Monday, March 19, 2012

Woofstock 90210 Hosts Dogs of Virtually Every Size and Breed for Annual Festival for Canine Lovers

Dogs



The annual Woofstock 90210 dog festival in Beverly Hills last weekend was a sight to behold for dog lovers, their owners, families and especially kids. Lucky my two teen dog-loving daughters, our miniature pinscher Dexter and I were on hand for all the festivities. No where else but at the Westminster Dog Show -- which just took place in New York a few short weeks before -- would you get the chance to see a wider variety of dog breeds ranging in size from the under 5 pound teacup tiny dogs to the giants that looked more the size of ponies than canines.

A Woofstock 90210 Dog in Costume
As a matter of opinion, I think that in many ways the California style annual dog fair was a step above that other world famous canine-centric event.

10 Woofstock 90210 features that set itself apart from Westminster
  • Both AKC breeds and designer mixes as well as a wide assortment of mutts were represented here at this well-attended free event open to the public, proudly leading their human owners around the vendor booths and entertainment areas
  • Dogs of every hair or fur color and style, both natural and not, from hot pink poodles to funky pups sporting punk hairdos to a chihuahua dressed as Santa to at least one doggie wearing eye glasses -- all characters in their own rights, added to the carefree pet-enthusiast atmosphere

Poodle Girl in Playsuit & Hat at Woofstock 90210
  • Families with kids of every age and energy level were actually permitted at all the festivities with dads pulling older kids in wagons while moms pushed the babies in  strollers
  • Every event took place outdoors on the green grass on a sunny Sunday afternoon in one of Beverly Hills' most beautiful and accessible public city parks

    Handsome, well-behaved Boxer at Woofstock 90210

It may be March but this chihuahua is decked out as Santa
  • Mutley Crew K-9 entertained festival goers with flying disk dogs and other stunts you'd never see at a major formal dog show
  • An Old English Sheep Dog Parade followed by a Dogs in Costume Parade with lots more variety led by actress Shari Belafonte and including awards for the Most Owner-Pet Look Alike -- and what else -- the Best BH Bling. jetBlue Airways tickets were also given away to random Pet Parade participants
  • Opportunities for pet owners to talk informally to local veterinarians including Beverly Hills Small Animal Hospital and Rancho Park Veterinary Clinic
  • The chance to bring and donate clean used and new blankets to Operation Blankets for Love for dog adoptions
  • Free swag for dogs including branded pet dishes from State Farm, kibble scoop-clips from jetBlue and John Paul Full Pet Body & Paw Bath Wipes.
  • Tasty treats and dog food samples including some in full size package giveaways courtesy of Blue Buffalo, Natural Balance, Lotus, Fromm Family, Nature's Select and other pet food purveyors were abundant
Uber Cool Woofstock 90210 Swag That Dog Lovers Like Me Truly Appreciate
From the happy looks on all the canine and dog-lover's faces at this year's event, I'd say that a great time was had by all four-legged creatures and their doting humans. Westminster may be the home of Best in Show as well as Best in Class and Best in Breed, but Woofstock 90210 was the place to be for an entertaining old-fashioned family outing at a home-grown West Coast dog festival.

What's the wackiest dog or dog in costume that you've ever seen? Please leave a comment and tell us about it!

FTC Disclosure:  I disclosure that I'm the dog-crazy mommy of a miniature pinscher. My family and I attended this free festival and we received the SWAG and dog product samples pictured. However, I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.


Sunday, March 18, 2012

Pet Digital ID Tag QR Scan and GPS

Pets

Recently there has been some very exciting news for the cat and dog worlds. What transpired is a historic partnership forged between an Australian quality pet accessory manufacturer called Red Dingo and PetHub, an innovative business in the Seattle area focused on reconnecting lost pets with their owners via the tapping all the power of current and new technologies.

The result is the trendy new Red Dingo Pet Adventure QR Pet Tag powered by PetHub's digital ID platform offering a unique QR code for each dog or cat. This is designed so that it can be scanned when your animal is found, automatically linking the finder to an online account that stores the contact and pet profile information needed to reunite you with your four-legged friend.  

Optional add-on capabilities offered for nominal annual additional fee include the functionality to track your beloved pet with smartphone GPS and emergency insurance coverage to cover your animal's injuries while lost as well as the ability to help pet owners send out shelter alerts when their animal goes missing and to share PetCards with your trusted circle of pet care providers.

Dexter, our family's Miniature Pinscher (AKA Zwergpinscher and Min Pin), isn't just a Houdini in the house with all his secret hide out places. He is an escape artist that gets out the door too frequently and can even out run Olympic athletes I think. 

So, I was glad to learn recently that a new kind of dog ID tag with advanced technology now exists and was even happier when PetHub sent me their Skull & Cross Bones tag in Black to test out on my little 10-pound speed demon.

Don't let this shot of him sleeping fool you, Dexter can outrun any of us
The tag arrived via First Class Mail quickly. Soon after receiving it I completed the short and easy to fill out online form with basic information, uploaded a JPG of my little guy and activated his one of a kind QR code -- all in less than 5 minutes. Then, to see if this really worked I scanned his tag with the QR app that I have loaded on my iPhone and within seconds I was connected to a picture of Dexter and the contact information one would see if they had been the one to find my pup.
Luckily our Min Pin didn't chase the mailman the day this arrived
Obviously he didn't actually get away for the test. I'll give you an update the next time this fast four-legged fellow takes off -- and I don't think you'll have to wait long based on his past track record -- and tell you how the GPS function works that comes as an option with the Silver upgrade I received from PetHub. In the meanwhile, read on for more about where to purchase these nifty pet-tracking inventions, the tag styles you can choose from and the various service upgrade add-ons available.

