Every year I have the same ritual. With good intentions, the thoughts and ideas of what to get or make for Christmas gifts start early, around late September. Then I sit on it, and wait. Procrastinate. Then I put it off some more . The actual production portion of the process does not begin until it's almost too late. I didn't start until last night. It is great fun for me to make homemade gifts for my friends and family but I end up procrastinating to the point that I stress about the number of full days left to complete them. So, for the next couple of weeks I will be on house arrest frantically trying to get my act together in time for the big day. The good news is that I have a made a small dent tonight.
The bad news is that I am stuck at home without a phone right now. I use my cell phone as a primary line because to pay for a house phone would be a waste of money. About now, I am wishing I had one as a back up. While I was at work Dookie found the charger, like she finds all the vital items in my house that are unintentionally left exposed, and destroyed it.
During a break from cards, glitter and glue, I was cleaning the kitchen and Dookie, wanting to make up for cutting me off from the rest of the world, decided to help by licking the dishes in the dishwasher clean. Dirty or not, that's gross. Several people have offered suggestions on how to keep her from doing the things she should not be doing. The most effective method so far is to drop a metal cookie sheet on the floor. The sound scares her and I don't have to do any spanking, yelling and crying from guilt. The least effective method to date? The spray bottle.
The bad news is that I am stuck at home without a phone right now. I use my cell phone as a primary line because to pay for a house phone would be a waste of money. About now, I am wishing I had one as a back up. While I was at work Dookie found the charger, like she finds all the vital items in my house that are unintentionally left exposed, and destroyed it.
During a break from cards, glitter and glue, I was cleaning the kitchen and Dookie, wanting to make up for cutting me off from the rest of the world, decided to help by licking the dishes in the dishwasher clean. Dirty or not, that's gross. Several people have offered suggestions on how to keep her from doing the things she should not be doing. The most effective method so far is to drop a metal cookie sheet on the floor. The sound scares her and I don't have to do any spanking, yelling and crying from guilt. The least effective method to date? The spray bottle.
It's all great fun to her.
I am a participant in Holidailies 2007.
9 comments:
OMG that is brilliant. My lab/heeler cross used to do the same thing. I love it.
We are kindred spirits on the Christmas procrastination thing. I guess I need to go on house arrest too.
Oh, and what a cute, little naughty dog you have!
Another method, similar to the cookie sheet sound is put some pennies in an empty pop can and tape over the hole in the top. We have several of these around the kitchen. It started by trying to keep our dog Scooter (Shih tzu) from begging for food while we were eating, licking dishes while loading the dishwasher, etc. Take the can, give it a good shake and off he went, now we don't even need to shake it - I can put a pop can on the edge of the counter in site and he just walks away and finds somewhere to lay down. Good Luck!
Yeah, I think Dookie is missing the whole point of the spray bottle. Actually, I use one at work with problem physicians and it's pretty effective!
And that is why spray bottles only work on cats!
Sorry about the charger - we've lost a fair number of items (binoculars, cards, Formica sample chips) to a toothy death as well.
BTW - thanks for the comment on my scrapbooking layouts. I wanted to let you know that your art blog inspired me to do it :-)! But now I can't find the link to it, so I can't leave a comment there.
Ha! The squirt bottle trick works great with cats, but not so much with dogs. At least Dookie seems to be having a great time. :)
Best of luck on the Christmas Gift thing. I've been making mine since the summer, and I'm STILL not done! I'll be a knitting fool these next couple of weeks.
I am not the artsy crafty type like many of my sisters are, so homemade gifts don't usually come from me, although I did can a lot of spaghetti sauce this summer, I hate to part with it it turned out so good.
Not only have I not gotten any Christmas shopping done, I haven't even made my list. I really need to get going!
Dookie is so cute with the water, clearly it does not work as a punishment!
I too have not bothered to waste money on a land line, cell phones are so much easier.
Good luck getting all your gifts made.
Jan- I will take your advice on the coffee or soda can/pennies. It's hard to have a cookie sheet in every room of the house and make it BLEND.
Very stylish you know.
I can even dress the can up! :)
after christmas of course.
I have no email for you. How are you?
Sandi- oh hahahahahaha! the visual image of this gave me a great laugh.
ML- glad to be an inspiration of some sort. hope it's coming along!
Jenni- good luck on the knitathon
Lori- i would say you have a legitimate excuse for not completing holiday shopping ;)
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