Holiday season is finally upon us! I always get so excited when I start hearing Christmas carols in the stores and seeing menorahs in the windows. I love all winter holidays, really. Each holiday is a reason for me to celebrate with friends and family, and let's face it - more food! With Hanukkah right around the corner, I was inspired to get my paws dirty (literally) and get crafty and create my very own Hanukkah menorah out of salt dough! It is a super fun way to include your pet in the holiday celebrations and make a beautiful keepsake.
Materials (enough to make three small menorahs or one large one)
4 c. All purpose flour
1 c. Salt
1 1/2 c. Warm (not hot) water
Food coloring (color of your choice)
Dog treats or other items to imprint shape of your choice
Parchment paper
Hanukkah candle
Glitter (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and glitter. Stir to combine.
2. Mix the food coloring into the water [note: it takes A LOT of food coloring to create a deep color. Keep this in mind]. Pour the food coloring-water mixture into the flour and salt. Mix well until a dough forms. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky. Add more flour if needed.
3. On a piece of parchment paper, roll the dough into a ball and then flatten until about 1/2" thick. You can use a rolling pin to get a smoother finish.
4. Press your dog's paws into the center of the circle, one right next to the other. Make sure to apply a little pressure to ensure that the print is visible. Wash your dog's paws immediately after finishing the print.
5. Using a Hanukkah candle, create 9 holes around the paw prints. Do not press the candle all the way through the dough.
6. Use the dog treats like a stamp to create additional decorative designs on your menorah.
7. Transfer parchment paper with menorah onto a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour and then turn off the oven. Leave the menorah in the oven (turned off) over night or until hardened.
8. Wrap in cellophane to give as a gift to a pet lover in your life or display with your other menorahs to celebrate Hanukkah this year!
Food, food, glorious food! That is all I can think about this time of year with Thanksgiving right around the corner! It's always best to give your pet a safe, dog-friendly product instead of human table food. So, to help get into the (safe) Thanksgiving spirit, I have created this pawsome round up of Thanksgiving products for your dog! It's never too late to include your fur-baby in the festivities.
Please note that some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. That means that I get a small commission if you click and/or purchase an item through these links. These commissions help to support my blog, as well as my bacon addiction. Thank you for your continued support, friends!
Thanksgiving-Themed Food, Chews, and Treats
Merrick Classic Grain Free Thanksgiving Day Dinner Canned Dog Food This food is a great way to include your dog in the Thanksgiving celebration. Safe AND delicious holiday themed food for your pup. If traditional isn't your thing, Merrick makes other festive flavors including Turducken and Grammy's Pot Pie!
It isn't a full Thanksgiving dinner without some cranberries, am I right? Well, Isle of Dogs makes these pawsome cranberry and sweet potato treats. I have some of these at home, as well, to help celebrate Thanksgiving. They are delicious!
Speaking of sweet potato, have you tried the Barkworthies Sweet Potato Chips? They are really great and make a pawfect "side dish" for your pup's Thanksgiving. (You can read my review of the sweet potato chips here)
These are just a few of the dog-friendly Thanksgiving products available. For more information about keeping your dog safe this Thanksgiving, check out my tips here.
Remember, it's never too late to order some fun Thanksgiving items for your pup, especially if you visit your local Petco and are an Amazon Prime member!
Thanksgiving is pretty much one of the greatest holidays ever created. I mean, think about it. You get to see and celebrate your family and friends....and FOOD. FOOD!!!!!!! Food is basically all that I think about most of the time, but this time of year my food thoughts are especially overwhelming. The turkey, cranberry, and my personal favorite - sweet potatoes - are all festive foods to help celebrate Thanksgiving. One problem though, Houston - I'm a dog, and my humans are a tad bit wary of sharing their good eats with me ever since the Great Chicken Wing disaster. So, what's a Frenchie to do? I say, let them eat sweet potatoes! No, really. I had the chance to try Barkworthies Sweet Potato Chips and OH. MY. DOG. I cant get enough of them.
Please note that I received a package of Barkworthies Sweet Potato Chips in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions and thoughts contained in this post are my own.
I'm not sure if you know, but sweet potatoes are like a super-food for us dogs. They are packed with vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins A, B6, and C. Sweet potatoes also help fight the effects of aging, and provide a great source of calcium. Talk about a feel good food!
