Category Archives: howlidays

BlogPaws Episode 5: Blogging with the stars

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Previously… I ate some cheesecake and finished the educational portion of Day 1.

After learning about various bloggy things, the first day of sessions was over.  It was time to head back out into that big lobby and chat it up once again before our screening of Spooky Buddies.  Luckily, I quickly encountered Kim from This One Wild Life, who was kind enough to allow me to be her wingwoman (wingblogger?) for the evening.

We grabbed a glass of wine (farewell to my final drink ticket) and some popcorn (in my book, wine goes with anything) while we waited for the evening’s festivities to get underway.

After mingling for a bit, the doors opened and we headed inside.  We picked up some movie snacks and grabbed a seat a few rows from the front.  Little did we know that the rows in front of us would later be removed and we’d be in the very first row… not that I’m complaining, but it was somewhat unexpected.  Anyway, Kim and I chatted for a while about this and that – it was like hanging out with an old friend.  (Kim, feel free to correct me in the comments if you thought it was more like hanging out with an annoying person who won’t go away… I kid, I kid.)

Here’s the coolest part… not long before the movie began, Kim and I checked our Twitter feeds (hey, it’s a blogging conference) to find out the results of the Petties (it’s like the Oscars, but for pet blogs).  Be the Change for Animals (which Kim co-founded) won for Best Cause Blog!  It was a pretty amazing moment – and fortunately, the BlogPaws photographer happened to swing by at the perfect time and get it on camera.

(Check out her acceptance speech – Be the Change for Animals donated its $1,000 to Best Friends Animal Society.  Pretty great, huh?)

Not long after that, it was time for the movie premiere of Spooky Buddies – BlogPaws was the first press screening in the country.  I’ll admit, I’ve never seen any of the other movies in the franchise, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

The basic story – the five main characters (a.k.a the Buddies, a group of five adorable Golden Retriever puppies) encounter the legend of the Howl-oween Hound and must stop Warwick the Warlock’s evil plan before it’s too late.

The movie was cute… not necessarily one I would have sought out on my own, but I definitely think kids would like it.  I actually enjoyed it – there was something about the crowd (including dogs barking at the screen) that just made it a fun experience.  Here’s the trailer:

Obviously, I’m not the only blogger writing up her thoughts on her Spooky Buddies experience these days.  For a few more, go visit Bocci’s Beefs (and find out how many stand-ins each puppy had on set), My Tail Hurts from Wagging So Much (for an interview with the director), and The Chronicles of Cardigan (for a firsthand account of what it was like to watch the movie with your pups). 

After the movie, it was time for a Q&A session with the director.  I have to imagine that working with kids and puppies is quite the challenge, but he really seemed to enjoy it.

Once the Q&A ended, we had the opportunity to get our photo taken
with one of the stars – an adorable puppy dressed in a bunny costume. 
The photographer wasn’t very quick on the draw – which didn’t work so
well when a tired puppy was involved.

In the interest of getting these
photos done quickly so that the pup could get out of his duds and take a
nap, Kim and I did our photo as a duo.  Once I have a copy, I’ll
definitely share it here.

Once that was all done, Kim invited me to crash a Greenies happy hour that she was invited to attend at the hotel bar.  I was a bit hesitant, but I’m glad I let her talk me into it.  I had a fantastic time chatting with Doreen from Doggies and Stuff, Jess from Indy Dog Blog (a party crasher like me), and others.

Eventually, it was time for me to say goodnight and head home.  After I got home, I snuggled with Bella and caught up on Project Runway.

One day down, one more to go.  I was able to attend the second day, but I did end up ducking out a bit early due to the hurricane. Never fear, I still have lots to tell you.

Up next?  More sessions, some great speakers, a photo shoot or two, and meeting up with some more of my favorite bloggers.

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Bella’s in the holiday spirit…

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To those of you in the U.S., I hope you have a wonderful July 4th!  It’s been busy around here… I made some patriotic cupcakes and a ridiculous amount of sangria yesterday.  (No joke – I bought a 2 gallon cooler to store it in. Let’s just hope that nobody tries to go total sports fan and dump it on someone’s head as if it were Gatorade.)  In addition, I’ve made some giant submarine sandwiches, and a vat (also not really an exaggeration) of Asian Noodle Salad.  We won’t starve, that’s for sure!

Anyway, no time for a long post, but I wanted to wish all of you a happy 4th of July – I hope you have a fantastic day.  So does Bella… she even dressed for the occasion:

In spite of the holiday, Bella’s nap schedule proceeds as usual.

Happy 4th!

