RoundUp: Favorite Blog Posts of 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Can you believe we've said goodbye to 2015 already?  It feels like I had barely said hello to 2015, but here I am ushering in 2016!  This eventful year has really flown by.

As I reflect on the past year and scroll through the blog posts I published in 2015, I feel a sense of accomplishment.  Most of my posts were joyful to write.  Some were more difficult, I felt like I was taking a risk by baring my soul, exercising my "digital bravery".   As I close out for the year, I'd like to share a few of my posts that are my personal favorites from 2015, in case you missed them during the course of the year.  I hope you enjoy them!

> As many of you know, my Siberian Husky Icy and I are a Therapy Dog team.  One of my favorite Therapy Dog activities is the children's reading program where Kids reading to Therapy Dogs helps improve reading skills.  It's such a fun program, I love to see the children's faces light up when they see the dogs at the library.  It's so rewarding to see their reading skills improve week after week!  Although it was brief, this was one of my favorite posts to write this year.

> We love to travel with our dogs, Icy and Phoebe!  One of our favorite places to visit with the dogs is Sedona, the stunning Red Rock region in Northern Arizona in 100 Places to See With Your Dog; Sedona in the Fall.  I really enjoy sharing the great dog friendly places we've found with other pet parents.  You can read about other places we've traveled with our dogs by clicking on the Pet Travel tab from the Home page. 

> Fostering Saves Lives.  It's that simple.  I love to foster shelter dogs in my home, it's a lot of fun for me and my dogs to have a new little visitor come and stay with us for a few weeks.  Even if you can't foster a dog for weeks you can be a Day Foster, fostering dogs for just one day.  It may not sound like much, but this post talks about how even one day away from the shelter can have significant positive impacts for a shelter dog!  This is an easy way to make a real difference for a shelter dog, it's something I'm very passionate about.

> This next post is one of those posts where I had to exercise some of that "digital bravery" I mentioned.  The world of animal welfare is an ugly truth, it's not always cut and dry and it's rarely as simple as people think.  I didn't know how people would react to the directness of my post or the analogy I used when discussing what I believe to be the only way to truly solve the problem of pet homelessness.

> One of the highlights of the year was attending BlogPaws2015 in Nashville in May.  This post contains highlights from that fabulous conference!  I'm so glad I went, it was the best experience and definitely the pet lovers event of the year! 

I hope you enjoyed my 2015 Roundup.  Thank you fellow pet lovers for visiting us on the blog and for being such great friends.  I wish you all the best in the new year!

Love & Biscuits,
Cathy, Icy, & Phoebe

Keep Dogs Busy With This Toy!

At the BlogPaws conference in Nashville dog parents received a PetSafe Pogo Plush Bee dog toy in our swag bags.  It's an adorable toy that has a squeaker but no stuffing inside, so it doesn't make a mess! 

The PetSafe Pogo Plush bee toy we received as a gift at the BlogPaws2015 conference

We tried it out to see if Isis and Phoebe would like it.   Well I think you can see for yourself that they definitely did like this new toy! 


Buzz off Phoebe, this is my Bee toy!

As always, Isis hogged the toy and poor Phoebe didn't get to play with it until later.  Well that's a Husky for you... pushy, pushy, Pushy!

This bee is Mine, all MINE!

Thank You to PetSafe for being one of the sponsors of BlogPaws2015!

Have you tried the PetSafe Pogo Plush Bee toy?  Leave us a comment and let us know how your dog like it!

THIS IS THE BLOGPAWS WORDLESS WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP!!

BlogPaws2015: A Mecca For Pet Industry Bloggers!

Whew! I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since we loaded our dogs into the car and drove for 3 days from Phoenix to Nashville for my second BlogPaws conference!

I first discovered BlogPaws totally by accident in 2014. I was searching for pet related conferences on Google and found this thing called BlogPaws.  I thought hmmm, "Blog"..... "Paws", sounds like just what I'm looking for.  I learned they were having a conference in only 3 weeks in Las Vegas - perfect!  When I read about all the speakers I got really excited, especially since Susan Getgood was speaking.  I had just finished her wonderful book, Professional Blogging For Dummies!  I had to go to that conference!

