It’s Summer and it’s hot. So you’ll have to excuse me if all I do today is nap on the bed in the cool cool air conditioning. That is all. 
Tag Archives: summer
Friday Fetch: Life Vests for Dogs
Now that the hot hot Summer has officially started I’ve been thinking about taking more trips to my local lake. Up until now I’ve never worn a doggie flotation device – not for lack of wanting to – but because I did not have direct access to a credit card (ahem…mom).
But have no fear! Mom ordered me my very own life vest just the other day, and while I wait for my new purchase to arrive in the mail I figured I’d share a round-up of some of the Pet Life Vests that are on the market currently.
I ended up ordering the Kyjen Outward Hound Life Jacket
Now here’s a round-up of a few more life vests for dogs that I thought looked just as swim worthy as the one that ended up in my cart.
Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat from Cabela’s
Paws Aboard Designer Dog Life Vest
Dog Life Jacket from Waterdoggy
Safe swimming everyone!
Blogging in the Great Outdoors
On the weekends when I’m at home I like to spend a lot of my time outdoors, especially in the summer.
In the past it had always been a real drag when I had to come inside to do my facebooking and blogging though.
But with the addition of my new outdoor sofa, I now have everything I need to get some work done in the great outdoors.
I can survey my yard AND update my Facebook page at the same time! How glorious!
I can’t help but smile to myself when writing about all the adventures I had over the past week.
I even chuckle at all the things I have done in the past, like when Trooper and I had an Epic Jedi Battle, or when I dug a Super Weenie Hideout Cave, or even when I trained Trooper to be a Super Dog. Oh what wonderful adventures I have had!
Don’t worry though, I foresee many many more adventures in my future – coming right at you from the comfort of my sofa in the great outdoors!
Summer Days by the Pool
This past weekend was a hot one, so to beat the heat I headed over to my MomMom & PopPop’s house to take a dip in the pool.
Floating around the pool on my raft can be quite enjoyable when the temperatures reach near 90F.
I dubbed myself Captain Ammo and invited my cousins to come play with me aboard my ship flotation device!
My cousin Chase volunteered to be first mate and we embarked on a wild adventure at sea pool.
Chase and I discussed where we thought the buried treasure might be – and we both agreed that it must be under the sea pool.
Our plans to rescue said treasure were foiled though when we realized that I forgot to pack my floaties. AAARRRGH!
Don’t worry though, Mom signed me up for swim lessons so our next adventure will be sure to lead us to gold and riches.
Friday Fetch: ChillSpot – cooling pet bed
Summer is here and the hot hot days in Pennsylvania are just around the corner for me. Being the farm dog that I am I enjoy spending most of my time outside, but when the mid-day heat really gets blazing I find myself looking for the coolest place to get out of the sun.
That’s why when I came across ChillSpot I knew they had come up with a great product to help dogs like me beat the Summer heat.
Chillspot is a durable, portable, 24″ x 36″ cooling dog bed. It comes with four reusable Chillpods that can be put in your freezer overnight and used during the day to cool your Chillspot bed.
ChillSpot is the only cooling bed that has an insulated base, allowing it to stay cold hours longer than others when out in warm weather.
You can fetch your own ChillSpot cooling pet bed here for $169.
DIY Ombre Pet Bandana
Over the weekend mom and I had some fun with a little DIY project. I like to keep up with all the fashion trends, so I told mom I needed a stylish new Ombre Bandana for the summer! Ombre is new it thing, incase you didn’t know.
So here’s my super fun tutorial for a…
DIY OMBRE PET BANDANA
Supplies Needed:
- Hanger (a plastic pant hanger works best)
- Box of Dye (we ended up using a Royal Blue Color – not the pictured teal dye)
- Cutting Tool (scissors or rotary cutter work fine)
- Ruler or tape measure
- White Fabric or Bandana (we used a white cotton jersey material, but the ombre color may show up better on a different material – we just didn’t have any on hand to experiment with) *we also pre-washed/shrunk our fabric before dying
Step 1: If you are using a piece of fabric vs. a pre-made bandana (sold at most craft stores, but better sized for a large dog), cut your fabric into a triangular shape that will fit your dog’s neck. Mom measured my neck then added 4″ to each side on the top to make room to tie it. Ex: my neck measured 12″ so we added 8″ total making the top measurement 20″ wide.
