Tag: Spoil Your Pets


Jan
2018

FriendshipCollar_SA Instagram Take Over: Stylish Paws in the Kitchen.

categories: Oscar, Recipes, Zara

So this is a first for us and we are very excited about it…. We are taking over Friendship Collar_SA Instagram story for the day.

Firstly, we are huge fans of FriendshipCollar, we of course have our own set of The Top Dog range. It’s bright, colourful and cheerful and looks great on us all 🙂

The Top Dog set is all about being “playful, boisterous and cute as can be, when playtime is over, it’s cuddles next to me”. This description fits us perfectly! Those of you who follow us regularly will know that Zara is a super happy and energetic pup who absolutely loves swimming and playing with all her toys. Oscar on the other hand is a huge snuggle bug and loves to spend his days sleeping right next to me. Zara has learnt a thing or two from the snuggle king and she now loves to snuggle up too, usually on top of me!

For the Instagram Story take over, the theme is “Stylish Paws in the kitchen”. Those of you who know me might laugh hysterically at this. Cooking for myself is not something I love doing at all. In fact I find it a chore. BUT when it comes to finding yummy recipes for my furry loves, i’ll happily spend hours baking, creating recipes and yummy treats for them to enjoy- of course they love it when I’m in the kitchen because they know I am usually cooking or baking for them 😉

Today’s recipes and treats are a winner in our house. They’re super easy with ingredients found in most kitchens and most of all they’re quick! Here goes…

Fresh and Frozen Kong recipes:

I have two totally opposite pooches when it comes to food. Zara literally eats anything and everything! She loves tasting new fruits and veggies and so far the only thing she isn’t keen on is raw eggplant-who eats raw eggplant anyway- and zucchini. Oscar on the other hand will sniff a piece of meat for about thirty-seconds just to make sure it is in fact something good enough to put in his mouth. He is by far the fussiest pup I have ever come across. So, for the two of them to get the full fun experience of a KONG toy, Zara gets a frozen one which keeps her busy for a few hours, and Oscar gets a fresh one because he doesn’t enjoy the ‘coldness’ of the frozen one and would leave it to melt before eating it…

Zara’s Frozen Kong

Ingredients

Scrambled egg-cooked and cooled completely

Cottage cheese

Coconut oil

Chick peas

Directions

You can either layer each ingredient or mix everything together and stuff it inside the KONG toy. Then freeze for a few hours or over night.

Oscar’s Fresh Kong

Ingredients

Mashed banana

Peanut butter

Strawberries or blueberries

Coconut oil

Directions

You can either layer each ingredient or mix everything together and stuff it inside the KONG toy, give it to your pooch straight away. Fresh Kong’s are a lot messier than frozen ones so you may want to give it to your pooch somewhere comfortable outside.

The combinations are endless when it comes to Kong toys. You don’t need to rush out and buy special ingredients. Use what you have and be creative with it. Of course please be very mindful of what is safe for your furry love to eat and what’s not!

Baked biscuit recipe: Green Pea

This biscuit recipe is one of my favourites to do because it is so quick and easy to make a batch and we always have the ingredients. Plus the colour of these treats is just awesome…

Ingredients

1 cup frozen peas blitzed up into a puree

1 egg

A handfull of fresh parsley chopped up (optional)

1 cup flour

2 tbs coconut oil

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together the pea puree, egg and parsley. Then add your flour and combine until a dough forms. If it is a bit sticky just add a little extra flour. Roll your dough out onto a floured surface and use cookie cutters to cut the treats. Place them onto a greased baking tray and bake in the oven for +-20 minutes or until cooked and just slightly brown (you want to keep their bright green colour). Allow the treats to cool, and store in an airtight container. Your pups will love these!

So that’s our kitchen experience for today, of course we did all this while wearing our super stylish Friendship Collars! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @stylish_paws and @FriendshipCollar_SA and watch the story take over- you’ll love it!!

You can also browse the Friendship Collar collection in the Stylish Paws online store | click here to shop. 

Thank you for reading.

