everything pets + a tiny human
Happy July everyone. We are officially more than half way through the year. July is another exciting month in our house because it is my husbands birthday month. He is an amazing dad to all our fur babies and of course baby Gia too. He puts up with my crazy animal antics, but secretly he adores animals as much as I do 😉
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by 
Hello September. Hello Spring.
September is one of my favourite months of the year, not only do we welcome Spring but it is also Oscar’s birthday month. September will always be Oscar’s birthday month!
Happy September to you all.
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by Happy birthday to Zara! I can’t believe Zara is three years old today. Time sure does fly when you’re having fun. So much has happened in those three years… Two TPLO surgeries, we (Zara’s pawrents) got married, we sadly lost Oscar and we aded a tiny human into the mix.
Three years ago this tiny fluff ball crept into our home and into our hearts and we named her Zara. Zara has been there for me on my absolute worst days as well as the best days of the past three years and believe me when I say there has been plenty ups and downs in that time!
Zara’s birthday seems to have come round extremely quickly for me this year and I feel it’s partly due to the fact that I had to spend three months away from her because I had baby Gia in South Africa. However I do feel we have made up for lost cuddles and kisses in the weeks I have been home!
Last year Zara had to celebrate her birthday without her brother Oscar and although it was a happy day, it was a sad one too. This year we added a tiny human so she wouldn’t be alone 😉 Zara absolutely adores her baby sister. She loves her new role as protector of the tiny human and I know with time their bond will only get stronger and stronger. So today we celebrate Zara’s first birthday as a big sister.
Quite a few people said to me that once I have baby Gia, my animals will take a back seat. I always felt annoyed and agitated by comments like that. Yes, our family dynamics have changed, that one is obvious but I am hugely proud of myself for insisting that Zara is with us every step of the way no matter what we are doing and my way of showing her just how much I appreciate her is by celebrating her birthday (just like every other year) and making sure she knows that today is her day! Today Gia and I celebrate Zara.
By now you all know that birthdays are a big thing to celebrate in our household so of course Zara has a birthday cake and presents to make her feel extra special.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 packets of apple puree (I used baby food sachets)
1 egg
1 tbs honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups water
3 tbs thick plain yoghurt
Icing
1 tub plain cream cheese
4 heaped tbs thick plain yoghurt
Directions
For the cake, preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Combine all your ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat together using an electric beater until smooth. Pour the batter into a cake mould of your choice and bake for +- 40 minutes or until cooked through. The cake is quite a dense cake, not light and fluffy so cooking time may take longer. Remove your cake from the oven and allow to cool completely. For the icing, beat together the cream cheese and yoghurt. Once your cake is cool you can ice the cake and decorate it as your wish. Since Zara’s birthday is unicorn themed I have decorated it as a unicorn. Once your cake is decorated simply watch your pupper enjoy her treat!
Zara absolutely loved her birthday cake. She got icing everywhere and the top half even flopped on the floor-haha! But she had fun devouring it and that’s all that matters.
Along with her unicorn cake Zara of course gets to open presents. Zara LOVES opening presents-something her brother taught her. Keeping with the unicorn theme she got the cutest new squeaky unicorn toy which is quite loud and I’m pretty sure will be my morning gift for a while. Zara’s favourite activity is anything to do with water so we looked around and found something different for her, sprinkler flowers that go crazy when attached to the hose. They spray water everywhere! As soon as dad gets home we will connect them up and have some fun-photo’s to follow on Instagram for sure! We also got Zara a sniffle mat. Because of her two surgeries I don’t like pushing her too much with physical play but it’s important that her mind is kept entertained. The sniffle mat is going to be perfect for the long rainy months we experience when swimming and outdoor play is quite limited. Zara was a pro at sniffling out her treats that I had hidden away so I know this one is going to be a true entertainer.
