fall asleep to the sound of the rain. I like that it’s also a night light because it seriously changes the game for reading! I love using the red light to wind down or the warm white light to read. It’s also great because you can schedule your bedtime so it’s always on when you need it and can go off on its own!

I also fell in love with the wake up feature! First the bright light starts and then you get a gently sound slowly getting louder. It is so magical and makes you wakeup in the best mood. I’m really not sure how but I swear this adds to my morning mood being better and I just have been sleeping so well.

One down side is I’ve found the buttons on it are super sensitive. I feel like I have to click it a few times to get it to do what I want. Since at night I really don’t want to be on my phone, I wish the Hatch itself was easier to use than having to open the App!

Essential Oil Diffuser

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I have always wanted a diffuser but with Sky I am very careful about the stuff I put in the air because dogs are so sensitive. I did some research and do feel comfortable diffusing lavender a little at a time. This diffuser is great because I love to just do the 30 minute version.

It gets my room smelling so good and I swear it really helps you relax. Lavender is also good to help pets relax too so I feel like even Sky is benefiting from it. I just ordered the essential oil right off of Amazon too and it has a dropper. This seriously just adds to the vibe and keeps you relaxed and cozy!

Bloom Powdered Greens

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I also got this for the new year because I really want to prioritize getting my greens in. I find that I’m someone who usually goes for the carbs and proteins but usually forgets the greens. I like taking this right after my Seed probiotic and then I’ll have a chai or breakfast.

I am someone with a really sensitive stomach so I get nervous when I take anything that says digestion but I have so far really like this. It’s easy to just add to some water and get on with my day. I know I’m getting in so many good stuff so It honestly just helps me to make better food choices throughout the day. I definitely want to try to get my hands on the mango one when I run out of this because I hear it’s so good!

Let me know you January Amazon Essentials! It’s seriously so fun to see all the cool things you can get on Amazon these days so leave a link below!

Confess Book Review by Colleen Hoover!

My first book review of 2023 is finally here! I actually took some time off from reading in December. I got burnt out from trying to meet my 2022 goal. Eventually I made it to 50 books but boy was I over reading for a little while. This month is all about Confess book review by Colleen Hoover.

My 2023 goal is actually 50 books again but I’m going to try to actually space my books out and not wait until the end of the year. This book club has seriously helped me to be accountable with my reading so I’m excited to bring it back in this new year!

Every time I need a book to get me back into the swing of it, I always reach for a Colleen Hoover book. I almost enjoy the predictability of her books which makes them a comfort read for me.

Confess Book Review by Colleen Hoover

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Confess Book Review

This book starts off with a young Auburn spending every minute with her boyfriend who is dying of terminal cancer. They’re each other’s first everything because they’re so young so the pain she feels when he passes is massive. Fast forward 5 years, Auburn is living in his hometown because she ended up getting pregnant right before he passed. She’s desperate for money to get full custody of her son from his grandma.

She walks passed Owen’s art studio and with a very direct we’re hiring sign, she pops in. Owen is an artist with a pretty heavy past of his own. We find out he was driving a car that killed his mother and younger brother. It also put his father in a coma. His father is better now but is seriously struggling with a pill addiction.

Neither Auburn or Owen shares their past, which only leads to the build up of their drama. We find out that Auburn’s son’s uncle is a corrupt cop with a thing for her. When he gets wind of her and Owen spending time together, he pulls Owen over. He ends up arresting him because he has his father’s pills on him. Owen goes to jail and Auburn gets with her kids uncle in hopes it’ll mean more time and a better chance of custody for her son.

All the while, Owen’s art studio is accepting anonymous confessions from people and Auburn keeps writing hers to keep Owen in the loop while he’s away. Once he gets out, Owen and Auburn finally realize that in order to be together they should just be honest and dive into their pasts.

Final Thoughts

I loved the twist at the end of the book.We realize Owen and Auburn were both visiting their loved ones in the hospital all those years ago at the same time. It was such a sweet added touch to know that during the darkest point in their lives they were still somehow connected!

These books seriously get me back into reading every time. I love that it they give you all the warm and fuzzy feels even though they have so much heart ache. It often mirrors real life and I think that’s why I love them most!

If you need any 2023 book recommendations, read my full 2022 Book Recap here!

My Sweet Potato Quesadilla Recipe!

This new year we are prioritizing eating our veggies! I love this recipe because it sneaks in veggies in a really yummy and delicious way! I’ve now been plant based for over a year and a half and I love recipes like this sweet potato quesadilla!

Quesadillas used to be one of my go to recipes to make a quick lunch or order out but it’s hard to do when you’re dairy free! I found this recipe actual from a Hello Fresh Box but have made it my own as the years have gone on. If Hello Fresh is reading this, offer dairy free alternatives so I can still enjoy your stuff!!

This recipe is so quick and easy, as well as perfect to rotate into your New Year’s meals!

Ingredients

Your favorite Tortillas (I love almond flour but my grocery store didn’t have so I did whole wheat)

Cheese (Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese is the best to melt with)

1 poblano pepper

Grape tomatoes

1 yellow onion

Salt

Pepper

1 tsp cayenne

1 jalapeño pepper

Avocados

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 then peel and dice your sweet potatoes. Spray them with a little oil and bake for 25 minutes or until soft.
  2. Dice your poblano and yellow onion. Sauté your poblano and half of the yellow onion in a pan with cayenne, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  3. Create a little salsa with your diced jalapeño, other half of the yellow onion, and tomatoes!
  4. Once everything is cooked, assemble your quesadillas without the salsa and bake in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp.
  5. Serve with salsa on top and sliced avocado & enjoy!!

I love this recipe because it’s truly a twist on a classic. This helps you sneak in your veggies while having something good. If I’m looking for something more nutrient dense, I’ll even throw in some black beans! Let me know if you have tried this sweet potato quesadilla recipe or if you have a non-traditional quesadilla recipe!

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