What I Got for Christmas 2016

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I've been seeing a lot of "What I Got for Christmas" vlogs lately and am really enjoying their ridiculousness. Who knew people want to see what junk other people got? But seriously, it's sort of entertaining to see what people like:) In that light, I would like to introduce to you my Christmas 2016. Hope you enjoy seeing my junk:)

Firstly, I'll show you a few things I got in my stocking.

These are some of my candies. (I'm not showing you the ones I've already half eaten and are in the cupboard) the Chocolove xoxox is one of my very favorite chocolate bars. I don't normally go for chocolate bars; except maybe Hershey's. I'm pretty basic when it comes to candy. So when I found a "fancy" chocolate I liked, I was pretty excited.

Also, that Trader Joes Firework's bar? don't laugh it off. Seriously, my mom tried a piece of it and there was a mini explosion, it nearly started a house fire and she nearly choked to death. Try and your own risk.🔥

Next, I got this Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick. Burts Bees is Cruelty-Free (not vegan) and a Leaping Bunny approved company (although I think they have a parent company). I have been slathering this stick on my face and back like crazy the last week and I am pretty sure I'm seeing an improvement on my um.... large red freckles.

One thing that is no secret about yours truly is I LOVE pugs. Pugs are the best. Who could not like that hideous, wrinkly ball of ugly? (Ok like everyone I know but who cares). My Aunt and Uncle have two of those adorable, stupidly cute globs and I have always wished I could own one. Oh wait, now I do.

Okay, Moving on from the stocking stuffers. Another thing I love and collect is nutcrackers. See the little green guy in the middle? That is the one I got this year. He's a vintage cracker and I just think he is awesome. 

Oh P.S this isn't my whole nutcracker collection. Oh no. I still have at least 5 mini ones that are all hanging out on the Christmas tree. If you want, head over to my YouTube Channel to see my full collection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol_NBdnOeI4

Staying with the toy theme (Because what is the point of Christmas if you don't pretend to be 5 again?) I got this Funko Pop 10th Doctor figurine. (which actually says it is only for ages 14+ lol) 

 He's really cute:) And of course, I already have the full sized 10th doctor sonic, Tardis alarm clock, Tardis Yahtzee and Tardis throw blanket. I think I maybe collect too much junk.... but you can't have enough Doctor Who stuff- can you?

Probably the most useless thing I asked for this year is this mini Rubix Cube. I asked for it because I couldn't figure out the normal one. I've already messed this one up and can't fix it. Go figure😝 

Taking a break from toys, I got this lovely moleskin notebook, which I am happy to announce is not actually made from the skin of moles (or the skin of anyone else for that matter). This moleskin is vegan, made out of cotton "oilcloth" whatever that is. 

Sorry about the photo quality, my SD card basically ate my pictures and I had to download a whole recovery program just to get them back.

Thanks to my wonderful sister I got these lovely airmail envelopes. I've always wanted some because they look so awesome in movies and everywhere else you see airmail envelopes. They are stripey and wonderful😍

Also sister goodies, I got this Ancor Wax Seal to go with my envelopes, and last but not least of her generosity was an AMAZING wooden rat stamp made by Rubber Hedgehog. I had been wanting one of their stamps for SO LONG and she got it for me without even knowing that. Sisters have psychic links man. 

 It looks like the boys!

Normally getting socks for a present is boring. I don't care much about my socks, and generally, don't care what they look like.  They are all in one great pile in my drawer (correction; two great piles, because I do sort long and short socks (only because my ankles started getting cold in the winter though)) also, I never match them up. Despite this, these socks kinda rock. they are cool colors, I can mix match them all I want, and look, look at the Ghibli characters! look at the mini Howl look at the mini Sofie!💗💗💗

Next,  I show you this awesome little book of postcards I got from my Yiayia. I LOVED the Fantastic Beasts movie. I now have a new favorite HP character. Newt Scamander. Anyways, these cards are very nice, and good for those not-so-artistic-days when I would rather color than make a whole drawing.

Also from my Yiayia, I am so excited to get some vests. They are family heirlooms (sort of?) that she was lovely enough to tailor so they would fit an 18-year-old girl instead of a something-year-old dude. 

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄Random happy trees!

Ok, stay with me, we are almost, almost done here. and I promise the last thing on this list is an exciting one. 

I got these three movies, which I'm ecstatic about because I love Audrey Hepburn. 

