Marley is a 4-year-old German Shorthair Pointer, and the dog of a vet. This means he has an extra dose of the crazy, seeing as he has been the brunt of my husband’s poking, prodding and practice all the way through vet school. Of course, like any dog, Marley gets absurdly excited when we get out the packs and put on our hiking boots.

I don’t know about your dog, but ours ends up hiking about three times the distance that we do with all his out and backs! Combine that with the rocky surface of the trail when you get above the tree-line (around 12,000 feet), and we were looking at a recipe for destruction for our dog’s feet. The vet decided to protect his pup’s pads by putting him in boots – you can imagine the hilarity that ensued, but in case you’d like to see it for yourself you can check out our video. Needless to say, the boots didn’t stay on long.

Here’s my tip for avid hikers with worries about their puppy’s paws: stick to soft surfaces when possible, and check their feet at the end of the hike for lacerations, thorns and the like. If the paws are sore or cracked, try soaking them in Epsom salt and warm water for a few minutes (that is, of course, if you can get your pup to sit still for that long!).

The web is buzzing about the new One Series from HTC. The series was promoted at Mobile World Congress last month and people couldn’t be more excited. They are great looking phones, offering a premium experience with the design, production and software featured with this device. The amount of care that went into these devices definitely shows. The series features three devices – the HTC One V at the lower end, the HTC One S holding the middle and the HTC One X on the high end. Let’s take a look at these amazing devices and we will let you decide which will be the “One” for you. 

The HTC One V

The HTC One V features a unique curved-chin design that makes it easy to hold and a distinctive accessory to your life. But don’t be deceived by its compact size. Like all One series phones, it packs an impressive list of features.

The one V is complete with a camera that starts-up in under a second and has a zero shutter delay. You’ll never again have to choose between capturing a video or a picture—with Video Pic you can get both at the same time. And you’ll get the best images even under the worst conditions. Whether playing music or games, watching movies or videos, or your in-car experience, you get rich, authentic sound with the built in Beats Audio. The 3.7-inch screen is wrapped in a curved chin design, giving this phone a look all its own.

The HTC One S

With the HTC One S, you get a turbo-charged super phone that’s bursting with entertainment possibilities. It delivers theater-like entertainment with rich, full audio thanks to Beats Audio integration and a beautiful 4.3-inch qHD super AMOLED (540×960) display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. And combining the 1.5 GHz dual-core processor with T-Mobile’s fast HSPA+ 42 network, and you’ll be able to quickly multi-task across a variety of apps.

The HTC One S runs the Ice Cream Sandwich operating system giving you a super fast user experience. Other features include an 8-megapixel camera with Full HD 1080p video capture, 16 GB internal memory, Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, customizable home screen, GPS for navigation and location-based services, and Wi-Fi tethering to access the internet on your laptop.

The HTC One X

Brace yourself for lightning-fast web browsing, remarkable picture quality and seamless gaming visuals thanks to the powerful quad-core processor. You’ll love the minimalist design and the camera that captures every moment with crisp, vivid, beautiful photos. It also lets you take a photo while shooting HD video. Plus, with Beats Audio you hear authentic, deep sound with true, finely-tuned details.

As with the One S, the One X runs on the Android 4.0 operating system (a.k.a., Ice Cream Sandwich), bringing a redesigned user interface with enhanced multitasking, notifications, full Web browsing experience, and more.

The HTC One X features an 8-megapixel camera with Full HD 1080p video capture, 16 GB internal memory, Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, DLNA wireless streaming capabilities, GPS for navigation and location-based services, and up to 8.5 hours of talk time.

If you are looking for protection for the One Series from HTC, keep an eye otterbox.com for more info.

For years, the husband and I have been making hummus using this recipe from Rachel Ray as the baseline for what we whiz up in the food processor. And until recently that and falafel was all I thought garbanzo beans were good for. I did a little online searching and came up with a whole bunch more options.

This Cuban Garbanzo Bean Soup sounds amazing, especially with the addition of the chorizo.

