September BarkBox

I seem to be playing catchup with my blog posts this week.

Another month and another BarkBox, I received a similar size box the other week in the mail and Bluey assumed it was his and tried to open it, so I will have to make sure I don't leave any other boxes lying around. As you can see from video he certainly enjoys opening his box each month

There were lots of yummy edible treats in this months box, which maybe why Bluey was so eager to open it.

 

The first item we took out was the chewable toy that also floats from West Paw Design , my dogs aren't big fans of these type of toys, so we will be donating to one of their friends.

  

The Z bones from Zukes went down a treat and were the ideal size for my two, we got carrot crunch, apple crisp and cherry berry. They are great grain free dental bones for helping clean teeth and freshen breath. My two loved all three flavors. 

 

The treats from Whole Life Pet are organic freeze dried treats, my two loved the chicken ones, they haven't tried the sweet potato ones yet, but they have had sweet potato in the past and I know they love it, so I know they will love these when I give them to them.

The chew from Barkworthies is made from 100% natural grass fed Angus beef, at first my two weren't interested in this, so I left it on the floor for them, an hour later they devoured it. The only downside to this was Bluey had really bad gas after eating it :(

The bath wipes from LA Fresh are handy to keep around for when you don't want to give your dog a full bath, and just need to give them a quick freshen. They maybe handy to keep in the car.

We also received a $10 off coupon for Wag.com, which is a site that sells everything you may need for your pets.

If you are thinking of signing up for a box for your dog, then use the following link and you will get $5 off your first box https://barkbox.com/r/6YgR2CIKcw/ your dogs will love you for it :)

August Bark Box

Another month and another box of goodies, when the Bark Box arrives each month Bluey goes crazy with the box. I normally let him unpack it as he gets so excited, then I let both dogs have treats then I close the box up. This is what happened when I closed the box this time ...

There didn't seem to be a particular theme to this month's box, but it was nice to hear about the new puppies who are now at Bark Box head office

I'm not sure if it is the excitement of all the treats and goodies in the box, but Bluey is always the first one in there!! Poor Jess doesn't get a look in :(

 

The first item we unpacked were the Elvis treats from Bocce's Bakery, they are wheat free peanut butter, banana and bacon flavor. Both dogs loved these.

 

The next item was the pig toy from Hyper Pet. It has a piece of elastic rope in it, so you can launch the toy across the room, it also floats. My two are more into fluffy toys, so weren't overly impressed with this :(

Both myself and the dogs are fans of Milk Bone products, their breakfast consists of a few milk bone treats each day. These are the new trail mix, and both dogs loved them. The size of them makes them handy to use as treats when out on a walk.

 

The next item is a freshening spray from Natures Miracle, that is scented 'baby's breath' - smells like baby powder to me! I have used similar products in the past but am not a huge fan as both of my dogs have sensitive skin.

 

The final item was a moose antler from Acadia Antlers, my two have had these in the past and loved them, but this time didn't seem that fussed about it, maybe because they ate so many treats!!

Don't forget if you want to save $5 on your Bark Box subscription just use this link https://barkbox.com/r/6YgR2CIKcw/

Lake Temescal

I'm always looking for somewhere new to go walking by myself and with my dogs. Recently a neighbor asked me if I had been to Lake Temescal, I had never heard of it, he said it was a short walk from our house and really beautiful. I said I would check it out, then completely forgot about it. 

Then earlier this week someone else mentioned it, so I went on to google maps and decided to check it out, and it was only 0.8 miles from mu house, so i set off with the dogs, it was a gorgeous afternoon, sunny but not too warm.

We took a short cut which involved walking down a set of 43 very very steep steps, and it was a gradual incline up to the lake. Coming home we went the longer way to avoid climbing the steep steps!

We chose to walk on the dirt track side of the road as it was more in the shade then the footpath, I did notice a lot of broken car glass on the road :( , so I imagine it is a popular place for car break ins if you park on the street. As there is a $5 (I think) fee to park in the parking lot if the kiosk is manned. I didn't see any cars on the street, but it was a weekday and the parking lot kiosk wasn't manned, but I imagine it gets crazy at weekends.

It took 23 mins to walk there, but that is with two dogs who stop to sniff everything and I mean everything!!

The view of the lake is amazing, it's hard to believe you are right next to the freeway and so close to my house and I didn't know it was here, it was so peaceful and calm (once you blocked out the freeway traffic). It was quite busy that afternoon with a few school running groups, and we met lots of people walking their dogs, even a few westies :)

There is even a beach at the lake, although there is a small entrance fee if you want to swim. The lake was really clean and the water was clear, but personally I wouldn't fancy swimming in it with all the fish and the ducks! This clearly doesn't put people off as I saw a few people swimming whilst I was there.

One side of the lake is completely paved and the other side is dirt track. This is the view from the opposite side of the lake from the beach. It is pretty much flat all the way round. The dogs loved their walk there and we will definitely be making this a regular walking location.

March Bark Box

March's BarkBox arrived whilst I was on vacation - hence the delay in my review this month.

As usual the pups were eager to check out their box when it arrived.

The box this month contained a nice selection of items, including something edible which always seems to be the dogs favorite thing.

The first item was some pet wipes from Natures Miracle , they are wipes for using on your dog in between baths, they remove odor and dander. I actually have already used these, and have an amusing story as to why. I was out walking my two early, and Bluey found a dead mouse, Jess decided it would be nice to roll on the mouse at the same time Bluey decided it would be nice to pee on the dead mouse - result was he ended up peeing on Jess!! So i used the wipes on Jess and she smells all pretty again :)

The second item was a pink rubber ball from Pet Projekt it is a ball that is squidgy and you can put treats inside it or another ball, my two had a quick play with it, I think I may try putting treats in it when I give it to them next.