The Barkworthies Sweet Potato Chips also make great natural dental aids, because they help to remove built up tartar and plaque. Now THAT'S a snack I can really sink my teeth into! (I'm here all week, folks....)
All of the vitamins and plaque-removal is wonderful, but if they don't taste good, they don't count (in my book at least). Let me just say that the Barkworthies Sweet Potato Chips passed my stringent taste test with flying colors. Watch for yourself in the video above.
Barkworthies Sweet Potato Chips make a great, festive treat for you to give to your beloved fur baby this Thanksgiving. (They also make awesome stocking stuffers if you're a plan-ahead dog, like me). Give them a try and let me know what you think! (Really though, have my tastebuds ever steered you wrong?)
For more information on Barkworthies, check them out online:
As the holiday season approaches, parents everywhere are scrambling to find the perfect gift for their little ones. But while parents are waiting in lines and dealing with holiday crowds, many animals are waiting in shelters for their forever family to find them. Welcoming home your child's first pet this holiday season is guaranteed to create a memory that will last a lifetime for your child, and with Swiffer® and Bark & Co. by your side, you can be ready when #ShedHappens.
This post is sponsored by
Swiffer® and the BlogPaws Professional Pet
Blogger Network. I am helping spread
the word about Swiffer but I, Daisy the
French Bulldog, only share information that I feel
is relevant to my readers. Swiffer is
not responsible for the content of this
article.
8 week old Daisy napping with her human brother.
Don't let cleaning concerns prevent you from bringing home a new furry family member this holiday season! Throughout December, BarkBox and Swiffer are teaming up to provide free Welcome Home kits to pet parents who adopt from participating shelters to help prepare them for when #ShedHappens. Watch what happened when I received my very own Welcome Home kit from Swiffer and BarkBox:
Seriously, one of the most exciting days of my life! I felt like I was in my own Swiffer commercial! OK, enough about me. I know you are wondering what is in that beautiful box. Well, wonder no more!
The Welcome Home Kit Includes:
Swiffer 360 Dusters
Swiffer Sweeper refills
Coupon for a Free Swiffer Sweeper Starter Kit
Coupon for a Free Febreze product
Bark toy
Bark treats
A sample of Fresh Pet food and a coupon for a future purchase
A Welcome Home booklet to help you start your journey as a pet parent
The Welcome Home booklet is amazing (OK, let's be honest, so are the treats); it gives great tips about involving your children in the pet parenting experience and the basics of becoming a pet parent. Did you know that animals help develop character in children and also help to create a kind and compassionate home? It's true! Just ask Dr. Aubrey Fine, a renowned child development and pet expert.
I, personally, am a firm believer that pets help a child's development - I witnessed it first paw! I helped encourage my youngest human brother to talk. Not to brag or anything, but "Daisy" was among his first words. And it was the only word he said for months. But, it was expected. It was love at first sight for my human brother and I.
8 week old Daisy playing with her human brother.
With 4 million dogs in need of a home, December is the perfect time to welcome a furry family member home for the holidays. In fact, Swiffer and Scott Foley recently hosted a live media event to find forever homes for shelter pets. They were able to find several dogs forever homes during the event! I mean really, how could you not love that face? (OK, Scott Foley isn't so bad either...just saying).
OK, OK, you talked me into it. Here's another photo from the "paw"some event:
With kids in the house it is normal to worry about keeping the house clean without any pets adding to the problem; but, with Swiffer products, it is really easy to keep up with the mess. With three dogs (and two little humans) in my house (oh, and a turtle), we know a lot about messes. Swiffer has made it so easy for us to keep our house clean and pet-friendly at the same time.
Let's be honest, without Swiffer our house would very likely have dog-hair wallpaper (I'm blaming my pug sister); but, with a quick swipe of the 360 duster or the Swiffer Sweeper, the dog hair is gone and stays gone! It's so easy, even I can help with the dusting. I had to buy a new outfit first, of course:
So, no need to worry about the mess - Swiffer has you covered. That means that you can make this holiday season the most memorable one yet for your children by heading to a local shelter and welcoming home a new furry family member. If you adopt from a participating shelter, make sure that you post a photo of you, your new pet, and your Welcome Home Kit and tag it with #ShedHappens. My human and I have our holiday jammies ready to go - can't wait to see yours!
Want to learn more? Check out Swiffer's website here. You can also find out more on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
