DIY Archives - Stylish Paws

Tag: DIY

30
Mar
2018

Easter Yummies…

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

Combine the warm milk, sugar and yeast and let it rest for the yeast to activate.
I use an electric mixer for the next step because it’s easier and quicker. Mix together your flour, salt and nutmeg. Add the eggs and butter to the yeast mixture and stir then pour it over the flour and using the dough hook beaters, mix until your dough looks lovely and smooth and well combined. You can add your chocolate chips at this stage and carry on mixing. If the dough is too wet then add more flour, if it is too dry add a little water.
You will need to let your dough rise, so lightly oil a big bowl and place your dough in the bowl. Cover with clingfilm and place it in a warm spot so it can rise. It is done when it has doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Take your dough out the bowl and punch it down then break off small parts (mine turned out to be huge) and begin rolling your hot cross buns into balls. Place these on a greased baking tray and cover with a clean cloth and allow them to rise again.
Then bake them for +-20 minutes or until cooked and golden brown.
To make the syrup glaze simply mix the sugar and water in a pan on a low heat, allow it to just go a bit thicker then remove from the heat.
For the icing you beat together all the ingredients with an electric beater. You can either put it into a piping bag to neatly pipe onto the top of your buns or you can spoon it on, it’s entirely up to you-the icing is really yummy!
Once the buns are cooked, remove them from the oven and brush the top with your sugar syrup. Allow them to cool completely before decorating them with the icing. You can even add a few more chocolate chips on top-get creative! Then ENJOY!!

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

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
Combine all your dry ingredients. Combine all the wet ingredients then add to the dry flour mix and add the carob chips.
Mix together until a dough starts forming then tip it out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes.
Break off small balls and round them into shape and place them onto a greased baking tray.
Bake for +-30 minutes or until cooked and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and you can use the same syrup mixture from the human buns to glaze these ones. You can also use the human buns icing mixture to decorate these yummy buns for your pus. They sure will love these!!

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!!

Thank you for reading

23
Aug
2016

Oscar’s dry skin.

categories: Oscar

We all know what it’s like to have dry itchy skin… not nice!! So when your pup experiences dry and itchy skin caused from the harsh winter weather, it’s only natural to want to try and help him! Oscar’s skin is definitely dryer in winter and I need to take extra care to make sure it clears up and doesn’t bother him. During the winter months I try to keep him indoors so that he stays clean. Bathing him too often in winter definitely contributes to his dry skin, even though I always use a conditioner. Oscar has no issues with staying indoors, he loves nothing more than all day snuggles on the couch under his duvet-who wouldn’t? If it is really cold I have to coax him outside with treats just so he can use the bathroom, and he lives in his pyjamas! When it comes to winter, Oscar absolutely hates it! Luckily for him spring is around the corner and he needs to be in tip top condition, here are some things I like to add to Oscar’s diet to keep his skin healthy and his fur shiny…

Oscar loves snoozing on the couch with his duvet

Olive oil: this is a great one because we all have olive oil in our cupboards. I just drizzle a tablespoon over Oscar’s dry food which of course he loves.

Coconut oil: I have already written about how amazing coconut oil is for your pup (to read about the Wonders of Coconut Oil, click here), so it’s time to include it in his daily diet! I love making frozen coconut oil drops or simply scoop small blobs and dot them over his dry dog food.

Tuna in oil: Oscar goes crazy for tuna! He knows exactly what I am about to open before I have reached for the tin opener-haha! For Oscar I always opt for the tuna in oil, I either give it to him as is in his treat bowl or I make yummy treats for him to enjoy. The fish oils, mixed with the added oils do magic tricks for Oscar’s fur. Give it a try!

Ingredients

1 tin tuna in oil

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 egg

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. If the mixture is too sticky then add more flour until you get the right consistency. Roll the dough out and using cookie cutters cut cute treats for your pooch. Place them on a greased baking tray and bake for around 25 minutes or until cooked and golden. Once cooked allow the treats to cool before letting your pup enjoy. Store them in an air tight container.

Tuna treats are a real winner with Oscar, bake a batch for your furry love

Humidifier: a great room moisturiser is a humidifier. Oscar sleeps with us in our bedroom and we use a humidifier every night which helps keep Oscar’s skin moisturised too.

We hope that by using these easy tips, your pups skin will be summer ready in no time!

Oscar loves to roll in dirt so it is important that I take care of his skin and fur for him

Thank you for reading.

