I’m getting SO excited for the BlogPaws 2015 conference. It’s just over 2 months away and I’m preparing for the biggest weekend (thus far!) in my blogging career!
I’m a 2015 BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Award Finalist!
So. Holy crap. This is not really happening.
I’ve been planning my trip to the big BlogPaws conference in Nashville, TN in May. I was thinking about getting Wynston a custom made tuxedo jacket for the event and yesterday I was joking with Matt when I said “Okay, if for some extremely crazy reason that I am a finalist for a Nose-to-Nose award, I’m going to order him a custom jacket.” Of course, neither of us thought I’d be a finalist. Custom tuxedos are EXPENSIVE!
No joke, when finalists were revealed during BlogPaws Twitter chat tonight, I scrolled down the list and jumped out of my chair when I saw Dog Mom Days listed under the “Best New Pet Blog” category…
Tears. Oh, the tears.
I’ve been working so hard on my blog. I started blogging in December 2013, and here I am, all of those 3am nights paying off.
All finalists were nominated in January of this year. The judges went through over 1,000 nominations to reveal the 48 finalists in 12 categories. I am one of 4 finalists in my category. This is not happening…there are several thousand bloggers in the BlogPaws community alone!
Am I in a dream?
What’s crazy is that enough people read/like my blog for me to become a finalist for Best New Pet Blog. Wow.
In the meantime, I need a new dress!!!!!!!! The winners will be announced at the red carpet ceremony in Nashville on May 30th. I am so honored to be nominated for Best New Pet Blog with these other fantastic blogs:
The True Story of a Not So Crazy Cat Lady
Thank you too all of my readers, friends and family for always supporting me and believing in me! I love you all! And a huge thanks to the BlogPaws community for teaching me so much!
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Blogging at the Next Level: BlogPaws 2015
I’ve been blogging since December 2013. Just over a year later, I can say that I am blessed enough to be a full time pet blogger and I’m headed to the BlogPaws conference in Nashville, TN in hopes of furthering my career!
Something tells me I’ve been abnormally successful as a blogger in a short amount of time. I will tell you though, I’ve worked extremely hard to get to where I am at. I’ve invested some money, but mostly time and late nights to be able to work full time from home doing what I love.
Last year, the BlogPaws conference was in Las Vegas, NV. That’s only a 4 hour drive from my house but I had only been blogging for about 5 months and I wasn’t ready. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. A year later, I’m so ecstatic to be traveling across the country, from Arizona to Tennessee, with my close friend Kama and our dogs to experience this life changing conference.
So what IS BlogPaws?
- A conference for anyone looking to learn and grow in the pet or web industry.
- Learn about how to make money with your business or blog.
- Meet and greet with fellow pet bloggers and their pets!
- Connect with brands.
- Learn how to market through social media.
In Nashville, I am looking forward to attending the workshops because I really want to learn how to further my career with blogging. Most importantly though, I’m excited to meet all of the faces behind the blogs I read. I’ve made many online friends through blogging and I cannot wait to hug them all and thank them for their continued support during my blogging journey! They have all helped and inspired me along the way!
BlogPaws 2015 takes place in Nashville, TN at the Sheraton Music City Hotel on May 28-30th. Are you attending this year?!
Club Doggie Valentine’s Day Agility Trial
Yesterday I attended an agility trial at Club Doggie, the club at which we train with Wynston and Khloee. I was set on going so Matt and I could volunteer and get some experience. I’m so happy we went because just like anything, you learn so much more when you are actually involved.
The weather forecast: 82 degrees and sunny. I needed more sunscreen as the day went on!
What I learned (aside from how point systems work, etc.):
- Even if you have a knee brace and you can barely walk, you can still kick ass at agility.
- Having the fastest or biggest dog definitely does not mean you will be the best.
- “Steeplechase” is literally called that because the course revolves around the A-frame, which looks like a steeple. Genius.
- Trials aren’t as hardcore as I thought they would be. It was just a great big party!
- A blow of the whistle and super loud buzzer are BAD.
- I need to invest in a canopy or tent for when we start competing.
- Jell-o shots are a frequent tradition at trials! Yes please!
My duties as a volunteer (which was a learning experience in itself!):
- Set bars. I sat in a chair on the agility field during almost every run. After each height class, I would set the bars on the hurdles accordingly.
- Fluff the chute. After every dog ran the course, I adjusted the chute to make sure it didn’t get stuck or messed up. This ensured a smooth exit for every dog.
- Adjust tunnels. Many times I had to re-velcro tunnel bags and pull out the ends of the tunnels.
- There were also volunteers running score cards (Matt) and running leashes from one end of the agility course to the other during each dog’s run.
Being a volunteer and sitting on the field watching each dog really helped me more than I could ever imagine. It’s fun to see how each person chooses to run a course. The crosses they do, the words they use for each obstacle, their hands motions…I really got a feel for how different everyone is and how they connect with their dogs.
Club Doggie hosted an amazing trial. The parking was right next to the field so competitors didn’t have far to walk with all of their items. Of course, the scenery is hard to beat and the people are all so much fun. Even the judge who was from Tyler, Texas was extremely kind and thanked the volunteers after every single run for setting bars and helping out. The volunteers also appreciated an amazing homemade lunch, courtesy of Kama and Jubie, the owners/trainers at Club Doggie. Love you ladies so much!
Wynston and I are still shooting to compete in the next Club Doggie trial on March 14th and 15th. We still have a ton of learning to do but I really want to get out on the field to get my first competition out of the way. Honestly after volunteering, I’m not nearly as nervous. We learn from the best trainers around and I know they are setting us up for success. We’ve also been working extra hard…I really want a fancy agility ribbon!
Congrats to all of the winners and competitors at the trial this weekend! Every dog was absolutely amazing. I also got to watch my friends run their dogs, which is totally cool. I’m so proud of them all!!
Have you ever gone to an agility trial? Have you competed or volunteered?
The 139th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
Although I’ve never competed in a dog show, I absolutely LOVE to watch them! Each year I think I’m pretty well versed in dog breeds until I watch national shows…then I realize I know nothing!