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Jan
2018

Product Review: Geopetric Personalised Pet Products

categories: Oscar, Product Reviews, Zara

When Geopetric contacted us and asked us to be apart of their affiliate programme I was of course over the moon with excitement! I chose what I thought would look good on Oscar and Zara and waited patiently for their new items to arrive.

Wow, I was blown away by the quality of both the personalised collar and the softness of the bandana. Both are absolutely gorgeous products.

I love that the collar is personalised with Zara’s name on and the bandana has a very African theme to it-Living in Africa of course that speaks to my heart. The pinks and purples of Zara’s collar looks gorgeous against her black fur and Oscar just looks so good in green with bold colours-but then again he looks good in everything 🙂

Each product sold in the Geopetric store has a unique pattern, the materials used are made with bright and bold colours with geometric shapes and patterns to decorate. The outcome is of course stunning in every way. You won’t mistake a Geopetric collar for any other!

Geopetric offers a wide variety of pet accessories including personalised collars, harnesses, gorgeous bandanas, fun bow ties, collar tags, yummy treats and super cute puppy starter kits!! And not forgetting us humans, there are some lovely goodies for us too in the form of t-shirts, bracelets, hats, tech accessories and personalised key chains.

The Geopetric brand provides, charitable, cruelty free and eco-friendly products for both you and your pets. They only use eco-friendly materials including recycled bottles and vegan cork-leather. They have partnered with and continue to partner with animal rescues across the globe to promote animal adoption.

We’re all trying to make a positive difference in our world, with your help Geopetric is doing just that. I love the fact of knowing I can make a difference in a shelter dogs life simply by spoiling my own pups, Oscar and Zara!!

Our partnership with Geopetric gives you a fabulous 20% discount whenever you decide to shop online with Geopetric. Simply use the code OSCAR&ZARA when you check out…. So what are you waiting for? Shop TODAY, spoil your pets and help pets in need!!

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook @stylishpaws and Instagram @stylish_paws

Thank you for reading.

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Aug
2017

Happy 1st Birthday Zara!

categories: Zara

Wow, where has an entire year gone? I have no clue, but what I do know is that my baby girl is not such a baby girl any more. Happy 1st birthday to Zara! From the moment she waltzed through our front door, she knew and we knew that she was home. She casually made herself comfy in Oscar’s teepee as if she had been here before. Of course Oscar was not sure what to think of this new fluff ball who had decidedly taken over.

Zara has grown into the most lovable, caring, loyal and beautiful girl in the world. Right from the beginning she just fitted into our family life, adjusted to how things worked without so much as a whimper. She never cried at night or messed in the house. We were the ones who woke her up for midnight toilet breaks. Her larger than life personality has made this year full of fun with lots of laughter.

I will admit, I needed some convincing that a Rottie would be the perfect addition to our family… Oscar is my very first pooch and it has always been just him, so forgive me if I had his best interests at heart here. After doing extensive research, I kind of got a sense for what we would be in for and agreed. After all I am a firm believer in the way you raise a puppy will affect their behaviour as an adult-much like raising a child.

I am not sure the research really did prepare me for Zara (haha) but I will say I am 100% a Rottie mom and totally fallen in love with the Rottie breed. She is quite frankly a dinosaur who eats us out of house and home, has mad half hours and trashes the living room and bedrooms, who takes toys out her toy box and leaves them all over the place, runs around at 7am squeaking her favourite snake toy, steals socks at any moment she can, brings me rocks as surprise presents and completely takes over our bed at night, but you know what… I wouldn’t have it any other way!

She has brought out the playful side in Oscar again and the two of them have their own unique way of playing together. She understands that he is older and he has boundaries and when he says enough she happily leaves him and comes to play wth us instead. She adores her brother and constantly sneaks licks and kisses on the top of his head. She watches him ever so patiently while he eats his breakfast and dinner to see if he has left her any scraps to nibble on. She watches him snore with great curiosity and tries to sneak in a cuddle or two every now and then.