Step 2: Mix your dye as per the directions on the box. As a rule always add a little less water to your bucket – you can always add more water to dilute it later.
Step 3: Attach your bandana to the hanger.
Step 4: Dip the bandana 3/4 into the dye for about 5 seconds, then remove. Try to keep the bandana as level as possible when dipping into the dye.
Step 5: Next dip your bandana 1/2 way into the dye for 20 seconds.
Step 6: Remove the Bandana another 1/4 out of the dye so that just 1/4 remains in the dye. Leave it there for another 2 – 3 minutes. *you may have to experiment with dye times based on the type of fabric you are using and how quickly it soaks up the dye.
Remove from the dye and hang until dry.
The waiting is the hardest part!
When your bandana is dry you will have a stylish new accessory perfect for the summer! Yay!
Of course I had to break mine in by rolling in the stinkiest dead animal smell I could find. It was glorious!
Captain
After my graduation adventures on Sunday, when Monday rolled around and mom said we were going on an adventure – I took the car ride there as an excuse to catch up on my much needed napping.
And it’s a good thing I got those extra Zzzz’s because I had to be captain of the ship!
Ok well maybe technically it was more like a motor boat we rented from the Marsh Creek State Park for a few hours – but either way it required a lot of Captaining.
My boat ride on this scorcher of a 90 degree day was the perfect thing to kick off the summer!
I even took a few laps in the lake later on – and mom said next time perhaps we’ll rent some paddle boards so I can really get wet!
With the wind in my ears, I knew there was only one more thing to start the summer right….
….Ice cream!!!
I even screamed enough that dad gave me a taste of his vanilla from Crazy Cones.
And to wrap up my adventuresome memorial day weekend I played some soccer in the backyard with my cousins during a family cookout. It was the perfect way to end the weekend, although I’m pretty sure I’ll be sleeping for the next 48 hours straight!
Smelling the Flowers
Lately I’ve been coming in from the back yard looking like I was in a snow storm – covered in a dusting of white.
But not to worry, it still really is Spring here in Pennsylvania – and the reason for my snow storm-ish look lately – the glorious flowers are blooming!
In particular my peach tree in the back yard is blooming!
Now normally I’m not really a “pink” kind of guy, but I have to admit – the flowers are very pretty.
And not only do they look glorious, but they smell pretty good too.
Although, (to be fair) you probably shouldn’t take my word for it – considering I do like to munch on horse poop on occasion.
As much as I do enjoy a good old fashioned snow storm, my spring time “flower petal snow storms” are quite enjoyable too. And it just reminds me of how important it is to stop and smell the flowers on a daily basis, even if they don’t smell quite as delicious as horse manure.
Pool Boy
After a week of 100 plus degree weather in Pennsylvania I finally couldn’t take it anymore! It was time for a pool day!
Thankfully my mom-mom & pop-pop have a pool in their backyard. And who was I to pass up an invitation to come swimming?
I wasted no time in grabbing myself a raft – doesn’t it look like I can walk on water?
Believe it or not, this was actually my first time in the pool – and I decided all by myself that rafting would be the perfect way to cool off on this hot day. I’m so smart – who wants to waste their time doing the doggie paddle anyway.
Now that I’m properly cooled, who wants to take me for ice cream?
Friday Fetch: Dog Pool Float
They don’t call it the dog days of summer for nothing! It’s scorching out there right now! That’s why if I had a pool I’d totally be begging mom and dad for one of these. Come to think of it, they might work out just great for floating down the Brandywine River too! Ooooooh Mom….
The Dog Pool Float Louger from Frontgate makes it so your favorite partner in crime can float in style – or stay cool as he lounges on the deck. It’s made of Vinyl-coated fabric and nonporous foam with make it ultra-buoyant and strong. It’s also crafted with puncture-resistant, woven vinyl mesh that won’t stain, fade, or mildew. When dampened, it will keep your pet cool and relaxed. They come in a variety of colors and sizes.
You can fetch your own Dog Pool Float Lounger from Frontgate for $90 – $130
