Category: We recommend!

Phones and Dogs, Uses Beyond Photos
Bet you have a large collection of photos of your dogs and cats on your phone. We certainly do.

However, I recently reviewed a study on dogs who are doing a lot of licking and it sparked a far more important use of my phone as a way to provide my veterinary team with vital information to help them with a diagnosis.

Take a Video of the Problem

The next time your dog or cat is limping, licking, gagging, or showing any other visible symptom that makes you think about a trip to the vet or a behaviorist, take a video of the symptom or behavior. If you upload the video to an Internet-based site, you can send a link to your vet or play it during your visit.

We all laugh about the number of times a symptom magically disappears when the cat or dog is on the examination table. If that occurs, you can present the video as a part of your report to the doctor.

Take Progressive Photos

In some cases, a close up photo might work better to help you determine if an issue is getting worse or getting better. Taking a photo a day of an injury or problem can be a sure way for you and your vet to assess progress.

We did this recently when Poppy was under treatment for an irritated paw. Each day, after I cleaned and treated her paw, Ed would hold it as open as he could and I’d photograph the area. Looking at the photos together assured us the treatment was working and her paw was healing. You could do the same thing with videos if that works better.

Tips For Photo & Video Communication
- Practice your photo video taking skills before you need them.
- Set up an online account with services like Google Photos, iCloud, or Youtube and learn how to use them to upload your photos and videos, send links to them by email, and show them on your phone.
- If movement is part of the symptom, try to take videos with the animal walking towards you, away from you, and across the screen to give the doctor more points of view.
- Create an album for specific ongoing issues. For example, if your dog is showing signs of seasonal allergies with goopy eyes, take photos of them for a few days and after treatment is underway.
- Do your best in stressful situations. We don’t know if we would have been great videographers when our first Westie Sassy was having seizures. However, it would have been wonderful to have been able to show the veterinary team exactly what her seizures looked like.
- Ask your veterinarian if they would like to be sent a video of a symptom prior to a visit and what they would charge for that type of consultation.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2012-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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August 28, 2016
Phones and Dogs, Uses Beyond Photos
Bet you have a large collection of photos of your dogs and cats on your phone. We certainly do.

However, I recently reviewed a study on dogs who are doing a lot of licking and it sparked a far more important use of my phone as a way to provide my veterinary team with vital information to help them with a diagnosis.

Take a Video of the Problem

The next time your dog or cat is limping, licking, gagging, or showing any other visible symptom that makes you think about a trip to the vet or a behaviorist, take a video of the symptom or behavior. If you upload the video to an Internet-based site, you can send a link to your vet or play it during your visit.

We all laugh about the number of times a symptom magically disappears when the cat or dog is on the examination table. If that occurs, you can present the video as a part of your report to the doctor.

Take Progressive Photos

In some cases, a close up photo might work better to help you determine if an issue is getting worse or getting better. Taking a photo a day of an injury or problem can be a sure way for you and your vet to assess progress.

We did this recently when Poppy was under treatment for an irritated paw. Each day, after I cleaned and treated her paw, Ed would hold it as open as he could and I’d photograph the area. Looking at the photos together assured us the treatment was working and her paw was healing. You could do the same thing with videos if that works better.

Tips For Photo & Video Communication
- Practice your photo video taking skills before you need them.
- Set up an online account with services like Google Photos, iCloud, or Youtube and learn how to use them to upload your photos and videos, send links to them by email, and show them on your phone.
- If movement is part of the symptom, try to take videos with the animal walking towards you, away from you, and across the screen to give the doctor more points of view.
- Create an album for specific ongoing issues. For example, if your dog is showing signs of seasonal allergies with goopy eyes, take photos of them for a few days and after treatment is underway.
- Do your best in stressful situations. We don’t know if we would have been great videographers when our first Westie Sassy was having seizures. However, it would have been wonderful to have been able to show the veterinary team exactly what her seizures looked like.
- Ask your veterinarian if they would like to be sent a video of a symptom prior to a visit and what they would charge for that type of consultation.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2012-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Give a Big "Thank You" to Your Dog Walker!

