Don't forget your dog at Easter - fun and hilarious things to buy your dog!

I'm giving some thought to what to get for Easter for the sixth member of our family, our Dog Dougall.  Every year he gets Christmas presents, birthday bones and something for Easter.  Last year we got him some new water bowls and a new lead, this year I'm thinking of something else.

As you might know, chocolate is poisonous to dogs, so don't give your hound chocolate for Easter - but I have found some weird and wonderful things on the internet I thought I'd share with you... what do you think?  I'm not as bonkers as I thought, there are MUCH nuttier nuts out there than me I think!

A couple of Gucci toys out on the market for dogs - and that are utterly hilarious is Chicktoria and Beakham rubber chickens. They are $14.95 - 24.95 each depending on size from Dogue

Easter egg doggie treats - I thought these were cute and not too exxy at $5 a packet from Snootypaws (they also have doggie donuts, I am NOT joking)

You could alternatively make my doggie biscuits and ice (or not) with carob like these?

Obviously those swedes at Ikea are enamoured with their dogs too because they have just released the Hundstol - the dog high chair!  It comes with a built in doggy bowl and everything. lead free paint and takes dogs up to 35kgs.. I'm thinking perhaps because it's so cold there in the winter?  There's obviously a market for it...perhaps more couples are opting for dogs than children these days??  Details, dimensions here:




Do you think you'd invite your dog to the dinner table? Do or would you buy gifts for your pets on birthdays/holidays?  Do you think all of this is totally whacko or what?

Cute puppydog cupcakes for RSPCA Cupcake Day tomorrow...

Australia-wide tomorrow, there will be cupcakes. It's the RSPCA Annual Cupcake Day.  If you feel in a baking mood - register - it's not too late!  All proceeds go to caring for the 155, 000 animals that the RSPCA protect and care for each year.   


If you're more of an eater than a baker...  ask around, do a search, you might find a local school or charity are selling! You donate easily online too.  If you are registered, please comment with your name/link to your page so people know who to donate to if they don't know anyone participating!


You can also buy cute merchandise online too whilst you are there!

But if you're inspired to make something .... read on... 

I've just made buttercake cupcakes and iced them with a simple chocolate frosting and decorated to make a puppy!

Simple chocolate frosting

• 1/2 cup icing mixture
•  tb cocoa powder 
• 1-2 tb milk to make the right consistency.

Decorations

• marshmallows, cut in 1/3'rds with scissors
• a few smarties 
• a fudge icing pen you can buy from the supermarket!

We're also going to be colouring in tomorrow - you can download a colouring sheet from here


Here's some more inspiration if you want to bake... add a link to yours if you like too! x

http://www.rspcacupcakeday.com.au/get-involved/decorating-ideas/

http://edsmommylife.com/?p=397

http://www.allthingscupcake.com/2008/07/13/playful-puppy-cupcakes/

I can't believe it's this easy to make dog biscuits!

WHY have I been wasting money at the pet shop and supermarket?  Why I ask?  Because I had no idea it would be so easy!

We had a great time this morning making these together and from whoah to go (first ingredient in the bowl until everything out of the oven) 40 minutes!  I'm sure I could improve on this, and I think next time I'll make a few variations/make bigger batches and freeze.

I give our Dougall a doggy treat each time we leave the house.  Let's call it mother-guilt OK?  These are so cheap I'm so impressed, turned out beautifully and seriously, the dog was waiting under the oven whilst they cooked.   I'm going to put my Mum onto these for her 'boys'.


Ingredients
2 cups wholemeal flour
2 tb canola oil
2/3 cup semolina (or cornmeal)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1tb powdered beef stock
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Flour extra, canola spray


Method:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees c
Mix all ingredients into mixing bowl - I let the girls do this, they take turns

Mix with a spoon until reaches a dough, add flour/semolina if needed to make into a pliable dough.

Roll out on a floured surface and cut into shapes with a knife or cookie cutter (I got this doggie one for $3.95 from Alfresco Emporium)

Place on baking trays sprayed with canola oil, when laid out, spray canola oil on top also

Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes - cool on bench/wire rack.
Store in airtight container for 1 week or in the freezer for 2 months
Makes 20 large bones, or I'd think 40 small ones

Dougall salivating by the oven!!

Oh the indignity...

Tell me I'm not the only one who dresses up their dog for putting up the Christmas tree?

Happy first birthday Dougall!

