What Makes YOU Happy?

H is the letter of the day for the A-to-Z Challenge, and I have to admit, I was a bit stumped as to what topic I should write about.  Then it hit me:  Happiness!  Happiness is something that most of us are always chasing, but sometimes it helps to take a step back and realize what (or who) you already have in your life that makes you happy.  Here is my top ten list, in no particular order, of what brings me happiness:
1.  Chasing my little pug sister Lilo around the house (and let her chase me)!

2.  Getting a lick of my human brother’s ice pop.

3.  Being treated like a celebrity at a local restaurant (they gave me a free steak and egg brunch last time)!

4.  Making my humans laugh.

5.  Laying in the sunshine.

6.  Afternoon naps.

7.  Movie nights with the whole pack.

8.  Paying it forward, and helping those in need.

9.  The smell of dinner cooking.

10.  Kisses from my humans.

What makes you happy?  Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear all about it!

Have a question or want to sponsor a blog post?  Contact me!  You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  Or, drop me a line at DaisyTheFrenchBulldog (at) outlook (dot) com.

Grapes and Why They are a Bad Idea

I am playing a little “catch-up” today with my A-to-Z Challenge; my human thought it would be a great idea to bleach our patio last night during my blog hour.  Since I don’t have thumbs, I kind of rely on her to transcribe my thoughts.  My thoughts are that it was a bad idea to bleach the patio last night when I needed her thumbs.  And since there is no other clever segue to bridge germicidal bleach and grapes, I also think it is a bad idea to feed dogs Grapes, and here’s why.
According to the ASPCA, grapes and raisins create a toxicosis that generally results in kidney failure in dogs.  PetMD further explains that even small amounts of grapes or raisins can prove fatal, regardless of a dog’s size, age, breed, or genders.  PetMD also lists several symptoms associated with grape or raisin ingestion, and recommends emergency medical care for your dog should she/he ingest a grape or rains.  Some of these symptoms include:  vomiting/ diarrhea; loss of appetite; lethargy; dehydration; and kidney failure.  Please, be careful what you feed your dog and be mindful of what foods are nearby that your dog may be able to reach.

Since I sufficiently scared my human with the content of this article, she refused to let me pose near grapes.  Even if they were sealed in a package and I promised not to even look at them.  We agreed on this prop, instead.

Have a question or want to sponsor a post on my blog?  Contact me!  You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or you can e-mail me at DaisyTheFrenchBulldog (at) outlook (dot) com.

**Please note that I am not a vet nor am I affiliated with any of the companies or links included in this post.  If you have a medical question, or if you believe that your pet has ingested a toxic food, please contact your vet immediately.

Finding Nemo

In keeping with my A to Z challenge format and choosing a topic that begins with “F”, today’s post focuses on one of my favorite movies:  Finding Nemo!  I am sure you are wondering why a dog has a favorite movie, am I right?  Well, wonder no more:  dogs love movie nights, too!  I love cuddling up with my humans on the couch with a bowl of snacks and enjoy the magic of the movies.  My humans call it bonding time; I call it “get-lots-of-snacks-and-a-belly-rub” time.  To each his own, I suppose. 
Since I love movie night so much, I get really excited when it is my turn to pick the film.  And, as I am sure you can tell by now, I love Disney.  LOVE. DISNEY.  So, needless to say, Disney movies are at the top of my list.  [side note: Lilo the pug has a thing for scary movies.  I am not too happy when it's her turn to pick.]  My “favorite” Disney movie is constantly changing, but one that consistently stays at the top of the list is Finding Nemo.  The storyline is great, and the characters are loveable.  My favorite character is Bruce the shark, “Fish are friends, not food!”  I also love how it teaches my human brothers about courage and trust, two traits that as a dog I know are VERY important.  All in all, it is the epitome of a great family-friendly movie.

Do you love movie nights, too?  Which movie do you pick when it’s your turn to select the film?  Tell me all about it in the comments!

Have questions?  Want to sponsor a post on my blog?  Want your charity featured?  Well then what are you waiting for – contact me!  You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  Or, you can always e-mail me at DaisyTheFrenchBulldog (at) outlook (dot) com.

"E" is for Eggplant

Originally I was going to write about Easter for my A-to-Z Challenge “E” post; but, I had an amazing “E” event happen to me over the weekend that I just had to share with you:  I grew an Eggplant!  OK, let me back up a little here.
Several weeks ago I visited a local nursery in a quest to try to make my home a little greener, and while shopping I stumbled upon a cute eggplant and tomato plant.  I stopped and stared for awhile, and then it hit me:  I could grow my own vegetables at home!  So after soaking up a little sun at the nursery, I purchased those beautiful little plants and (carefully) drove them home.

