monthly review: July Pawalla Mini

Ares and Luna opened up the BarkBox earlier this week but they got to open their Pawalla Mini yesterday! It's been an exciting week!

About Pawalla: You can get a standard box or a mini box. Standard boxes come with 6-10 full sized products that include wet food, treats, supplements or vitamins, essentials, and a toy. Standard boxes range from $21-$29 a month, depending on your subscription plan. Mini boxes come with 3-5 products that include treats, a toy, and surprise item(s) but NO wet food. Mini boxes range from $12-$17 a month, depending on your subscription plan.

We get a mini box simply because we also get BarkBox and because I don't want them to get picky and only eat wet food :) You fill out information about your dog's age, size, and such so that they can tailor it to your needs.

This is what happens during most of our pictures. Luna is determined to eat the box while Ares is trying to figure out what I'm doing.

 Ares was very interested in figuring out what we got this month.

The first thing we tried out were the YumZies Natural Hickory Bacon Treats. Pawalla says "Yumzies are small, soft treats. Chicken is the main ingredient and the treat contains only natural ingredients, flavors and preservatives. Yumzies are grain-free treats, and are made in the USA with USA-sourced chicken. These treats naturally contain omega 6 fatty acids for coat quality and omega 3 fatty acids have been added to enrich coat and skin. The texture and size of Yumzies makes it the perfect on the go snack."

I'm not sure that I would use these as training treats (we use teeny tiny treats because they get so many treats all day) but Ares and Luna love them and I don't think they'll last very long in our house! They are $6.99 and can be found here.

The second thing we looked at, we haven't tried yet. It's the Honest Kitchen Ice Pups. Pawalla says "The highly regarded Honest kitchen has offered us a nice powdered envelope of high protein goodness. This envelope is to be hydrated, served as a beverage either hot or cold or frozen into ice cubes for those who love ice. Chicken and turkey have great amino acid profiles making them a good protein choice. Honest Kitchen has added some whey and vegetables in the form of asparagus, watercress, and parsley. A bit of honey sweetens the mixture. If your dog or cat has specific fluid intake needs, Ice Pups is a way to ensure that they drink enough fluid."

I can't wait to make it as a frozen treat for Ares and Luna. And do you know what I'm going to put it in? The safemade bowl we got in this month's BarkBox! It's going to be so fun! One packet of this is $0.99 and can be found here.

The next thing we pulled out was the Flying Basset Breath Spray. Pawalla says "Fresh breath is a blessing to many pet families. Sometimes, even clean teeth aren't the cause of mouth odor. Flying Basset has put together a collection of oils and compounds that together fight mouth odor. This product is safe for both dogs and cats, but it's always good to use small doses to start."

Ok, honestly, does anyone have a dog (or cat) who likes stuff sprayed at their face, especially while having their mouth held open? Anyone? No? That's what I thought. 

I totally tortured Ares and Luna with it though for the sake of reviewing it. I'm not sure if they liked it or not. It smelled similar to human mouthwash and Luna got 2 sprays while Ares got 3. After they got sprayed, they licked their mouths A LOT! I've never noticed Ares or Luna having horrid breath and definitely didn't notice a difference afterwards but I'll consider using it in the future, even if we don't buy more. It retails for $9.95 and can be found here.

We also got a Etta Says Crunchy Duck Chew. Pawalla says "USA duck goes into this rawhide/duck crunchy treat. Rawhide has been ground up to mix with duck feet, along with a bit of salt to bring out the flavor. Safe for dogs that have problems with rawhide, and we know that swallowing whole pieces of rawhide is neither healthy nor safe. In this form,  Crunchy Duck Treats will still help clean teeth and contribute to healthy gums. A unique, safe treat that dogs will love and is also made in the USA."

Does this treat look familiar to you? If it does, that's because I got the same exact chew in my April BarkBox. I still have it because I was waiting for another chewy treat before giving it to them and now I do but I kind of wish that even if it was still Etta Says, it was a different flavor. Oh well. I have no idea how much the chew costs so we'll put it around $1. They can be found here.

