Celebrate your Life with Heritage Makers

DogFather's Dog Spaw

The imaginative and creative entrepreneurial spirit of pet-loving business owners never ceases to amaze me.  Take this gem of a business I recently discovered through my dear friend Barb Ashcroft.  DogFather's Dog Spaw is located in Parkville, British Columbia, a colorful little community on Vancouver Island.

The name of the business is brilliant!  When you put the two logos together, you have to smile.

 
They offer a wide variety of services from a doggie daycare, a bakery, Barber Shop (love that!) pet supplies and coming soon, raw food choices.  It's a one-stop spot for dog owners and they know just how much we see our pets as family members.

 

What really intrigued me was their automated doggie wash system.  The local television station featured their business and in the clip you'll see the sweetest little dog being treated to the handy dog wash.   Be sure to check out the DogFather's Dog Paw website.  What a delightful business that was obviously born from the love of dog.

My dog....the next Michelangelo?...(but with fur)

The wonderful people at Art-Casso sent me an Art Kit, which was wonderful timing as Oscar has been meaning to unleash his inner artist.  We received Pup-Casso but they also offer Kitty-Casso for all of those budding feline art prodigies.

There are enough canvas papers to create three masterpieces and with the no-mess system, your pup or kitty can unleash their talents with no clean up required.   Be sure to use a hard surface, as outlined on the instructions. 

 First you squirt some paint onto the paper.  Then cover it with the paint shield, holding it in place with masking tape.  From there your pet can walk over the canvas paper.  They do supply a toy to entice your pet to walk over the surface, ours being a little frisbee.  Oscar was slightly amused by the toy.  (He's funny that way)  So to really get him to cross the canvas, I lured him with treats, but of course.  He did mention he works better on a full stomach anyways.

 

(Deep in thought as he searches to express his feelings through his art)

(His creation is complete!)

I peeled off the plastic cover and it will take 24 hours before I can put it into its own special frame.

I asked him afterwards to help me understand what he was trying to convey through his creation.  He said the red and blue symbolized his love/hate relationship with cats.  The yellow was his unwavering desire to stop and smell yellow snow whenever the opportunity arises and the black?  Well..... He didn't want to talk about it.  Muttered something about his fear of getting his nails trimmed.  However, the white reflected the immense joy he has being a dog and being part of the Taron pack.  (Taron, being my last name)

I admit he has talent.  But gladly he's not ready to ready to give up his day job quite yet, as head of the Cat Patrol Union, Local 555.   Maybe he'll pursue his love for art in his retirement years.

Thank you to the peeps at Art-Casso for sending me the kit.  GREAT product!  (For my readers, be sure to check out the FREE Shipping offer in the USA when you order 2 kits or more)

 

 

A Fishing Dream Comes True

My husband and I were recently in Mazatlan, Mexico, staying at the beautiful RIU Hotel and Resort in Emerald Bay.  

 

Ever since I was a young gal I have always wanted to go deep-sea fishing.  Some of you know of my love for local fishing, with my green hip waders being one of my favorite wardrobe items.  So on this trip, I went for it and my dream came true.

 

My hubby is not a "boat guy" so I teamed up with 4 others to charter a boat.  We trolled out about 10 miles from shore (it was a rocking and rolling ride indeed) and there, the magic happened.  I caught my first ever marlin!  7 feet, 100 pounds of him.  I assumed it was a male as I named him Marvin, my Darlin' Marlin.  (that's him on the right)

 

I was more than happy to let Marvin go and had even conveyed my wishes prior to catching the lad.  But with the language barrier and the boat operators wanting to have something to show for their work, dear Marvin, well..... ended up in fish heaven.  But his sacrifice did not go to waste, as all fish is given to either locals who come calling at the marina or sold to nearby seafood restaurants.

 

Here is a close up of Marvin.  I have hidden his identity until all the "next of fin" have been notified.  Not sure who the other "guy or gal" was who was caught by another angler.  He didn't seem as excited as me about bonding with his catch. 

 

And since we couldn't take Oscar, our beloved four-legged kid with us, "Flat Oscar" tagged along and was a HUGE hit at the resort.  He hung out around the pool, the scuba shack, the beach bar (caught him trying to order a Chicken and Beef Dacquiri) and of course on the beach.

 

 

 

 

(These are some wonderful pals we made at the resort.  Great peeps!)

 

I even had my nails done for the first time ever.  Feeling pretty darn glamorous with these "puppies" on.  Kind of makes me want to go salmon fishing by hand, now that I have the claws to do it. 

 

 

We'll be going back to Mexico again for sure.  Which means more fishing.  Life is Good.