She greets us in the mornings like she hasn’t seen us in years with a smile from ear to ear and loads of kisses and cuddles. She has the cutest morning tradition where she runs to her toy box and brings me her toy of choice as a gift, a wake up gift. Returning home after being out for a few hours is like pandemonium! Her excitement is off the charts with cries that resemble a hyena. Of course she sniffs around to see if there are gifts and usually there are-yes they are spoiled 🙂 Now returning home from a holiday is pandemonium times a hundred… She honestly gets so excited she does not know what to do with herself. She has a hard time choosing who to get cuddles from first, myself or dad. It’s a tough choice for such a loyal pup. When we get back from holidays both Zara and Oscar do not leave our sides for hours. Literally following our every move, making sure we don’t suddenly disappear again.

So today we celebrate Zara’s first birthday and no birthday would be complete without presents and cake! So here is the recipe for Zara’s birthday cake:

Cake

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas-mashed

4 tbs honey

1 egg

2 cups water

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup oats

1 cup peanut butter

1tbs coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together all the wet ingredients until properly combined. Then add in the oats, baking powder and flour and mix all together. I used a hand beater to make it easier and quicker. Once everything is mixed properly pour the cake batter into a greased cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through. Once cooked leave the cake to cool completely before decorating.

tip: if you have any left over cake after the celebrations, cut it into slices and put them in tubs and freeze for a yummy frozen treat for your pooches!

Frosting

Plain yoghurt

Peanut butter

For the frosting beat together equal parts of yoghurt and peanut butter. If the frosting seems a little thick/stiff then add more yoghurt until you are satisfied with the consistency. Once your cake has cooled completely go ahead and frost your cake.

tip: if you have any frosting left over, simply scrape it into silicone moulds (I used heart shaped ice trays) and freeze. Then pop them out and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for yummy frozen treats for your pups. Oscar and Zara LOVE these!!

Treats

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas-mashed

1 egg

1 tbs coconut oil

2 tbs natural peanut butter

2 cups flour

Directions

Pre-heat your over to 180 degrees. Mix together the mashed banana, egg, coconut oil and peanut butter until all combined. Then add in the flour one cup at a time until you have the perfect dough consistency. Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough out, using fun cookie cutters cut out the treats which will decorate your pups birthday cake. Place them onto greased baking trays and bake for +-20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave them to cool completely before decorating your cake with them. Any extras can be out in an airtight container and stored in a cool dry place or pop them in the freezer for another day.

Presents

Zara has come to LOVE getting presents and new things. Her new toy becomes the favourite of the week, almost as if to show just how much she appreciates it. For her first birthday we decided to get her some water toys. She is such a water pup and loves swimming and playing in the sprinklers. We thought her own doggy sprinkler would be a great idea as well as a doggy water fountain, some toys to play in the pool with and some treats and chews too.

I am so grateful to have both Zara and Oscar in my life. Without them I would honestly be lost. My days revolve around them, cuddles, baking treats, playing games and going for walks. They mean the world to me and today we celebrate Zara’s first year in my world. Happy birthday my baby girl-Yes you will always be my baby girl!

Follow us on Instagram where we are hosting #zarasbirthdaysafari party. Everyone is invited and anyone can join! Watch our Instagram story to see all the fun we are having celebrating this wonderful day.

Thank you for reading.

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Feb
2017

Product Review: PetQwerks Toys and Chews

categories: Product Reviews

When our box of the latest and greatest PetQwerks toys arrived at our door, I was jumping for joy. I don’t know who was more excited, Oscar, Zara or myself-Haha!

PetQwerks is a US based company that makes the most awesome and unique dog toys I have ever come across. When I realised that our box contained the latest BarkBone-I only had to smell inside the box, my heart skipped a beat with excitement! I couldn’t wait to see what Oscar and Zara would think of their new chews and toys…

The first item that was tested was the BarkBone. I have no words to describe how amazing this chew toy is. It smells like real peanut butter and is specifically designed for aggressive chewers-think Zara!! It also has small indents so you can smear more peanut butter onto it-how genius is that!

The next chew toy on the menu was the FlovorIt Bone. These are very similar to the BarkBone, just not as durable for a heavy chewer like Zara. Our one is BubbleGum flavour-AMAZING! Again this chew has small indents for you to smear peanut butter or even coconut oil on.