All in all I would say Zara’s third birthday has been one to remember! Zara had fun, Gia had fun watching Zara have fun and I have admired both my girls interacting on such a special day- and the day is not over just yet! Happy Birthday Zara, We love you to infinity and beyond.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram and watch our InstaStories for fun of the day!
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by Happy July! Winter is well underway here in the Southern Hemisphere, so we are all trying to keep warm!
Oscar was the cutest and cuddliest snuggle bug ever. He loved nothing more than being snuggled in his Egyptian cotton duvet!
Download your July calendar here
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by Rumour has it the Easter Bunny is on his way… Happy Easter month everyone!
Oscar is the April feature, because I miss this little Easter Bunny a lot plus he is really handsome!
Download your April calendar here
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by I love Valentine’s Day and I’ve always loved making something extra cute and yummy for Oscar and Zara to celebrate. I don’t usually buy Valentine’s gifts because it’s not about the money you spend on this specific day, rather I love making treats and things, putting in extra love and effort.
This Valentine’s Day is a little different because it is the first one without my main man Oscar. My love for him goes far deeper than I could ever explain. My love for him will never fade either, he is constantly around me in all sorts of ways.
So this Valentine’s Day I will be making his two most favourite treats for Zara to enjoy and remember her brother by…
Frozen Yoghurt Treats:
These are so easy it’s frightful and I can bet you have the ingredients in your fridge right now.
Ingredients
1 banana
A handful of strawberries (fresh or frozen)
2 tbs plain yoghurt
Directions
Add all your ingredients to a blender and blitz them up until smooth and creamy. Simply pour the mixture into little heart shaped molds and place them in the freezer until frozen.
Oscar could sit and eat a hundred of these little treats if I let him and because all the ingredients are mixed together he had no idea he was eating healthy fruit-haha!
Baked Treats:
These are just as easy but do require a bit more time because of the baking part.
Ingredients
1 banana
1 tbs peanut butter
1 egg
1 cup flour
Directions
Mash together your banana and egg then whisk in the peanut butter until completely combined together. Then add your flour and mix until a dough forms. Roll your dough out onto a floured surface and using heart shaped cookie cutters, cut the treats and place them onto a greased baking tray. Bake at 180 degrees for +-20 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked. Allow the treats to cool completely.
To decorate
This is the fun part and because it’s Valentine’s Day it’s extra fun to decorate them. Make a batch of pink icing and a batch of white using 2 tbs cornstarch and 4 tbs water. Mix it into a smooth and creamy icing. Then decorate as you wish. You could also just smear some peanut butter over the treats too – that proves to be just as yummy but not as fancy 🙂
Whether you decide to make one or both treats for your furry loves this Valentine’s Day, we hope they enjoy Oscar’s favourites!
We are also running an AMAZING international GIVEAWAY with @petqwerks on Instagram so be sure to check out our Instagram posts for all the details. The GIVEAWAY is running from February 12th to February 16th so be sure to enter each day for your chance to win a gorgeous Petwerks Toys hamper worth $100…
Enter here: @stylish_paws
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by How do you say goodbye to your best friend? I still don’t know even after losing you.
You were my best friend and at times my only friend! We were together for almost fifteen years, and I would say the most important fifteen years of life. I was sixteen years old and trying to find my way, you gave me purpose and responsibility.
This tiny bundle of excess skin, ears and paws came into my life and it was without a doubt love at first sight. I was literally obsessed with you. I guess I felt like a new mum does after giving birth to her child, I was proud of you, showing you off at every chance I got and one hundred percent devoted to you.
