DIY Holiday Treat Bag with BLUE Santa Snacks from Blue Buffalo #sponsored

This post is sponsored by BLUE Santa Snacks® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network ™ .  I am being compensated to help share information about Blue Buffalo Santa Snacks, but TravelingDogLady only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Blue Buffalo is not responsible for the content of this article.

Deck the halls with this super-simple DIY treat bag using Christmas stockings! Easy as 1-2-3!Anyone who knows me knows I am not artsy-craftsy, and I have always traveled during the holidays, so this is a unique opportunity for me to actually do something at home for the holidays. With that in mind, the non-artsy-craftsy part of me was stumped when presented with the challenge of creating a treat container for this project. Then, I saw our Christmas stockings in my holiday dog decoration drawer, et voila! An idea! As easy as 1-2-3, and anyone can do it... artsy or not! 

Step 1: Locate Your Christmas Stockings and Decorations

Because we all know where our dog Christmas decorations are kept, go to that place, and retrieve one stocking per dog. In my case, two dogs... so, two stockings. Obviously, you can use one dog stocking for your whole pack, if you want.

Charlie's stocking

Cooper's stocking. It says "Santa's my gnomie" lol

Step 2: Get yourself some BLUE Santa Snacks® at your local pet food provider

BLUE Santa Snacks holiday dog biscuits are available at Target, Meijer, Kroger, PetSmart, Chewy and your regional retailers.  These baked crunchy dog treats are packaged in an 8-ounce resealable bag, and typically cost $5.99 per bag. Blue Buffalo Santa Snacks are a great way to share the holiday season with your furry friend. These holiday dog treats make great dog stocking stuffers, as you'll soon see, and the ingredients feature holiday spices like cinnamon and wholesome oatmeal, barley, pumpkin and flax seed.

I'm not sure if I'm naughty or nice.....

But... can I have one of those? Pweeze?

Step 3: Fill stockings with BLUE Santa Snacks treats

These Blue Buffalo crunchy dog treats are made in such cute shapes! I love teasing my dogs with "What shape do you want today?" questions, and I try to give them both the same shape so everything is "even". The snacks are in the shape of stars, gingerbread men, and Christmas trees. These snacks are crunchy and good-sized. Not too big, not too small, but big enough where they are used only as a special treat around here. You just can't help having fun with these treats.

Wag that tail for some BLUE Santa Snacks!

Hang the stockings out of your dog's reach -- and don't open 'til Christmas! Well, ok, maybe Thanksgiving. Who can resist these treats? I know my dogs go nuts for these snacks, and I can't wait to put up our dog Christmas decorations and feed them a Santa Snack or two while we're decorating the house. For the first time in many years, I'm going to be home for the holidays. Usually, I travel every year. But this year is being devoted to my dogs and cats and grandkids. So, I'm staying put. More time with the hounds at home means more treat time, and let's hope we don't gain too much weight snacking on holiday goodies.

But wait, there's more!!

Enter Blue Buffalo's "Naughty or Nice" social contest. Submit a photo of your pet being either naughty or nice. Just for entering the contest, you'll receive an overlay image suitable for sharing on social media. Each week between now and the holidays there will be winners for a BLUE stocking with Santa Snacks and the potential to win the grand prize of a $500 gift card! Have fun with it, and enter a naughty or nice pic of your pet today!

Enter the contest here! Bluesantasnacks.com

Love them like family. Feed them like family. With high quality, natural ingredients. We love our pets, which is why everything we do always comes back to the idea that we think of them as family.

BONUS FUN FACT: 

Where did Blue Buffalo's name come from? The founders of Blue Buffalo, the Bishop family, had a dog named BLUE that unfortunately developed cancer. The family developed a special natural pet food formula with their veterinarian and an animal nutritionist (Blue Life Protection Formula). That natural pet food became the number-one selling in the U.S. and underscored Blue Buffalo's commitment to Pet Cancer research and awareness. Learn more about the Blue Buffalo story here. 

This post is sponsored by BLUE Santa Snacks® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™.
This post is sponsored by BLUE Santa Snacks® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help share information about Blue Buffalo Santa Snack, but we only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers Blue Buffalo is not responsible for the content of this article.