And last but not least. Our Wigzi Bone. Pawalla says "This fun bone is made with 100% recycled materials and durable enough to withstand rough games of fetch - it even bounces!"

Does this toy look familiar? I'll give you a hint:

Yes, we got the same toy (although different sizes) in each box this month. UGH. Yes, Ares and Luna like the toy. Do I need two of them though? No, I definitely do not. I know that this isn't Pawalla OR BarkBox's fault that Wigzi (and Etta Says) sent each of them the same toy (and treat), but COME ON! The point of the boxes is to try out different toys, treats, and other items from a variety of different companies. I feel like these companies are taking the easy way out by sending the same product to be sent out in each of the boxes instead of sending out a variety of their products. Wigzi very actively participates with Pawalla and BarkBox, I can count 4 products that we've gotten from them since I started my subscriptions at the beginning of the year. I have no problem with that, I think very highly of Wigzi's products. I just don't need multiples of the same one. If it continues, it'll force my hand in picking only one box to renew when my subscriptions are up. 

This size retails for $7.99 and can be found here.

Again though, Ares and Luna absolutely love this toy and I haven't even filled the holes with treats yet. But they're like toddlers. It doesn't matter if there's two of something, they're going to fight over the same one. I particularly enjoy the head smacks Ares gives Luna before relinquishing the toy to her.

Our haul was around $26, which makes me a very happy pug mommy.

If you want to try your own Pawalla or Pawalla Mini, clickity-click this link for $6.50 off your first subscription!

monthly review: June Pawalla Mini

We had a busy day in the Pober house since we opened both the BarkBox and the Pawalla Mini on the same day. (Both get sent to my P.O. Box. It's a pain to get to the post office with my new work schedule.)
I already posted the BarkBox review so now we'll move on to our Pawalla Mini!
About Pawalla: You can get a standard box or a mini box. Standard boxes come 6-10 full sized products that include wet food, treats, supplements or vitamins, essentials and a toy. Standard boxes range from $21-29 a month depending on your subscription plan. Mini boxes come with 3-5 products that include treats, a toy and surprise item(s) but NO wet food. Mini boxes range from $12-17 a month depending on your subscription plan.
We get a mini box simply because we also get BarkBox and because I don't want them to get picky and only eat wet food :) You fill out information about your dog's age, size, and such so that they can tailor it to your needs.

This was actually the first box we opened so Luna was slightly more interested in examining the outside of the box. She still didn't want to pose though. Such a diva.

Our haul. Luna was really interested in this part.

The first thing we decided to check out was the PushClean Pet Towelettes. Pawalla says "These hypoallergenic, all-natural towelettes are made out of 100% bamboo, which benefits the environment, while also keeping your pet fresh with one easy wipe to remove any excess dirt or dander. These wipes are travel-friendly and also help moisturize which results in a shiny coat and a happy pet!"

These were really cool and tiny so I documented how to open them.

Push it completely down. This allows the towelette to soak up the water and break the seal to open it.

Ares is not amused. I think he knew what came next.

They were actually a pretty good size!

Like the grooming mitts I have received before, I used one wipe on both dogs.

I really liked it but I'm not sure I would buy it. I love the fact that it helps the environment but baby wipes do the exact same thing. I'm going to keep these in my car and we'll see how it goes as I use up the rest of the pack. Maybe I'll have a change of heart and decide that they are a must have. I do really love these though and the size is amazing! I am, however, really interested in the fact that PushClean isn't just for pets - they also have tiny towelettes aimed for removing makeup, insect repellent, and stain remover to name a few. These would be perfect if you aren't anything like me and love to go camping! (Ha! I really do want them though). They are currently $9.99 and can be found here.