Breakfast at Tiffanys, Roman Holiday and Love in the Afternoon are just some of her good movies, although they are some of the best. If you haven't watched them, you must, MUST. That is if you like old sappy movies😄

Next, thank you to my wonderful friend and penpal from Japan (you know who you are) for my beautiful Christmas gift. It's so wonderful. Japan has so many awesome things. This little Christmas tree is collapsible and all the little ornaments are removable (even the star topper). This may very well be one of the bestest things I've gotten ever. ever. ever.

Okay, the Big Finale now. The thing you have all been waiting for. 

It's a bird, its a plane, its- a cardboard box? 

No silly it's a Love Goodly Subscription Box! They are a smaller subscription box company that delivers vegan, cruelty-free, and eco-friendly products to the recipient every other month. I am totally beyond words excited to try out all the new vegan/cruelty-free products. Best of all, I will be doing an unboxing on this blog; and as well I  hope to review all the items I get when time permits (Because school is about to start back guys😝) Anyways, hope you enjoyed my "What I got for Christmas"🎄 and also hope you enjoyed YOUR Christmas and/or other holiday whatever it was.

Thanks so much for tuning in. 

Peace. Love. Rats.♥

-MessyRat

Getting Messy. Going Cruelty Free

So considering that this blog is about rats I've decided to talk to you today about beauty. Because that makes sense. Right?😍

LOL. But seriously, I'm not kidding. 🐁

 I've decided over the last couple months I want to (try) and revert to all Cruelty Free cosmetics. I know rat people will be interested in this because the truth is,  rats are being tested on so we can use cosmetics (as are rabbits, guinea pigs and mice).  And sure, maybe we can't all go 100% cruelty free, I'm not sure I can,  but at least we can try to be more conscientious about what we are buying. Before I start ranting, I'd like to say I am in no way an expert on this subject. I have done a lot of research but am still learning and growing and trying to understand it all for myself.

If you're not clear on what cruelty free even means, most basically it is 'not tested on animals'; more specifically, it is products that were not tested on animals at any time in their production.

Testing on animals doesn't mean lathering a bunny with shampoo and seeing if it makes its fur either frizzy or soft. It can actually be quite painful to the animal and can lead to their death. For more info visit this chart. One of the worst things about all this is that animals don't even always react to the substances the same as humans would, which makes the testing kind of pointless. Also, the substances they are putting on these animals are WAY more concentrated than what we would put on ourselves.

So, maybe you now understand why I have this goal to become CF. Unfortunately this task has not been as easy as I thought it was going to be. The first reason I'm having a hard time switching over to CF is because saying your brand is "cruelty free" is not regulated by law. Many brands are actually getting away with animal testing even when they claim they are not. This is because of three main things:

1) China- China REQUIRES animal testing by law. If a brand sells to China they are essentially kinda throwing away all the hard work they were doing by not testing on animals elsewhere. This is because the company has to give China samples of their products to test on animals AND cover the cost of the testing themselves.

2) Parent Companies-  Some cruelty free brands are owned by larger corporations. An example is Carol's Daughter, which is owned by Loreal. Parent Companies are a big debate in the CF world. Some support them and some choose to refuse to buy from brands with non CF parent companies. Personally I haven't decided, but I would like to share a tidbit of info I found that seems sort of important in your decision. Recently Seventh Generation was bought out by the parent company Unilever. In a perfect world you could avoid buying from Seventh Generation and thus avoid Unilever. However, Unilever does not simply sell cosmetics. This parent company owns Ben and Jerry's, Lipton Tea, Hellmanns and Q-tips just to name a few (see full list here). To completely avoid parent companies a LOT more research has to go into this mess; making a very long list of food, cosmetics and hygiene products you must avoid.

3)  Unreliability- If the label reads "No Animal Testing" instead of "Cruelty Free" it simply means that the finished product wasn't tested on animals, the ingredients in the products very well could have been. Actually, "Cruelty Free" labels can sometimes have this problem as well (Shea Moisture is one of the companies who do not regulate where their suppliers get their products). With this problem, cruelty free brand lists are your best friend, ALWAYS check your list before purchasing a product. My favorite lists are the  Logical Harmony Cruelty Free List and the Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free List (there is also a Leaping Bunny App). These lists are super picky about which brands they include, and Logical Harmony updates their list weekly. Although Leaping Bunny is considered one of the best lists, be aware it does include some brands with parent companies.

