A chubby bunny and cute cat are BFF’s…
Browsing Tag
Friskies
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Cynthia and a bean noodle  |
Cynthia is jumping up and down like a … well … like a jumping bean.
Marcy: Stop it. You’re making me dizzy.
Cynthia (jubilantly): I did it, Marcy!
Marcy: Did what?
Cynthia performs a kind of jig.
Cynthia: I got my blood sugar levels down. Significantly.
Cynthia does “jazz hands” and “do si do”.
Marcy: What’s “significantly” mean in this instance?
Cynthia: Down four whole points and only one point above the “normal” range. Take that (Cynthia performs a karate kick) pre-diabetes. Ha.
Marcy: Yeah!
Marcy does her own karate kick in the air.
Cynthia: Thank you, Marcy. And I owe it all to changing my diet – reducing sugar and those baaaad carbs (but keeping the good carbs) and exercising. Did you know I’ve taken up ballet?
Cynthia does a pirouette and face plants onto the floor.
Marcy: So I guess we won’t mention the time you “stress ate” half a box of ginger snaps.
Cynthia (philosophically from the floor): That was unfortunate. But, it’s okay. We all fall off the wagon at some point. The point is to get back on and keep forging ahead.
Marcy: You know, if you ate meat you might not have this problem in the first place. I suggest Friskies Mixed Grill.
Cynthia pops up off the floor with a purpose.
Cynthia (dramatically): If one more person in my life equates pre-diabetes with vegetarianism I’m going to scream.
Marcy (hurt): I’m not a person. I’m a cat.
Cynthia (vehemently): Studies have shown that one does not necessarily need to get protein from animals AND that vegetable and legume protein is much healthier.
Marcy: Whatever. I’ll never give up my Friskies. (proudly) I’m an obligate carnivore.
Cynthia (enthusiastically): FYI – one of the best foods I’ve found to get a huge punch of protein are noodles made from beans!
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Modern Table Meals Italian Red Lentil Penne |
Cynthia: One serving has 20 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber. Amazing. And, they taste just like wheat noodles.
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Tolerant – Organic Red Lentil Rotini |
Cynthia (solemnly): Bean noodles have saved my life.
Cynthia joyfully resumes her jumping bean dance.
Cynthia: My goal for the next six months is to go down another four points so I’m smack dab in the “normal” aka “healthy” range.
Marcy: So I guess you’ll continue to eat bean noodles for the foreseeable future?
Cynthia: You bet, baby! (she waves her hands in the air) Woot Woot!
Marcy: I think you mean Toot Toot. I’ll go invest in a match company.
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*You Might Also Like: The ‘My Life As …’ Series
My Life As A Leafy Green Vegetable
And for cats:
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| Rachel Beller and Cynthia |
Cynthia comes home from a breast cancer awareness gala exuberantly waving around a glittery pink ribbon, a stalk of celery, and her iPhone.
Cynthia: Look who I finally met, Marcy!
Marcy: Yeah? Who?
Cynthia shoves the iPhone at Marcy.
Cynthia: Rachel Beller!
Marcy: She’s so stylish. Do you think she’d let me be her kitty? Hey! I think I’ve seen her on TV.
Cynthia: You have. On The Biggest Loser, The Rachael Ray Show, and Good Morning America. She also writes for Glamour Magazine and runs the Beller Nutritional Institute here in Los Angeles. Rachel is an incredibly knowledgeable nutritionist whose research and advice have changed the way I eat and think about food.
For example, did you know that instead of mashed potatoes, you can make a cauliflower mash that tastes the same and is much healthier?
Marcy: So that helps you since you’re allergic to potatoes.
Cynthia: More than helps – that was a revelation! And did you know that combining turmeric, black pepper, and garlic powder is a fabulous anti-inflammatory agent, immunity booster, and anti-oxidant?
Marcy: Ah, so that explains why you no longer wake up in the morning looking like you got socked in both eyes with a giant football.