We opened the treats next and they were another wigzi product! These were the Stuff n' Crunch Peanut Butter flavor treats. Pawalla says: "Crunchy rolled oats, dry roasted peanuts, salt, and tapioca starch provide an excellent ingredient list for these crunchy treats. Perfect complements for the Wigzi throw toy. Wigzi treats contain no soy, potato, wheat, artificial flavors or colors. This company makes all their products in the US, and a portion of the proceeds from the sales of these products is donated to animal rescue groups and shelters to aid in the placement of homeless animals."

We got a Wigzi toy a few months back and these treats can go into the toy (they're not the treats designed for the toy but it's ok). Now, I'm lazy and my dogs have the hardest time getting treats out of toys like that so I'm just using them as regular treats instead of putting them in the toy but I absolutely adore the concept! It also helps that Ares and Luna adore the treats! These treats are $5.99 and can be found here.

Next, we opened our YoPup Happy Belly treats. Pawalla says: "The pink yogurt drizzle on these biscuits tells you that they contain healthy probiotic bacteria. During the processing and cooking of any dog treats, the good bacteria are killed, but with these biscuits, Happy Belly adds the good probiotic bacteria back to the treats after they are cooked to preserve the activity of the healthy bacteria. Probiotics are a good idea for dogs and for people, and to have them right in a handy treat is a great idea. The treats are wheat free and also contain chicken meal as the base flavor, pomegranates, raspberries, and walnuts. TBD Brands are located in Exeter, NH."

I'm shameless. I got Ares to perform for me. Look at Luna sitting in the background, waiting for her treat! Ares and Luna both loved these treats and I think the drizzle on top of the traditional dog bone shape is absolutely adorable. These are good sized treats so they are perfect to give them when I leave the house. YoPup retails for $5.99 and can be found here.

And last, but not least, our toy. We received the Glow Ball by American Dog Toys. Pawalla says "This soft ball is durable, easy to clean, and even floats for pups that enjoy water play. It's a great ball for fetch, so just hold it under light to activate its glow in the dark feature to keep the fun going all night long!"

Honestly, I could care less about this toy. Ares and Luna don't really fetch balls and back before I discovered that they won't fetch balls, I actually bought this same ball in green at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I think I would be more excited about it if I didn't already own it or if my dogs liked to fetch. Oh well, can't win them all.

Ares' and Luna's reactions to the ball are HILARIOUS though.

As you can see, they were very enthusiastic.
I did get the ball and threw it again for Ares to see what he would do and this is what happened:

Slightly better, so I'll take it. Right after the video ended though, he dropped the ball and it fell down into the grass. I went and got it back and he promptly did it again. Maybe he was trying to tell me something? Haha!
Seriously though, if you have a dog who likes to fetch, you would probably really like this toy. It has a softer feel to it and doesn't feel like it can be easily torn apart like tennis balls can. Also, it glows in the dark which is just fun. It retails for about $5 and can be found here.

Our mini box contained approximately $20 worth of items so I'm very happy. We are active at the dog park so even the toy won't go to waste, even if Ares and Luna aren't interested.
Want to buy your own Pawalla or Pawalla Mini? Clickity-click this link to get $6.50 off of your first subscription!

monthly review: May Pawalla Mini!

How Pawalla works: You can get a standard box or a mini box. Standard boxes come 6-10 full sized products that include wet food, treats, supplements or vitamins, essentials and a toy. Standard boxes range from $21-29 a month depending on your subscription plan. Mini boxes come with 3-5 products that include treats, a toy and surprise item(s) but NO wet food. Mini boxes range from $12-17 a month depending on your subscription plan.
We get a mini box simply because we also get BarkBox and because I don't want them to get picky and only eat wet food :) You fill out information about your dog's age, size, and such so that they can tailor it to your needs.

We got a pretty good haul from Pawalla this month. The pups and I were very happy with our items. Ginger had already gone home, but Annabelle and Maximus were still visiting when we opened the box so they got their first experience with the opening of the box.

Annabelle and Maximus couldn't have cared less about seeing the box for the first time. Luna did her usual chewing to see how good it is.