Another reason I'm having a hard time switching over to CF is I'm EXTREMELY PICKY. On top of wanting my products to be 100% cruelty free, here are my other goals:

• Vegan-  I am personally not vegan, but am experimenting with vegetarianism. I would rather animal products not be in my makeup. Personally, I would feel hypocritical if I was using cruelty free make-up that had ground up animals in it. See this list for a little more info. 
• All natural- do you KNOW what you are putting on your face everyday? They say your skin is like a giant sponge. All those toxins are being sucked in through your face!
• Organic- just an added bonus on top of all natural.
• Environmentally Friendly- another added bonus. If the product was made in a factory that uses windmills or something, I'm going to choose that one over a brand that does not;)

Lastly, why I'm having a hard time switching over is because of money. Seriously, a few months ago when I first found out about cruelty free, I wanted to switch over THAT day. Unfortunately, I am not blessed with a cauldron-ful of galleons. My main priority is to not go broke while trying to feed my rats, so I slowly realized how thick I was being and started facing reality- its going to take a while:P 

Whatever your take on animal testing, cruelty free, parent companies or any of this junk in general, if you got this far and have now finished reading this post, thanks so much for sticking with my rantings! I hope you learned something. Seeing as you were so nice to finish this post you will be gifted with the knowledge that I will be starting to write some product reviews on this blog of the cruelty free cosmetics I have/will  try on my new quest of a cruelty free life. Thanks for joining in. 

Peace. Love. Rats. ♥ 

-MessyRat

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Dave vs Dapper

By now it is very obvious that Dave is very very different in many ways than Dapper. Obviously, I was aware that all rats are different just like people, but never experienced it for myself. I've decided to make a list of all the funny ways I have noticed they are unique and  different.

Dave vs. Dapper

1) Dave immediately took to the space pod in his cage, feeling safer in high places. However, Dapper wouldn't even explore the top part of his cage for weeks. 

2) Dave is progressing faster in his trust training per day than Dapper, but the next day its like we have taken two steps backward. Dapper made very very slow but steady progress.
3) Dave is very picky about what he eats. He doesn't like a lot of treats, and won't take it if he doesn't like it. While Dapper was a little picky when I first got him, he is a foodaholic by nature and will be happy to eat almost anything.
4) Daves favorite food is tortilla, seconded by yogurt and Litte Duck fruit treats, Dapper likes almost everything except strawberries,  
5) Dapper is crazy, not just in energy level, but personality. He's determined, stubborn and destructive- he just wants to have fun. Dave is quiet. I like to call him an "old man" because he's a little grumpy but calm about it. He gets random moments in which he is quite bold though.





I'm sure there are many more differences in the two unique individuals, but, for now, that is just a few silly things that come to mind:)

Dave Part 6

I've gotten behind on my postings. Dave and Dapper are now happily caged together. It took about 2 weeks of intros before  I put them in the cage together.



I was worried at first. Dapper was treating Dave not so nice. He was pulling on Daves ears and fur. I think it may have been a jealousy thing. He seemed to mostly bite/nip Dave when I was petting the latter rat- like he was annoyed to not be getting my full attention. I was so worried at one point I separated them both when I went out of the house. When I got home I put them back togeather- still apprehensive but willing to give it another try. I got busy doing things and when I went to check on them again they are snuggled up togeather in the same hammock! I couldn't believe it. Ever since they have been very lovey and cuddly toward each other, although they do still squabble quite a bit. They are just like two young brothers or something, always pushing each other around lol. Here is another video from their intro times:)

Cuddly boys in their space pod.

Dave part 5 (intros!)

It's finally come around to the first intro day. I've been dreading this. I've read too many horror stories of rats brutally attacking each other during intros.

First I made sure to clip the boy's nails, not an easy task- and one I had been putting off. I don't need two scratched up rat's though, so I gritted my teeth and did it with much help from my mom. Don't try and clip rat's nails by yourself, its a two person job.

Then it took a little while to retrieve all the supplies I needed....

List of supplies:

1) Spray bottle (to break up bad fights)
2) Two sets of Gloves (one for me and one for my mom, who was helping. (This is in case you have to break up a fight and they are bit-y))
3) towels for the tub bottom.
4) Dave's cage
5) Dapper's Carrier
6) An array of treats
7) two disgruntled rats



When we all got into the bathroom finally and I stuck the rats in the tub together, I was surprised that Dave immediately became edgy. He stood up on his hind legs, boxing at Dapper, and putting his paws all over Dap's head. The little shrimp was trying to be dominate! Dapper didn't seem all that interested. He didn't  know what to do with the little punk that was trying to stand up to him. He lumbered about, looking for a way out of the tub.

