My Life in Blog Years: February 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013

My Roots Are Short

It’s hard to believe that nine months have gone by since we moved to Carmel, and that we only have a little more than a year left to enjoy this wonderful area. I want to stay here permanently; I don’t even want to think about moving! It’s also hard to believe that we are just now celebrating the one-year anniversary of D's return home from a long training and deployment cycle (he was gone 12 out of 15 months!). Fortunately - with work and my furry companions - time went by quickly while he was away; unfortunately, at the moment, time seems to be moving just as fast, when I want it to slow down! Because of my husband's work, I don’t ever have a real chance to set down firm roots or build a home - I only have two or three years to get to know my neighbors before we pick up and move on. My roots may be short, but I am learning to be flexible with them and not take anything for granted.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Wordless Wednesday #116

Anything you can do I can do better!

Nose-to-Nose Best Facebook Design Tips

Blog Paws announced that it is almost that time to nominate your favorite pet blogs for the 2nd Annual BlogPaws “Nose-to-Nose” Social Media Pet Blogging Awards! I have always thought this was a fun way for the pet blogging community to be awarded for their expertise and creativity - even though I certainly don’t claim to be an expert in anything pet related! Head on over to the Blog Paws website to view a list of the categories.

If you are thinking of updating/beautifying anything (like your Facebook page) in the hopes of getting nominated, then you will need to know that Facebook has recently made some changes to the rules concerning Timeline Cover Photos, and the biggest one is not having text covering more than 20% of
your cover photo. So, hop on over here to enter your Fan Page URL and get an estimate of the amount of text on your Cover Photo to determine if you need to make any changes.

If you are thinking of updating your Facebook Timeline cover and need a little inspiration you can head on over here for some instruction (and a free downloadable template) on how to make your own custom cover photo. Here are two recent Facebook Timeline covers that I have created using a few of my favorite photos.

If you have any questions feel free to comment here, and make sure to nominate your favorite blogs starting at 12:00 PM EST on Wednesday, February 27th. Don't have time to update your Facebook Timeline cover but want to? Let me know and we might be able to work something out! ;)

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Black and White Sunday #32

We are teaming up with You Did What With Your Weiner and Dachshund Nola to host a Black and White Sunday blog hop. Want to join the hop? Just follow the rules below.

Link up your blog name and URL using the Linky Tool below.
Follow your co-hosts and follow as many other blogs on the Linky as you’d like.
Please ONLY SUBMIT A FEW PHOTOS with minimal or no text, and make sure it’s in BLACK AND WHITE.
Grab the “Black and White Sunday Blog Hop” button below and include it in your Sunday Blog post.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Timbuk2 Snoop Camera Instert

Typical camera bags seem to be a thing of the past and I have noticed a growing trend of purse-like camera bags. I have always wanted something cute and stylish that I could carry my camera in (I do have a standard mannish type camera bag that I use while walking the dogs or at the beach) and at one point even considered purchasing one of those specialty purse-like camera bags. I simply couldn't justify spending more than two hundred and fifty dollars for one.

Timbuk2 Snoop Camera Insert

So I considered my other options and found this neat Timbuk2 Snoop Camera Insert on Amazon. It’s

pretty fantastic and after receiving it I immediately started placing it in all of my purses to get a feel for its size. The size of the insert I purchased was the extra small which measures 12” W x 7” H x 4” D, and comes with three adjustable compartments. The insert will hold your camera body and two lenses, and I usually open up the one flap and store my camera body with one lens attached while using the other side for my keys, wallet, and phone. I will say that the taller the purse the more room you will have to store things, but fitting the insert into a shorter purse won’t be an issue as it is very flexible.

I now no longer have worry about wrapping my camera in a towel and shoving it into my purse as this camera insert is a perfect option for taking on trips around town and while out with friends. Maybe one day I will purchase an expensive camera purse, but for now the Timbuck2 Snoop Camera Insert works like a charm!

Do you have a favorite ‘stylish’ bag that you carry your camera in or have you opted to use an insert like I have?

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

2012’s Trendiest and Most Popular Puppy Names

I’m sure by now you have seen the 2012’s Trendiest and Most Popular Puppy names on websites such as Vetstreet and Dogster, but just in case you missed them here they are.