Cynthia: Or that you need 35 grams of fiber a day to scrub your insides out of harmful toxins and cholesterol?
Marcy: Fiber as a scrub brush for your insides?
Cynthia: Yes! That visual alone makes it so much easier for me to remember to get all 35 grams in.
Also, did you have any idea that one 20 ounce vanilla soy latte is the equivalent of eating 12 lollipops?
Marcy: Yeah, well, I’m glad you gave up sugary drinks since you lunge around like a crazed lunatic when you’re all hopped up on sugar.
Cynthia: Sugar makes me homicidal.
Marcy: Wait. Rachel eats? I thought pretty people on TV didn’t eat. Well, except maybe grapes. Or peas. Or the occasional stick of gum.
Cynthia: Oh she eats, Marcy. She may be on TV but she isn’t one of those ridiculous celebrity nutrition hacks who touts crazy fad diets and cleanses.
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| Rachel Beller photo by Teri Lyn Fisher |
Marcy: So no all-liquid diets on the agenda?
Cynthia: No. Ugh. You need to eat food for goodness sakes.
Marcy: That’s good. I like gravy on my Friskies but I also like the meaty chunks. What does she say about Friskies, by the way?
Cynthia: That’s a story for another blog post.
Marcy: Uh oh.
*Since January is the month that we all start thinking about health and fitness, I thought I would share Rachel Beller’s book, Eat To Lose, Eat To Win. There are so many crazy theories and fads out there and Rachel’s advice is all based on science and research. She tells it like it is and manages to make the whole process fun and easy to remember. I know I sound like an ad, but her advice truly changed how I eat and ultimately, how I feel. And I feel … great!
*You Might Also Like:
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| Brooke Shaden Photography |
*Introducing Marcy’s and Cynthia’s weekly faves of stuff around the web. (because really, there is just so. much. fun. stuff.)
1. Men Trapped Inside Anthropologie had me LOLing for hours. Poor human men.
2. Cindy wants to wear this dress and pretend she’s in a Downton Abbey episode.
3. Sage advice: Resident cat advises kitten on how to deal with family’s new puppy.
4. If you too have a style crush on Zooey Deschanel you will SO adore this site.
5. Kilkenny Cat Art is ready for Halloween. Are you?
6. This man raised $21,000 for cat rescue by collecting coins in the street.
7. Our fave photographer, Brooke Shaden, delves into her creative process and shows you how to find your own creative inspiration in her new book, Inspiration in Photography: Training your mind to make great art a habit
8. Your little girl stuffed animal collection: Come to life. Cuteness overload alert!
9. Is everyone as excited as I am that the brave and awesome Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize?!
xo and meow,
cynthia + marcy
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| Lindsay and Sabrina |
It’s 10 pm on Sunday evening. Three hours past Friskies o’clock. Marcy stares at the front door, glowering and whipping her tail back and forth.
At 10:05 pm Cynthia bursts through the door with a bagful of cat loot and an iPhone full of pictures.
Cynthia (hysterically): Marcy! The Los Angeles Feline Film Festival was even more awesome than expected!
Marcy: Oh yeah.
Cynthia: Yeah! It was… epic! Just…epic!
Cynthia hurriedly fumbles for her phone while talking a mile a minute.
Cynthia: OMG. You should have seen all of the cat outfits. I was going to do a proper post first about the festival but I can’t wait. Let’s look at all the cute cat attire right now.
Cynthia drops her phone.
Cynthia: Oops.
Marcy: How about you get a grip. How about you feed me first.
Cynthia: Here – snack on this. Cynthia throws Marcy a treat packet. Natural Balance was there handing out yummy cat food samples.
Cynthia retrieves her phone and enthusiastically shoves it in Marcy’s face.
Cynthia: Check out. These. Awesome Cat Outfits!