Dave kept boxing whenever Dapper got close, and Dapper got bored of this after a while. He started trying to get at Dave's underside and power groom. Dave wouldn't have any of that, he squeaked, and boxed Dapper's head some more, but it was obvious that Dave was becoming a little more hesitant about his dominate stance.

This went on for about five more minutes until their first intro time was up. It wasn't a bad or good first intro, just sort of in-between. It was a serial moment when I stuck Dapper and Dave in the bathtub, and they were together, no barriers, not safety walls... and yet no one died, the stock market didn't crash, the world didn't end. What a pleasant surprise.

Dave part 4

In case you're interested. Some videos of the boy's first intro's in the same room!

Here are a few videos I got of the rat's first days in the room together.

After a day next to each other it was cage swap time, moving Dapper into Dave's cage and Dave into Dapper's. It is easy to say that Dave enjoyed this process much more than Dap did.

Dave Part 3

Dave's quarantine period lasted a week. Yes, I know I am a horrible rat owner, for quarantining LESS than the minimum quarantine period (2 weeks).  But for me it just wasn't worth it anymore. Dave was a total scaredy cat so he wasn't improving socially.  I hoped that moving him in the room with Dapper would cause him to open up a little, seeing as there was another rat in the room. Also, he seemed perfectly healthy. I've seen a sick rat. He wasn't sick.

I'm not saying I suggest quarantining so short a time, it's just what worked for me at the time. Some people tell you to keep rats in separate buildings, or cover all the air vents and door with plastic, spray disinfectant every time you go in and out etc., etc., etc. However, some of us don't have friends that want rats in their houses for two weeks or own several houses, some of us don't even have the time to blockade half the house for the rat's protection. I didn't, however I did take some precautions. I washed my hands very well before and after handling each one and kept a clean  t-shirt in both rooms so that my clothes never touched one rat and then the other. It was the best I could do.

Dave part 2

Dave, who was super sweet at the breeders, became very shy once home. I don't know if it was poor socialization at the breeders, or that he was taken away from his brother, or what, but  he was terrified of my hand and writhed his tail when I reached in the cage. He wouldn't take any food, even yummy treats from me. I tried several different treats until I thought to try water. Up in his space pod Dave looked scared and then slowly drank the water off my fingers. After he finally decided I must not be trying to poison him,  he started taking treats! A small success for Dave.

Dave part 1

The blaze boy was almost mine before I ever went to meet him.  I was sent a picture of him and his brother, both the most relaxed rats that the local rattery had. At first I was leaning toward the beige-colored rex (that was the blaze's brother), but that goofy lopsided face started growing on me the more I looked at the picture.

I tried to convince myself to stay neutral and meet them first, but it was hard, especially when I thought, "goodness he looks a bit like
Dave Stutler, from the Sorcerers Apprentice...."  then he even had a name. Oh dear.

(Jay Baruchel, who plays Dave)

I kept thinking about Dave (the rat)  up until the point when I was staring at a litter of adorable four and a half week old rats at the breeder. She wanted me to see them before looking at the older ratties. They were in a 30 or 40 gallon tank, propped on a stand in the breeder's garage. Very, very cute, but I wanted to see Dave.

The breeder led me over to the rodent rack that was Dave's home, the garage was dark and cages were everywhere. It had the smell of a small town pet store. The breeder handed Dave over. I held him close and he sat patiently in my hands, not trying to escape or struggle like the others. I could tell he was nervous and I had a distinct feeling he might not like me all that much right then- but he was too polite to show it. He had a quiet feel about him and was very still. I fell for him right then. Attempting to still make a clear and intelligible decision on whether it wouldn't be better to get a younger rat, I put him down and went to look at the babies again.

It took some time, and the breeder started showing off all her rats to me, including Dave's father, a gray and white rex who was quite pretty. I take a long time to make decisions, even when I've already made the decision but don't want to admit it.

My carrier was retrieved from the car and Dave was put inside. He was nervous yet again, looking very surprised at being put in the strange contraption.

Dave was driven in a strange car, taken into a strange house, and finally released into a small blue bottomed cage with soft bedding and exciting toys. Dave was home.