27
Jul
2016

Bunny boredom busters

categories: Valentine and Duchess

I absolutely adore Valentine and Duchess and in the 9 months they have been apart of our family I have learnt so much about raising happy and healthy bunnies! Keeping your bunny happy and healthy is not as easy as you may think. They need a lot more attention than just a lettuce leaf and a carrot. Each day we are together they become cuter and cuter, they play with Oscar and completely trash their play room every night, yes I find this behaviour cute! I am constantly on the lookout for things to keep them entertained, a bored bunny is a very unhappy bunny! Bunnies get bored quickly and easily so it is very important you spend time with your bunny loving them and playing with them. Bunnies are also very intelligent and they need mental stimulation everyday. Luckily Valentine and Duchess have no idea whether I paid good money for a toy or if its something recycled, if they can toss it, climb through it or jump onto it they love it. Any empty box, plastic bottle lids and toilet roll holders go in Valentine and Duchess’ box so I can create fun and interesting toys for them to play with, which they love!

Get creative with your bunny's food. — Get creative with your bunny’s food.

Here are a few of their favourite boredom busters, we hope your bunnies love them too…

Toilet roll holder balls: These are a firm favourite with Valentine and Duchess! I like to fill them up with fresh herbs that I grow in my garden. These balls keep the two of them entertained for quite some time. They toss them and roll them around eventually pulling the rings apart so they can eat the herbs. They also toss the individual rings around too. It really is very cute to watch! And since everyone uses toilet paper, you can have a constant supply of these cute toys.

Directions

Simply cut the toilet roll into rings and intertwine them until it forms a sturdy ball shape. Then stuff the herbs inside and watch your bunny have fun.

Valentine and Duchess love these herb stuffed homemade balls.

Empty boxes: Valentine and Duchess absolutely love climbing through empty boxes. I usually cut a whole in the side for them to get through. I fill the box with shredded paper, brown paper or hay and it keeps them entertained for hours each night! Sometimes I stack more than one box on top of each other so they can knock them down and push them around. At our local pet shop we found a ‘seed box’. It is a box covered in edible seeds which they absolutely loved and have devoured, I will definitely be on the look out for another one of those!

Climbing through boxes filled with hay, shredded paper and brown paper is so much fun!

Food fun: I like to make breakfast and dinner interesting for Valentine and Duchess. Stuffing lettuce, carrots and celery into toilet roll holders, dried herb refill boxes work well too, or using a piece of string across a section of their play room which I peg bits of fresh veggies to. I like to have fun with their actual food too, making them bunny sushi or fruit and veggie skewers. The options are endless when it comes to having fun with their food.

Stuff toilet roll holders with your bunny's favourite fresh veggies and hay. — Stuff toilet roll holders with your bunny’s favourite fresh veggies and hay.

Food-line

Hang some string across an area either in your bunny’s cage, play area or a section of your house. Then use wooden pegs and peg all sorts of fresh fruit and veggies up: apple, pear, cucumber, green beans, celery, rocket, mint, basil etc… I love watching Valentine and Duchess have fun at meal times.

This is so easy to do for your bunnies and they will love it.

Bunny sushi

Who says sushi is only for humans 😉 Simply cut thick pieces of cucumber and take the soft middle part out leaving you with a round whole in the centre. Then cut some thin carrot sticks, celery sticks, some corn or whatever it is that your bunny loves and fill the centre. You can use a variety of ingredients for this which is why I love making this for them.

Herb board

The herb board is also a favourite for Valentine and Duchess because once they have found and eaten all the herbs they then pull out the strips cardboard and toss them around, keeping them entertained for hours! All you need is a cardboard base, a cardboard box that you can cut into strips and some toilet roll holders cut in half. Then you slide in their favourite herbs and watch them have fun.

Games: I love playing games with Valentine and Duchess and it’s always fun when they engage, of course if they are not in the mood I have no chance of playing-haha! We particularly love playing with Oscar’s IQ board game. I hide their dry food pellets or some homemade treats and using their noses they push the wooden pieces so they can get to their treats. We have great fun playing this.

Playing games with Valentine and Duchess is my absolute best!

We also enjoy playing with ping pong balls, rolling them to each other, Duchess tends to ‘chin’ them rather than send them back to me (chinning is said to be her way of telling me the ball belongs to her, it’s a sign of possession in the bunny world). We have a skittle set that we play with too, but sometimes the noise of the skittles crashing onto the floor gives them a little fright. Since our entire house is tiled I usually place a blanket down so the skittles don’t fall as hard. The last thing I want to do is scare my babies while we are supposed to be having fun!

They enjoy tossing small objects in the air too so I always keep plastic bottle lids and usually place them all in a box for them, in the mornings I wake up to find them hidden and thrown all over the place 🙂

Duchess loves hiding inside the seed box.

These are just a few ways in which I like to entertain Valentine and Duchess. I rotate their games each day and I never leave the same toys down constantly because they get bored with them. Instead I pick them up and will rotate them each couple of days. Even though it is the same toy, to them it’s new! But most of all have fun playing with your bunnies, a happy bunny is the best bunny!

