Ellen & Portia to Marry in Palm Springs!

Here's a bit of interesting news. Our local newspaper, The Desert Sun, has reported that Ellen DeGeneres and actress Portia de Rossi are planning a "lavish wedding" at the legendary Riviera Resort Hotel in Palm Springs later this year. A source from the New York Post stated that while no contracts have been signed, the couple are looking to have a ceremony by the pool and their reception in the hotel's grand ballroom. I really hope the report is true, and they keep their plans to marry in Palm Springs.

The Riviera Resort and Spa has a storied history- it was a favorite of Sinatra and the Rat Pack, along with a string of major Hollywod celebrities from that era and earlier. The hotel has been undergoing a massive renovation and is scheduled to reopen in October. Ellen- if you happen to read this, I hope you do come to Palm Springs, after all I did persoanlly invite you to come!
-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Most Interesting New Pet Products

Please note: This post is NOT a paid advertisement.
As you may have noticed by yesterday's post, I am very excited about a line of pet products that have just been re-launched with the help of Ellen DeGeneres. Before I go any further, please remember that I am writing from my personal opinion, with no affiliation to my employer. And no one has asked me to write this or given me anything either. Halo, Purely for Pets is a reputable company that has made holistic pet products for well over 20 years and has been a quiet but quality player in the pet industry. Back in 1999 I met the founder of Halo, a woman named Andi Brown, who had a passion for helping animals live healthier lives. I helped bring the Halo line into some of our stores and online. It's an interesting company that I've gotten to know quite well over the years. I've been working on the re-launch of the Halo line at PETCO for many months and am excited that it is finally here and I can talk about it. This brings me to another scintillating edition of The Saturday Seven: Most Interesting New Pet Products. Since I know this post will be picked up by people who are not familiar with my blog, I want to say: "Howdy, and welcome to my blog". The Saturday Seven is a weekly feature about 7 things around a common theme or topic. It is usually light-hearted fun stuff but this week I am so energized by what I am doing at work I decided to break my own rule and dedicate a Saturday Seven post to Halo. I am doing this not as an advertisement, or to pitch for my own company but I really think this is an interesting collection of products that will help animals live longer, healthier lives. If you have a pet, check out these items. So there you have it, and if this does seem like a shameless plug, I sincerely apologize. Do I hope people buy some? well yes of course! Now onto The Saturday Seven: Most Interesting New Pet Products
#1 Dream Coat- It's simply pure, natural oils that supply all the essential fatty acids to give your dog or cat a full, shiny coat, smooth skin and a strong immune system.

#2 Spot's Stew Dry Food- It's natural. It's holistic. It's made with butcher-quality chicken and feeds really well. Oh and it doesn't have any by-products or other things picky pet people don't want in their pet food.

#3 Spot's Stew Canned Food- This is human grade food that humans can eat. It's made with fresh human-grade quality ingredients in a USDA kitchen, with USDA-approved chicken, carrots, zucchini, squash, green beans and celery. Honestly, you can eat this. And it's pretty good too! All sorts of flavors like Chicken, Lamb, Beef and Salmon. Have a finicky cat or fussy dog? Trust me they will LOVE this canned food.

#4 Liv-A-Littles- As Ellen says, they should be called Live a Lot, they are so good. It's just freeze dried chicken, lamb, beef or salmon. Both Shimi and Owen love them as a snack.

#5 Cloud Nine Herbal Shampoo- It's hypoallergenic & biodegradable. It has an infusion of botanical oils and extracts, yet gentle and safe for all types of pets.

#6 Dinner Party- This is such a fun item. It's a protein sprinkle that will help a fussy dog or cat eat. It's made from either beef, chicken or salmon, with vegetables and herbs.

#7 Cloud Nine Herbal Ear Wash- Sometimes my dog's ears smell funny. This stuff is a liquid made from natural herbs, to reduce earwax and will clean a dog or cat's ears gently to keep them healthy.

So there you have it, the seven most interesting items for pets that I've seen lately. There are other products from Halo but these are distinctive and a great way to provide holistic care for your dog or cat. I hope this didn't come across like a sales pitch. But after all this is what I do for a living...bring brands to market. I just don't usually get excited enough to put them on my blog. Now, just to keep everyone happy, here is the fine print (literally): This site is about my personal opinions, experiences and stuff I am interested in. From time to time I express a personal opinion about natural, holistic and organic dog and cat food brands. As the author, I am writing this with no affiliation to my employer, although I am a dog food merchandise manager and have an excellent knowledge of pet foods. There are many kinds of natural, holistic, organic and super premium dog and cat foods available. When looking for a natural, holistic or organic pet food it is important to first consider the needs of your pet. What are you feeding now? Are there any issues that your pet is having? How is your pet's skin and coat? healthy? Shiny? Does you pet have any digestion issues? Always consult your vet if you notice any serious problems. In my personal opinion, if you want some of the best natural and holistic pet foods available, try brands such as Halo, Natural Balance, Natural Ultramix , Organix, and Pet Promise.
-Rick Rockhill

A Visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Yesterday I had a pleasant surprise. I was in LA for the day for business. During the day I had a meeting planned with one of my vendors who surprised me with a ticket to join them to attend a taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I already well understood the connection of my vendor to Ellen. For the past eight months or so I've been secretly working on a project I'm particularly proud of. Before I go any further, please remember that I am writing from my personal opinion, with no affiliation to my employer. That being said, there is a terrific line of all-natural, holistic pet food called Spot's Stew, made by Halo, Purely for Pets. Recently, Ellen became part owner of Halo because she feeds the food to her own pets. I've had to keep it absolutely quiet until now. We've been working with Ellen's team to re-launch the Halo brand at PETCO stores nationwide starting this weekend.

Anyway, so I was pleasantly surprised by the invitation to join my vendor to attend the taping of The Ellen Show. I had loads of fun! Of course, many of you know I've met Ellen several times before and she is absolutely delightful. In fact during one of the breaks, she saw me from the set and walked over to my seat and gave me a hug and a kiss. If you watch her show you probably know that she loves to dance. They warm up the audience before the show by having everyone dancing like crazy. Guests were Janet Jackson, lifestyle guru Dr Wayne Dyer, and Adam the guy who won a million dollars on the Price is Right show. The show airs today, Friday February 29th 2008. I was sitting in the front row, so you may see photos of me in the audience. Of course no cameras were allowed in the studio, so I found these photos from The Ellen Show website to help provide you with the visual:

I found the following announcement directly from Ellen's website today: "Today Ellen announced that she has become a part owner of what she believes to be the best pet food on the market. It's called Halo Purely For Pets ...although Ellen says she finds it delicious too. Ellen has been feeding it to her pets for years and hopes that you let your pets try some".
CLICK HERE TO SEE ELLEN TALK ABOUT HALO PET FOOD
Outside the Studio:

above: the only photos I was able to take: driving into the lot of NBC TV, and The Ellen Show sign on the outside of the NBC studio building.
And finally, click here to see a very funny video of Ellen talking about Spot's Stew.
And because I don't want to get people all agitated, here is the fine print:
This site is about my personal opinions, experiences and stuff I am interested in. From time to time I express a personal opinion about natural, holistic and organic dog and cat food brands. As the author, I am writing this with no affiliation to my employer, although I am a dog food merchandise manager and have an excellent knowledge of pet foods. There are many kinds of natural, holistic, organic and super premium dog and cat foods available. When looking for a natural, holistic or organic pet food it is important to first consider the needs of your pet. What are you feeding now? Are there any issues that your pet is having? How is your pet's skin and coat? healthy? Shiny? Does you pet have any digestion issues? Always consult your vet if you notice any serious problems. In my personal opinion, if you want some of the best natural and holistic pet foods available, try brands such as Halo, Natural Balance, Natural Ultramix , Organix, and Pet Promise.
-Rick Rockhill

Las Vegas and Ellen Degeneres

Thursday I flew to Las Vegas to see Ellen DeGeneres, have dinner and attend the live taping of "Ellen's Really BIG Show" at Caesar's Palace Colosseum. Hosted by Ellen, it was a classic 1970's style variety show, featuring acrobatics, quick change artists, dancers, and all sorts of amusing acts. In addition, the show featured Lyle Lovett and his band, Wayne Newton, Sheryl Crow and a special appearance by Barry Manilow (who is practically my neighbor in Palm Springs). The show will be broadcast on TBS Monday, November 19 at 9/8c. It will also run as an encore at 10:30/9:30c.

Above left: Rick Rockhill and Ellen DeGeneres pose backstage. Above right: The set of "Ellen's Really Big Show" inside Caesar's Palace Colosseum.

Above left: Rick Rockhill and Ellen DeGeneres share a silly moment. Above right: Lyle Lovett and his band perform during the show.
Then Some Classic Las Vegas...

Above: Las Vegas at night, and above right: I stumbled on the Pussycat Dolls lounge in Caesar's Palace, which was bustling with people...

Above left: One of the Dealers at The Pussycat Dolls section in Caesar's Palace. Above right: One of the Pussycat Dolls dancers in her "cage" captivates the patrons and passers by. This is classic Las Vegas.

Above: I ran across two "Roman Guards" outside of Caesar's Palace...at least I was able to work in my "signature pose" with the giant martini glass! Tomorrow I'll feature some additional photos from Las Vegas. Thanks for stopping by!

-Rick Rockhill