Dave in Carrier

Mini Haul

The other day I did a bit of shopping and found some fun things for the ratties and myself. Considering, I thought I'd try my hand at doing a little mini haul for the blog. Hope you enjoy!

The first thing I got was these orange bias tapes from Joanns. I couldn't remember which color I needed so I ended up getting both:P The tape is for my witch hat that is part of my halloween costume this year,  My sister and I agreed to both dress as witches, but it turns out we have very different ideas about what witches should look like! I will reveal the costumes at the end of this haul. 

I can't lie, I was ecstatic to find these for the rats. They came from Marchels, but I will link the brand's websites as it has info about what other stores you can find them at. They are organic and GMO free, as well as having a tiny ingredient list (organic apple puree concentrate, organic skim milk yogurt, organic coconut milk, organic raspberry juice concentrate, natural flavors). So far the rats seem to have great interest in them, and they are also also quite tasty for humans if you like dried fruit:) They are also made in America, and a great  yogies alternative! http://www.littleduckorganics.com/

Marchals yet agian. I can't beleive the stuff you can find while in the check out line:) These treats are so tiny and cute! just the right size for a chawawa... or rat. the ingredients are AMAZING only (Pea flour, chickpea flour, peanut butter, coconut oil and apple pieces) unfortunately they have changed their recipe and you can only get the old sort on Amazon . The new recipe has applesauce, peanut better and buckwheat flour) which isn't really bad at all honestly. Also, I've read that chickpeas are supposed to be fed in very small amounts so the new recipe may actually be better:) 

At Petco I picked up this Sophresh litter tray for the boys. I've realized with the two of them instead of just one its been stinker in my rat room of late, so I'm hoping they will take to the litter box. 

At around $6 this is the cheapest tray I could find on the market and it has nice locks to keep in connected to the cage bars:)

I've been needing some links for hanging the rat hammocks. I found these at Tuesday Morning for under $4. They are perfect for what I need them for and wonderfully colorful. These can be in the baby department in many stores.

I love Glimmer Angel "Shimmer Mist" so much. It is perfect for card making to add a little extra touch. I also sometimes use it for pieces of backgrounds like in the  painting below.  I found these two colors and the yellow "Shimmer Water Color"at Tuesday Morning. I can't wait to try these new colors!

So without further adue here are my sister and my costumes:) See what I mean about having differing opinions? lol:) I also got this the black witch dress for the haul. Although I don't normally wear dresses (like ever) I really liked this one because of the flowy sleeves that were so pretty and witch-like! 

Trip to IKEA

One of the best things about owning a rat is getting ridiculous amounts of TOYS! It's hard not to bring something home every time one goes to the pet store... or Publix, or Target, or... well you get the idea. So I was super excited when I got to go to IKEA, which is a haven of rat toys waiting to happen. All you have to bring is some hard earned cash and a little creativity! So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride to one of the coolest stores around.....

After a mere hour of driving IKEA comes into sight.

Inside top floor. Inside smells strongly of excitement and cinnamon. 

My shopping list:

1) Anything cool that Dapper could use

2) New Stand for Rat cage 

(because my cat keeps getting up on the one I have now)

3) IKEA Variera

(A bag holder, seen on many rat sites as good toy)

4) IKEA Gosig Ratta 

(Rat plush)

Everything is pretty dull until the children's section, I find Gosig Ratta's! $3 dollars each is a steal. I'm planning on using them as plushies for Dapper. 

Of course, I find some stuff that would make great toys for other small animals....

This little house (MULA shape sorter) would make a really cute hamster house! awe... 

HUSET doll furniture would be great for hamster photography! the little couch was so cute that I almost got one....

Maybe this (ASKVOLL) would make a good stand for my cage? its only 27" high though so maybe I'll keep looking....

Thanks to my open minded Dad and Sister I found this, 

Yes,  it's a changing table, (GULLIVER)  but the perfect dimensions for a cage stand! It has a nice rim around it to keep the cage securely in place  and it has storage space too!

A cool thing I found in the kitchen section. (HUTTEN, a bottle rack) I almost didn't get it, as it was $10, a little high in my opinion. But as I passed by the section twice, I couldn't resist it. 

 Have to find the right aisle in the warehouse to get  my cage stand. 

Time to check out!

My purchases:) 

The green thing is KROKIG. 

The white thing is the VARIERA

Before: 

After. No more cat jumping up on the stand!