Thank you for reading.

17
Mar
2016

Hoppy Easter

categories: Holiday fun

In October last year, we decided to expand our family and we adopted two gorgeous bunnies! Valentine and Duchess are two super cute fluff balls that are always up to mischief. Duchess is the girl, the ringleader and the boss-but then most of us woman are… (hahaha).

Valentine by nature is quite a chilled little guy, he isn’t too shy and loves cuddles and kisses. Duchess on the other hand is quite shy and only comes to you on her terms, but when she does, she basks in the kisses and cuddles she receives. When she has had enough she lets you know and swiftly hops away. They are absolutely adorable and of course Oscar adores his babies too. Every morning there is a kissing and sniffing ceremony that is too cute for words! Valentine is more forthcoming in these ceremonies, but Duchess is slowly coming around. She is royalty after all and does things when and if she feels like it. Meal times are my absolute best. Watching them devour their daily salads and learning which greens they love and which fruits they are not too keen on is the perfect way to spend my morning. I grab a cup of coffee and Oscar and I just sit and watch them enjoy.

They are curious little creatures too. I am forever thinking of new ways to keep them entertained, giving them new toys to play with and things to gnaw on. They get bored quite easily so it is important to give them new things to throw around and investigate. Something as small and insignificant (to us) as a toilet roll holder can keep them entertained for hours. Bunnies, as I have come to realise are extremely clean pets. They are forever grooming themselves and each other. Duchess will sit and lick Valentine and make sure he looks in tip top condition, of course while he falls asleep!

Now I am most certainly not saying rush out and adopt a bunny for Easter! For 10 years I have wanted a bunny to love and cuddle, and now I have two. I am over the moon with happiness, but I did my research and made sure that I could provide the very best for Valentine and Duchess to keep them happy. It takes, time, dedication and money to raise any pet and bunnies are no exception.

I am so excited to spend their first Easter spoiling them and loving them, of course with Oscar and my human man too 😉 Here are some of Oscar’s Easter spoils this year as well as spoils for Valentine and Duchess. So if you have pet bunnies spoil them over Easter too…

Oscar’s Easter Box

Why not create a fun and exciting Easter box for your pup… Here are some goodies you can include that are available in the Stylish Paws online store. Click here to browse.

A new collar and leash set

A comfy and warm jacket

Non-slip doggy socks

An adventure harness

A doggy bowtie

Mini Donuts

Every pup needs Easter treats to enjoy! Now these are not the healthiest treats I have ever made, but they are oh so yummy. You and your furry love can enjoy these as a little Easter spoil…

Ingredients

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar (please do not use Xylitol!)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbp melted butter

2 eggs

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tbp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

food colouring

sprinkles

Directions

Using an electric beater, beat together all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl for 5 minutes. Plug in your mini donut maker, or preheat your oven to 180 degrees and prepare your donut trays. Fill your donut trays with the mixture and place them in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked and slightly golden. Remove your cooked donuts and gently place them on a cooling rack to cool. Repeat the process until your mixture is finished. I have a mini donut maker so I will be using that. Pour enough mixture into each donut ring, close the lid and leave it for 10 minutes or until cooked and lightly golden in colour. Once cooked, scoop the donuts out gently and let them cool on a cooling rack. Carry on making your donuts until your mixture is finished. Once all your donuts are cooled, they can be iced. Mix together the icing ingredients and add your food colouring to the desired colour you are looking for. Carefully dip one side of your donut into the icing and place back onto the cooling rack, sprinkle with some pretty sprinkles and let them dry. Once the icing is set you can enjoy these yummy treats with your furry love! Savour these moments in life, they are precious.

My real Easter Bunnies: Valentine and Duchess

Because we now have bunnies in our family, of course they need to get spoiled too! Here are some goodies that Valentine and Duchess will be enjoying this Easter…

Bunny Basket

Valentine and Duchess will also get an Easter box this year filled with fun things to keep them entertained as well as some yummy homemade treats.

Toilet roll holders filled with hay and their favourite fresh herbs.

Toilet roll balls filled with their favourite herbs. Bunnies love to toss things around and these can come apart and they can roll and throw the rings around. It is a real winner.

How to make them

Take a toilet roll holder and cut it up into rings. Carefully intertwine the rings so they eventually make a ball. Squeeze herbs into the crevices and let your bunny roll them around and have fun.