Oscar’s favourite of the pack is the Antler Chew. He isn’t big on chewing but this one took his fancy and it smells and apparently tastes like chicken! Zara tried stealing it but Oscar was having none of it. He has claimed this one as his!

My favourite of the pack is the Babble Ball. It is HILARIOUS!! It is activated by touch and spills out 20 super funny and quirky sayings. Zara is so intrigued with this ball. She has learned that she needs to touch for it to talk. She stares at it with a crumpled forehead and serious curiosity. I of course sit and giggle at all the funny things it says!

We also received a tube of pet friendly Bubbles. Let me tell you they are the best bubbles I have ever blown. They are super cute and don’t burst on the first thing it lands on. Both Oscar and Zara had them all over their whiskers-It was very cute! Zara saw these floating bubbles and knew she needed to jump into the air and attack every single one-even the ones that land on Oscar!!

Then we got a really cute squeaky emoji toy which Zara absolutely loves putting in her mouth and running around the house squeeking it like a mad thing! We also got a cute squeaky fish and a durable tyre ball with a bell inside.

Every single chew and toy received in our PetQwerks box was a winner in Oscar and Zara’s eyes. Thank you for the spoils PetQwerks!!

You can follow PetQwerks on Instagram @petqwerks and view their website at www.petqwerks.com

If you are interested in buying any of these gorgeous chews and toys, please send me an email on stacey@stylishpaws.co.za. I would be happy to place a bulk order, provided I know my fellow South Africans are interested 🙂

Thank you for reading.

Stacey, Oscar and Zara

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Feb
2017

My Furry Valentines.

categories: Recipes

Valentine’s Day. You either love it or hate it. Of course having someone special to share it with makes a world of difference. Luckily I have my four furry companions as well as my two-legged companion to share this super cliche day of love with.

Any chance I get I love to spoil my furry loves and Valentine’s Day is no different. It doesn’t always have to be something bought, homemade gifts often make the greatest gift. Taking time out of your busy day to prepare and make something for someone you love often speaks louder than the gift itself.

This year my fur babies will be receiving a giant collection of home made treats. When it comes to food, you have my furry loves sold-all four of them! To keep in line with the love theme I decided to make some homemade beetroot doggy treats for both Zara and Oscar and special beetroot bunny treats for Valentine and Duchess. Here are the recipes:

Beetroot Doggy Treats

Ingredients

2 large beetroots

1 egg

2 tbs coconut oil

2 cups flour

Directions

Start by peeling the skin from the beetroots. Then cut them into chunks and steam them for about 40 minutes or until cooked and soft. Let them cool then blitz them up so it becomes a beautiful dark red paste. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. In a bowl mix together the egg, coconut oil and the beetroot paste until combined then add the four one cup at a time. You can judge how much flour is needed by how sticky or dry the mixture is. Then roll it out onto a floured surface and using heart cookie cutters cut out your valentines treats. Place them onto a greased baking tray and into the oven for +-20 minutes or until cooked and slightly golden-not too golden otherwise they will lose their red colour. Once cooked let them cool, you can package them into cute boxes ready for your pup to enjoy on Valentine’s Day.

Beetroot Bunny Treats

Ingredients

1 large beetroot

1 cup oats-blitzed up to make oat flour

Directions

Start by peeling the skin from the beetroot. Then cut it into chunks and steam it for about 40 minutes or until cooked and soft. Let it cool then blitz it up so it becomes a beautiful dark red paste. Then set aside to cool slightly. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Once the paste has cooled enough for you to handle, mix in the oat flour a little at a time. You want to get a firm consistency but it will still be sticky. You should be able to break off tiny pieces and roll into bunny bite sized bits. Place them onto a greased oven tray and bake for +-15 minutes or until they are hard and cooked. Be careful not to over cook them. Once done set aside to cool. You can package them in toilet roll holders with tissue paper wrapped around. This will provide some entertainment for your bunny while trying to reach the treats.

And if you are feeling in the mood to spoil your pups even more, then head on over to our online store and shop for some gorgeous collars, beds and toys.   

Enjoy this Valentine’s Day with the ones you love most.

Thank you for reading.

 

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