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| Kimberly, Shannon, Susan, and Kara |
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| Erica of CatfeLA Kickstarter campaign |
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| Sylvia and Sharon (Sharon of Amiamour.com) |
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| Alicia and Kelli |
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| Sammie and Celia |
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| Alexis, Rei, Olivia, and Chelsea |
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| Ericka |
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| Carla and Britt |
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| Lil Bub fans, Timon and Brandon |
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| Sarah Audet of The Plur Vegan |
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| Donna (and daughter Alyssa) of Catifornia_Cats |
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| Alyssa |
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| Cynthia with cat humans from Pussy & Pooch |
Cynthia: Everyone was so cute. And so friendly. And so … happy. Maybe instead of giving people Prozac, doctors should prescribe Puddy Cats!
Marcy rushes to hide under the couch.
Cynthia: What’s wrong?
Marcy: Those are the scariest pictures I’ve ever seen.
Cynthia: Really? Why?
Marcy: I thought you were alone in your insanity.
Cynthia: Nope, Marcy. There are thousands and thousands and thousands of us crazy cat people out there. I think we are going to make the world a happier place. One cat at a time.
Marcy: And armed in cat ears?
Cynthia: Yes!
Marcy: Oh my gatos.
*Thank you so much to everyone who let me take photos and post them. Please contact me if I have listed any information that is incorrect or if you have changed your mind and don’t want your picture on the internet. xo, cynthia
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| Checking out adoptable cats at the Los Angeles Feline Film Festival |
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| Paw Footed Bowl by Dylan Kendall |
Cynthia: Woot Woot! Look at this, Marcy! Our friend and fellow cat rescuer, Dylan Kendall, got her Efeet Collection into Bed, Bath And Beyond.
Marcy: That is so rad.
Cynthia: I know! I can’t believe it was just last year that we were promoting her Kickstarter campaign for her Paw Footed Bowls. And now look, her wonderful work is in Bed, Bath, and Beyond – in several Florida locations and online here.
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| Footed Bowl by Dylan Kendall |
Marcy: Dylan deserves it. I love my bowl.
Cynthia: Oh, I know. And she works so hard. Managing a business operation while you are also the creative force is tough. It’s not for the faint of heart that’s for sure.
Marcy: Wait. Why are there tomatoes in my bowl?
Cynthia (excitedly): Gosh, I just love it when my friends succeed at something they are so passionate about and work so hard to achieve. It doesn’t always happen but when it does I get sooooooo happy! Woot Woot!
Marcy (loudly): THERE ARE TOMATOES IN MY PAW FOOTED BOWL.
Cynthia: Oh. Sorry. Friskies wasn’t photogenic enough.
Marcy: Gasp.
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| Paw Footed Bowl by Dylan Kendall |
Marcy raises her Friskies can. Cynthia raises her martini glass.
Marcy and Cynthia: Congratulations, Dylan! xoxo from marcy ‘n cynthia.
*You can check out Dylan’s complete range of footed products on her website DylanKendall.com.
Marcy walks in to the kitchen to find Cynthia slumped over the kitchen table with her head face down on the newspaper.
Marcy: What happened?
Cynthia (still face down): Oh, Marcy. It seems like we are in the midst of an onslaught of horrible bad sad terrifying events lately. It’s … so many. And … so much.
Marcy: You people are messed up.
Cynthia: I know. It’s heartbreaking.
Cynthia lifts her chin so it is resting on the table.
Cynthia: You know, I think this general feeling of hopelessness and terror is why the ALS Ice Bucket challenge has been so successful.
Marcy: Oh yeah?
Cynthia: Yeah. I mean, think about it.
- It feels good to be able to do something that is helpful.
- Plus, it’s fun! It’s still hot out so the thought of being doused with a bucket of ice just plain old feels nice. Seriously, there is a reason this is happening now and not in January.
- Besides, our collective favorite distraction – football – hasn’t started yet.
- It’s apolitical so it’s unifying.
- And of course, school is beginning which signals the start of stress and work. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is an innocent and carefree way to stretch out summer a little bit.