Dexter's PetHub Profile Photo - If you find him don't forget scan his QR code!
In addition, you can buy tags directly online from PetHub starting at $15.90 each with shipping included.
  • Paw Print - Red, Blue, Pink or Black
  • Dog Bone - Red, Blue, Pink or Black
  • Heart - Pink or Black
  • Skull & Cross Bones - Pink or Black
Image Provided by PetHub.com
Two upgrade options for pet owners purchasing Red Dingo tags embedded with PetHub technology include
  • A Silver Subscription ($3.95 per month or $39 per year) which not only helps owners notify local animal shelters if the pet gets lost but also sends owners an email with the exact location of where the tag got scanned with a GPS-enabled phone.
  • A Gold Subscription ($4.95 per month or $49 per year) includes all the benefits of the Silver subscription plus a collectible PetHub ID tag each spring and $3,000 emergency insurance that covers the pet for injuries sustained while lost.
RedDingo PetHub QR Digital ID Tag
$54.90 value

HOW TO ENTER
Required (Mandatory) Entry
Optional Extra Entries 
1. Follow MBE on Twitter
***Bonus Entries***
Tweet:
Thanks to Online-Sweepstakes.com for including this contest in their directory of current giveaways.
Headquartered in the Pacific Northwest in Issaquah, Washington, Pet Hub is focused on getting lost pets home faster than ever using their innovative QR code pet ID tags, GPS mapping and real-time notifications. In December 2011 the company's hot new lineup of products received recognition from both Dog Fancy Magazine and Pet Age Magazine.
Dexter models a RedDingo PetHub QR Digital Pet ID Tag Style

We received this Red Dingo PetHub QR ID Tag Skull & Cross Bones style

The new Red Dingo PetHub enabled tags may be purchased at 50 select retailers and will be completely rolled out in the U.S. and Canada by Summer 2012.  

Available in four different styles and in a variety of colors
Each Red Dingo Pet Adventure QR Pet Tags come with free unlimited storage data as well as access to educational articles, relevant event listings, and local destinations added by the PetHub community and experts.




w/ FREE 1 yr Silver PetHub Subscription
GIVEAWAY

Prize: RedDingo PetHub QR Tag Style + Silver Subscription

Just leave a comment(s) below this post. Contest ends April 29, 2012 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only. Winners will be selected at random from all entries and notified via email. Prize is winner's choice of RedDingo Pet Adventure QR Tag Powered by PetHub plus one year Silver Subscription, total value $54.90.

Simply leave a comment below this blogpost saying which style tag you'd like to win. Don't forget to include your email address, Facebook and/or Twitter contact info in the initial comment section so the winner can be contacted.
Earn extra entries to win for doing one or more of the easy options listed below. Just be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert (MBE) to leave an additional comment after each individual extra action you do to confirm so we can record all your additional chances to win.

2. Like MBE on Facebook
3. Subscribe to MommyBlogExpert
4. Follow PetHub on Twitter
5. Like PetHub on Facebook

You can earn even MORE chances to win each time you TWEET the message below, up to 3 times each day. Don't forget to return to leave a comment on this post with the direct link right after every Tweet you do so you'll receive an entry for each of your RTs.

Hip Dog & Cat GIVEAWAY RedDingo Digital ID Tag w/ PetHub QR & GPS #Tech if your pet gets lost $54 ARV #pets http://tinyurl.com/73766j2


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About PetHub, Inc.

FTC Disclosure: PetHub provided me with the product mentioned as well as an upgrade to Silver subscription to facilitate this review. In addition, PetHub is providing the prize and shipping for this giveaway. I further disclose that I'm a dog loving mommy blogger. This blog did not receive any other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Bells of Ireland Fresh Flowers from the Farmer's Market for St. Patrick's Day

Celebrations



All images in this post by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day to MBE readers who celebrate this holiday today.

Picked up this beautiful bunch of Bells of Ireland earlier this week in the Century City Farmers Market which is located among the high rise office buildings of this business district just a few blocks from Beverly Hills in the Los Angeles area. Spring green is my personal favorite color and also the official color of Mommy Blog Expert so I just couldn't resist getting these for our dining room table. The best part is that they were -- drum roll please -- only $4 for the bouquet I bought. It's always nice to save some green on fresh flowers, especially flowers that are naturally, not dyed, green. Farmers Markets are definitely my go-to source for the freshest flowers and produce at the best prices, too.


Bells of Ireland Just $4 at a local Farmer's Market - Vase is my own
After I got home I did some research and was surprised to learn some fun facts about Bells of Ireland that you might find fascinating, too.
  • These don't even grow in Ireland
  • This flower's common name comes from the green color of its leaves and bells
  • The green bells with white veins aren't technically flowers, they are calyxes
  • Bells traditionally symbolize good luck and are popular for St. Patrick's Day
Bells of Ireland Closeup

Facts in this post from WholesaleWeddingFlowers.com

Luck 'O the Irish to You!

How are you spending St. Patrick's Day this year? Leave a comment and share.

FTC Disclosure:  I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.