Top 10 most-popular puppy names of 2012 - male

Max
Buddy
Charlie
Rocky
Cooper
Bear
Bently
Duke
Jack
Toby

Top 10 trendiest puppy names of 2012 - male

Dexter
Thor
Gunner
Bently
Jax
Ace
Leo
King
Simba
Milo

Top 10 most-popular puppy names of 2012 - female

Bella
Daisy
Lucy
Molly
Lola
Sophie
Sadie
Chloe
Coco
Maggie

Top 10 trendiest puppy names of 2012 - female

Luna
Layla
Piper
Nala
Stella
Willow
Maya
Athena
Charlie
Ella

While I always find these compiled lists amusing, what I often find more entertaining are the stories told about the labor intensive process (and often hilarious approach) it took to name your pooch. Coming up with puppy names can be a fun experience. I know that when the time came for D and me to think if a name for Luna, it was quite an extensive task.

Five years ago when we first brought Luna home (when the name Luna was not as popular), we were often
asked how we came up with her name. We went back and forth on various names such as Lucy, Daisy, and Bella…. you know, those super cute names that are always fitting for Goldens. D and I decided that we wanted the name of our first puppy to hold a common interest between the two of us. David and I both love tea, so we went back and forth for days between Jasmine and Chai. Neither one seemed to fit. What
about a Spanish name I thought? David spent most of his childhood growing up in such places as the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Uruguay, so it might be fitting to have a Spanish name for our puppy. I spent time online looking up all things Spanish and the thing that catches my eye is the word Luna - which
is Spanish for ‘moon.’ Another thing that grabbed my attention was knowing that there was an old amusement park in Seattle, Washington called Luna Park that operated from 1907 until 1913. So
there you have it! A Spanish name which means moon (which is appropriate for Luna’s Gold color) and an old park in my hometown of Seattle, named Luna.

Penny’s naming ceremony went a lot faster - less than five minutes actually. When we adopted Penny, she was originally referred to from her foster parents as Betty Jane; however that name really didn't jive with the two of us. We thought that the name Penny would be an easy transition from Betty… and we also like saying that Penny was our ‘lucky penny’.

So where does your dog’s name fall on the list? Do you even care? Or more importantly, how did you come up with your beloved pets name?

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Wordless Wednesday #115

Monday, February 18, 2013

Kong Off/On Squeaker Toy Review

Company: Kong Company – famously known for the Classic Kong Toy made
with natural KONG rubber.

Product: The New Off/On Squeaker toy

What it is: KONG OFF/ON Squeaker is a dog toy that has an “off switch” for quiet play. It’s made with the popular AirDog material which is a high quality tennis ball material that is made with a special non-abrasive felt and will not wear down a dog’s teeth. The OFF/ON Squeaker toy allows pet parents to switch the squeaker on and off for loud fun or quiet play.

The toy comes in five different shapes – the bone, bear, dog, rattle, and whale which all come in different sizes. According to the package directions, this toy is not a chew toy and should be supervised when played with. I also noted that the package states that although the toy was designed and tested in the USA, it was made in China. You can find the Off/On toys at popular pet retailers for $12.99 to $14.99 each.

Our thoughts:

We received the Bear toy in a size large which is actually quite large. You can see in the photos that the large Bear is about the size of Penny’s head – which makes it impossible for her to do anything but nudge it with her nose. Luna on the other hand can just get her mouth around the small section, and even though she can’t catch it like she would with a ball, she finds the squeaker too hard to resist and generates a hilarious howl whenever we squeak it. The squeaker in this toy is loud!

The squeaker is easily switched off and on and is integrated flush enough into the toy that Luna doesn't really notice it. I could only guess that Luna would have a hard time removing the plastic piece (unlike some other aggressive chewers I know) but this is not a toy that we leave lying around and only pull it out for supervised playtime.

I do think that the large Bear is actually too large for Luna and would purchase the bear in a medium size or go with a shape that she can easily fit into her mouth. The product page on the Kong’s Website does not give any dimensions regarding the different sizes, so maybe purchasing the toy in a store would be the better way to guarantee the appropriate size for your dog.

Over all I really do think this is a fun toy that Kong has made and would purchase it in a store or gift it to a friend. It definitely has a different sound than the normal squeaky tennis ball and I think it would be great toy for any dog that gets excited by toys that make noise. Of course I always recommend supervised play (with any toy) but feel confident that this will last us for a while.

I received this product free from Kong, in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review, the opinions I have expressed are my own. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Black and White Sunday #31

We are teaming up with You Did What With Your Weiner and Dachshund Nola to host a Black and White Sunday blog hop. Want to join the hop? Just follow the rules below.

