With summer warmth still lingering in the air, it's hard to turn your mind to Christmas, but it's actually only two months away. Yikes! Every year, I keep thinking that Christmas is far off, and end up spending the last two weeks before the holidays in a manic shopping frenzy. But this year, I'll start early! I adore everything pink and thought I'd share some of my best finds this season with you.

Do you have a dog with arthritis or chronic pain? Behavioral problems? Does he lunge and bark and jump for no apparent reason? Did you recently rescue a cat only to find her lashing out at everyone, including you? You might want to give TTouch a try.

By now, hardly anyone is unaware of the fact that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and all over the world you can partake in walks and races to show your support. But even if you don't have the time or ability to set out on a 2 or 3-day walk, there is an easy and fun way to help support breast cancer research - shopping!

Does your pet know what you're thinking? Rupert Sheldrake thinks so. As do animal communicators - they always say that they "talk" to animals by forming pictures in their head, which the animals can "read" and respond to in a similar manner. It may sound a bit out there, but I think it's possible for all of us to talk to our pets this way; we just need to learn how.

Whether you're a dog owner, work with dogs, or just enjoy spending time with them (maybe you're volunteering at your local shelter or dog sit for traveling friends), knowing how to communicate with the dogs around you is essential. We humans use words to get our point across, but to a dog, your body language is much more important than anything you say.

Having never taken much interest in Hello Kitty (being over 40 and not a parent of young daughters, although details like that don't seem to stop die-hard Hello Kitty fans), I was astounded when I discovered the abundance of products available with the cheery Kitty's face on them.