After a little effort, and a lot of Florida sunshine and water, my little plant produced a little eggplant.  I was so excited when I got to clip that little eggplant off of the stalk that I had to photograph the event.  I also had to make sure that I was dressed for the event in my sweet overalls.  Gardening turned out to be easier than I had expected, and I am looking forward to cultivating my green paw throughout the season.  Have you ever grown your own vegetables?  Tell me all about it in the comments!

Have a question?  Want to sponsor a post on my blog?  Contact me!  You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  You can also email me at DaisyTheFrenchBulldog (at) outlook (dot) com.

"D" is for Dog's Disney Side

As most of you know by now, I am participating in the A to Z Challenge; and according to the challenge, today’s post should start with the letter “D”.  Given my love for the Mouse and his house, discussing my Disney Side is perfect for today’s letter “D” theme!

As you can tell from the picture above, I love everything Disney.  Everything.  (Side note: my life goal in four words – Go to Disney World).  To celebrate my Disney Side, I wanted to give you some tips to throw the perfect Dog’s Disney Side Party!  (You can also click here to get some ideas to throw your own Disney Side party).  Since there was so much to capture, I decided to break up my tips into a few separate posts.  Today’s post will focus on the theme and decor.

I chose one of the greatest Disney dog movies of all time as the theme for my Dog’s Disney Side party:  101 Dalmatians!  Since it is such a classic movie, I decided to stick with classic colors:  black, red, silver, and white.  Staying with the theme, I dressed the table in a black plastic table cloth and topped it with some red and silver confetti, and with a candelabra that I stole from my human’s dining room table.

What else do you need to make an awesome Dog’s Disney Side Party?  Costumes!  Make sure you grab your human for help creating your costumes.  Using scissors, carefully cut strips of colored paper to create collars similar to those in the movie.  We also added small orange paper circles as the tags.  For those who wanted to really get into character, my human and I cut “Dalmatian spots” out of black construction paper.
Every good Disney movie has an awesome villain, and 101 Dalmatians is no exception!  Our party needed a Cruella DeVille, and my Shih Tzu sister Mimi  was perfect for the role (side note: this was a totally appropriate character assignment for her – she recently won Petco’s grumpiest pet contest).  To make
Cruella’sMimi’s costume, we used some red party beads that we had at the house and our human’s black shawl.  The key to success here is to use items that you already have on hand and be creative!  There is no right or wrong as long as you are showing off your Disney Side and having FUN!

The theme and decor really made the party a great one!  The colors were striking, and really made us get into the 101 Dalmatians spirit.  Stay tuned to read about our Disney Side party food and games.  Do you like to show your Disney Side?  What’s your favorite Disney Dog movie?  Let me know in the comments!

Have questions?  Want to sponsor a post on my blog?  Contact me!  You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; or, you can e-mail me at DaisyTheFrenchBulldog (at) outlook (dot) com.

**Please note that this post was neither sponsored by nor endorsed by Disney and/or any of its affiliates.  I am not affiliated with Disney or its affiliates in any way.  The opinions contained in this post are purely my own.  I am just a dog who loves Disney!

Product Review: Bissell Spot Bot Pet

Hi Friends!  I recently discovered the A-to-Z Challenge and decided to jump right in on letter “B”.  What better way to incorporate the letter “B” into my writing than reviewing the Bissell Spot Bot?! (For those of you who are a little O.C.D. like me, don’t worry – I’ll make sure to play catch up with the letter “A”).  So without further ado, on with the review!
I was fortunate enough to win a Bissell SpotBot Pet as part of the #PetHappens promotion on Twitter last month.  As most of you know, our newest family member is a four month old pug named Lilo; and believe me – when Lilo is around, #PetHappens!  Needless to say, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to test out the SpotBot Pet (my carpets were pretty happy, too).  We certainly did not chase the delivery man when he showed up with this box:

The SpotBot Pet arrived in a very attractive box, and included two cleaning solutions.  It also included an instruction manual so my humans could figure out how to work and maintain the machine properly.  As you can see, Lilo has a thing for sitting on boxes.

The machine itself is very easy to use.  So easy, in fact, that a dog could use it.  OK, maybe a really well-trained dog with opposable thumbs, but that’s besides the point.  In order remove stains, you place the bristles over the stain and plug in the SpotBot Pet.  Then, you select the cleaning level:  surface stain for a “freshly made” spot; and set-in stain for a spot that may or may not have been there for awhile. Simply press the appropriate cleaning level button and voila, the SpotBot Pet does the scrubbing and cleaning for you!  I LOVE the SpotBot Pet – my carpets have never looked better and now my human has extra time to give me treats and belly rubs (in that order).

If you have any questions, or if you would like to sponsor a post, please do not hesitate to contact me.  You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  You can also e-mail me at DaisyTheFrenchBulldog (at) outlook (dot) com.

**Please note that this post is not sponsored by or affiliated with Bissell or any of its affiliates in any way.  The opinions contained in this post are my own.**