It’s silliness for a good cause.
Marcy: It’s hope!
Cynthia jumps up.
Cynthia: Exactly. I know there are some criticisms out there and I understand them but you know what? I think this is nice. We need more nice. Nice is good.
Marcy: Yay nice!
Cynthia: So I say – go for it ALS!
Marcy: Go for it!
Cynthia: Take that money and run with it.
Marcy: Run with it!
Cynthia and Marcy are now racing around the room.
Cynthia: Find a cure!
Maybe it will inspire us all even further. Maybe it will knock it into our heads that if we do get together we can actually change the world around us and make it better for everyone.
Marcy: For everyone! In the whole wide world!
Marcy and Cynthia stop to think about what a nice place the world could be.
Marcy: So … should we do it?
Cynthia: No. We’re in California. There’s a severe drought. We’ll donate instead.
Marcy: Why don’t you just dump a bucket of Friskies in my food bowl and we’ll call it even.
*Please note, if you are in California please douse yourself responsibly and use grey water, recycle your water, or pull a Matt Damon and use toilet water to raise money for another cause – drinking water for the 8 million people who don’t have it – Water.org.
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Organic Cotton Canvas Totes with Leather Handles – Made in the USA (Cat Noir) |
Cynthia: Anthropologie has had enormous success with their animal print bags lately. The brilliant Bunny bag, the fun French Bulldog bag, and most recently, the foxy Fox Bag.
Marcy: Where’s the cat carryall?
Cynthia: I was wondering the exact same thing!
Marcy: Anthropologie needs to step it up.
Cynthia: Too late. I took matters into my own hands and found this cat bag from FluffyCo on Amazon.
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| Organic Cotton Canvas Totes with Leather Handles – Made in the USA (Cat Noir) |
Marcy: Gasp!
Cynthia: I know! It’s better than the Anthro bags!
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| Organic Cotton Canvas Totes with Leather Handles – Made in the USA (Cat Noir) |
Marcy: Gasp!
Cynthia: Organic cotton. Made In The USA. Much cheaper. Super cute. Score!
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| Organic Cotton Canvas Totes with Leather Handles – Made in the USA (Cat Noir) |
Marcy: Gasp!
Cynthia: What?
Marcy (outraged): You got a Penelope bag? Really, Cindy? Really?
Cynthia: Aw… no… it’s just … it’s just a … a… a cute cat bag! Sigh. Why does everything have to get so political around here all the time?
Marcy (pouting): Nobody loves me anymore. It’s all about cute Penelope Kitten.
Marcy stalks off to hide under the couch.
Cynthia: C’mon Marcy. That’s not true.
Silence.
Cynthia: Hey! I know! We’ll make our own Marcy Very Much tote bags.
Marcy (poking her head out hopefully): Oh yeah?
Cynthia: Yeah! Why not?
Marcy: Can I design it?
Cynthia: Of course.
Marcy runs around in circles she’s so excited.
Marcy: I want my logo, my paw print, scratch marks with red artistic blood stains on one side, and an Andy Warhol Campbell Soup style Friskies can on the other side. It’s going to be so cool. We’ll be bigger than Louis Vuitton and Chanel!
*Don’t know about the blood stains, but we will have a Marcy bag soon!
UPDATE: We’ve got our own Marcy Very Much bags and pouches! See below and click here for our shop with lots of other cat merch for humans!
Update: Looks like the Cat Noir Bag has sold out! So happy that a wonderful reader got the last one. I will update the link when it comes back in stock. In the meantime, the cat is also on a Tshirt by the same company. Right here.
| Kitty Stardust Charity Tee by Langley Fox x Wren |
Cynthia: The photo above is artist Langley Fox wearing her own designed tee for Wren called “Kitty Stardust”. It’s $65 and 100% of the proceeds go to NKLA – No Kill Los Angeles Animal Shelters.
It’s so exciting that Los Angeles is poised to become the largest “No Kill” city by the year 2017.