The Naked Dog Box

This post is sponsored by The Naked Dog Box. The pack was compensated with a box of food, treats, and a measuring scoop. All opinions written here are just that: my opinions. This post also includes affiliate links. If you buy something by clicking on a link (you are NOT obligated to, by any means!), the pets and I get a tiny bit of Moolah for Mueller off to the side, and it doesn't cost you anything extra. Not only that, it's much appreciated. 

My dog, Charlie Brown, received a big box last week, addressed to him! The Naked Dog Box arrived in great condition, and was waiting at my doorstep when I got home from work the other day. I have to say, I immediately fell in love with just the box itself, never mind what was inside!

When we opened it up, we literally got a treat (well, a bag of treats). Inside was, like I said, a bag of treats as well as a stainless steel measuring scoop, which was selected just for my dog, based on the profile I had submitted for him. Since Charlie and Cooper are twins, I didn't have to submit two profiles, their profiles are pretty much identical (hah, see what I did there?!).




Facebook Live video of us opening up the Naked Dog Box.

Also inside was a HUGE bag of The Naked Dog salmon and chickpea premium dog formula. It's grain-free and potato free. I don't know why potato free is an issue... I guess because of carbs and weight gain, maybe? I will have to educate myself on that, perhaps some of you reading this could weigh in (oooo, I did it again, sorry! Me 'n' my puns!).  

We eat only grain-free dog food in our house, ever since Hobie developed a terrible allergy to wheat years ago. Therefore, I was thrilled when The Naked Dog asked me to try out their grain-free product.

The company recommends feeding one scoop in the morning, and one in the evening. I usually feed my dogs just once a day, in the evening, so I had to make some adjustments to follow this recommendation, mix it together with our current food to avoid tummy problems, and be sure my dogs don't gain extra weight. 

A perfectly-measured scoop of The Naked Dog salmon & chickpea formula.
Measured specifically for my dogs based on the profile I set up online.

Let me say that the dogs absolutely went ape over this food! That made me feel confident that I am feeding them something really good tasting, as well as good quality. I have to admit, when I opened the bag, and got a whiff of the fish it was pretty strong-smelling. I remarked, "Woo! Smells like FISH!" You can only imagine what two hound dogs thought of that. "Gimme!"

Charlie and Cooper are like, "Mom, that smells so good, we're going to sit perfectly still until you feed us!"

Since we should always be careful when changing our dogs' food, I mixed some of their current brand with the Naked Dog brand. Funny enough, the other brand ALSO sent me a free bag of food in exchange for a blog post this week! Dog food doesn't pay the bills, but getting two free bags of food that I already use and endorse saves me money. So, it's a win-win. You'll be hearing about the other dog food (our regular brand) in a few days.

Nom, nom, nom

Nom, nom, nom, right out of the scoop itself!

Back to The Naked Dog food. Like I said, it's grain-free and potato-free. It's also free of soy and corn. No bad stuff. The large, unmarked bag we received has enough food to feed one of my dogs, two scoops per day, for two weeks. 

The Naked Dog prides themselves on having a small carbon footprint, thus the plain, brown wrapper on their bag, and minimal packing materials inside the box (which I LOVE -- can't stand bubble wrap, air-filled baggies or packing corn!).

The dog food is packaged in a plain, brown wrapper.
Charlie Brown says, "It smells so gooood!"

I just might consider signing up for the regular deliveries. The dogs like this food so much. The company claims you can skip going to your local pet store and shop on their site to include other items like treats, toys and other add-ons.

 


I've taken a picture of the guaranteed analysis and ingredients list for you to check out the salmon and chickpea formula.

They even sent me a cute little cardboard bow tie cutout with instructions and a video! I will have to find a few minutes to cut out the bow tie and put it on one of the dogs. Maybe Cooper.

You can find more details about The Naked Dog Box here.

As a special promotion just for my readers, you can get your first box for just $10 - regardless of the size of your dog! 
Just use the code travelingdoglady10 when you sign up.

First time using The Naked Dog Box? Get $10 off your order with code travelingdoglady10 now!


Have you tried the Naked Dog Box, or any other pet-related "box" service? I'd like to know how it works with your schedule. Tell me about it in the comments, or send me an email at k2k9dogs@gmail.com  

Don't forget to join my mailing list!

My Dogs: The Paw-fect Valentine’s Day Companions!