 

 

 

Dogs in Books - Celebration Through The Ages

 

This little book is one of the most delightful books about dogs I have ever encountered.  Dogs in Books - A Celebration of Dog Illustration Through the Ages, written by Catherine Britton; was recently published by Mark Batty Publisher in New York in collaboration with The British Library

 

This is from the Publisher's website: "As the saying goes, dogs are man’s best friend. Since the Stone Age, our canine companions have been illustrated, described, dramatized, and eulogized in one form or another. Dogs in Books celebrates the role of dogs in literature, featuring more than thirty famous dogs, from Tintin’s white Wire Fox Terrier Snowy, to Lassie, Toto, and Snoopy, as well as dogs from Shakespeare, Jack London, Rudyard Kipling, Charles Dickens, and many more well-known authors".

The illustrations are absolutely charming and the historical references to dogs throughout the literary world is very interesting. 

 

 

 

 

It is so nice to see such recognition of our canine friends in these books.  As stated on the back cover; "From narrating an entire story to rescuing our hero, these dogs are critical characters in these books, demonstrating the timelessness of our undying love and respect for dogs and proving that they have always been more than just a pet.

"More than just a pet"......how very, very true.

The book is available through Chapters, McNally Robinson, Amazon and Random House. 

 

A Dog's New Years Resolutions

This delightful list is from the Camp Bow Wow e-newsletter that I receive every month from the head office.  Just had to share!

New Year Resolutions for Dogs

1. I will not eat other animals’ poop
2. I will not lick my human’s face after eating animal poop
3. I do not need to suddenly stand straight up when I’m lying under the coffee table
4. My head does not belong in the refrigerator
5. I will no longer be beholden to the sound of the can opener
6. I will take time from my busy schedule to stop and smell the behinds
7. I will NOT chase the cat around the house knocking everything over in my way
8. I will get a bite on that freak who gives me shots every year
9. I will grow opposable thumbs; break into pantry; and will decide for MYSELF how much food is “too” much
10. The garbage collector is NOT stealing our stuff
11. I will NOT chase the stick until I see it leave my owner’s hand

What would YOUR dog(s) say are their New Year Resolutions?

Operation.....Get into Shape with Kick Boxing

Here it is a brand new year and I am determined to get into good physical condition.  Just tired of feeling tired all of the time and I could stand to lose a few pounds to get into some of my slim-fitting duds.  Recently I treated myself to a one-month pass to Kix 4 Chix, a local Kick-boxing Studio for ladies only (except on Saturdays when boys are allowed)

I have only attended two classes so far and I can totally see how this form of exercise can be addicting. My goal is to attend 3 classes a week and even 4 if possible.   Eventually I want to go from looking like I'm having a seizure (no offense to those who suffer from such) to someone who looks like they can kick some serious buttage.  And they DO sell pink hand wraps at the Studio which will be adorned on me for the next class.  Oh yeaaaaaaa.

I do have a major ACL tear in my right knee so will probably have to start wearing my "Robo-Cop" knee brace.  And when kicking and punching the bag, I have a few "targets" in mind to keep me motivated.

• The Tax-man
• The guy who dumped me in Grade 10 for Stephanie Hansel
• People who run Puppy Mills
• Those who buy, sell or wear fur
• Britney Spears (just because)
• The person who wins a multi-million lottery and says they're keeping their crappy job and getting a new muffler on their 20-year old car.

That should certainly get me going for awhile.  So wish me luck in my quest to be fit with Kix 4 Chix!  I'll let you know how it's going.

 

Flat Oscar visits Bow Wow Haus

I'm here in Vancouver visiting family over the holidays and unfortunately Oscar is not with me.  Huge bummer for a dog-mom such as myself.  But I was able to bring along "Flat Oscar".  I have always wanted to visit Bow Wow Haus in Vancouver so Flat Oscar and I dropped in today to say hello.

If I lived in Vancouver, I swear I would be in this store every other day.  It's a mini-paradise for dog owners.  OMD - I have never seen so many colorful funky collars in one pet store and I have been in more than I can count.

For a small store, they pack in a lot of cool products for pet parents .  They do say that good things come in small buildings.  Something like that.

Thank you to the staff at the 1340 Davie Street location for being so welcoming and friendly. 

For those that don't live in the area, Bow Wow Haus can ship anywhere in Canada. How cool is that?

By the way....  Flat Oscar was on his best behavior.  No barking, no getting into the treats, no Bichon burn-outs.   So much so that I accidentally forgot him where he was last seen hanging out on their front counter.  I'll be stopping by tomorrow to pick him up as we head back to home in a couple of days.   Wishing we had a Bow Wow Haus in the Okanagan.