The cuddles we shared were endless and of course the best. No ones cuddles can compare to your cuddles my boy. You wanted to be on top of me all the time, at the very least right beside me. Nicknamed my cuddle bug for a very good reason, we would snuggle under the duvet for hours. In those moments my heart was completely at peace. As you got older your cuddling intensified, as if that was possible. Spoilt with an Egyptian cotton duvet set because quite frankly I wouldn’t have it any other way! The way your tail would wag when you were dreaming made my heart burst with happiness. I always hoped you were dreaming of me 🙂
Our time in South Africa, and most of your life, we enjoyed quite a few beach holidays together. Those holidays were my absolute favourite ones. You even managed to escape out the gate of my grandmothers house and I spent two hours looking for you in the pouring rain sobbing my heart out, convinced you were gone and a cane rat had eaten you! Listening with your ears was never your strong point so luckily I found you, harnessed you up and took you home. Phew!
You loved our holidays at the beach, well the beach sand in particular. Digging trenches for days and managing to get yourself totally covered from snout to tail. It was all such fun.
When your dad came into our lives thirteen years ago, you were not sold on the idea of having to share me. In fact I don’t think you ever were, haha! You were convinced I could only cuddle you and give only you my undivided attention. Of course I was on your side and it was definitely a ‘Love Me Love My Dog’ kinda situation… Luckily that didn’t put dad off at all. I think it made him love you even more because he knew you would protect me no matter what. It showed your loyalty towards me.
Then it was time for our Zambian adventure to commence. With you by my side I knew I could handle anything. Our flight to Zambia was the longest two hours of my whole life. I was a nervous wreck. So many thoughts were running through my mind. Were you scared, were you warm enough, was it too loud for you. We landed, I rushed through customs, collected our baggage, gave dad a half hearted hug and kiss and immediately said “We need to get Oscar NOW”. Bearing in mind it was about forty degrees celsius outside and now I was worried you would overheat or dehydrate. Dad firmly told me to wait in the car while he goes inside, he didn’t want me to get upset if I saw something I wasn’t happy with. Dad came rushing out the cargo hold to call me, I bounced out the car because I thought something was wrong… I peered into the hold and saw the most gorgeous boy sitting so proper and so calm in his specially made flight crate. A wave of massive relief and happiness flooded over me. My boy was totally fine. He handled that plane trip like a champ! Our new adventure had just begun…
You were never the ‘fetch’ kind of pup and as a result your toys just piled up until your toy boxes were overflowing. Enter Zara… All your toys were gone within a few weeks! I was a little apprehensive about getting Zara because we had been kicked out of two different doggy schools for your apparent aggression towards any other dog in your need to protect me. Ooops…
Needless to say, you were a fantastic big brother to Zara. You don’t show your emotions like Zara does, but in your own way you adored her and she knew it. You taught her so much, how to eat like a lady, how to model like a beauty queen and most importantly how to cuddle.
You were an amazing big brother to our bunny babies too. So kind and gentle towards them. You taught Zara gentleness too. She watched how you loved your bunny babies and copied you.
To say that I miss you is a serious understatement. In fact there are no words to describe the feeling of loss that I have. I wake up every morning and see your empty bed, and the pain in my heart from the day before returns. At night I still make your bed in the exact way you loved it. I don’t think I will ever stop making your bed. Zara sniffs your bedding, does some twirls and then settles down for a while before going off to her own bed. She misses you too.
Stylish Paws and everything about it was created because of you. It started off as just a small website selling one item, now I have a beautiful online store that showcases stylish and unique pet goodies plus this amazing blog. I am so proud of Stylish Paws and what I have made it into, but it’s all because of you my boy! You will always be the face of Stylish Paws. I will never stop sharing you with the world. I will push through the pain and promise to keep moving forward. Product reviews and photoshoots will never be the same without you but I promise to showcase Zara in the best way I know how. I promise to carry on for you.
The love and support I have received from the amazing Instagram community that I find myself in has been overwhelming. I continue to get messages asking how we as a family are coping, genuine messages of love and concern for us. Instagram is a wonderful thing, I have made some beautiful friendships thorough the app. It was the place I started sharing Oscar first. The place where people started falling in love with him, people from all over the world. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Life goes on and for the time being we are adjusting and learning how to do life without Oscar. It’s tough, extremely tough. I have only known life in Zambia with Oscar. We started this adventure together, now I have to carry it on. Zara has brought immense joy into our family and I do believe that she has helped me with this huge loss. I thank my husband for her. I thank him for having the foresight of knowing and understanding I would need her to get through this.