I also like the look of these recipes:

• Garbanzo Bean Casserole
• Spicy Tomato Garbanzo Beans
• Garbanzo Bean and Zucchini Salad
• Indian Chickpeas
• Roasted Chickpeas
• Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto Salad
• Chickpea Burgers and Tahini Sauce
• Squash Chickpea and Red Lentil Stew

Then, I found a whole website dedicated to chickpeas.

I can’t wait to get started working through this list.

For starters, I would like to address the common comments and questions previously stated. Basically, you do not have to be flexible to do yoga, and while yoga can be a meditative exercise that some people feel provides a spiritual experience, yoga is all about what YOU make of it. You get what you need from it, which varies from person to person. Learning yoga is like learning any other type of exercise; it requires learning a new language and training your muscles to grow in ways that are unfamiliar.

There are some amazing benefits to doing yoga; some of which you may not know. Yoga offers physiological, psychological, as well as biochemical advantages. Sure, you can get these from other forms of exercise, but you typically will not find all of them in one as you will yoga. Some of the physiological benefits include improved balance, improved hand-eye coordination, increased immunity, better sleep patterns, improved posture and overall endocrine system improvements, which aid in hormone and metabolism regulation. And if you are someone looking to start a family, yoga can actually aid in reproductive health, allowing better chances of becoming pregnant. Don’t worry; just because you do yoga, that doesn’t mean that you will automatically get pregnant. It merely aids the reproductive glands to have more open pathways.

There are many psychological benefits, as well. If you’re looking to increase your overall satisfaction with concentration, memory, and self-acceptance, yoga taps into the parasympathetic nervous system and creates a calmer, more focused, you. It has also shown to decrease anxiety and depression in individuals that have previously been diagnosed with various types of mood disorders.

I’ve often heard my clients talk about how their diabetes, blood pressure and weight have improved since starting yoga and this is due to the fact that yoga has a biochemical effect on the body. When you practice different types of postures, particularly ones that involve twisting, you literally ring toxins out of the muscles and joints where they collect. This, in turn, decreases you sodium, cholesterol, and glucose levels while simultaneously increasing your vitamin C and serum protein levels.

Bottom line is this: whether you’ve plateaued in your current exercise regimen, can no longer tolerate some of the exercises that are tough on joints, or are simply looking to add something new to what you’re already doing, yoga offers so many benefits that just might be exactly what you’re looking for. Intimidation stops a lot of people from trying yoga, for fear that they may not be skilled enough or simply do not understand yoga. I would challenge any of you to take a chance at trying something new. I can promise you that you will be pleasantly surprised at how you can find ways to modify just about anything to your own level of ability. When you consider the many benefits of yoga, it seems silly to let intimidation get in the way of what could be an extraordinary change. And who knows? You might just find that it’s the one thing that’s been missing from your life!

Looking for more lifestyle and fitness articles? Check out our Life section!

I took one for the team (;-), bought, installed and thoroughly enjoyed playing around with all the new features. Here’s my take on the photo-genius and rockin’ new magic from Apple:

Number 1: Apple added iPhoto for widespread use on your portable Apple devices. After using it extensively with my own Camera Roll favorites, I can confirm that it is a must-have app if you do any photo editing on your iPhone or iPad. It’s very easy to use (the first thing I tried was the Auto-Enhance ‘wand icon’ and abracadabra, it INSTANTLY brightened and boosted my iPhone pic. This is a  feature-rich program. You can use the tool palate to “spot treat” areas in the photo if you need to darken, lighten, sharpen, soften, saturate, fix red-eyes or repair just a small section of a picture! All in all, iPhoto is definitely worth the $4.99 that the app costs.

Number 2: The revision of iMovie is awesome. This app is a great and handy way to create short films or trailers without a computer. The football template I made for my son turned out really good without really doing anything but tapping a few buttons. If you go to edit anything of length, make sure to use the OSX version.  (And, be wary of the space limitations on the flash memory in an iPhone or iPad.) The cost of this app (also $4.99) is likewise a good investment for anyone with a budding aspiration for Hollywood-like home video intros, chapter menus and screen credits.