Canine Travel Alert for Our Sunday Dog Lovers
August 28, 2016
What’s Open on Labor Day in Boston, Plus Parking, Trash & MBTA Information

Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston on Labor Day, Monday, September 4, 2017. We'll also keep up with parking information, trash schedules, and changes to MBTA schedules. This is now a permanent page that we'll update from year-to-year.

All information is updated as of 08/30/17

Rather than an end to summer, we call Labor Day the beginning of the golden days of summer that last well beyond the Autumnal Equinox (September 22nd is this year's date.)

We feature these reminders well before a holiday (especially big ones like this) to give you a nudge to finalize your holiday plans. Follow along on Twitter (@bostonzest) or bookmark this page to check back. We'll update as information comes to us.

Restaurants, Bars: Open

Convenience stores: Open

Supermarkets: Open

Liquor stores: Open

Retail stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners wish to open.

City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.

Financial Services: In general, as the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the stock markets in the United State closed. Some international markets are open. And, check with your bank, they might have some offices open.

Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply. (Be sure to check these parking restrictions for the big college move-in areas on the city's site.)

Yes, it's the big Move-In Weekend!

Traffic Advisory for College Move-Ins 2017

The city press release advises, "The student move-in process at Boston’s colleges and universities will significantly impact local streets and parking."

"Students and their families are asked to plan accordingly to ensure a smooth transition. Drivers are asked to allow for extra time and to pay extra attention to all posted signs."

Street Sweeping: The City says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."

Boston Trash Collection:

The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to the city site and look up your specific address in order to get information.

MBTA 2017 Labor Day Schedule Changes

MBTA Service Schedule for Labor Day 2016 can be found at this link through the holiday. The headline on the MBTA site was concise.

Download MBTA Labor Day Schedule

MBTA 2017 Labor Day Service Quick Look:

Subway, Commuter Rail, Buses, and The Ride will operate on a Sunday schedule.

The Hingham and Hull boats will operate on a Sunday schedule.

The Charlestown boat will operate on a Weekend schedule.

For additional, specific information on routes, schedules, and fares, please contact the MBTA at (617) 222-3200, TTY 617-222-5146, or visit www.mbta.com.

If information like this from BostonZest is helpful to you, support us by beginning all your Amazon shopping from one of the Amazon ads on our site or by Clicking here to go to the Amazon home page.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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August 26, 2016
What’s Open on Labor Day in Boston, Plus Parking, Trash & MBTA Information

Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston on Labor Day, Monday, September 4, 2017. We'll also keep up with parking information, trash schedules, and changes to MBTA schedules. This is now a permanent page that we'll update from year-to-year.

All information is updated as of 08/30/17

Rather than an end to summer, we call Labor Day the beginning of the golden days of summer that last well beyond the Autumnal Equinox (September 22nd is this year's date.)

We feature these reminders well before a holiday (especially big ones like this) to give you a nudge to finalize your holiday plans. Follow along on Twitter (@bostonzest) or bookmark this page to check back. We'll update as information comes to us.

Restaurants, Bars: Open

Convenience stores: Open

Supermarkets: Open

Liquor stores: Open

Retail stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners wish to open.

City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.

Financial Services: In general, as the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the stock markets in the United State closed. Some international markets are open. And, check with your bank, they might have some offices open.

Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply. (Be sure to check these parking restrictions for the big college move-in areas on the city's site.)

Yes, it's the big Move-In Weekend!

Traffic Advisory for College Move-Ins 2017

The city press release advises, "The student move-in process at Boston’s colleges and universities will significantly impact local streets and parking."

"Students and their families are asked to plan accordingly to ensure a smooth transition. Drivers are asked to allow for extra time and to pay extra attention to all posted signs."

Street Sweeping: The City says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."

Boston Trash Collection:

The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to the city site and look up your specific address in order to get information.