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Of books and beaches…

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A long weekend… the stuff that dreams are made of.  I don’t have to go back to the office until Wednesday.  In addition to Monday’s holiday, I took Tuesday off as well.  As you can imagine, I’m pretty excited!  But first, I need to send you into the weekend with your usual dose of randomness… 

  1. Today’s punny pet name is LeVar Purrton. Why?  Read on…
  2. You know of my love for Reading Rainbow.  So I’m sure you can understand how excited I was to learn that LeVar Burton is organizing a Reading Rainbow flash mob to raise literary awareness.  Awesome.
  3. In honor of butterflies in the sky and taking a look because it’s in a book, enjoy these photos of 50 animals reading.
  4. There’s nothing better than grabbing a book and relaxing outside (beach, pool, yard… anywhere will do).  If your pool also contained these guinea pigs or these baby elephants having fun, it’d be a pretty perfect day.  Just make sure you have a lifeguard – perhaps of the dog variety?
  5. Are you more of a beach person?  I’ve got you covered: here’s a baby elephant on the beach.  You’re welcome.

Of course I can’t send you into the weekend without a video. Since we’re letting guinea pigs and elephants have some fun, seems like it’s only fair to let dogs in on the action…

Doesn’t that video just make you want to go outside to play with your pup?  

Before I go, I wanted to tell you that I’m trying out a new thing… Bella graciously allows me to stop adoring her for a few moments now and then to do some baking.  Rather than bombard you with recipes and photos here, I’ve created another space for that sort of thing.  Every now and then, you can find me over at I Still Want More Cupcakes, telling you how much I love butter and sugar in addition to puppies.  I hope you’ll stop by sometime. Puppies are still the main event and posting won’t be slowed here, but you’ll get the occasional bonus of some baked goods to ogle.  Win-win, right?

So, what are you up to this weekend?  Whatever it is, I hope you have fun!

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Father’s Day & some bloggy business

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Deep thoughts?

A few topics I want to hit today…

First, I’d like to wish a happy Father’s Day to all of the great dads out there, including my own!  (Bella the grandpuppy sends her love to my dad too.)  In your honor, here are some adorable animals celebrating Father’s Day and some amazing Father’s Day cakes.  Consider it a virtual celebration…

Second, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Kol’s Notes and Something Wagging This Way Comes for choosing to honor this blog
with the Versatile Blogger award!  I’ll do a longer post on this
subject later (and pass it on to some other blogs I love), but I wanted
to say thank you.

Finally, I’m sending happy birthday wishes to our buddy Kolchak Puggle (he shares it with Garfield, so he’s in good company)!

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On Memorial Day…

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Memorial Day… a time to remember those who have given their service to our country.  Words really aren’t enough to describe this sacrifice and to truly honor those who have made it so that we can be free.  So these simple words will have to do instead: thank you.

Last year, I shared my tribute to human and canine heroes alike.  (I hope you’ll take a moment to revisit that post if you haven’t read it before – and even if you have – as it contains some fantastic links and information about War Dogs and Military Working Dogs.  Also, if you are in the market for something to make you cry today, I have a feeling that post will provide what you need.)

I did want to share some links with you today:

  • As you probably know, a dog helped in the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound.  This amazing dog, a Belgian Malinois named Cairo, has received quite a bit of press (and even met the President).  Ever since, it seems like hero dogs have been all over the news.
  • Countless dogs have served our country over the years.  Check out the history of war dogs in these two amazing photo . (Thanks to and Phetched for the tip.)
  • As always, The Dog Files has a moving and visually stunning saluting Military Working Dogs.
  • I also urge you to visit FiveSibes for a touching tribute and some fantastic videos that are just perfect for today.
  • Check out this great post from Bocci’s Beefs about dogs of war and what would have happened if cats were helping us out instead.  (Just kidding… after all, there are some truly patriotic cats out there too.)
  • Last year, the National World War II Museum honored some four-legged heroes in an exhibit.  You can learn about some of these heroes here.
  • Can’t get enough of these fabulously furry heroes?  Read about five more here or watch a movie about some heroic dogs or horses..
  • Not all heroic dogs are on official duty, as illustrated by this tale of a unit in Afghanistan that was saved by some local strays.

As I mentioned last year, when these hero dogs retire from service, they need homes.  After Cairo’s participation in the bin Laden raid,  inquiries about war dog adoption have increased, but these heroes will need homes even after the initial rush slows.  If you are interested in giving a home to one of these retired heroes, learn more at Fido Friendly and then head over to Military Working Dog Adoptions.  (You can also check out the Department of Defense’s Official Military Working Dog Adoption Website.)    

If you have any stories about Military Working Dogs (either in action or in retirement), click on over to Dogster and read about Maria Goodavage’s new book project, Soldier Dogs.

Take a moment to remember today…

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Mother’s Day

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As I mentioned last year, Mother’s Day is somewhat bittersweet for me.  However, I wanted to take a moment to wish a very happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful moms out there and send a big hug to all of those who are missing their moms today.  My gift to you?  A Bella photo, of course!

 

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Happy Easter!

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In honor of Easter, I thought I’d give you two videos today.  In the spirit of the holiday, I’m giving cats, dogs, bunnies, and chicks a moment to shine.  First up, Simon’s Cat celebrates Easter:



(via Cute Overload)

Don’t you just love it?  I have a feeling you’ll like this next one too:



(via The Dog Files)

Now that I’ve filled your Easter basket with cute, get out there and have a wonderful day!