Cookies, Bing's Jumpin' Ginger snaps where in the box, and didn't last long, my two loved them and even gave the box a thorough examine to check for extra! They are all natural treats from Bing's Barkin Bakery

The final item was something that is a bit strange - Himalayan dog chews, chews made from yak and cows milk, its basically a type of cheese, but hard. You can also put them in the microwave to turn them into a softer treat if they get too small to chew. As you can see my two really like them.

Thanks BarkBox for another great box this month

Hill's Science Diet - Ideal Balance

It's Bzz Agent time again. As most of you will know I am a Bzz Agent, which means I get sent products/services to try for free or a small fee, and then I get to share all the good (and bad) things about the product/service with you guys :) They are looking for new agents all the time and its free to sign up, they want people in UK, USA and Canada, so go check them out and you could also be getting lots of cool things to try.

This month I was sent a bag of the new Hill's Science Diet - Ideal Balance, grain free dog food.

I've used Hill's science diet in the past, and do like to change my food every now and then to give the dog's some variety. Although they can be fussy eaters, but not when it came to this food, they both emptied their bowls straight away. I mixed it with some of their current food for the first few days, but now they are eating it on its own and seem to love it. Their bowel movements have been perfect (if there is such a thing!! - dog owners will know what I mean), and I haven't noticed any itching which can be a common problem in westies.

The first ingredient in the food is fresh chicken, which is always a good sign, and it contains no corn, artificial colors or preservatives. It is supposed to improve their skin and coat, but I haven't noticed any change yet, although it has only been a week. Not sure if I will continue with the food as it seems a lot more expensive than the brand I normally use, but if I do see a positive change in their skin/coat then I may well change to it permanently.

You can find out more about the food on their web page http://www.hillspet.com/ideal-balance/ideal-balance-home.html and Ive just noticed there is a link on that page under the dog food, where you can try the food for free via a rebate form, so if you think your dog (or cat as they do a cat version) may benefit from this new food, go try it for free.

February BarkBox

It was BarkBox time again in our house this week.

As usual Jess and Bluey were excited to see what delights were in the box for them.

 

This month's box had a Valentine theme to it being as it is the month of love. One thing we did miss this month, was there was no handwritten message on the inside of the box :(

The goodies we got this month were.

Acadia Antlers As the name suggests they are antlers sourced from moose in Maine. They are a natural, non-splitting rawhide alternative. There was only one in the box so I need to make sure I can entertain one dog whilst the other has a chew on it, and then let them swap. Normally Bluey tends to start chewing the harder treats and once they are 'broken in' Jess will finish them off. It doesn't have any nasty smell, so hopefully it will stay that way when they chew it.

Lollycadoodle We received a super cute pink heart 100% wool toy, Jess loves all toys like this and this is a big hit with her.

Yellow Dog Bakery I think this was the dog's favorite part of the box, but then anything edible normally is! They were super cute heart shaped organic treats for minty fresh breath.

ProDental I've seen a similar product in the store before but never purchased them. They are basically peppermint flavor dental wipes, both of my dogs are used to having their teeth brushed, so this will be a nice simple tool to use on them.

We also liked the cute yellow collar that shows us as BarkBox customers.

Looking forward to receiving March's box

Photo Challenge Day 5

Day 5 - '10am'

Jess and Bluey patiently waiting for their breakfast :)

Tomorrow's subject is 'dinner'

February Photo a Day Challenge

February Photo a Day Challenge

Courtesy of FatMumSlim 

Day 1 :  Your view today

This is my view at the dog park whilst walking my dogs.

Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay is approximately 17 miles from where we live, and the drive there is one of the most beautiful drives ever. Although there seems to be one main road that goes to HMB, and as I experienced when I was leaving there today, on a lovely sunny day it can be a nightmare, I was fine as I was leaving, but the traffic coming into the area was at a stand still on the main road.

Im officially declaring the beach at Pillar Point Harbour in Half Moon Bay our second favourite beach that we have visited since we moved here. The dogs love it (as you can see from the photo), the views are amazing, the wildlife is amazing, we got to see seals swimming near the shore again, seems we get to see them every time we go there. Although you do have to watch out for dead seals on the beach too!! The smell was disgusting, it was so strong you could practically taste it, luckily I managed to keep my two away from it, but other dog owners weren't as lucky :(

This is also a very popular place for surfers, there were tons of surfers there today, and each year a large surfing competition called Mavericks is held there, which attracts surfers from all over the world, and certainly isnt something for beginners. I don't think Ill ever attempt to go there for that event as I imagine the traffic is a complete nightmare.

As you come into HMB there are lots of farms and garden centres, and there is a huge children's play farm, it always seems very popular there, and at the moment as halloween is approaching the fields are filled with pumpkins, it is such a magical sight, unfortunately I was unable to stop for photos, so Ill have to save that for next time. There are also lots of stalls at the side of the road selling local produce, you cant go wrong with 8 fresh corn on the cobs for 99c now.

Half Moon Bay can be a bit foggy at times. When I arrived there at 830 this morning it was a bit cold (not like England cold though!!) and very foggy, but by the time I left at just before 11 the sun was out and the fog was clearing, it was definitely going to be a gorgeous day there. 

There are tons of restaurants there, I've eaten in the Half Moon Bay Brewery and can recommend the fish n chips (although they are nowhere near as nice as UK ones), there is also an English pub/store there called Cameron's which even has a London bus parked outside, but I haven't eaten there yet.