Hey guys! As you may remember from one of my previous posts, I recently started an online shop called Bella Luna Bakery and Gifts, named after my two precious pups, Bella and Luna.
I decided that I wanted to do a giveaway for some FREE dog or cat treats. How do you enter? It's easy!
All you have to do is "like" my Facebook page: Facebook.com/BellaLunaBakeryAndGifts and then share my giveaway photo on Facebook. You must click the "share" button on the picture on my Facebook page. If you upload it on your own, I have no way to see it. You can get multiple entries by sharing the photo every day until the contest ends (i.e. If you share the photo on 5 different days, you get 5 entries).
Last Saturday was a very special day in our household. My first born fur baby, Bella, had her first birthday! I can't believe that Bella, my best friend on four legs, is already a year old.
Before Bella came into our lives, I had been begging my husband for a puppy since berfore we even got married. At that time, my heart was set on a yorkie (or another breed of itty bitty dog). I was not a "big dog" type of person. Closer to the time that we got Bella, I began to have my heart set on an English bulldog. With their round bodies, their wrinkly faces, and their lazy attitudes, I was smitten. Travis told me about American bulldogs and my reply was "Are they big? Then no." I wanted nothing to do with them. Against my will, I did a bit of research on them and learned that while they look differently, they had similar personalities to English bulldogs. Then, I met Bella. As soon as she wiggled her way onto my shoulder, she had stollen my heart.
Since brining Bella home, Travis and I have learned a lot. We learned not to leave our shoes laying around. We learned that American bulldogs are not the best swimmers. We learned that some dogs (especially white dogs) can have skin allergies. But most importantly, I learned that dogs are incredibly loving and forgiving creatures.
Needless to say, I had a lot of fun celebrating Bella's birthday. Saturday night, we had another couple over for dinner and they brought their handsome dog, Bentley, who I am sure Bella is now in love with. The dogs had so much fun running around the yard.
Bentley
The pups were even treated with some delicious homemade pupcakes and doggie ice cream! They couldn't get enough!
The birthday pup is all smiles with her special treats!
Nom nom nom nom!
All in all, it was a fantastic day filled with fun and yummy treats. As you can tell, I love to spoil my girls. They aren't just my dogs, they are family! Do you ever have celebrations for your dogs? What special treats do you make them?
P.S. There may be some special pet related tutorials coming soon!
This topic is a little bit different than what we usually cover here at Two Cents Worth, but I feel that it is a very important topic, which is why I decided to cover it.
Monday, federal, state, and local officials announced that there had been 12 arrests made Friday, August 23, 2013 after raiding homes in Alabama and Georgia believed to be involved in illegal gambling and dog fighting. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States assisted in rescuing 367 dogs in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. This is believed to be the second-largest dog fighting raid in United States History.
Dogs ranging in age from several days old to 12 years old were rescued. Many were tethered outside in 90 degree weather without food or clean water. Severely emaciated dogs were found biting and scratching at their flea infested bodies covered with scars from their dog fighting experiences. Dogs were found in filthy living conditions filled with trash and feces. There were also many bodies of deceased dogs found during the raids.
Thankfully these dogs are now in the hands of the caring people of the ASPCA and the Humane Society. If convicted, those responsible for the dog fighting ring face up to five years in prison as well as fines.
Yes, you read that right... five years. Forcing dogs to fight to the death, not seeking medical attention for them, abusing them, leaving them without food and water, leaving them in the deadly heat with little to no shade, forcing them to live in deplorable conditions... shouldn't they be left in prison (which undoubtedly is a much better place to live than the places where they kept those dogs) for a lot longer than five years?! How about five years for every dog that they abused? It is a ridiculously low amount of time for the damage and pain that they have inflicted.
Unsurprisingly, most of the dogs rescued were pit bulls. This is one of the many reasons why pit bulls get a bad rap. I do not believe that dogs are born "bad." Like children, they are a product of their upbringing. They are innocent creatures at birth. With loving owners (or parents) they will become a loving creature. With bad owners (or parents) they more than likely will not reach their full potential. One thing you should know about pit bulls... like many of the "tougher" breeds (pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, etc.) they have a strong desire to please their owners. So naturally, if a dog is praised by their owners for fighting, they will fight. If a dog is praised for being a good dog, that is what they will do. These dogs also have a high pain tolerance. While my dog Bella is an American bulldog (not a pit bull), she is one of the "bully breeds" and is not only related to pits, but from the same family line. I have witnessed her high pain tolerance on many occasions. I have seen her get so wrapped up in playing that she ran into a piece of furniture and didn't even seem to notice. She kept right on playing. Obviously, these dogs are not indestructible, but they are able to keep going for much longer than other breeds may have been able to.
I am ashamed to admit it, but I used to be one of those people who were afraid of pit bulls. I was uneducated and only knew the awful stereotypes. After doing a lot of research to come to the conclusion that pit bulls are awesome dogs. Don't believe the stupid stereotypes that the media portrays. There are so many more pit bulls right now that other breeds, so naturally the research you see saying that there are more pit bull attacks on humans than other breeds are biased.
Need more proof that pit bulls are really awesome dogs?
Also, check out HelloBully.com for more information at pit bulls.
Please see the following links for more information about the dog fighting arrests: MSN.com Money.MSN.com
Now, I'm not saying that pit bulls are the dogs for everyone. They need an owner that will train them well and will nurture them in order for them to become the best family dogs that they can be.
I believe that we all have secret goals and dreams. Many times, we don't go after those goals and dreams. Maybe we are afraid of failing. Maybe we don't know where to begin. Or maybe we are just too lazy to try. How do I know? Because I am one of those people. For years I have had a wide range of dreams and goals for myself. My problem? I have been too much of a chicken to go after any of them. I'll have an idea of something that I want to try, and then don't do anything about it. A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking about one of my many dreams (once again) and decided to finally do something about it.