It's the newest and youngest addition to our familys' birthday today.  Our puppy-dog Dougall.   At first I was a little nervous about having a dog - the extra work, the extra emotion... but in hindsight a major highlight of this year.  Dougall is a fully-fledged member of our family and we all love him dearly.  He's really *my* dog as I suppose all those early months I was the one who was house-training, feeding and reassuring him.  He won't go to bed until I'm in bed, and when I go out solo (very rare) he frets for me to come home.

He's affectionate and extremely tolerant, three little girls although they do adore him, can be pretty rough too!  We got him at 6 months of age, which is exactly 6 months ago from Monika's rescues (www.doggierescue.com.au).  If you are after a puppy, or dog - I would highly recommend!  There are sadly, many there.

Dougall was rescued by Monika from Blacktown Pound along with his two brothers at 16 weeks of age... they had been there for three weeks when she got them.  He had terrible worms apparently, but were attended to by Monika's vets, desexed and microchipped when we got him 10 weeks later.

A Month In Review: May 2009

What we did:

• We started being an at-home family again - Mummy not working, kids not going to kindy
• Nanny started coming to visit us again every Tuesday (we love that!)
  We started going to the library
• We started back at playgroup
• We had a birthday party for Eloise
  
  

Milestones:

• Olivia wrote her name for the first time with just mummy calling out the letters, and her writing them (wow!)
• And also Olivia learned how to whistle!
• We've had more dry than wet overnight nappies from everyone!
• Eloise is getting very clever with adding and subtracting
• Eloise did her first handstand!
• Laura is getting MUCH better with her speech, her stutter has improved a lot too.
• Dougall has only had average 1 accidents in the house a week. Pretty good, has now worked out how to tell us he needs to go outside.

HappySnapSaturday: Just one of the kids

It's like Dougall's always been here - just like the fourth child really. He follows the pack around (the girls) and follows their conversations like a tennis match. He alerts them Daddy is home by barking at the window to which they all run and and jump up and down at Daddy's arrival.


Now this has taken it to another level. My parents bought the girls a trampoline for Christmas. Since its' erection there are a number of rules:


1. No toys on the trampoline
2. No jumping if the zipper is open
3. No food or drink on the trampoline
4. If you can't get up the ladder, you're too small to be on the trampoline (Eva who had just turned one couldn't get up the ladder so was deemed to small)

Well Dougall has taken this last one up, he can climb up ladders it seems.

Now we have to remove the ladder when the girls are on the trampoline (they can manage to get on without it anyway now) - I think we need another rule number 5...

FrillyFrivolousFriday: VCR Powered Cat Feeder - you can make one too!

Up late the other night after young Dougall got me up for a trip outside and I started watching Martha. There's a magazine in the US (Made) which likes to make stuff out of other stuff, right up my hubby's alley - but I'm scared to show it to him!! He might rig one up for the dog!?!

But here's a quick demo of how it works:


If you want, to watch the full instructional movie (7 mins)

HappySnapSaturday: first month of Dougall..

Our little puppy has settled in beautifully...

Working out the pecking order with Laura...

Not a shy little thing anymore- a very happy chappy! Isn't his smile so cute?

Busted Custard! Loves tearing apart seedling punnets - odd dog..

So loved...

I just thought I'd note some of the gorgeous pics and times the love we've had over the past week:

Love to Cook - Olivia my budding chef - We iced milk arrowroots for gifts for kiddy friends...

Sugar Love - Easter Egg -looking cookies given with love

Togetherness Love - Happy times on the trampoline

Chocolate Love -Lachlan showing off his easter egg hunt loot

I love.. my big girl almost 5!

Puppy Love... Eloise with Dougall

Twinny-love Olivia and Laura this morning

Everybody Happy - Sunshine Day

Hubby took these pics yesterday and I just found them on the camera when downloading. Felt compelled to share.This is Laura, my mischevious, free spirited and explicity cheeky 3 year old. There isn't a day where I haven't cracked up laughing at something she says. A natural wit. Beautiful soul. Beautiful child.

I love how the sunlight is hitting everything in these photos. Blissful, whimsical.




Barking orders to her puppy...

This is such a posey smile!

A girl and her dog.. she's so so happy!

Laura with her captive audience...

Dougall the wonder-dog!

Hubby's Mum enjoying Dougall, or rather the other way around!


My mother in law clearly loving these special moments

Life is too short..

Now if the title had singing the Brady Bunch Tune, I'm sorry but it kind of goes!

If you were born after 1975, or you weren't allowed to watch the Brady Bunch... you'll need to watch this: