Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Beach Bum Biscuits Blog is Moving!

     That's right...our blog is moving! We here at Mermaid Cottages have been hard at work on our new and improved website, and we have included both our blogs! We cherish each and every one of you, our readers, and hope you will continue to follow our Mermaid Adventures on our new website, complete with our Mermaid Cottages and Beach Bum Biscuits blogs!  The link to both blogs are right on our home page, so you are just a click away from all our Mermaid Cottages fun!


     We will, of course, be posting links to our blogs on our Mermaid Cottages Facebook Page as well, so there are plenty of ways to find us. Thank you for reading, and we hope you join us at our new blog home!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Beach Bum Biscuits: MTLC + CPR = Happy Tails!

Mermaid Cottages' famous MTLC or Mermaids Tender Loving Care gets to extended to every guest, our community and to everyone we meet!  CPR, Coastal Pet Rescue, saves pet lives each and every day.  Together, we're inviting you to help make a difference TODAY!  Here's Lisa Scarbrough, the angel behind Coastal Pet Rescue and the Online Community Editor for Paula Deen to tell you how!

If you know Paula, you know that she is a big animal lover. It was one of just the many things that made me so happy to come and work for her. Paula is a woman after my own heart, with her menagerie of birds, chickens, and dogs. If that isn’t enough, she even provided us with an office cat, Norma Jean, who sits in on some of our meetings and makes sure everyone stays in line.

For the last nine months, I have been mom to a beautiful baby boy. But for the 31 years before that, I was foster mom to hundreds of stray pets. About ten years ago, I started rescuing pets on my own, which led to me founding Coastal Pet Rescue here in Savannah on my 23rd birthday in 2003. I was ecstatic when Paula decided to adopt an orange tabby from me shortly after I joined her team.

If you can imagine, running an all-volunteer non-profit can be rather taxing, and certainly not cheap. On top of veterinary expenses and providing for food, there’s a lot of travel involved, which means money for the gas and more miles on our main “puppymobile.” That’s why we look to grants and contests to help us with funding, and right now, we have a very big opportunity.
The CPR “puppymobile” has various uses, such as rescuing a mom and her seven puppies from an animal control shelter where they would have otherwise been euthanized, collecting 127 pounds of pet fur to be stuffed in oil booms along the Gulf Coast (May 2010), and delivering supplies to an animal shelter in Rome, GA to feed animals displaced by tornadoes (April 2011).

On Sunday, May 29th, you can log on to the Toyota USA Facebook page and help Coastal Pet Rescue win a brand new Toyota SUV to help transport pets. Our current vehicle is over 11 years old and has over 187,000 miles on it. How wonderful would it be to be for us to save money on repairs and be assured that our transports will be safe for the pets and volunteers? Best of all, it doesn’t cost anymore than a couple minutes of your time.

Here’s how to vote:

1. On Sunday, May 29th (not before, not after), go to http://www.facebook.com/toyota
2. Like their page.
3. Click the “100 Cars for Good” link on the left.
4. Vote for Coastal Pet Rescue by clicking the box next to “Vote.”
5. Click the checkbox to confirm your vote, then click “confirm” again.

(Only one vote per Facebook account.)

We need your vote to make our dream a reality.

Homeless pets need you to care.







Lisa Scarbrough offers mom-on-a-dime advice for parents like her who still hold out hope that they’ll be able to afford the rising costs of college tuition (yeah, right). Course, Lisa has some time to prepare; her son, Ian, is 8-months old. Lisa lives in Guyton, GA, and when she’s not cleaning sweet potatoes off her son’s face, she serves as the Online Community Manager for Paula Deen.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

1001 Ways To Get Tybee-ized:Socially Responsible Vacations

Mermaid Cottages actively supports local and charitable projects and we make it possible for you to get involved more directly, as well! Through our “Mermaids Give Back” program, we help match cottage renters with local volunteer programs (such as with the Sea Turtle Program through the Marine Science Center). Participating in various local projects alongside our Mermaids and Mermen allows our guests to not only experience authentic activities, but also gives them the chance to leave the island a better place.

Here, our special Honorary Mermaid and Contributor, Lisa Scarbrough, shares how you can make a difference this weekend and your participation will have a lasting impact for many years to come!

Doing Good for the Community with Just a Vote

By Lisa Scarbrough

If you know Paula, you know that she is a big animal lover. It was one of just the many things that made me so happy to come and work for her. Paula is a woman after my own heart, with her menagerie of birds, chickens, and dogs. If that isn’t enough, she even provided us with an office cat, Norma Jean, who sits in on some of our meetings and makes sure everyone stays in line.

For the last nine months, I have been mom to a beautiful baby boy. But for the 31 years before that, I was foster mom to hundreds of stray pets. About ten years ago, I started rescuing pets on my own, which led to me founding Coastal Pet Rescue here in Savannah on my 23rd birthday in 2003. I was ecstatic when Paula decided to adopt an orange tabby from me shortly after I joined her team.

