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What Makes BlogPaws Special: My Conference Story

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In just over a month, I’ll hop on a plane, fly to Kansas City, and attend the tenth anniversary BlogPaws conference.

It’s my ninth conference… I missed 2013 because it fell right after I’d finished a year of chemo, and I just couldn’t. And here’s the thing: Way back then, in 2013, long before I contracted for BlogPaws and long before I joined the staff, long before I had many readers here, and long before I had a handle on most facets of blogging, people noticed I wasn’t there.

To a wallflower like me, that’s a big deal.

This community sees me.

I took a look at past BlogPaws-related posts, and I found my recap of that very first conference in 2010. Interestingly, though not surprisingly, my three core takeaways from that first event are the same as they are heading into this tenth conference: community, authenticity, and advocacy.

Also interestingly, and also not surprisingly, those are three of my own core values.

Last week, the BlogPaws team traveled to Florida to visit Chewy.com’s HQ. ICYMI: Chewy acquired BlogPaws, and they wanted us to head down and see their operations prior to the April conference. While there, they set us up in their film studio so we could each record our thoughts about our BlogPaws experience. Again, not surprisingly, the first thing that popped out of my mouth: community.

I am not exaggerating when I say that some of my very best friends have come through my connection to BlogPaws, and some of the most exciting opportunities and engaging professional relationships have emerged from the organization. I’ve laughed and learned and hugged and cried and patted piles of dogs, cats, rats, a capybara, and a mini-pig.

Eight years and 10 conferences is, sadly, a lifetime for many pets, and we’ve mourned the loss of each other’s dear animals and have said goodbye to some of our friends and colleagues. We’ve celebrated pet adoptions, marriages, babies, job changes, books being published, and we’ve helped each other over life’s big and little hurdles. At last year’s conference, my dear, cherished friends and colleagues threw me the biggest baby shower I could imagine to celebrate our adoption of Violet. She spent the first year of her life cuddling the stuffed dogs and cats, wearing the adorable outfits, and enjoying the piles of books that our beautiful friends showered us with.

We get each other.

Our hearts love the same, no matter if it’s a bearded dragon, a dog, a horse, a cat, a ferret, etc. at the end of that leash.

We see each other. We see each other’s joy and we see each other’s pain.

I’m honored to be part of the BlogPaws community, and I can’t wait to see everyone and meet all the new folks next month.

If you’re on the fence, or if you haven’t been before, or if you haven’t been in years, you really do need to join us. This tenth anniversary conference is one not to miss. It’s an incredible learning opportunity for anyone online, as well as a major love fest for pets and the people who love them. Learn more and see you there!

In the meantime, if you want to dig super deep into learning how to be an authentic blogger, check out my ebook, Authentic Blogging. It contains everything you need to harness your authentic voice and grow your audience by leaps and bounds!

Lucas celebrates the end of chemo with PowerStew from Only Natural Pet #PawNatural

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Before I get into this, I always learn something new! My perception was that canned food–at least, quality canned food–was more nutritious than kibble. I guess I thought that because, when you purchase a really good, top-notch canned food, it looks like, well, food. Kibble doesn’t. But, when I started reading reviews of this particular canned dog food across the interwebs, I discovered that many people think kibble is generally better than wet food. Huh. I stand by my assertion, especially after testing this particular stew, but I just found it fascinating that there were such different perceptions about the same thing. Curious: What are your perceptions of canned food?

Anyway! This post is sponsored by Only Natural Pet and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the NEW Canine PowerStew™, but OMD only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Only Natural Pet is not responsible for the content of this article.

That whole random intro aside, we recently had the opportunity to try out some Only Natural Pet® Canine PowerStew™, which comes out this month. Coincidentally, our box of trial cans arrived just as Lukey was finishing up chemo, so what better way to celebrate than with some super-nutritious, tasty wet food? Some of the features that ticked my “healthy” box:

•High quality, protein-rich meat as the first ingredient in each of the three flavors (Turkey & Duck Feast, Beef & Lamb Feast and Chicken & Liver Feast)
•Grain-free
•Carrageenan-free (an additive that is thought to cause digestive problems… something he doesn’t need after chemo)
•Holistically formulated with premium ingredients
•Made in the USA

Circling back around, actually, doesn’t this look like canned stew that you would buy for yourself?