Celebrate your Pet on a Canvas Print

I love this photo of Pepper the Pom with her new classy 8x8 canvas.  You can create one too through my Heritage Makers website.  And I'm here to guide you through!

Win $$ for Yourself and the Animal Charity of your Choice!

  Hello Friends and Pet Lovers,

It's time to possibly win some money for yourself 
AND the animal charity of your choice!

PetBookLady.com is participating in Holiday Social Media Event with 34 other pet bloggers to raise awarness for various pet blogs, as well as raise money to support an animal charity. The best part... YOU can win $112 for yourself AND $213 for the animal charity of your choice just by "Liking" a blog!

What does the winner receive?

$112 for you AND
$213 for your favorite animal charity

Here's how it works...

All of the pet bloggers involved in the event are posting a Rafflecopter in a blog post along with links to the other participating pet blogs (Rafflecopter at the bottom). ALL you have to do to enter to win is "Like" one or all of the blogs in the Rafflecopter, and at the end of the event an entry will be chosen as the winner!

Please note this doesn't cost you anything, all of the bloggers participating in the event submitted an enterance fee which will be the prize money. The goal here is to raise money for animals and to get social with other pet lovers.

Ready to enter? It's easy! Just "Like" any or all of the blogs who are participating in the event! If you already "Like" one of the pages, just click the "+1 Do It!" button. Also, if you want, leave us a comment as to which animal charity you will donate to if you win!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happiness is home-made Doggie Biscuits

I work part-time at an Adult Gated Community, Desert Cove, where there are over 500 residents.  I'm happy to see that dogs are very much loved as over 80 dogs reside there.  So for a Christmas treat for the "Desert Doggies", I found a fool-proof doggie biscuit recipe and whipped up a batch this weekend.  I used wholesome ingredients and had my trusty dog Oscar on hand for taste testing duty.

I gave them the festive touch by wrapping them up and putting on tags to let the residents know what the ingredients are. (in case their pooches have any allergies) Even nibbled on one - for quality control purposes of course.  Not bad!

Here is the simple recipe if you're looking to give some holiday cheer to the dogs in your life.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour            1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup all-purpose flour                   2 eggs

1/2 cup cornmeal                             3 tablespoons peanut butter

1/2 cups rolled oats                         2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. Mix together whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cornmeal and oats. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually pour in water, oil, eggs, peanut butter and vanilla. Mix well.
3. On a flat surface use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Cut the dough into dog biscuit shapes using a cookie cutter. Place the biscuits onto the prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes. After the biscuits have cooked 20 minutes turn off the oven off but let the biscuits remain inside the oven for another 20 minutes to harden.

Bone appetit!

Mr. Chewy... Pet Book Lady approved!

The wonderful peeps from Mr. Chewy contacted me recently with a generous offer to try their on-line store for dog and cat food, treats and supplies.  They offer a super wide selection of top brands with FREE shipping on orders over $49.  (and just a flat-rate of $4.95 for orders under $49)  Their prices are excellent and the ordering system is smooth and easy to understand.  And the delivery is 1-2 days over most of the country. 

Just look what I was able to order for only $50!

1 x Cesar Softies Grilled Chicken Flavor Dog Treats, 6.7-oz
1 x Cesar Softies Prime Rib Flavor Dog Treats, 6.7-oz
1 x Pedigree Mini Dentastix Dog Chew Treat, 24 count, 6-oz
1 x Holistic Select Natural Duck Recipe Dog Treats, 6-oz
1 x Natural Balance L.I.T. Limited Ingredient Treats Potato & Duck Dog Treats, Small-Breed Size; 8-oz Bag
1 x Dogswell Happy Heart Chicken Breast Dog Treats, 5-oz
1 x Science Diet Simple Essentials Skin & Coat Jerky Strip Dog Treats-Beef Vegetable, 7.1-oz
1 x Natural Balance L.I.T. Limited Ingredient Treats Sweet Potato & Fish Dog Treats, Regular Sized Treats; 14-oz Bag
1 x Dogswell Breathies Chicken Breast Dog Treats, 5-oz

Sweeeeet!   Since they can only ship within the US and with me living in Canada, I searched for a Rescue Group I could donate the treats to.  I found a wonderful group - Small Dog Rescue of Minnesota

This group is selling calendars right now featuring some of their "alumni" members - those dogs who have found loving homes thanks to the volunteers who took the time to care.

So thank you Mr. Chewy for the opportunity to try your service and at the same time, give a little love to a well-deserved Rescue Group.   

Readers - Check out Mr. Chewy Facebook Page.  103,000 peeps can't be wrong!