Link up your blog name and URL using the Linky Tool below.
Follow your co-hosts and follow as many other blogs on the Linky as you’d like.
Please ONLY SUBMIT A FEW PHOTOS with minimal or no text, and make sure it’s in BLACK AND WHITE.
Grab the “Black and White Sunday Blog Hop” button below and include it in your Sunday Blog post.

Friday, February 15, 2013

My Favorite Things- Creative Photography Links

My favorite links this weekend are all photography related – but you certainly don’t need to be a photography buff to enjoy them! Photojojo University is a 4-week course that teaches you the principles of photography through the lens of your phone. Twice a week you’ll get an email with a simple and fun lesson that ends with a challenge to help you solidify your new skills – and it’s only $5.00!!! I just need to get myself an iPhone and I will be set! Damn you Blackberry!!!

Thinking of taking a different approach with your photos? Check out this bloggers Project Life documentary with scrap-booking. Kate from Kate with a Camera gives you a good explanation on focal ranges. What are focal ranges you ask… go check out her post! She takes amazing photos of her dogs! If you are having a hard time deciding which Canon 50mm lens if right for you, then head on over to Everyday Elements to read one photographers comparison of the two lenses. If you enjoy vintage cameras then this Pinterest board is for you! Over at Shoot Fly Shoot you can take online photography and Photoshop training classes (at very affordable prices) along with reading their insightful and inspiring blog! Hope you have a photography related weekend!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Love and Adpotion

How do you celebrate love today? Do you buy your sweetie gifts and spend all day kissing your furry friend? I do these things – and the gift usually resembles a bottle of wine that my husband and I both share together. Do you want to know about a great way you can celebrate love today?

The SPCA for Monterey County is holding a Lifetime of Love adoption event where you get to pick your own adoption fee on all cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, small pets and doves.
The event will only be held on Valentine’s Day and all SPCA adoptions include the pet’s spay or neuter surgery, permanent microchip identification, vaccinations, SPCA ID tag, a health evaluation, and lots more. A home for every pet and a lifetime of love for every adopter sounds like a fabulous Valentine’s gift to me!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Wordless Wednesday #114

Monday, February 11, 2013

Best In Show

In the last few decades, Hollywood has produced some seriously iconic movies about our favorite personal or family events. I'm sure many folks, like my husband and me, have a list of movies that they *must* watch during Christmas time to set the holiday mood. For us, there's 'Elf,' 'A Christmas Story,' and 'Just Friends.' We watch 'The Replacements' before any major football game, and 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles' during Thanksgiving. So of course it’s only fitting that we watch 'Best in Show' prior to The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. 'Best in Show' (2000) is a hilarious mock-umentary comedy that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. It’s funny, relate-able, quite disturbing (in a good way), and well worth watching prior to one of the biggest dog shows in the country. So if were born with two left feet, are a hair dresser by profession, love soup, talk to your bloodhound, lose your precious dog’s toys, or secretly wish miniature schnauzers were bigger… then this movie is for you! And yes, Poodle really does

mean puddle in German!

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Black and White Sunday #30

Friday, February 8, 2013

Happy Birthday Shout-Out

I just wanted to wish my mother a happy birthday today! Mom, You are my (older) sister, shopping pal, laughing partner, career inspirer, and most importantly my friend.
Happy Birthday!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

A Well Groomed Golden

I think it has been obvious that Luna’s beautiful blonde coat has been neglected lately. It’s partially my fault – no wait, it is my entire fault – in which Luna hasn't been taken to a groomer since we moved to Carmel. I am sure she didn't mind carrying around the extra fluff for the holidays – as the temperature did drop a little during the winter months - but she was getting to the point where she was getting pretty gnarly to look at.
Okay, that last part is not true! :)

We went to a place just a few blocks from our house by the recommendation of a poodle – a
poodle that always looks very well groomed! Luna came out looking fabulous! Her feathers were trimmed up, her knots clipped out, and her smell – she smells wonderful!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Wordless Wendesday #113

Okay, so more of a mid-week recap instead of a Wordless Wednesday. I will make it short I promise! My husband purchased a new camera lens a few weeks ago (notice the updated sidebar image of me and the dogs) and here is one of the many outtakes from a “new lens practice shoot". Out of the 50+ photos my husband took, we entered this one in a photo contest. Expect more funny outtake photos (of me) to come soon, along with a great video on how NOT to hold your head. I've been doing it wrong all this time!