They figured it out VERY quickly once the box was open, though!




The first item I looked at was the Earth Heart Canine Calm Spray. Pawalla says "Aromatherapy isn't just for people anymore. This natural remedy mist can help soothe dogs during stressful times, including thunderstorms, fireworks, or vet visits. We found important calming and stress release essential oils in this spray mist, namely bergamot, tangerine, lavender, geranium, marjoram, and ylang ylang. Bergamot is an important oil that works to relieve anxiety for our furry friends. Tangerine oil is used to relax muscles and organs, while lavender removes body tension. Just a small amount of an essential oil mixture is required to achieve the beneficial effects. Ylang ylang calms breathing and relieves high blood pressure. Made in the USA and packaged in a BPA free recyclable container."

I'm not sure how I feel about this because Ares and Luna are normally pretty calm dogs in the first place. Luna does tend to get very scared during nighttime thunderstorms though so I will probably try it when we get the next one. A 2 fluid ounce bottle costs $13 and can be found here.

The next one we looked at was Lucky Treats Peanut Butter Berry Amazing. Pawalla says "The dog world is lucky to have such wonderful treats being made particularly for them. Peanut butter and Berry Amazing is a good example of the high quality, human ingredients going into dog treats. Colors, preservatives, sugar, salt, gluten, etc. are a few of the undesirable ingredients that are not found in these products. Blueberries and cranberries contain good phytonutrients, and we know that berries contain valuable antioxidants. Flax seed is great for skin and coat. Barley is high-nutrient flour. This product is made in the USA.

This is about the time that Maximus and Annabelle realized that this box has amazing goodies for them. They weren't too sure about the posing for pictures before treats part though. The cutest part about the treats? They're heart shaped!

These treats are roughly $7.30 and can be found here.

The other bag of treats we received is Cloud Star Dynamo Dog Functional Treats: Tummy. Pawalla says "Dynamo is using the idea of "functional" treats for dogs. This means that besides being a treat, a particular function such as digestive health is addressed with the treat. The Dog Tummy formula contains ginger, known to aid in digestion, along with a probiotic and pumpkin fiber. Peppermint, chamomile, and lavender are also added to to aid in the digestion of food and in digestive health. These treats are made in the USA, and contain no gluten, soy, wheat, corn, and no grain. The other ingredients in these treats are those used in hypoallergenic products, so I would expect these to definitely be tummy friendly."

Everyone sat very still for their treats, although it was still impossible to get all 4 dogs in one picture. These were definitely a success with all of the pups. These treats were $7 and can be found here.

And like always, we save the best for last: the toy. This month, we received Charming Pet Products Lily the Lion Mini. Pawalla says "Meet Lily. This bright, all natural latex dog toy will show your canines that balloons are not just for parties anymore. Lily is made of all-natural premium latex and the same soft supple squish that dogs love to chew and squeak!

This toy is absolutely adorable! In case you couldn't tell in the picture, that's Ares' paw and face in the lower right of the picture, and Luna sitting on my chair so I couldn't take pictures. Silly puggies.  These retail for $2.79 and can be found here.

I had to take a picture of Luna stealing the toy while I took pictures. She's so spoiled, I let her keep it after I took that video.

In all, I received roughly $19 in products from this months Pawalla Mini. I'm very pleased with everything.

Want your own Pawalla or Pawalla?  Clickity-click this link for $6.50 off your first subscription!

monthly review: April Pawalla Mini!

Our Pawalla Mini box came so late this month! It was shipped out on April 20th and didn't arrive until today. It was very hard on me because I'm very impatient. I contacted Pawalla about the delay yesterday and apparently it was a problem throughout the east coast with Pawalla. Something about storms? It's been sunny here but I haven't paid attention to what's been going on in the rest of the country weather-wise so I'll trust what they say.