MBTA 2017 Labor Day Schedule Changes

MBTA Service Schedule for Labor Day 2016 can be found at this link through the holiday. The headline on the MBTA site was concise.

Download MBTA Labor Day Schedule

MBTA 2017 Labor Day Service Quick Look:

Subway, Commuter Rail, Buses, and The Ride will operate on a Sunday schedule.

The Hingham and Hull boats will operate on a Sunday schedule.

The Charlestown boat will operate on a Weekend schedule.

For additional, specific information on routes, schedules, and fares, please contact the MBTA at (617) 222-3200, TTY 617-222-5146, or visit www.mbta.com.

If information like this from BostonZest is helpful to you, support us by beginning all your Amazon shopping from one of the Amazon ads on our site or by Clicking here to go to the Amazon home page.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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August 26, 2016
Reacquainting Ourselves with Aquitaine Boston

Aquitaine Boston is the latest on what we're happily calling our "Sand Pail List" of long-time Boston-area restaurants we're looking forward to visiting this summer. In this case, it's the recently reopened Aquitaine that has undergone a charming redo. (In case you missed it, here's The Boston Sun report on the reopening.)

We love welcoming bar spaces and opted for two seats right at the front windows with a people watching view of the street.

Light, bright, and classy is certainly the new theme of the room.

This menu does a nice job of living up to the spirit of the Aquitaine region of France. Traditional favorites of the area like duck, mushrooms, truffles, foie gras, apples, and walnuts all appear among the offerings.

Penny's lunch choice (photo above) was the "Duck Confit Presse with Duck Rillette, Dijon Mustard, Gruyere Cheese, on Pan au Levain." This was a great sandwich. Balance of the few ingredients and just enough pressing and grilling made it memorable.

Ed is a fan of Salade Nicoise. The one he ordered for lunch was described as, "Ventresca Tuna, Shaved Fennel, Nicoise Olives, Golden Egg, Haricot Verts, Green Herb Vinaigrette."

We each found an old favorite on the sparkling wines by the glass menu. Ed opted for Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut with the traditional Champagne blend. Penny went the rosé, cabernet franc route with Louis de Grenelle Saumur.

It was such a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere that we lingered over a scrumptious Apple Tart with creme fraiche while chatting with others at the bar.

It's good the have this corner open and filled with life again. The reopening of Aquitaine shows the importance of restaurants and active retail shops to a streetscape.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Disclosure: The Boston Sun is one of our freelance writing and photography clients.

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August 24, 2016
Reacquainting Ourselves with Aquitaine Boston

Aquitaine Boston is the latest on what we're happily calling our "Sand Pail List" of long-time Boston-area restaurants we're looking forward to visiting this summer. In this case, it's the recently reopened Aquitaine that has undergone a charming redo. (In case you missed it, here's The Boston Sun report on the reopening.)

We love welcoming bar spaces and opted for two seats right at the front windows with a people watching view of the street.

Light, bright, and classy is certainly the new theme of the room.

This menu does a nice job of living up to the spirit of the Aquitaine region of France. Traditional favorites of the area like duck, mushrooms, truffles, foie gras, apples, and walnuts all appear among the offerings.

Penny's lunch choice (photo above) was the "Duck Confit Presse with Duck Rillette, Dijon Mustard, Gruyere Cheese, on Pan au Levain." This was a great sandwich. Balance of the few ingredients and just enough pressing and grilling made it memorable.

Ed is a fan of Salade Nicoise. The one he ordered for lunch was described as, "Ventresca Tuna, Shaved Fennel, Nicoise Olives, Golden Egg, Haricot Verts, Green Herb Vinaigrette."

We each found an old favorite on the sparkling wines by the glass menu. Ed opted for Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut with the traditional Champagne blend. Penny went the rosé, cabernet franc route with Louis de Grenelle Saumur.

It was such a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere that we lingered over a scrumptious Apple Tart with creme fraiche while chatting with others at the bar.