For a while, one of my many dreams has been to start my own side business selling homemade dog treats. I know, sounds kind of silly, right? I love animals, especially my doggies (in case you haven't noticed yet) and I enjoy things like crafting and baking. I wanted to put together some of my passions and got the idea for making my own dog treats. So a couple of weeks ago, I did some research, went to the store, picked up some ingredients and got to work. I made a few batches, had Bella and Luna taste test them and logged onto Etsy. For those of you who don't know, Etsy is a wonderful website where sellers create their own stores selling handmade products and vintage items. I created my own shop for my creations. I named it Bella Luna Bakery and Gifts (after my pups, of course). In my shop, I plan to sell all natural pet treats and handmade gifts.
I have to say, they turned out quite well. Since starting my shop, I have made several varieties of treats including regular and special dog treats that are gluten free, wheat free, and soy free. I also have dog cookies and I even make cat treats! So far, I have gotten a couple of orders in. But more importantly, I am having FUN! To me, baking is relaxing. It is something I do to unwind and have a little fun. The only downside is that when I bake, I want to eat my creations. So baking dog treats is a win-win situation... I get to bake, but I'm not tempted to eat any. Bella and Luna, however, are my official taste testers and get to enjoy sampling from all of the batches of treats that I make.
Bella with a heart shaped peanut butter treat.
Right now, my shop features mostly pet treats. But I have a lot of supplies ready to start some new gifts for my page. Be sure to check it out often for new products.
Luna trying to get to her treats.
So the moral of this story is to go after your dreams. Even if they seem silly to other people. It doesn't matter. Go for it. If it makes you happy, it is worth trying. Don't let what other people say hold you back. I'm telling you now... you can do it. So go after your dreams today. Don't put it off. The sooner you start, the sooner you will reach your goals.
P.S. Once we gain more followers, we may do a giveaway! So if you enjoy reading, click the blue "Join This Site" button on the right side of the page to follow us. :)
As Amy mentioned, we both recently became pet moms. My husband and I don't have (human) kids yet, so my pups are my babies.
On November 11, 2012, Travis and I decided to bring home an adorable white American bulldog puppy. We decided to name her Bella. I had always loved the name Isabella and wanted to save it in case I ever had a daughter. That is, until one day I mentioned the name and Travis said he really didn't like it. Instead of letting a cute name go to waste, I decided to name our puppy Bella (which means "beautiful" in Italian... very fitting if I do say so myself).
Bella is almost 11 months old now (her birthday is September 7, 2012). We assume that she was the runt of her litter, as she is only 40 lbs and her vet says she probably won't get any bigger (full grown American bulldogs are about double Bella's size). She is full of energy. She loves meeting new people (especially kids). She loves being chased around the yard (and to chase others... in a friendly way of course). She can often be found chasing butterflies and baby frogs. She has a love of squeaky toys, playing fetch, and frequent trips in the car. She has never met a dog or person that she didn't like. Bella often gets lonely when she is left by herself, so after some thought, we decided to bring home another puppy.
On July 7th, 2013, we brought home a little Rottweiler puppy, who we named Luna (Bella luna is an Italian phrase meaning "beautiful moon." If you haven't guessed it yet, I am part Italian). Luna was born on May 10, 2013 (only 5 days before my birthday), and is now only 11 weeks old. Just like human sisters, Luna and Bella are both very alike and very different. While Bella is outgoing, Luna prefers to stay back and observe. You can usually find her sitting at my feet, watching Bella run around like a dog on Red Bull. When she doesn't want to do something (like go into her crate at night), Luna rolls over and sweetly begs for a belly rub. She loves sticks. I try my best to keep them away from her (or at least keep her from eating them), but she can often be seen carrying sticks (varying from a couple inches to about 2 feet long) around the yard.
The pups are already best friends. They love wrestling together and playing hide and seek. They hate beings separated. They can be very jealous. If someone pets one of them, the other will run to get her fair share. They love to cuddle with each other and would gladly snuggle in bed with you if you will let them.
If you can't already tell, I LOVE my fur babies. I would gladly tell you much more about them, but I will save that for later. Be sure to come back for more stories about Bella and Luna, as well as other pet related info I find to share with all of you.
Do you have any pets? If so, tell me about them! If not, what kind of pet would you like to have? Either way, I would love to hear from you!
Marissa and I both became pet mommies this year and since neither one of us have children, we are basically obsessed with our fur babies. We talk about them CONSTANTLY and love to show them off. After all, they are completely adorable! So I thought I'd begin to introduce you to our little pet pals.
This is my fur baby, Savannah. She is a labradoodle that was born on February 13th, 2013. I brought her home when she was just 10 weeks old and only 18 lbs. Now, she is nearing 6 months old and is just shy of 40 lbs. I can't believe how much she has grown! Savannah is just the sweetest puppy and her tail NEVER stops wagging... even when she visits the vet! She loves greeting her family when they come home, chasing butterflies, lizards, and squirrels in the backyard, eating popsicles (also known as ice cubes), going for long walks, taking long naps, watching the world go by from her window seat, playing catch, racing, and parading her toys around the house to show them off. She hops like a kangaroo when she's excited to play and sleeps like a contortionist, all twisted up, on her back, with her paws in the air. She also gives the best handshakes and the cutest butterfly kisses when you ask her nicely. It has been an absolute joy to watch her grow and discover the world. She makes me laugh all the time and I can't wait to share with you all of the happiness she brings me!
I'm sure that Marissa will introduce her fur babies to you soon! Until then, do you have any pet pals? We'd love to hear about their little quirks and what they do to brighten your day... Don't hold back! We could all use a little dose of cuteness!