Number 3: A revised GarageBand! With this rockin’ app you can jam like a pro band! For example, you can have a jam session with three other friends and record and share it with everyone. The app offers guitars, drums and keyboards to mix with. Now this seems geared more toward kids and teenagers, but it is pretty fun to play around with no matter your age. With the great feature of smart instruments, everyone will actually be in the same tune, not sure how much you will learn about playing music this way, but it will sound like you’re a pro. You can also save songs to iCloud and sync with all your devices. Even my nine-year-old loved playing around with the new GarageBand and rocking out on the iPad guitar. When he first used it, he created a short song with multiple tracks and played it back for me in 20 min…enough said — it’s crazy easy.

So thanks to Apple, we now have access to these awesome Apple apps – right in the palm of our hands. Channel your inner photographer or rocker and get down to being a self-made pro with the newly revised iLife Suite.

On Saturday after a long day packing and cleaning we ordered Chinese delivery. I don’t know if it was because I was so exhausted and worn out or if it truly was amazing, but that food was the best Chinese delivery I’ve had in ages.

After packing up the entire old house into a truck on Sunday, we went to a brew pub downtown and I happened to order a side salad with my meal. You’d think I hadn’t eaten in days the way I consumed that salad. It was awesome. Every last bite of it too.

On Monday we were blessed with a delivery of homemade lasagna and garlic bread from one of our old neighbors. Even the kids scarfed this down it was so good.

And then yesterday we ate out downtown and I switched out a baked potato for the mashed potatoes. Again, I don’t know if I was still exhausted and starving from all the moving work, but that baked potato was incredible and there wasn’t a speck left of it on my plate.

The comfort food standbys have really come through for us during this move. It’s nice to know there is great food out there when you’re so tired you can’t think of what to eat and don’t have the energy to make something at home.

Now if it was just as easy to fit my much larger old kitchen into the new way-too-small-for-us kitchen, I’d be set. Wish me luck.

Summer is getting closer every day, and the weather is making it harder and harder to stay indoors for my free time. That means music needs to be more mobile than ever! No matter which music app is your pick, you need to be able to grab your phone and have your best summer tunes at a moment’s notice. Here are a couple of my top summer tracks so far!

Everybody Talks – Neon Trees

This song just has that wonderful upbeat tempo that you want when you’re exploring the outdoors or riding your bike to the beach. Not to mention, it just makes me think of that summer love, and who doesn’t want that?

The Golden Age – The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

While not exactly a new song, you may recognize the unique style and vocals from some TV advertisements. Both lyrics and musical style are a throwback to a bygone era, but I feel that its timelessness is what makes this song wonderful. Put this on, and you can’t help but tap your foot and maybe get up and full out dance!

A Woman Like You – Lee Brice

Is it summer without a country jam on your playlist? This little tune is great for going to the lake and fishing or blasting out of your ’56 Chevy pickup while romancing your honey at a picnic. Gentlemen, add this to your playlist and thank me later. Ladies, you already love this song too.

Dirty Little Things – Regret Night

A fun Denver (our back yard) band that I have been lucky enough to see twice in the past couple months, just released an EP prior to playing at FoCoMX a couple weeks ago. The right amount of clever lyrics and sound put a spin on the traditional love song. It’s what alternative rock tried to be, but never quite was for me.

Share some of your favorite summer tunes in the comments below, and be sure to check out the songs listed here and all my top songs so far on Spotify or music player of your choice!

What can I win?
• Reebok Pink Ribbon shoes
• Pink Ribbon hat
• OtterBox Pink is Strength case for your phone

How do I enter?
All you have to do is head over to the “Contests” tab on our Facebook page and tell us why your mom is amazing in 250 characters or less and you’ll both be entered to win.

The legal stuff:
The contest will run 4/30/2012 through 5/10/2012, 11:59pm Mountain. Winner will be announced and notified on 5/11/2012.. Only open to residents of the United States. One (1) winner will be picked at random. Terms and conditions apply.