How Pawalla works: You can get a standard box or a mini box. Standard boxes come 6-10 full sized products that include wet food, treats, supplements or vitamins, essentials and a toy. Standard boxes range from $21-29 a month depending on your subscription plan. Mini boxes come with 3-5 products that include treats, a toy and surprise item(s) but NO wet food. Mini boxes range from $12-17 a month depending on your subscription plan.
We get a mini box simply because we also get BarkBox and because I don't want them to get picky and only eat wet food :) You fill out information about your dog's age, size, and such so that they can tailor it to your needs.

Ginger and Luna knew what was up. Ares was trying to be dignified for the picture. Basically, all of my pictures were a mess because they all forgot what "sit" means. (Ginger doesn't know her own name, much less any commands. It's hard to get her to do anything and Luna follows her lead.)

 Ares loves getting the first glimpse of our haul!

First up: In Clover - Grin Dental Chews. Pawalla says "Grin is a licorice dog treat (one of the first I have ever seen), with a flavor/taste that dogs tend to like. Along with the flavor, this is a grain free product that contains the anti-oxidant green tea. It also contains inulin, a prebiotic that works to feed the good bacteria in the intestinal tract. Dried seaweed meal contains chlorophyll which helps to freshen breath. These clover-shaped treats contain 16 calories each. The chewy texture of the treat encourages chewing to clean teeth." They're roughly $4.99 and can be found here.

The shapes are super cute!

Silly puppies didn't want pictures, just treats.

Next up was their favorite treat: Locomotion Pet Treats (cheesy flavor). Pawalla says "Quick production and delivery to store shelves allows this company to use no preservatives in the making of their treats. Their products are so fresh that they don't need any. Oats are great for GI health, cheese powder, nonfat powdered milk and egg powder all provide healthy Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium and all of the B vitamins. The garlic powder will make the treats a hit with all dogs." We got a 6 oz box but a 1 pound box costs $5.99 and can be found here.

Now here's a potential dilemma for some people: garlic powder. It's kind of controversial in the dog world, some people think it's just fine in small amounts for dogs, some people think it's something dogs shouldn't have at all. I'm actually quite surprised that the Pawalla nutritionist approved the treats to go in our monthly box for this reason. My dogs have never had treats with garlic in them but I figure that in small amounts, they'll be fine.
For real, here's what happened when I opened the box. I tried to take a picture of one treat on the blue chair that all of the product pictures are taken on. Luna snagged that treat as soon as I put it down and hauled ass to find a spot to eat it. After she ate it, this picture happened:

We also got Grizzly - Pollock Oil. Pawalla says "Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are part of the daily nutrient recommendations for cats. The omega 3s keep the heart and kidneys healthy for cats. We think of omega 6 fatty acids when we think about coat quality in cats. However, you will find that great contributions come from omega 3 fatty acids like those found in Grizzly Pollock oil. Pollock fish is a great source of the omega 3 fatty acids we commonly associate with salmon oil. There is a good ratio of 1.3:1 of DHA to EPA. Because of the high level of polyunsaturation in the product, it is preserved with rosemary extract." I can't read what size my bottle is, but an 8 oz bottle is about $8 and can be found here.

You guys, I didn't write the above wrong - the whole paragraph was written by Pawalla about how good Pollock Oil is for CATS, not dogs. Rest assured, with a little research I found that Pollock Oil has the same benefits for dogs that it does for cats. I think they might have forgotten to switch "cat" to "dog." :)

You may or may not remember that we got items from Grizzly in our February Pawalla Mini. They loved those Salmon treats they got then and they loved the stuff they got now! Luna got about 1 pump because she's about 10 pounds in her food and I put 2 pumps in Ares' dish because he's about 20 pounds. The wet spot on Ares' food is the Pollock Oil. They LOVED it and licked their bowls completely clean (although they do that every night anyway!)

And finally, their toy. They got the Amazing Pet Rope Ball. Pawalla says "This ultra-durable, rope ball promotes healthy play while also helping keep your pup's teeth clean." I can't find this toy online ANYWHERE. I would low-ball estimate it to be about $3.00. It will probably be on the Pawalla shop page in the next month or so.