Homemade treats

Make something your bunny can enjoy over the Easter holidays.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rabbit pellets

1/2 cup oats

1 ripe banana

1/4 cup butternut

Directions

Cut up the butternut and dry roast it in the oven until soft. You can also boil it until soft. Grind the dry ingredients using a food processor so they become fine and of a flour consistency. Once the butternut is cooked, mash it using a potato masher.Mash the banana and add both the banana and butternut to the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly so a dough forms. Roll your dough out and using small cookie cutters cut out your bunny treats. Place them onto a greased baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked. Once cooked, turn the oven off and leave the treats to cool and dry out in the oven. Once cooled you can let your fluff ball enjoy his homemade speciality! Store them in an air tight container.

Easter hunt

Oscar’s favourite game is ‘find it’, so what better time to play than on Easter morning! You can hide the contents of your pups Easter box around the garden or just opt for hiding his treats like I do. Watch his excitement as he races around searching for his hidden treasures…. It is the most wonderful thing to watch. If you, like me, have bunnies to love, you can include them in the Easter hunt too. You can hide their homemade treats around their hutch and places they are allowed to run and play. This will provide excellent entertainment for them and for you 🙂 Don’t forget to get your camera out and snap away so you can always remember these wonderfully happy moments!

Have fun with your furry loves, of all kinds! Enjoy giving them gifts and baking them special treats, I know I will 🙂

Thank you for reading

05
Nov
2015

DIY: Dog Grooming

categories: DIY

Oscar has never been to a doggy salon. I don’t know who would experience more anxiety-him or myself! But that doesn’t mean he is not groomed at home. Oscar gets attended to on a daily basis, whether it’s a simple brush of his coat, teeth cleaning or ear cleaning. I wouldn’t say Oscar loves his scheduled bath days, but he does love the feeling of being clean and of course he gets extra kisses and cuddles when he is soft and smelling like vanilla and sweet pea. I take huge pride in the fact that Oscar is so well home groomed.

How often should your furry love get bathed? I believe it is a personal choice. Sure, it is not good for your pup to get bathed daily. They have natural skin oils just like we do and if you bath them too often you strip away those oils. I bath Oscar once a week-depending on his weekend activities. If he decides to go rolling in sand and is filthy from head to toe, he definitely gets bathed. Other times he goes two or three weeks without needing a bath.

So here are some DIY grooming tips for you and your furry love…

Brushing: I believe it’s a good idea to brush your pup daily. This allows you to check for ticks and fleas or lumps and bumps that should not be there and it’s also a little bonding session for the two of you. If you have a long haired dog, daily brushing or combing will help get knots and tangles out. Daily brushing also helps with hair shedding.

Getting Wet: Always use the best quality dog shampoo and conditioner you can afford and buy ones that suit your pooches fur (curly, long, short, dry etc). Please do not use human shampoo’s on your pup! Always rinse the product off your pups fur thoroughly. Be careful not to scold your pup either. A lukewarm bath or shower is best for your pooch.

This was Oscar’s first bath!

Drying:

Oscar hates the hair dryer, and for him getting towel dried is a bit of a game. If your pup doesn’t mind the hair dryer be careful not to burn him. Always set it on the coolest setting. Plan your pups bath times. Don’t bath him at night if he does not enjoy being blow dried. You do not want him sleeping with wet fur all night. Instead plan a mid-day bath where you can run around and have fun while he gets dry.

Teeth: Oscar doesn’t enjoy getting his teeth brushed, even after 12 years! But I insist of course. Use a properly designed toothbrush for your pooch and use special pet toothpaste. NEVER use human toothpaste! Brushing your pups teeth helps you to check for any changes in his gums too.

Ears: I never let water get into Oscar’s ears while bathing him. I am very careful around his face. I do use a cotton bud to clean the visible gunk that accumulates in his ears. I never go deep into his ear! Oscar has long Basset Hound ears which are usually prone to ear infections. I believe that as a result of my careful ear cleaning he has never had an ear infection in his life. He has had his ears syringed a few times at his vet which clean the entire ear our properly. Speak to your vet about getting your pups ears cleaned.

Nails: Oscar is pretty patient and lets me do just about anything to him-except cut his nails! This is his vets job! For some reason Oscar absolutely hates this part of his grooming schedule and it’s a rather traumatic experience for both of us. Luckily he only needs his nails cut ever three months. If you are lucky enough to cut your pooches nails, please be careful not to cut them too short and cut into the quick. Not only will you get blood everywhere, it will be painful for your pup. If you are unsure, I recommend going to your vet or doggy salon for this one.

In-between: When Oscar is in-between his baths, I usually rub him down with doggy wet wipes and spray him with doggy perfume. This keeps him smelling and looking fresh without having to bath him. Always remember to apply a good quality tick and flea repellent to your furry love! They are on the market for a reason so please use them.

Grooming your pooch is bonding time for the two of you so have fun with it.

Thank you for reading.