BlogPaws2014, was a wonder.  I couldn't believe so many pet loving people (and their pets!) gathered in one place to network, learn, share information and ideas, and have fun!  I met so many great people, and I can't begin to tell you how much I learned about blogging!  I didn't know how much I didn't know.  I went alone and didn't know anyone or have any idea of what to expect.  I need not have worried, I instantly met people and made friends.  My only problem was wishing there was time to go to every session offered!  As soon as I got home I joined the BlogPaws community and have been learning and making friends ever since.  The connections I made and the things I learned did wonders for my blog; my numbers shot up and months later I got my first sponsored (paid) post!

Fast forward to 2015.  I couldn't wait for my second BlogPaws conference!  This time I brought along my husband and our two dogs!  It was so great having them with me. 


Standing in front of banners for Mars Petcare and DENTASTIX with my dogs Icy and Phoebe, in the conference exhibit hall.  They had lots of fun meeting our sponsors!

BlogPaws2015:Discovering New Products

We are having lots of fun trying out all the great new products we were given by our wonderful sponsors at the BlogPaws2015 conference in Nashville! 

Check out this video and tell me if you think my dogs liked the VitaBone biscuits they tried for the first time!

At first Phoebe was a little weirded out by the VitaBone guy, but after awhile I think she really took a liking to him!

One of the more interesting products we were given was the WOOFPOUF, a flea and tick bath pouf!  I've never seen anything like this before and I'm anxious to try it at our next bath time.  It has a distinct scent, which smells like citronella combined with herbs.

I wonder which one of us will get this flea & tick sponge bath first, me or Phoebe??

The WOOFPOUF flea and tick pouf

Check out my first BlogPaws2015 conference post here.

Wordless Wednesday: BlogPaws2015 Highlights

I can hardly believe it's been over a week since the BlogPaws2015 conference in Nashville!  We had a great time networking with so many blogger friends, meeting the sponsors, and getting some great Swag!  Here are just a few highlights from the conference. 

Everything at BlogPaws2015 was fun and welcoming!

I love bags, all kinds of bags!  My favorite BlogPaws2015 swag bags were:

** The bag given to attendees by our fabulous conference sponsor MarsPetcare, filled with Pedigree food and treats, and a beautiful Eukanuba portable water bowl!

** The bag we received from Vitabone filled with their delicious treats!

** And of course the BlogPaws2015 conference bag filled with all kinds of goodies!

My favorite Swag Bags from BlogPaws2015

Thank You to the BlogPaws team for another great conference!  And thanks to all the conference sponsors, we are having so much fun trying out all the wonderful products you've given us!

Phoebe says: BlogPaws conferences are always Swagalicious and Swagtastic!!

In later posts I'll be talking more about the workshops and 1 to 1 sessions with the BlogPaws Team!

BlogPaws2015 Zero Waste Conference

The BlogPaws2015 pet blogger's conference will take place in Nashville, TN next week and I'm so excited!  This will be my second BlogPaws conference.  Even more exciting is the fact that BlogPaws has decided to make this year's conference a Zero Waste Initiative, saying NO to excess paper and plastic!

I like that you're trying to be less wasteful than you usually are Mom!

Conferences, seminars, and expos create a ton of paper and plastic waste with programs, product literature, paper cups, plastic bottles, and more.  I've been thinking about what I can do to contribute, in some small way, to BlogPaws' Zero Waste goal. 

I endeavor to drink my many cups of tea each day out of my new reusable cup at the conference.

At Starbucks I recently came across these reusable plastic cups.  They look like the regular Starbucks paper to-go cups but they're reusable, so for two bucks I bought one to take with me to the conference.  I like that my beverage doesn't get that funny taste the way it does with aluminum and other plastic containers.  That's the main reason I've always gone for the paper cups, you don't get weird taste, although you do get the waste.

My Starbucks reusable cup should last several months, if I don't put it in the dish washer

My husband is betting on me losing the cup long before the conference ends.  Ye of little faith!

Who's joining us in Nashville next week?  Anyone bringing their own items to help reduce waste?  Please leave us a comment, we always want to hear your thoughts!

THIS IS THE FRIDAY PET PARADE BLOG HOP!!

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Packing for BlogPaws2015

So Mom claims there isn't any room in the suitcase for my tiara!  Isn't that outrageous!?  Especially since we are driving.  Why can't we just put it in the glove compartment??

She says there's only room for my bow.  Really mom??  A bow?  BlogPaws2015 is going to be the Pawty of the century and you want me to show up wearing just a bow!? 

I am NOT amused, mom.  I will plot my revenge.

Don't you think mom should make room for my tiara??  Please leave a comment and tell her so!!