Marcy: Who are they not killing?
Cynthia: Adoptable cats and dogs.
Marcy (horrified): Why would they kill adoptable cats and dogs?
Cynthia: Because so many thousands of unwanted animals go into the shelters that they have no room for them. I thought you knew that.
Marcy looks stricken.
Cynthia: But it’s getting better!
Years and years of hard work by nonprofit rescue groups (big and little) as well as individuals, and the shelters themselves, are finally paying off. It is so incredibly encouraging.
One of these big organizations is Best Friends Animal Society which is a huge proponent of the NKLA movement. They contribute through grants, advertising, staff, and even set up a gorgeous new adoption facility just a few blocks from my apartment. In fact, there is a rumor that because of their proximity to the West LA Shelter, the West La Shelter is already a No Kill facility. They are a force I tell ya.
Best Friends is also actively involved in TNR (trap/neuter/return). They work with FixNation in sterilizing feral cats. FixNation has sterilized over 100,000 community cats since they opened in 2007. To be able to use these resources as a trapper has been such a relief.
Marcy: Why?
Cynthia: Because it now feels hopeful out there. It really feels like there’s a way out of this horrible mess. And when you reach out for assistance or guidance… it’s actually there.
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| Kitty Stardust Charity Tee by Langley Fox x Wren |
Cynthia: Plus, as you can see from the Langley Fox/Wren collaboration, it is now super stylish to be an animal advocate.
Marcy raises her Friskies can. Cynthia raises her martini glass.
Marcy and Cynthia: Cheers to NKLA for providing resources and hope. And to Langley Fox and Wren for furthering the cause with fabulous feline fashion.
Cynthia: Happy Birthday, Hello Kitty!
Cynthia: Hello Kitty turns 40 this year and Marcy and I would like to tell her not to worry! Forty really is as fabulous as they say!
Marcy: I’m nine.
Cynthia: Yes, but in cat years, that’s forty-five.
Marcy: Fine. Here are seven reasons why being over forty is freaking fantastic.
Cynthia: At least from my experience.
1. People listen to what I have to say.
Not being taken seriously was always something that bothered me when I was in my twenties and early thirties. Now that I’ve got some life experience I notice that my advice is asked for. A lot even. And I love it. I feel smart and capable and interesting. Something I never felt in my twenties.
2. I don’t feel as vulnerable.
I know many women feel insignificant as they age and aren’t getting noticed as much by men. While it’s true that the male gaze no longer lingers on me but rather goes directly to whatever young Hollywood hottie happens to be nearest, I find this to be a relief. A big relief. I could never control those gazes anyway so they felt dangerous. And at the very least, uncomfortable.
3. I don’t care what other people think of me.
I realize that this one is cliche, but it really is true. I do not care. I will be myself and if other people don’t like it – Who. Cares. This has been a revelation of self confidence. Especially as a former people pleaser.
4. Nobody asks me to help them move anymore.
Yup. Adults hire movers.
5. Nobody asks to crash on my couch anymore.
Yup. Adults stay in hotels.
6. I no longer have to pretend to like rap music.
Yay. I can fully disclose that I love Duran Duran, the Bee Gees, and 70’s disco music, and if anyone snickers… well… see reason #3… yup… I do not care.
7. I am not self conscious about my body anymore.
Wanna see my boobs and stretch marks? Sure! I don’t care. It’s just a body and I’m not uncomfortable with it anymore – or what “society” has to say about it. They’re not looking at it anymore anyway.
Marcy: So you’re suggesting Hello Kitty turn into a selfish, know-it-all, dorky music loving… streaker?
Cynthia: Okay so I think you missed my point entirely. But… yes.
Marcy raises her Friskies can. Cynthia raises her martini glass.
Marcy and Cynthia: Happy 40th Birthday, Hello Kitty!
Marcy and Cynthia: Cheers to the cute kitty with staying power. See you in another 40 when we talk about how great it is to be an octogenarian!