Luna was still licking her lips from her amazing dinner but she wanted that ball!

I love this picture. See Ares' hind leg flying up? I managed to take the picture right as he was slipping on the hardwood floor!

And a more dignified picture of him playing fetch.

Want your own Pawalla or Pawalla Mini? Clickity-click this link for $5 off your first subscription!

monthly review: March Pawalla Mini!

Oh, boy were we excited to get our Pawalla Mini! Luna couldn't wait for me to get the box open but I managed to sit them down long enough to get pictures this time.

Right after I took this, Ares snagged the monkey stick and took off running. Note the line of fur behind him. That's where Ginger's cage was while pet sitting. She went home last night and with my work schedule, I haven't had a chance to vacuum yet. It's really attractive, I know.

Their haul! I'm most excited for the shampoo!

We'll start with the Pet Greens Semi-Moist Li'l Treats - Tasty Lamb flavor. Pawalla says "The small size of Li'l treats is great for smaller dogs or when used as a training treat for larger dogs. The vegetable glycerin keeps this treat soft and chewy for fur family members. They also contain wheat grass powder which provides SOD (superoxide dismutase) an anti-aging enzyme, and GAGS (glycosaminoglycans) which are part of joint synovial fluid. This is a good, healthy treat for your fur family." They retail about $7.99 and can be found here.

They're in the shape of hearts! I love hearts! They're full of LOVE! They're also Ares and Luna approved and I'm not ashamed to admit we've already gone through half of the bag with training exercises. Actually, I am ashamed to admit it - we need more! Someone send us some!

The next thing we tried was the Natural Balance Healthy Bones Turkey, Oatmeal and Cranberry treats. As you can tell, Luna was excited for me to open the bag. Pawalla says "Natural Balance has added additional vitamin E and zinc to these tasty treats. Both the E and the zinc are related to coat quality, so there is a definite contribution from these treats. There are no artificial flavorings (rosemary is used as a preservative) or colors added. There are grains in this treat such as oats, barley, rye, which are just fine for pet foods when used in supportive roles to a meat protein." They retail at about $5 and can be found here.

Luna still couldn't resist. These were shaped like bones and had "NB" stamped on them. Ares and Luna found them delicious. Also, Luna stole most of Ares' from him. Poor Ares.

We also got a 2 oz sample bottle of Fresh Dog Oatmeal Shampoo. Pawalla says "This soap free shampoo is great for dogs sensitive to soaps and detergents. Fresh Dog shampoo contains coconut oil, oatmeal and sweet almond oil. These essential oils in this product are also aroma-therapeutic and are very pleasant. Echinacea has been added to naturally disinfect and promote healing. This is safe for kittens and puppies as well as adult dogs and cats. It can also be used by the human members of the pet family." 

I'm really excited for this one because while I don't know if it's just the winter weather or what but Luna suffers from dry skin and dandruff. This will be perfect for her! A full sized bottle retails at $12 and can be found here.

And we have to save best for last: the PetLou Monkey Stick! As I said earlier, Ares was so excited about this, he grabbed it out of the box and ran when I first opened it. Silly boy. Pawalla says "This colorful monkey is sure to please your pup! Made of ultra-thick, durable material, this plush toy stick features a loud squeaker for extra fun. PetLou uses only premium grade fabric and fillers and construction-double stitched seams for durability." They retail about $7 and can be found here.

Ares and Luna loved it! Since the weather was nice, we went out on the balcony to let them play. They ran and played tug of war to their heart's content (and don't forget the tricks for their lamb treats!)

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Overall, not including the shampoo, I received about $20 in products. Pawalla Mini's run between $12-17 a month depending on the length of the subscription so I think we did great! We will definitely happily use everything that came in our box, and probably very quickly at that!

Want your own Pawalla or Pawalla Mini? Clickity-click this link to get $5 off your first subscription!