This post contains affiliate links. This is a sponsored post for Pup-Peroni dog treats. 

I haven't been a fan of Valentine's Day for quite a while. It's not exactly the kind of day that resonates with you when you're widowed!

That being said, my parents met on February 13, 1942 at a Valentine's Day dance. Were it not for them, I wouldn't be sitting here writing this. So, I guess V-Day is ok in my book.

So, all right, I'll write about than my love for my two dogs, Charlie Brown and Cooper on Valentine's Day!

Since my favorite four-legged (and three-legged in our case!) best friends deserve delicious gifts on holidays, and every day, I'm surprising them with Pup-Peroni Original Beef Flavor dog snacks for Valentine's Day.

Our gifts from Pup-Peroni! Two bags of treats, and a chuck-it type ball launcher!
The dog on the packages looks a little like Cooper, and he's going to love the ball launcher.
Both dogs got prime-rib flavor Pup-Peroni treats for dessert on Valentine's Day!

You, too, can join in the fun with your favorite pooch. In the spirit of sharing the love with your pup on Valentine’s Day, here are three special ways to treat Fido:

1.  Valentine’s Day Is All About Indulgence!

Pup-Peroni is the paw-fect mouthwatering meaty treat that your dog will love. And on this indulgent holiday, make sure your dog gets this extra special treat! But delicious snacks shouldn’t just be given on special occasions. Stock up on Pup-Peroni Original Beef Flavor dog snacks for your four-legged friend, and no matter what day it is, your pup will know they come straight from your heart.

2.  Fun-Themed Ideas for Pup-Peroni Treats

With Pup-Peroni, you can create Valentine’s Day-themed treats to help celebrate the holiday. Pup-Peroni sticks can be twisted into hearts and broken into shapes that say “I love you.” Use these yummy treats to create your own doggie conversation hearts and Valentine’s Day messages that perfectly show the bond you share with your pup. They're also a fun treat to have around for a pup's birthday.

Mom, I can SIT for a Pup-Peroni!

I can also LIE DOWN, Mom.... for a Pup-Peroni! Please??!

3.  Special Occasions Call for REAL MEAT (for dogs)!

I happen to be a semi-vegetarian, so the beef thing isn't a turn-on for me. But, oh, it is for Cooper and Charlie! On this holiday we humans might treat ourselves to chocolate, but don't give chocolate to your dog... EVER. Instead, give Fido the one snack he craves the most – the superior taste of the real meat in Pup-Peroni Original Beef Flavor dog snacks – He just might say, "YUM!" This is sure to show your dog how much you care about him this Valentine’s Day!

No matter how you celebrate Valentine’s Day, make sure to show your dog how much you love him, too!

Want to see how your dog really wants to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Check out this cute video: 

>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZtCXlgKl2w

You can learn more about Pup-Peroni Original Beef Flavor dog snacks here: 

>> http://bit.ly/2ksiV8R-travelingdoglady

Pssst! Newman, did Charlie just say "Pup-Peroni"?! 

This blog post is sponsored by Pup-Peroni dog treats. The pack is being compensated with a box of treats and toys. All opinions written here are just that: my opinions. 

This post also contains affiliate links, if you buy something by clicking on a link (you are NOT obligated to, by any means!), we get a tiny bit of Moolah for Mueller off to the side, and it doesn't cost you anything extra. Not only that, it's much appreciated. 

How are you and your furry friend celebrating Valentine’s Day? 

Tell me in the comments below! 

Nutrition At Affordable Prices #NaturesRecipe

This post is sponsored by Nature's Recipe and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network.  I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Nature's Recipe available at PetSmart, but k2k9.com only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.  Nature's Recipe and PetSmart are not responsible for the content of this article. 


As I mentioned in a post last month, my pets really enjoy Nature's Recipe® natural dog food and natural cat food, and so do I.  Not only are Nature's Recipe products made with quality nutritionally-vibrant recipes with no artificial colors or preservatives, grain-free formulas, protein-packed and delicious, but their products are the way to go when it comes to the budget-conscious pet parent.  You can give your pet great nutritional benefits without breaking the bank, and you don't have to buy your pet food at the grocery store anymore.  Food purchased in pet stores really isn't too expensive, and will fit into most budgets.  Nature's Recipe is a starter-level food that can provide pets with better quality nutrition at approximately the same price as supermarket pet foods.

