A happy Christmas indeed!

One more sleep to go until the big man with the beard comes down the chimney. Oh know, he won’t get down my chimney, what am I going to do? 🙂

I got my holidays from work on Wednesday and they got off to a great start when the boss randomly let me go home 3 hours early. The evening was made even better when
Nicky
won Glor Tire 2011! I watched it with my very excited mum, sister and a family friend, and it was great fun. I’m not just saying it because I know him, but he was definitely the deserving winner. Hopefully lots of good things will come out of this for him, and he deserves them all. The first good thing is that at least we know we’ve one good singer among us for my aunt’s new year’s eve party!

I spent yesterday wrapping presents and tidying my house. I went to my Granny’s grave with my mum, which is still a difficult thing to do. We will miss her so much this Christmas, but I know she will want us all to enjoy it, and will be happy to know that our family have great things to look forward to in the new year. She was somebody who always encouraged us to make the most of life and do whatever made us happy. That’s something I try to do anyway, but will do it even more now, with her in mind of course.

My parents, cousins and a friend came to visit last night and for a couple of hours the house was busy. Someone left the door to the spare room opened, and when we were all distracted OJ crept in. I found him with his head stuck in the bag of his new dog food! Obviously the food change is going well and he likes it.
My house presents are all becoming very festive now. The place is looking very Christmasy. Its still sometimes hard to believe that I actually live here. I’m looking forward to showing some people the house for the first time over the holidays.

I’ll be spending today and tomorrow with family and friends, doing last minute present and food shopping, and hopefully walking both dogs on the beach because its been so long since I’ve done that.

I want to wish everybody who reads here a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Thanks for all your comments and help with random questions I’ve asked during the year. You’ve all made keeping a blog still feel like a worthwhile thing to do. So from me and OJ, have the best Christmas ever!

Operation Christmas is underway!

I love Christmas, but this year I’ve been getting excited about it much earlier than usual. The excitement all started on 1st Dec, when I got a phone call to tell me that I had a Bruce Springsteen ticket for one of his gigs next July. I quickly found the Christmas CD with ‘santa clause is comin to town’ and played it down the phone, to the amusement of the lovely person on the other end who sorted out the ticket 😀
I haven’t listened to much Christmas music since, but hearing it on the radio this early isn’t bothering me like it usually would.

I have about half of my shopping done, thanks to Amazon and my sister’s help. I’m a bit stuck with the rest because I don’t know what to get. Actually, does anybody have any good ideas for funny novelty gifts for secret santa in work? All suggestions appreciated.

We had a work party last Thrursday which went well. OJ got lots of attention, and even insisted on coming when I was dragged out to dance near the end of the night. The Americans at our table weren’t leaving the hotel until they got photos of him! We have a staff night out on Friday but he’ll be staying with my parents. This one will be a lot more fun but there will be a lot of madness involved!

I went to watch Arthur Christmas in the cinema with my nephews yesterday. Nothing like a festive film to get you in the mood. On our way home, the brother in law did the food shopping while my sister and I hunted for a tree in Sainsburys. I got one half price, 6ft with lights already on it for 25 quid. Not bad! The boys came down to decorate it this morning and it looks good, or so I’m told. Harry, who is just eighteen months has started cursing. Every time he dropped a decoration, the F word was said. The family get more annoyed at me than him because I laugh every time, but I can’t help it!

O.J is getting an early Christmas surprise. Now that he’s five, (closer to six actually), his dog food should be changed from adult Royal Canin to “mature.” I know, its rediculous. This dog’s brain hasn’t matured much at all, which is maybe why I forgot to change his food when he turned five in March. I’m mixing it gradually into his own food, adding more and more every couple of days so that in about a weeks time he should be eating the new food. The kibble is smaller and more oily, but smells similar, just encase you were interested! The only change I have to worry about is what comes out after, but so far so good. I’ve never had to change his food since I got him, so its something I wasn’t looking forward too. Hopefully things stay like they are now and I’ll have a happy dog, who will have a happy owner, and we’ll both have a happy Christmas!

Guest Post: Bisket Baskets

A few weeks ago I got an email from Helen from
Biscuit Baskets,
who found my blog and offered to write a guest post. She suggested a number of topics, and I thought since its December, and most of my blog readers are probably freezing, the following post would be topical. Thanks Helen!

Warming Up With Winter Dog Care Tips

Hi there – this is Helen from
BisketBaskets.com,
and we’re so excited to be guest posting here today! We’re lucky enough to be celebrating 13 years in business, and we got our start actually creating pet gift baskets for dogs and cats, and branched out to meal gift baskets for their owners, too. We’re based in Parker, Colorado, and have several dogs of our own, as well as having rescued dogs in our local area. The summertime is beautiful here, but the winter is quite cold and chilly, especially for our canine family members! We’re here to share our own winter dog care tips with you and your dog to make the wintertime a happy one.

• Don’t leave your dog in the car – even in the winter. We all should know by now that leaving your dog in a hot car in the summertime is an n-o, but the same goes for the winter. Your dog could inhale dangerous fumes if the car is left running, or unknowingly lick up chemicals that spilled on your car’s floor. Plus, it’s chilly out there – your dog gets cold, too!

• Take care when walking near frozen lakes and ponds. Ice can be deceptive – that lake may look frozen and perfect for your dog to play on, but the ice may be thin or have cracks in it. If you do feel the ice is safe enough to venture out on, put your dog on a leash and walk with your dog. Otherwise, save the rivers and ponds for the springtime!

• Dry your dog after a bath or playing in the snow. Use a towel or blow dryer to dry your dog’s coat after he or she gets a bath or comes in soaking wet from playing outside. Just be sure to keep the blow dryer several inches away from your dog’s coat so you don’t accidentally burn him or her.

• Keep an eye on your dog when he or she is outside. Frostbite isn’t just for humans! Limit your dog’s outside time, as snow can build up inside your dog’s paws, with frostbite potentially occurring on your dog’s ears, tail, and feet.

• Holiday decorations and dogs just don’t mix. Holiday-themed plants, like holly, mistletoe, and poinsettia, can actually be dangerous to your dog. Keep them out of your dog’s reach. Same with Christmas decorations (like tinsel), holiday chocolate and candies, electrical cords, and small holiday gifts.

• Grooming isn’t just for the summertime. A groomed dog is a well-insulated dog. Snow can build-up within fur inside your dog’s toes and foot pads, so keep your dog’s fur trimmed to minimize this painful feeling for your dog, and to make snow removal easier for you!

• Use pet-friendly rock salt. It gets icy out there, and many of us sprinkle rock salt on our steps and sidewalks during the winter time. Regular rock salt can upset your dog’s stomach, so choose the pet-friendly kind. Many manufacturers denote on the bag whether it’s pet-friendly or not.

Feel free to share your own winter dog care tips by leaving a comment on this post! Our dogs are part of our family here at BisketBaskets.com, and we do all we can to ensure they live long, healthy and happy lives. We hope you and Fido have a wonderful winter season!