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Kiss the world

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It’s Earth Day, so today’s video has a special message for you.  But first…

  1. I cannot take credit for today’s punny pet name.  It is genius:  Piggie Smalls.  Also genius and not of my creation: Ol’ Birdy Bastard.  However, I will add a few more names to the list: Notorious P.I.G. and Dr. Bray (for a donkey, of course).
  2. You must watch this audition for Britain’s Got Talent.  I love this woman. I love her dogs.  I love her dog sweater. Love. Her.
  3. Sometimes, you just need to watch cute animals.  Pick your poision: the San Diego Zoo’s Pandacam, the Edinburgh Zoo Penguin Cam, or the Shiba Inu Puppy Cam (it’s back!).
  4. If you prefer your cute in photos rather than videos, I give you this slideshow of pets snuggling with stuffed animals (includes bonus Gremlins reference – be still, my beating heart).

As you may or may not know, we celebrated Earth Day last year by turning the blog over to Captain Pug (obviously our hero and obviously going to take pollution down to zero – also, in case you were wondering, he is cuteness magnified, and he is fighting on the planet’s side).  I don’t know if I can top that… however, I did want to remind you to show the Earth a little extra love today:



(Hat tip to Subroto Bagchi for inspiring the title of today’s post.)

Interested in learning more about going green or celebrating Earth Day with your pet?  Ask and ye shall receive… happy Earth Day!

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Bella’s Bunnies

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First, have you read yesterday’s Blog the Change post about Make Mine Chocolate?  As you may know, I’m spreading the word about that cause to advocate giving chocolate bunnies instead of real bunnies for Easter this year.  However, there are lots of wonderful bunnies looking for a home – so if you have done your homework and think you’re really ready to become a bunny parent, then today is your lucky day.  All Things Dog Blog has gone to the bunnies, and is hosting an Easter Rabbit Adoptathon.

Allow me to introduce you to a few beautiful bunnies (click on their names for more info):

Meet Stella and Natasha in Virginia.  Both of these cutie pies may have been handled a bit too much in their previous homes, and can be a little wary or shy around humans.  However, they have been making a lot of progress while living with their foster mom.  Stella is 4 years old, and is looking for a home with a patient person who will work to earn her trust.  Natasha is 2 years old, and is looking for a “loving, patient, permanent home with someone who will let her run and explore and shred some papers and boxes.”  (Loved the description, so couldn’t pass up using it.)

Next up, meet Felt in Washington, DC.  She’s a 4 year old mini Rex rabbit who loves to be petted.  Due to a sinus infection, Felt does have some special needs, but if you have lots of love to give she may be the one for you.

To participate, visit All Things Dog Blog for instructions.  To visit other blogs participating in the Adoptathon and see a whole bunch of adorable bunnies, check out the blog hop after the jump…


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Blog the Change: Honey Bunnies

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Blog the ChangeEaster is right around the corner.  So, for this round of Blog the Change, Bella wanted to highlight a bunny-related cause.  After all, she did have a bunny cousin – who she tried to lick during their first encounter.  In any event…

Today, I (and Bella) want to talk about the Make Mine Chocolate campaign (organized by the Columbus House Rabbit Society).  This cause was recently featured on Be the Change for Animals, and it’s a great one.  Just as movies like 101 Dalmatians result in lots of children asking their parents for a Dalmatian, Easter has the tendency to result in requests for bunnies.  While I’m all for adoption, I’m not in favor of families acquiring the pet of the moment and realizing that perhaps pet ownership was not really for them.  If a family is prepared and knows what they are getting into – more power to them.  However, the sad reality is that many of these bunnies end up in animal shelters or worse.

The key here is education – before adopting a rabbit, it’s important to know if a rabbit really is the right pet for you.  (Sound advice before adopting any animal.  Check out the cool Interactive Bun feature at Make Mine Chocolate to see if you’re bunny material.  For those who get the Interactive Bun seal of approval, I recommend visiting All Things Dog Blog tomorrow to meet some wonderful bunnies from Petfinder – it’s an Easter Rabbit Adoptathon!  Go here for details on how to participate.)

So, this Easter season, spread the word about Make Mine Chocolate.  Commit to giving only chocolate (or cute plush) bunnies as gifts.  Visit MMC’s website or the Facebook page to learn more.  (After using that abbreviation, I momentarily drifted off to think about the Mickey Mouse Club.  Anyone else remember The Party?  Okay, back to the serious stuff… focus.) 

Also, I realize it’s not technically part of the Make Mine Chocolate campaign, but I’d also like to take a moment to discourage giving children chicks and ducklings as well.  First, they grow up.  Chicks become chickens, and ducklings become ducks.  Second, unless you’re Chandler and Joey, it’s just not a good idea.

Interested in participating in Blog the Change?  Learn more here.  You can find the list of other participating bloggers (and join the blog hop yourself) after the jump.

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