It's good the have this corner open and filled with life again. The reopening of Aquitaine shows the importance of restaurants and active retail shops to a streetscape.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Disclosure: The Boston Sun is one of our freelance writing and photography clients.

Related articles

Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

Spread a Little Local Love for the Rest of Valentine's Month

August 24, 2016
Do You Have a Great Farmers Market Plan & Kit? Tools We Use & Love!

Today's "Friday Link" post will take you to some of our favorite farmers market toolkit items.

Bring Cash

Ones, fives, tens, and quarters. The farmers will love you, and you'll shop faster! Each year, more stands take credit cards, but they tend to be the ones with higher priced items like meat and specialty foods. And, cash is fast, a bonus for you and your fellow shoppers.

My farmers market cash comes with me in a special accordion credit card wallet. Ones are on one side, fives on the other, with tens and twenties in the card slots. For ease in recognizing denominations, tens are folded in fourths and twenties in thirds. Change is in its separate compartment and my "Market Share" cards are in the outside window.

Bring Bags and Containers

Also bring what you'll need to tote your fresh food home. For example, I bring plastic containers for berries and cherry tomatoes. It ensures they arrive home in perfect condition.

We love the Sterilite Ultra-Seal Food Storage Containers for transporting food home in our backpacks. They are strong, the seal is tight, they don't leak, and they are lightweight. We prefer glass for long term storage or for any hot food, but these plastic ones are perfect for protecting fragile items.

Remember, a local farmer doesn't grow and pick fruit and vegetables to make them perfect for shipping, they grow and pick them to make them perfectly delicious. You also save the farm the expense of the bags and baskets and help the environment.

Keep it Cold

Bring an ice pack or a small cooler. It can hold all your shopping or just perishables like meat, fish, cheese, and eggs. We have a few favorite items for this task. The Arctic Zone Ultra High-Performance Expandable Double Capacity Lunch Pack is perfect for a fish or meat purchase.

We recently discovered and adore these ice sheets. You can wrap this around a product or lay it on top of a bag of items that need refrigeration.

Carry with Ease

We walk to markets and have always used backpacks to lug things home. This season, we decided we needed lighter versions for visits to farmers markets, since we now buy a wider selection of products there than in years past.

For marketing, we are using two of these lightweight Outlander backpacks. Penny likes hers so much that you'll often see her wearing it this summer. Many times, she has the second one tucked inside so, if the day brings on serendipitous shopping, Ed can share the load.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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August 19, 2016
Do You Have a Great Farmers Market Plan & Kit? Tools We Use & Love!

Today's "Friday Link" post will take you to some of our favorite farmers market toolkit items.

Bring Cash

Ones, fives, tens, and quarters. The farmers will love you, and you'll shop faster! Each year, more stands take credit cards, but they tend to be the ones with higher priced items like meat and specialty foods. And, cash is fast, a bonus for you and your fellow shoppers.

My farmers market cash comes with me in a special accordion credit card wallet. Ones are on one side, fives on the other, with tens and twenties in the card slots. For ease in recognizing denominations, tens are folded in fourths and twenties in thirds. Change is in its separate compartment and my "Market Share" cards are in the outside window.

Bring Bags and Containers

Also bring what you'll need to tote your fresh food home. For example, I bring plastic containers for berries and cherry tomatoes. It ensures they arrive home in perfect condition.

We love the Sterilite Ultra-Seal Food Storage Containers for transporting food home in our backpacks. They are strong, the seal is tight, they don't leak, and they are lightweight. We prefer glass for long term storage or for any hot food, but these plastic ones are perfect for protecting fragile items.

Remember, a local farmer doesn't grow and pick fruit and vegetables to make them perfect for shipping, they grow and pick them to make them perfectly delicious. You also save the farm the expense of the bags and baskets and help the environment.

Keep it Cold

Bring an ice pack or a small cooler. It can hold all your shopping or just perishables like meat, fish, cheese, and eggs. We have a few favorite items for this task. The Arctic Zone Ultra High-Performance Expandable Double Capacity Lunch Pack is perfect for a fish or meat purchase.

