If you want to cry happy tears

One of my favorite shows is Pit Bulls and Parolees. It is a "reality" show that follows Villalobos Rescue Center, which is the largest pitbull rescue in the world. Its owner, Tia, opened it 20 years ago in California, but it recently moved to New Orleans (at the beginning of the show's fourth season). With around 200 dogs, it requires quite a few workers, and Tia hires parolees in need of a job to work here. This (obviously) is the recipe for a total disaster, but Tia is one of the strongest women I've ever seen, and she keeps this entire operation running smoothly.

Reasons to watch Pit Bulls and Parolees:
1. Dogs and puppies playing and being happy=happy me. Every show has several "heartwarming" moments (much as I hate that word) that just make you happy and go "aww."
2. The owner of Villalobos, Tia, is a true inspiration. It's amazing how she never seems to lose faith in life, even though she has seen some really awful stuff. Her rather unique background and skill set is exactly perfect for this job, and in every episode you will just be astounded at how much she can do, what she knows, and what she endures without even batting an eye. Maybe some people might get frustrated with the lengths she will go to to save a dog. Maybe they think it's just not worth it, or that she would be better off spending that vet money to save other healthy dogs. But you know what? Someone has to be 100% committed to saving lives, or we never have a higher standard to aspire to. And she is it. She never puts a dog down unless it is absolutely in the DOG'S best interest, and she won't hesitate to do what is necessary to save a dog that everyone else thinks should be put down. More often than not, that doomed dog turns out to be the perfect fit for someone later down the line.
3. I'm very passionate about saving both animals and ex-cons, and this show does both. If you're interested in watching the positive outcome of members of society that everyone has written off, this is the show.
4. These are somewhat scary-looking parolees and workers for a sheltered, innocent person to watch, but that's exactly the point of the show: don't judge a book by its cover. Tia is married to a convict (who is in prison now), and she, her kids, and employees are all covered in tattoos and piercings. Perhaps a straight-arrow religious person might look at them and cross the street, but if in my life time I do half the good that Tia does every day, I'll be okay. Tia is easily going to heaven, regardless of what she looks like.
5. The loyalty and respect this type of job/life/organization commands and draws out. It's really kind of amazing to see these former hardened criminals, covered in tattoos and having spent half their life in prison and gangs, willing to do anything for Tia and the dogs. These guys have found a purpose in life, and while some don't make it for the long haul, the others who do are really becoming men under Tia's tutelage and mutual respect. She doesn't baby these guys, that's for sure. But the responsibility and trust she places in them works. And they return it tenfold.
6. The never-ending emotion and passion Tia and her girls especially have. Again, these look like hard people and it's true that they've seen and endured a lot, but it has not turned them. Each animal that passes away, every miracle adoption, every upsetting picture or inspiring story affects them deeply. Every person and animal deserves a kind thought, and these women (and sons and parolees) go above and beyond. Not to sound like a hippie, but with all the good vibes and thoughts they send, how could the world not be better?
7. New Orleans! Maybe most people don't know this, but absolutely adore New Orleans. The city, the magic, the spirit, etc. So I love seeing how the people have embraced Villalobos.
8. The good the publicity of this show does. Sure, it's made things difficult because now everyone knows to dump their dogs here (shame on them), but a lot of dogs get adopted out too because they're profiled on the show. I've fallen in love with the pit bull breed because of this show, and I know I'm not the only one.

How simple is Simply Orange?

I am a Northwest girl at heart, and I do my best to eat and use all-natural products and ingredients. My favorite store is Trader Joe's, and I only use soap that I (or my mother) have made by hand, using natural, trackable ingredients.

I recently stumbled across an article that details how Coca-Cola makes their Simply Orange orange juice (original investigation by Bloomberg Businessweek).

I love orange juice, and usually always have a carton in my fridge. I am picky about this as well, and don't drink anything that isn't 100% orange juice, so Simply Orange has been a past occupant of my fridge. This article, however, concerned me because it explains that in order to preserve the orange juice, the oxygen is sucked out. However, sucking out the oxygen also sucks out the flavor, so hired flavor/fragrance companies engineer "flavor packs" to reinsert the orange flavor and smell. Because the flavor packs are made of orange elements, they aren't listed on the label. But it sure isn't "all-natural" orange juice anymore.

At the end of the article, it advises us to stick to juicing ourselves, going to a juice bar, or just eating an orange. So I decided to research and see if there are ANY production orange juices that don't use flavor packs, or if it's time to buy a juicer. The orange juice I drink now is from Trader Joe's:

So I googled "Does Trader Joe's orange juice use flavor packs?"

I found this: http://www.toxinless.com/orange-juice

Someone already did my research for me! Trader Joe's, as always, proved why it is my favorite grocery store, because it does not allow the use of flavor packs in its orange juice.

So, dear readers, be careful about what you eat, because even if it isn't listed on the label, it still may be in your food.