It is time to join the BlogPaws' Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop. It's easy and you simply post your pet photo(s) on your blog and then link up below - then get to hopping!

Cutest Couple Contest

Modern Dog Magazine is having their Cutest Couple Contest again and all you have to do is send them your favorite photo of you and your dog(s) for a chance to win a custom portrait of your four-legged BFF by artist James Jimenez. The photo that receives the most “Likes” will not only win this awesome prize, but a chance to appear in the Cutest Couples gallery on Modern Dog Magazine, as well as in Modern Dog’s
fun e-cards.

Now even though my photo has only been up for a day (compared to some that have been up for a week) I feel like I might have a good chance if I can rally in some “Likes” from you! TO VOTE for us, visit the Modern Dog magazine Facebook page and click "Like." You will then be able to "Like" our photo in the Modern Dog Cutest Couple Photo Album - I am in album #2. The contest ends February 13th and we would appreciate all of your support. Please let us know in the comments if you have entered yourself and we will make sure to “Like” your photo too!

Monday, February 4, 2013

I Am Showing Off Penny's Waist

Today I'm joining in the Show off Your Dog's Waistline Campaign hosted by Dawg Business. When we adopted Penny in October 2010, she was not the slender girl that she is now; basically she resembled a stuffed sausage. The adoption agency told us that she had originally been owned by an older lady in the process of retiring and moving and was not able to care for her dogs any longer. We were also told (by the

adoption agency) that Penny might have birthed a litter of puppies - which they could not confirm. So it wasn't surprising when we took Penny to our vet (back in 2010) that she weighed in at 16lbs –
which was overweight for her frame.

Just like people, Dachshunds come in a variety of different sizes – Rabbit, Minis, Tweenies, Small Standard, Medium Standard, and Large Standard. I really have no idea where Penny fits into this mix - I say she is a Tweenie – but it was obvious that she needed to lose a few pounds; her ribs were hard to locate and feel, and she had a flat looking back from above with no visible waistline. We all know that an overweight dog can have a lot of health problems and a Dachshund that is overweight can encounter other severe problems

as well. The most common is back problems as their elongated frame makes them more susceptible to disc issues. So with all of this information in hand, we decided to make sure Penny was on the right track of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We switched the food she was originally being fed to our favorite brand of kibble, monitored her food portions - she receives about 3/4 Cup per day - and increased her activity levels.

Today Penny is weighing in at 10 lbs. which is a good weight for her as I can easily feel her spine, and the last few of her ribs are visible. I can tell that she is more comfortable and happier in demeanor and she is more active in the way she moves and plays with Luna. Penny loves playing fetch, and ‘runs’ every time we go on our walks. I look back at older photos and my heart aches knowing that if we had not made this change to Penny’s lifestyle she wouldn't be the spunky, energetic, gal she is today.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Black and White Sunday #29

We are teaming up with You Did What With Your Weiner and Dachshund Nola to host a Black and White Sunday blog hop. Want to join the hop? Just follow the rules below.

1) Link up your blog name and URL using the Linky Tool below.

2) Follow your co-hosts and follow as many other blogs on the Linky as you’d like.

3) Please ONLY SUBMIT A FEW PHOTOS with minimal or no text, and make sure it’s in BLACK AND WHITE.

4) Grab the “Black and White Sunday Blog Hop” button below and include it in your Sunday Blog post.

Friday, February 1, 2013

A Dog Lovers Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

How about a Valentine’s Day gift guide for that special man, woman, or dog in your life?

Valentine's Letter pressed Card Set, Valentines Day Unique Pet Id Tag, Red Leather Dog Collar with hearts and crystals, His and Hers Valentines Day Heart Dog Tags, Valentine's Day "I Woof You" Dog Heart Kitchen
Towels - 2 Pack, Ty Beanie Babies - Cupid the Valentines Dog, Valentine's Day Collar, Jack Russell Terrier silkscreen, Hoodwinked
Slouchy Hooded Cowl for Dogs, Dachshund Dog Cufflinks by Cuff-Daddy, Library Polystone Dog Bookend, Hand-Decorated Wine Glass, Pink Queen of Hearts Valentine Dog Leash- 6 Foot, Valentine's Dog Collar - Red, Pink, & White.

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click
on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.
Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe
will add value to my readers.