Mo-oooom, stop writing and feed me some Nature's Recipe!
(Notice kitty, Newman, on the back porch.)

It's hard to believe that I'm still telling other pet parents about Nature's Recipe, since the company has consistently been providing pets with ideal nutrition drawn from nature's inherent goodness for more than 30 years! They really do craft their recipes to make every ingredient count, thus giving pet owners a step up in pet food nutrition, without a steep step up in cost.  You truly can go natural on a budget.






As far as my dogs are concerned, they aren't senior yet (but wow, does that happen quickly, since apparently "senior" is now defined as above seven years of age).  Nevertheless, I know a lot of parents of senior pets follow my blog, and I am proud to say that all but one or two of my pets have lived well into their teens.  With seniors in mind, I wanted to tell my dog-parent readers that Nature's Recipe offers a line of Life Stages Recipes.  These are tailored specifically to your dog's life stage, from puppy to senior.  I recommend this food based on personal experience:  during the last two years of his life, my beloved Hobie had major food allergies, grain allergies, pancreatitis and tummy issues:  it was Nature's Recipe that kept him fed and healthy during those bad times.  But the best part?  I was able to also feed my other two dogs (who were puppies at the time) Nature's Recipe formula for younger dogs!  I love the limited, natural ingredient recipes.

I never noticed that my kitchen looks like a utility room.  Sigh.

Not to overlook the cat parents (I'm one, too!), the Life Stages Recipes for those of the feline persuasion contain the essential vitamins and minerals your cat needs.

I'm a real person who feeds quality Nature's Recipe food, with great results, to my pets every day (without breaking the bank!).  If that's not a true endorsement, I don't know what is!

So, what are you waiting for?  Next time you're at PetSmart, check out their large stock of Nature'sRecipe pet foods and treats!  You can't go wrong with PetSmart and Nature's Recipe. 

Nice Nature's Recipe display at my local PetSmart!

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#NaturesRecipe dog food is affordable and easy to find

This post is sponsored by Nature's Recipe and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network.  I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Nature's Recipe available at PetSmart, but k2k9.com only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.  Nature's Recipe and PetSmart are not responsible for the content of this article. 

As I sat down to write this sponsored post today, I received some devastating news about some dear friends of mine in the animal world.  The local shelter that I often support, and whose events I always attend, fell victim to a horrible fire last night, and they lost everything including over 35 animals (both dogs, and cats).  The director of the shelter is a friend, and she took care of my dogs, Hobie and Hector for many years as my number-one pet sitter extraordinaire.  The outpouring from our little, tiny community here has been incredible.  In an effort to help the shelter re-build, I am donating all of the money I will receive as payment for this post to the shelter.  Now, on to the Nature's Recipe/PetSmart post.


My dogs have been eating Nature's Recipe ® for several years now, ever since my beloved Hobie developed a grain allergy. So, unlike some reviewers of this product, I am already using it, and very happily so!  And now, I'm honored to help introduce this product to you and your pet family. If you want to be reassured that Nature's Recipe products are the way to go, then look no further, because I'm here to tell you that they are an affordable option for a better nutrition choice for your pet.

Just ask Cooper, he'll tell you about the delicious nutrition in Nature's Recipe, grain-free natural dog food.

Even though my current dogs, Charlie Brown and Cooper, don't seem to have a grain allergy, I've stuck with Nature's Recipe simply because it's a great product with quality ingredients. 

For over three decades, Nature's Recipe has been committed to providing good nutrition for a pet's healthy, happy life.  Ingredients are derived from nature's inherent goodness.  Nature's Recipe crafts its recipes so that every ingredient counts.  Dog food recipes are crafted to help provide specific nutritional or functional benefits, and they contain no artificial colors or preservatives.  I personally like the fact that there are limited ingredients -- recipes for real life.

Cali wants me to remind you that Nature's Recipe also has a whole line of yummy cat foods that include all the essential vitamins and minerals cats need.  They're protein-packed and include grain-free formulas, just like the dog food!

Nature's Recipe products are available at PetSmart retailers.  Click on the following link to purchase dog food at petsmart.com www.petsmart.com/naturesrecipe  

For cat food, click here:  http://www.petsmart.com/featured-shops/cat-food/cat-36-catid-800106

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