If you would like to make a difference, learn more about our Pink is Strength line of cases.

We’ve had the warmest spring I’ve ever experienced here in Colorado and yet I’m still surprised that it’s already time for Cinco de Mayo celebrations. I just moved into a new-to-me house this week so my festivities may be a bit subdued compared to past years. Despite not knowing where all my favorite cooking vessels and utensils are I plan to make it fun and tasty. This is the menu I’m planning:

• Appetizer: Guacamole, salsa and corn chips
• Main dish: Fish tacos
• Sides: Black beans and Spanish rice
• Beverages: Orange margaritas

My sister and brother-in-law were out her last month and they cooked up the most amazing fish tacos. I’m not a fish lover and I totally enjoyed these tacos. He graciously shared this epic recipe with me.

Fish Tacos

It’s comprised of three things: the beans, the slaw, and the fish.

The Beans:

• 1 16 oz. can of black beans, rinsed
• 1/3 of a red onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet to medium. Add all ingredients and stir occasionally for 5 minutes or so. Just heat it up — you’re not really cooking it. Then keep it on low heat until you’re ready to serve.

The Slaw:

• 1 bag (12 oz.) of Cole Slaw mix (green cabbage, red cabbage and a little carrot)
• Juice of two limes
• 2-3 tablespoons of hot sauce (I used Tiger Sauce)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper (however much you think is right)
• 1/4 C finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 C chopped cilantro
• Mix it all together

The Fish:

• The seasoning (for cooking the fish):
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Mix it all together, then add 1/3 cup of water to make a sauce.

Use 2 lbs. of any fish you like; mahi mahi, tilapia, flounder, whatever. Cut into bite sized pieces. Put in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and stir well to coat all the pieces with the oil. Then add in the seasoning sauce and stir well again to coat all the pieces in the seasoning.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet on medium high. When it’s up to temp, toss in the fish. If your skillet isn’t big enough so that the fish can be in a single layer, cook only 1/2 of it at a time. Cook the fish until it’s flakey.

Serve with tortillas (corn or flour, your choice), a little of the bean mix, some fish and some slaw.

I’ve been hearing about orange margaritas so thought I’ve give them a try. One of the best margaritas I’ve ever had was years ago in Eugene, Ore. in this cafe that isn’t there anymore. The bartender was a friend of my sister and made what he called “fresh-squeezed” margaritas. I’ve been searching since then for the recipe to match his. Maybe one of these will be it:

Orange Margarita Recipe from drinksmixer.com

Orange Margarita from food.com

Frozen Blood Orange Margarita from Ina Garten

Fresh Squeezed Margarita from the Three Square Meals blog

However you like to commemorate Cinco de Mayo, please drink responsibly and have a great time. I know I’ll be enjoying some quiet time ignoring all the open boxes strewn across my house.

As the NFL Draft takes place for the upcoming 2012-2013 season, OtterBox couldn’t be more excited for football to kickoff. Announced last week, this Colorado based case manufacture is the new proud partner of the Denver Broncos.

Located about 60 miles south of OtterBox, the Denver Broncos will be looking to make big impressions this year with a new quarterback and a new way of preparing for the game.

The digital age has finally taken over the NFL. Apple technology is literally changing the way that the Denver Broncos view highlights, play formations, game statistics, and competitor reviews, as well as changed how coaches and players exchange notes. And, OtterBox is there with a protective solution to make sure that this precious piece of game management endures no harm. Known as the “Official Protector of the Denver Broncos’ Digital Playbook,” OtterBox cases allow players, coaches, and fans alike to have peace of mind on and off the field.

Among one of the first teams in the league to adopt a digital solution, the Broncos’ digital playbook will allow the team to use PlayerLync, an application developed to streamline what used to be a 500-page printout, and is supported by Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network.

As the Broncos finalize this fall’s lineup, OtterBox will be there to make sure that the team picks up their Defender Series for iPad along with all of their other protective equipment. Stay tuned for more to come and in the meantime, Go Broncos!!

Read the full press release for more details.