Golden Excited to be a Finalist Best Pet Microblog for 2016 BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose.
Lots of Golden Thanks to those who nominated us.
Our nomination is for our Instagram: GoldenWoofs: account.

Instagram is a mobile ­app focused on photo sharing. Instagram has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms. I love Instagram because it focuses on visual content. It is an easy and effective way to connect with others.

For upcoming BlogPaws, here are 7 Tips on How to Use Instagram at a Conference.

7 Tips on How to Use Instagram at a Conference

1. Before the conference, spend some time to FOLLOW all the sponsors/brands, speakers, and other blog pals accounts.

2. Know the HASHTAGS! The official conference hashtag is #BlogPaws. The Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse hashtag is #SHWHP.

3. Snap a LIKABLE Photo. Keep in mind quality versus quantity. If you want to share multiple photos, I suggest a collage photo. Use Instaframe app to create the collage.

4. EDIT your photo. There are lots of photo-editing apps but my favorite is Snapseed.

5. Use Instagram FILTER. There’s a purpose why Instagram offers filters – it’s for FUN and for engagement. Did you know? Filtered Instagram photos are 21% more likely to be viewed and 45% more likely to be commented than unfiltered ones.

6. Be mindful of your TIME posting. Post on your account’s ideal time (each account is different based on the time zone).

7. REPLY to comments. Try to turn a comment into a mini-chat conversation. With every comment you receive, reply to it.

8. Give Instagram VIDEO a try. Instagram videos are the latest way to create engagement with your followers.

Happy BlogPaws Instagramming!

There are lots of amazing upcycling ideas you can create from a pet food bag. WellPet, the maker of natural pet food and treat brands Wellness^®, provided us this DIY Dog Cape made from a Wellness dog food bag.

DIY Dog Cape from a Pet Food Bag

MATERIALS
• Wellness Dog Food Bag
• clear tape
• 1⁄4” flat elastic

TOOLS
• ruler
• scissors
• pen

Instructions

1. Clean the pet food bag then cut the edges off.

2. Using a ruler, draw a trapezoid that is 6” wide at the bottom, 4” wide at the top, and 7.5” tall and then cut it out. (This sizing if for a small dog. Scale accordingly for your pet).

3. Fold over the narrow end, about .75”

4. Use a length of tape to keep the fold closed.

5. Cut a 18” strip of elastic.

6. Loop it through the fold on the cape.

7. Tie and adjust accordingly so it fits your pet!

8. Cut the bottom in a funky pattern like a zig-zag or wavy shape!

Lots of Golden Thanks to WellPet and Wellness for sharing this FUN DIY Dog Cape.

TerraCycle’s Wellness Pet Food Brigade

Did you know? Wellness Pet Food is the first U.S.-based pet food brand to make its packaging nationally recyclable through a partnership with TerraCycle. TerraCycle is known for being environmentally friendly and makes consumer products from upcycling. TerraCycle partners with consumers and brands like Wellness.

Wellness has included their grain-free TruFood line to their TerraCycle’s Wellness Pet Food Brigade. If you are a consumer of TruFood, you can earn money for the TruFood packaging. Register for free at www.terracycle.com/wellnesspetfood. You can earn points as a member of Wellness Brigade for each pre-paid shipment of TruFood bags weighing at least two pounds. These points can be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and donated to charities of your choice. Then, TerraCycle will upcycle TrueFood packaging into cool, useful new consumer products. Check out the tote bag and dog collar TerraCycle created from TrueFood pet food packaging.

A Tote for you and a collar for your dog – find something unconventional and reusable to create with your pet’s food bag. This Earth Day, April 22nd, flex your upcycling super powers with Wellness DIY Dog Cape!

In many states, signs of Spring has arrived. Here in California, many flowers are in full bloom. I especially love the dark pinkish bougainvilleas blooming in our garden. Easter is coming up and marks the beginning of Spring. This inspired me to create an easy DIY Spring craft project: Mini Bunny Soaps

DIY Mini Bunny Soaps

Materials:

soap blocks (glycerin or goats milk)
soap coloring
soap scent (optional)
mini bunny silicone mold

5 Easy Steps: How to make Mini Bunny Soaps?

1. Melt the soap blocks in a small pot on the stove. OR 
Use a glass container and melt it in the microwave. Typically, there are instructions stated on the packaging on how to melt the soap blocks.

2. Add the coloring and scent. Then, stir gently. Always use coloring and scent only for soap making.
I used a mini-drop color of red to create pink. To make the purple color, I mixed the red and blue soap coloring. For the scent, I selected a fresh scent of Cucumber and Green Tea.

3. Pour into the mold. Use a spoon to make it easy to fill the mold.
You have to work quickly as the melted soap cools fast. If the soap harden, you can always re-melt it.

4. To prevent air bubbles, lightly spray rubbing alcohol. It takes about 20 minutes for the mini bunny soaps to completely settle. For the last 10 minutes, place it in the freezer. A trick I learned from previous soap making DIY. It helps the soap dry smoother.

5. Remove the mini bunny soaps from the mold. First, stretch the sides of the mold. Then, press up on the bottom to remove the soaps.

So cute and smells good too. These are perfect gifts for Easter and to celebrate Spring. An adorable gift you can give to your fellow animal lovers, dog walker/sitter or blog pal.

Since I met-up with Oz the Terrier’s mom in Orlando for Global Pet Expo, she received some of our mini bunny soaps. Little Oz loved it!

This at home method of soap making is so fun, easy and simple. You can easily customize it based on the season. Give it a try.

Have you done at home soap making?