If you can imagine, running an all-volunteer non-profit can be rather taxing, and certainly not cheap. On top of veterinary expenses and providing for food, there’s a lot of travel involved, which means money for the gas and more miles on our main “puppymobile.” That’s why we look to grants and contests to help us with funding, and right now, we have a very big opportunity.

The CPR “puppymobile” has various uses, such as rescuing a mom and her seven puppies from an animal control shelter where they would have otherwise been euthanized, collecting 127 pounds of pet fur to be stuffed in oil booms along the Gulf Coast (May 2010), and delivering supplies to an animal shelter in Rome, GA to feed animals displaced by tornadoes (April 2011).

On Sunday, May 29th, you can log on to the Toyota USA Facebook page and help Coastal Pet Rescue win a brand new Toyota SUV to help transport pets. Our current vehicle is over 11 years old and has over 187,000 miles on it. How wonderful would it be to be for us to save money on repairs and be assured that our transports will be safe for the pets and volunteers? Best of all, it doesn’t cost anymore than a couple minutes of your time.

Here’s how to vote:

1. On Sunday, May 29th (not before, not after), go to http://www.facebook.com/toyota
2. Like their page.
3. Click the “100 Cars for Good” link on the left.
4. Vote for Coastal Pet Rescue by clicking the box next to “Vote.”
5. Click the checkbox to confirm your vote, then click “confirm” again.
(Only one vote per Facebook account.)

Paula was kind enough to appear in our appeal video to help us win a finalist spot for this contest. Now we need your vote to make our dream a reality.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Puppy Cam

Ever wonder where Service Dogs and Guide Dogs come from?  Just how does a forever friend like our Clarke come to be?

The puppies we sponsor are specially bred to become guide dogs and service dogs.  These are no ordinary puppies.  They're a part of something BIG!  And, so are you!

Each time you stay with Mermaid Cottages and every time you give our delicious, natural Beach Bum Biscuits Treats to your dog you're making a contribution to sponsor puppies in training school.

Take a look at the Puppy Cam and a new litter of labs that will soon be assigned to a "Walker" (a person who raises and socializes a puppy until he's ready to start training).
http://www.guidedogs.org/index.php?page=puppy-cam

It's just one of the ways you can make a difference and give back while you enjoy a fantastic getaway with us!

Monday, May 23, 2011

MTLC Withdrawal

Are you feeling a little blah and underwhelmed?  Do you find yourself daydreaming about your stays at Mermaid Cottages and fun times on Tybee Island?  Have you a longing for the Mermaids' Tender Loving Care?

 Do you have...MTLC WITHDRAWAL?

Just wish upon a Mermaid and repeat over and over, "There's no place like Tybee.  There's no place like Tybee."

Actually, all you have to do is book your next stay on mermaidcottages.com, but when in a crisis go ahead and throw a hissy fit and your friends and
family may even do it for you.

If the mere mention of the words "Mermaids" and "Tybee" cause you to bark and howl uncontrollably go for the cure.  Are y'all comin'?

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Beach Bum Biscuits:Your Support Makes A Difference

Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Puppy Sponsorship Program

Your stay with Mermaid Cottages will continue the efforts to support Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Puppy Sponsorship Program, which make it possible for disabled individuals to realize their independence through the use of a service dog. These programs also assist returning soldiers soldiers with a variety of needs including post traumatic stress disorder.



The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind

Your stay with Mermaid Cottages will also support The Guide Dog Foundation For the Blind. Since 1946, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. has provided guide dogs free of charge to blind people who seek enhanced mobility and independence.

When you stay with Mermaid Cottages you help us make a difference!  Make an even greater contribution by spreading the word about our delicious, all natural dog treats and be sure to post photos of your dog enjoying Beach Bum Biscuits!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Best Dishes from Paula and Boomer!

Boomer, our 1 year old golden retriever puppy we currently sponsor in Guide Dog training, came to visit Savannah, recently.  Boomer and his "Walker", Sandy, met Sandy's parents for a wonderful meal at The Lady and Sons.



As part of his socialization and training, Sandy has raised Boomer since he was 8 weeks old.  She takes him everywhere she goes so that he can get used to public and social situations.  Boomer will soon return to Guide Dog School for more formal training and evaluation, but he really enjoyed meeting the incredible staff at The Lady and Sons and even had his picture made with "Paula" (@Paula_Deen on Twitter).

Proceeds from the sales of our tasty Beach Bum Biscuits help sponsor puppies to be trained as Guide Dogs and Service Dogs for persons with disabilities.  Boomer is the 5th puppy we've sponsored!

If you'd like to help sponsor a puppy just come visit us and be sure to bring your pet, too!