Too many cooks (and gadgets) in the kitchen 🍅 Plus, how not to bite off more than you can chew
I've decided I have too many toys to play with. It's outta control.
My pal Xavier told me when you have too many choices, you can catch choice overload.
Yep, I looked it up, it's real! But more on that later.
Yesterday I went for a drive with my human in the new family car, which parks itself.
I thought, isn't this like a gadget that fetches the ball for me?!
And my humans, they have lots of toys, too. I did a house hunt and found a gadget in the kitchen that slices eggs, another that slits avocados, and another that cuts tomatoes.
And that wasn't all; gadgets fill our house's drawers, cupboards, and tabletops.
So, I took a bunch and stashed them. So far, no one has noticed.
And before you ask, yes, most are made from virgin plastic.
Stay tuned to discover if my humans actually notice the missing plastic thingies, invented to solve the apparent time and convenience problem of using a knife (shock!).
My bet is that they don't notice and just use a knife. And their schedule and sandwich will know no different.
DID YOU KNOW...
The more choices on offer, the more your chances of suffering Choice Overload, which is like biting off more than you can chew.
When my human goes shopping after work to get something for dinner, she often stands in the supermarket aisle, staring at the countless choices of pasta sauces, dazed and unable to decide which one to buy.
Countless pasta sauces, toys and gadgets on offer are standard in today's world.
But more, more, more is a modern-day con - wasteful, dizzying, unnecessary, and ultimately degrading to planet and mind.
Reduce your options to savour the sauce.
ANDRE HUNTS DOWN THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
'Andre, I am forever buying toys for my dog, Toby, as he loses interest in them quickly. He sits and stares at me with his big, soppy eyes whilst his toys sit on the floor untouched. What else can I do?'
Firstly, your dog's favourite toy is probably you. Yes, I know you do not consider yourself a plush, chewable, pliable object to be thrown around the house for fun, but your dog might not see it that way.
Interaction with our humans can be our nirvana, so a pile of toys on the floor for Toby is likely less exciting than you playing ball with him (if that's his style).
Our dogs have different styles; I'm talking play styles. I personally like puzzles whilst my mate Xavier likes chase.
We like novelty too, so the same pile of toys becomes same-same and less exciting, no matter how big.
Remember when we talked about new shiny stuff losing its shine?
So mix it up a little and rotate Toby's toys to create novelty instead of buying new ones to add to an ever-growing pile.
Less is more, especially when our humans step in as chief toy during playtime.
THE DIRT WORTH ROLLING IN...
- Do animals see what you see? {link}
- You can count on animals counting {link}
- The mesmerising patterns of food {link}
HUMANS WHO PLAY NICE WITH THE PLANET®
Talking about toys, Xavier loves to play chase, which means he chases balls. All sorts.
Especially tennis balls, which he seems to find all over when taking a walk with his human.
Luckily, these balls (and others) can be recycled.
The good folk at Game On Recycling does just that. Check them out, as they're the type of peeps you wanna play ball with!
That's all from me. I'm off to watch Xavier play ball!
See you next time.
Howling out,
Andre
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