The Night Before Christmas

Whoo. Christmas is almost here and we shipped our last batch of orders yesterday. (Maybe) DixieLee is happy because she says she will be able to sleep later in the morning now that things will be getting back to normal.

Mom and I like to stick to our routine, no matter what time of year it is. It’s true that getting up early when it’s still dark and cold out isn’t fun but once we are awake and moving, we take charge of our day and get lots done.

Dixie Lee and I like to sleep in the living room at night. I stretch out on the couch while she curls up in Dad’s chair. Around 2:00 a.m. we both go down to the bedroom and cuddle on the bed with Mom and Dad. That way we will be able to easier wake them up at 5:00 to feed us breakfast.

Breakfast is a complicated affair so even though DixieLee trusts that Mom will do it right and dozes on the couch until our bowls are filled, I always sit right in the kitchen so I can supervise better. As soon as we finish our kibble, we go back into the kitchen and up to the counter where the cookie jar is.

Mom doesn’t often forget our after breakfast cookie but you never know. She’s getting older and I understand forgetfulness is something that happens when humans get older.

After breakfast Mom works on the computer, taking orders and updating our Facebook pages and Dad goes out to get the newspaper and coffees. We help Mom with her computer work or nap until we get bored and want to go outside.  Sometimes we like to play doorman with Mom.  That's the game where we want to be in the house when we are outside and outside when we are in the house.  She isn't too fond of that game but we like it lots.

When Mom has to run errands we nap but as soon as she comes home and starts working in the Studio, we all help. 

Dad helps by restocking inventory or getting packages ready to mail. I supervise from the dog bed in the corner but DixieLee has a more hands on approach. One time she took a whole roll of ribbon and pulled it off of the roll. Mom was not pleased since ribbon that has been dragged around the floor and chewed on doesn’t make very good bows.

We work hard all day and are ready to call it a day when Mom takes the packages to the Post Office or does more computer work.  While she is gone we get our supper and an afternoon cookie.  After all, we worked hard all day and deserve a treat.

Now that Christmas is almost here, we want to wish all of our friends, furry and human, a Very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy 2018.

Love,

Zeva and everyone at Paw Pals Boutique

P.S.  Visit Paw Pals Boutique and check out the huge selection of gift baskets especially designed for pets and the people of love them.

Sparkly, Shiny, Pretty, and Dangerous.

We love Christmas but Christmas can be dangerous for pets.  Before you start decorating and putting the gifts under the tree (remember pets love gifts too), make sure your house is pet proof.

Here are six things to look out for.

1.  Christmas trees.  The biggest part of Christmas decorating in most houses is the Christmas tree.  Lots of families like to have a real live tree and the bigger the better.  They look and smell so pretty but if you have a cat, a real tree can be very tempting to climb which could make the tree fall, break the pretty ornaments and even hurt the cat.

Dogs may not climb a Christmas tree but they still could knock it down.

2.  Chemicals.  A real tree needs to have water all the time and most peoples put chemicals in the water to keep the tree fresh longer.  A dog or cat may not know that the water bowl under the tree is not for drinking.  If you have to use a chemical, make it impossible for your pet to drink from it by covering it with something they can’t take off.

3.  Angel Hair and Tinsel.  Shiny and so pretty but so bad for pets!  The old Angel Hair was made of stuff that they can’t sell any more but some peoples have really old ornaments they like so be careful.  Tinsel makes a tree look so pretty but if a dog or cat eats it, they can get really, really sick or even died.  Best to not use any.

4.  Candles.  Candles make a house look and smell so pretty but be careful where you put them.  A kitty jump or a waggy tail can easily knock one over and make a fire start.  The best thing to remember is to not leave a room where a candle is burning, even for a minute.

5.  Candy.  Lots of childrens make Christmas ornaments out of candy and other foods.  Sugar is not good for pets but we like it so if we see ornaments made out of candy or cookies, it is hard not to try to eat them. Candy canes are pretty but are made of lots of sugar too.

6.  Plants.  There are plants that are special to Christmas.  Some of these plants like Amaryllis, Mistletoe, Poinsettia, Christmas Cactus and English Ivy to name a few, are poisonous to pets.

That’s lots of things to remember but every one is important.

In our house the big problem is the tree skirt.  DixieLee thinks the tree skirt is a blanket and blankets belong in her crate.

Time to check to see how our decorating is coming along and then maybe time for a nap.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night.

Zeva

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion.  For the bestest Christmas gift baskets for  pets and the people who love them, check out pawpalsboutique.com 

A BONE OR A PHONE

I’ve been surfing the web and choosing the gifts I’m going to put on my Santa Paws list.  There are some really great toys out there!  I know Mom is going to be practical and probably tell Santa we need new Shoo! Tags because Dixie ate hers and we need to be protected against fleas and ticks.  She’ll probably say we should ask for Kyjen tug toys made out of fire hoses cuz Dixie ate all our other toys.  But I’m looking for something really different this year.

I’m a real techie dog so the PetCell really got my attention.  It’s a small bone-shaped phone that attached to a dog’s collar.  Too cute!  I wonder if it comes in pink.  It works just like a human cell phone so your humans can talk to you even when they aren’t around.  How cool is that!!!  It also has a GPS and Geo fencing.  Wow.

I told Mom all about it but she says I’m too young to have my own phone.  I’m three!  And besides, I’m very responsible. I’m putting it on my list anyway cuz Santa Paws knows I have been very, extra, super good this year.

I like when Mom puts kibble inside the Kong and when I play with it, it gives me treats.  I saw some other toys like that on line so I’m hoping to get one of those.  What could be better than playing AND getting treats at the same time?

I have a ball that flashes lights when I play with it.  I like to drop it at the top of the stairs and watch it go down.   It’s a new toy so I don’t know how long it will last before Miss Chews Everything gets it and Mom throws it out.  So I looked and found something called X-Tire Blinky Ball.  It’s a ball that blinks like the one I have but this one is surrounded by two rings that are made out of the stuff car tires are made of.  Definitely going on my list.

Antlers are always a good choice and on Christmas day, after we open all of our gifts, I would like nothing better than to relax and enjoy a fresh marrow bone.  Perfection.

I think that about covers my wish list for this year. After you mail your list off to Santa Paws, drop me a note, I’d love to know what you are expecting to see under your tree.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Seasons Greetings,

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S.  blatant self-promotion... all of our holiday gift baskets have lots of great toys and treats so if you don't have the time to shop around, check out our website.  It's so easy, just choose the gifts you want and tell me where to send them.  I'll even include a nice card.  Our site is filled with great gifts for pets and the people who love them.  Here's the link to the pet page http://laurelmtbasket.com/index.php/store/category/pet-gifts-and-baskets