Oscar, I will never stop loving you.
Until we meet again…
Love always
Mom
xoxox
It’s take your dog to work day! This has to be the best day in the calendar. Well lucky for me I get to take Oscar and Zara to work with me everyday and that’s because I am blessed enough to work from home.
Working from home sure has its benefits but it also has a downside… According to Zara I am constant entertainment! I’m always there to play ball or frisbee or give a never ending supply of treats. Oscar believes he can never let me out of his sight and therefore must sleep on top of my feet whenever I am sitting in my chair. In fact, the position under my desk is a hot commodity and it’s on a first come first serve basis but if you get up for whatever reason, your spot is lost instantly to the pup eagerly awaiting it. This carries on for as long as I’m in my little home based office each day. It sure is wonderful but it can often be distracting if I have a deadline or something very important to get done. When working from home you need discipline and routine, that way both Oscar and Zara know the order of events for the day.
So here are some tips when bringing your pups to the office and still manage to get a decent amount of work done…
A comfy bed is a must. After all the office hellos your pup will want somewhere comfy to have a power nap. I say power nap because the office is far too exciting a place for a long dreamy snooze. They’ll be up and wondering around in no time… click here to shop our range of stylish beds.
Fresh water supply. This might seem obvious but in all the excitement you might forget to bring your pups water bowl from home. It’s very important you offer your pups a fresh supply of cold water throughout the day. Often offices get hot and stuffy and usually our pups feel the heat first. You don’t want them dehydrating. Spoil your pup even more by buying him a new water bowl… click here to shop our bowls.
A few toys. These are equally as important because you need your pup to entertain themselves to some extent throughout the day, after all you have work to do. Some of my office favourites for Zara are a nylon chew toy. Petqwerks offers a wide variety of these chews and are Zara’s absolute best. They keep her entertained for hours! Another favourite which keep both Oscar and Zara occupied is a Frozen Kong. This is something you can prepare the night before, pop it in a cooler bag and back into the freezer when you get to the office until you’re ready to give it to your pup. There are endless recipe ideas for these too (read my blog post on Frozen Kong ideas). A fun but tiring game to play is tuggy. Zara absolutely loves her tuggy toys and a quick session of tug-of-war seem to tire her out. You could play this in a passage or office garden or balcony. It gives you a break from work and some engaging fun for your pup too. Zara has a new favourite tuggy toy- her Monkey RopeTugz which you can buy in the online store… click here to spoil your pooch!
Some yummy Treats. Because let’s face it coming to the office is a treat for your pup if you work in a regular office. Have some treats on hand in your desk drawer to spoil your pups just a little bit more! You can buy some healthy treats in the online store too… click here to treat your pup!
We hope your experience at work with your pups is a fabulous one! Remember to have fun and respect everyone’s pups.
Follow us on Instagram to see what we get up to today! @stylish_paws
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Easter, that holiday time where there is an endless supply of chocolate. Chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies, chocolate chickens, chocolate-chocolate-chocolate. I have quite a sweet tooth and I absolutely LOVE chocolate so these holidays are definitely one of my favourite to celebrate!
We all know the serious dangers when it comes to dogs and chocolate! Ours is always packed away in a sealed tub on a high shelf. Oscar has zero chance of reaching it with his little legs-haha… And being in a tightly sealed tub Zara has zero chance of getting to it too. But did you know that dogs can enjoy some carob chocolate? Oscar and Zara absolutely love it and I make little carob treats for them on special occasions so they feel extra special and included in the celebrations. My Easter blog post last year focused on carob doggy Easter treats (read here), so this year I am using it in a different way.