Now, at his size, a single can isn’t enough for Lucas for a single meal, so we actually use canned food as a topper to a smaller-than-usual scoop of his kibble. The funny thing is, one of the BIG selling points for this stew is the palatability–it’s got loads of chunky, moisture-loaded morsels that dogs love–but palatability has never been an issue in our house. Actually, the opposite, but that’s another post for another day.

So, what did Lucas think?

He gobbled it up, then licked the bowl clean! A mighty fine treat to celebrate the end of chemo!

{Note Newt’s photobomb! She wanted to try some of the stew for herself!}

Interested in trying it for your pup? PowerStew is available for purchase exclusively on www.onlynaturalpet.com. It was slated to come out mid-July, and I checked yesterday… it’s out and on sale!!

ONPNewSquarelargeTM

Do you generally give your dogs canned food? We also use it for pill ninjas, but it’s generally an on-occasion kibble topper for the big boys. Are you like us where wet food is a “special occasion” type of treat? Or does your herd get it regularly?

10 BlogPaws Highlights (2 are giveaways!)

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Whenever I go out of town, as soon as I walk through the door, Emmett and Cooper adhere themselves to my legs. I’m unable to peel them off for a few days–not that I mind, of course–but it certainly halts catch-up progress! It’s awfully hard to type with a head in your lap…

But, of course I don’t mind! I did want to share some updates from BlogPaws, though, so in the interest of Emmett’s need for head scratches, a Top 10 List for ya!

10 BlogPaws Highlights

As always, it was an amazing time full of incredible sessions (so many new ideas!), awesome brand sponsorships, quality time with dear friends, making lots of new friends, and tons of cute animals! Like this duckling I got to hold at the Jones Natural Chews booth:
I also met Prissy Pig. #justsaying
On Wednesday, I was lucky enough to get an invitation to tour Mars Petcare’s huge and fairly new Global Innovation Center. Who knew such a place existed? I was particularly interested in seeing the animals that live at the facility, what their lives were like, and how they were kept. I have a lot to say about the experience and the facility–far more than can fit in this list of 10–so I will put together a post in the near future.
Nashville sure has a lot of traffic. More than I expected. That’s obviously not a highlight, but the only reason I knew about the traffic was because I got to see family while I was in town. A definite highlight! And, otherwise, besides that visit and the Mars tour I literally did not leave the hotel more than to eat lunch on the patio once. There was too much to do!
This was the first year I got to give a talk at BlogPaws. I was super nervous because of all the incredible talks I’ve seen in years past. But it went well, I think. At least I didn’t fall down at the podium, which I’ve definitely done before.
At my talk, I was thrilled to see the folks from Tripawds.com there! And they tweeted this super awesome tweet! Anyway, I got to have breakfast with them the next day and learned so much about their fantastic site. Much more to come about this–it deserves a post of its own, too–including a glamour shot of Lucas wearing the bandanna they were kind enough to give him!
My friends won awards at the Gala! So, so proud of everyone who won!!
I spent some time checking out the Cat Style Lounge because I really want to build out the Holy Cat (aka Caturday) portion of the blog, and I met some incredibly kind folks from the Cat Writers’ Association. But, perhaps most importantly, I picked out the next thing I’m going to buy for Newt–just as soon as it comes out! The Catit Wellness Center 2.0. Look at this baby! Okay, it’s not a great pic, but it’s a super elaborate self-grooming station that Newt totally deserves, she says.
One of the most fun parts of BlogPaws–other than the previously mentioned items–is that you get some fun product samples, aka “swag.” Well, on the Mars tour we got an extra bag of Mars goodies and product samples. I’m giving it away in my May newsletter (let’s pretend it’s still May for another couple of days). It’ll be going out to subscribers tomorrow, so if you’re not on the list, now’s the time to sign up.
Finally, speaking of swag… I was the lucky recipient of not only the regular BlogPaws swag bag, but also a couple other little gifts here and there. Seriously amazing stuff from incredible sponsors! There were handful of items I needed to separate from the bag for upcoming projects–again, another topic for another day!–but the rest I corralled into one Giant Swag Bag that I’m giving away to one of you! Yippee!! Wanna know what’s in it? Check this out:

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below. Give it a few seconds to load–sometimes it’s slow–or, if you’re reading this via email or in a feed, you’ll probably have to click the link.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

So, that ended up WAY longer than I thought my “short recap” would be! Thanks for sticking with it! As you can tell, so much more to come!