We recently discovered and adore these ice sheets. You can wrap this around a product or lay it on top of a bag of items that need refrigeration.

Carry with Ease

We walk to markets and have always used backpacks to lug things home. This season, we decided we needed lighter versions for visits to farmers markets, since we now buy a wider selection of products there than in years past.

For marketing, we are using two of these lightweight Outlander backpacks. Penny likes hers so much that you'll often see her wearing it this summer. Many times, she has the second one tucked inside so, if the day brings on serendipitous shopping, Ed can share the load.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Market Report: Summer Farmers Markets Opening Dates 2015

Coming Home with Full Bags from the Copley Farmers Market

August 19, 2016
Grotto – Don’t Overlook This Longtime Boston Gem

We love the city in summer. We've been enjoying more lunches out this season and have a list of old favorites to revisit. Grotto (map) was at the top of that list. (We've even had a Post-it note on our kitchen mirror for awhile that says, "Lunch at Grotto.")

We arrived right at opening on a Thursday afternoon in late July and were pleased to see the tiny basement level space full of happy eaters before we left.

Bolognese: Tagliatelle, San Marzano tomatoes, Lamb, Pork, Beef

We chose two $15 a la carte "Secondi" items from the lunch menu that we would both be happy to share. On the current menu, at lunch, you can order a la carte or have two courses for $23 or three courses for $28. Dinner is also a great value with two prix fixe options at $35 and $40.

Spaghetti: Meatballs & Grotto's insanely fabulous tomato sauce

It should be said that Penny makes great meatballs and Ed grew up with an Italian Mother and Grandmother who set his standard for fabulous sauce. We were both enamored with Grotto's versions of these classics.

Since it opened in 2003, this is a place that we have recommended to people who ask for a romantic but inexpensive restaurant with good food.

We've suggested it as an alternative to North End restaurants when someone wants great Italian-American food. And we've listed it as the place to reserve for special days.

It's that simple, little neighborhood spot where you can drop in for lunch or dinner and know you'll have a great meal at a good price. The wine list is a great match for the food and, again, is priced to please.

The service was warm and the jazz soundtrack was pleasing. Everything about the place called for a return visit soon. And, perhaps, the gathering of a group for Grotto's next Big Night event or their Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 18, 2016
Grotto – Don’t Overlook This Longtime Boston Gem

We love the city in summer. We've been enjoying more lunches out this season and have a list of old favorites to revisit. Grotto (map) was at the top of that list. (We've even had a Post-it note on our kitchen mirror for awhile that says, "Lunch at Grotto.")

We arrived right at opening on a Thursday afternoon in late July and were pleased to see the tiny basement level space full of happy eaters before we left.

Bolognese: Tagliatelle, San Marzano tomatoes, Lamb, Pork, Beef

We chose two $15 a la carte "Secondi" items from the lunch menu that we would both be happy to share. On the current menu, at lunch, you can order a la carte or have two courses for $23 or three courses for $28. Dinner is also a great value with two prix fixe options at $35 and $40.

Spaghetti: Meatballs & Grotto's insanely fabulous tomato sauce

It should be said that Penny makes great meatballs and Ed grew up with an Italian Mother and Grandmother who set his standard for fabulous sauce. We were both enamored with Grotto's versions of these classics.

Since it opened in 2003, this is a place that we have recommended to people who ask for a romantic but inexpensive restaurant with good food.

We've suggested it as an alternative to North End restaurants when someone wants great Italian-American food. And we've listed it as the place to reserve for special days.

It's that simple, little neighborhood spot where you can drop in for lunch or dinner and know you'll have a great meal at a good price. The wine list is a great match for the food and, again, is priced to please.

The service was warm and the jazz soundtrack was pleasing. Everything about the place called for a return visit soon. And, perhaps, the gathering of a group for Grotto's next Big Night event or their Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 18, 2016