Carob comes from the carob tree. Inside the carob pod is a sweet pulp that is then dried, roasted and ground into carob powder. It is naturally sweet and has a slight nutty taste. Carob is completely free of the toxic compounds that are found in chocolate and has a moderate amount of fibre, potassium and vitamins. Carob is also a great healthy alternative for chocolate for humans and boasts a range of health benefits. You can find carob chip and carob chocolate bars in selected health stores.
I like to keep carob powder in the pantry because it has such a variety of ways I can use it for Oscar and Zara. I love experimenting with it and seeing what they love and what they don’t. Zara usually loves everything, it is Oscar that I need to impress 😉
My Easter recipes are pretty simple and seriously yummy this year. There is one for us humans-which is a little different to the traditional way and one for the pups… Enjoy
Humans only Giant Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
Hot Cross Bun
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
4 tbs soft butter
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (because raisins are the devil hahaha)
Depending on how sweet you like them you can add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar.
Syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 sugar
Cream Cheese Icing
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 tbs cream cheese
1 tbs soft butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbs water
Directions
Doggy Hot Cross BunsIngredients
4 cups flour
1 tbs honey
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbs baking soda
1 cup milk
1/2 cup organic greek yoghurt
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbs butter
Carob chips
Syrup
The same as above
Cream Cheese Icing
The same as above
Directions
Along with enjoying these yummy hot cross buns and spending quality time together, Oscar and Zara of course had to dress up. Oscar decided he wanted to try become a chicken and Zara became a bunny-weiler… And of course the three musketeers wish you all a very Hoppy Easter too.
Whatever your Easter plans are, stay safe and enjoy precious family time!!
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Oh how I love Valentine’s Day. You either love it or hate it. Why hate it when it’s the day of love? Those that hate it say “why should I show you how much I love you on just one day”. Easter is one day, Christmas is one day and your birthday is one day, so what’s the difference?
It’s important to show the ones you love just how much you love them all the time, agreed not just on February 14th. But just go with it, enjoy the cliche of small white teddy bears holding red hearts, yummy indulgent chocolates and champagne, and long stem roses that cost an arm and a leg just because it’s Valentine’s Day.
Oscar and Zara know exactly how much they are loved. I tell them everyday basically all day that I love them and I know they understand every word!
Zara is not shy to show me how much she loves me back. Each and every morning she brings me a present. These presents are her toys, her most prized possessions of course, she chooses just one and that’s the gift of the day. This is such a special thing we have going, I wake up every morning wondering which toy i’ll get gifted with. I never taught her this at all, she one day started doing it and it’s now a ritual. Zara is also the queen of kisses. She pins me down (because yes she is stronger than me) and attacks me with her tongue! The love that Zara has is like nothing I have ever experienced, it’s so over the top and just so Zara.
Oscar on the other hand is a little more reserved in his expressions of love. His way of telling me he loves me is by never leaving my side. And I mean never! He follows me all over the house no matter what. I try get up and sneak out the room if he is snoozing (I don’t like disturbing his sleeps) but that nose of his picks up a scent that says “mom has left the room”. He is up like a rocket and finds me in three-seconds flat. He is by far the most loyal steed I have ever encountered. He is one hundred percent devoted to protecting me.
So naturally this Valentine’s Day I have made them some yummy bright red heart-shaped treats to devour….
Valentine’s Day Treats
Ingredients
2 cups beetroot puree
2-3 cups flour
2 tbs coconut oil
1 egg
Directions
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. In a mixing bowl mix together your beetroot puree, coconut oil and egg. Then add your flour one cup at a time until you have a lovely dough. This dough can be slightly soft sticky, as long as you can roll it out it is fine. Gently roll out your dough and using heart shaped cookie cutters cut your treats. Place them on a greased baking tray and bake for +- 30 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool. The bright red colour of these treats is just gorgeous and your pups will LOVE them.
Whatever you decide to do or not do this Valentine’s Day, make sure you let those around you know how much you love and appreciate them. I know I will. <3
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