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Senior dog wellness in winter weather #PetHealthAwareness

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When I was a girl, around this time of year, I used to go Christmas shopping and to lunch with my mom and grandmother. Everywhere we went would be over-zealously heated to compensate for the frigid, icy outside temps. I wore layers so that, when we stepped into the mall, I could take off a sweater to feel more comfortable. My grandmother, too, wore layers, but even in the heated shops, she was adding. A cardigan over her sweater, a scarf tied tighter around her neck, her gloves on until the food came. I remarked on this to my mom, and she said, “Well, as you get older, it’s hard to stay warm.”

Over the years I had forgotten about that conversation until recently. Now, I realize, that this applies to our aging dogs.

Emmett used to love the winter. This was long before Cooper, but he and Lucas would romp in the snow, tackle each other, and chase a bright red rubber ball through the drifts in our backyard. After an outdoor play session, they would curl up in front of the fireplace together and bake themselves warm.

At some point in the last couple years, that’s changed for Emmett. Now, he runs outside, does his business, and runs back in as fast as possible. Plus, as his joints have gotten stiffer over the years, I imagine his body feels the cold a lot more forcefully than it has in the past. His tolerance for winter has declined significantly, so we’ve found ways to accommodate him.

If you have an aging pup, there are a five things you can do to make the winter season more comfortable.

Buy or make a jacket for your pup. Emmett has two, the fleece shown above and a water-proof version, which can be layered. We don’t usually put his coat on for a backyard potty break (unless it’s sub-zero), but for walks, it’s crucial.
Salt and chemical de-icers are horrible for our dogs’ feet anyway, but for older dogs who might have a tougher time slipping and sliding on icy surfaces, boots are a must. They can be insulated or a simple rubber boot (like Pawz), but the goal is to provide your senior with some traction.
Take shorter walks and don’t leave your senior outside for any longer than he wants to be out.
Provide plenty of warm spots: a dog bed by the fire, a heated blanket on the sofa, a pile of warm knits (bonus if they’re fresh from the dryer) on a pillow for nestling.
Talk to your vet about adding supplements that can help alleviate wintertime joint stiffness or, if necessary, your vet can help you choose a medication to manage joint pain.

And, of course, for the benefit of both you and your senior pup, spend as much time snuggling this winter as possible!

How does your dog do in the wintertime? Have you taken any steps – above or otherwise – to mitigate cold weather discomfort?

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by BlogPaws. I am being compensated to support Pet Health Awareness Month with an educational post, but OMD! only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. BlogPaws is not responsible for the content of this article.

What happens in Vegas stays there… unless you blog about it!

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(I have to give credit for the title to my friend Sof! Hilarious!)

I flew home on Sunday completely exhausted but totally re-energized, if that makes any sense. I mean, look at this place!

Regardless of the gorgeous setting, BlogPaws was fabulous. Tons of great sessions, like a report on the state of fleas and ticks (summary: it’s bad… very bad… I’m going to write about this sometime soon) by expert Steve Dale.

Then, there were tons of sessions on the nuts-and-bolts of blogging and social media, lots of great brands to learn about, and – of course – a good bit of socializing. I was lucky to hang out with so many wonderful women whose blogs can teach me so much about improving things around here!

Oh, and there was a capybara!

And more darling dogs, cats, and ferrets than you would believe – but, unfortunately, when I downloaded all the pics I took, about half of them were corrupt. No clue why, but boo. I did manage to get this darling pic of a sleep Gretel from YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner.com.

I have pages and pages of notes to comb through, and a whole bunch of incredible people to follow up with, but all in all it was an incredible weekend. I learned a lot and can’t wait for next year in Nashville!

In the meantime, I have a lot of catching up to do work-wise and with snuggling my herd. So, for today, I’m going to leave you with this (albeit choppy) video of Tillman, the skateboarding bulldog!

Tillman the skateboarding dog from Maggie Marton on Vimeo.