Wednesday, January 27, 2016

• Wordless Wednesday: Grow a Blog

Here we are at a BlogPaws conference session. What do you notice about the pet bloggers in the audience? No one is looking at the presenter!

Are these bloggers rude? No! They're posting on the spot on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Periscope, and other social media sites. They're taking notes. They're shooting dozens of pictures, especially of the pets in attendance, like the little black-and-white guy nestled on the pink blanket. (It's OK for pets to sleep through sessions!)

If you want to rocket your blog into another stratosphere, join me and 499 other pet bloggers at BlogPaws 2016, June 23-25, in Phoenix.

Friday, January 15, 2016

• Golden Woofs!

Sugar, a favorite in the pet blogger community, is having surgery. 


Sugar and her mom are two of my favorite bloggers.

UPDATE: Sugar's surgery was successful and she's healing well!

Monday, January 11, 2016

• 2016 Pet Blogger Challenge

One of my favorite bloggers, Garth Riley.
It's time for the annual Pet Blogger Challenge, a sort of "how are we doing?" for pet bloggers organized by Amy Burkert of GoPetFriendly. Below are questions from Amy and answers from me.



1) How long have you been blogging? Describe your blog.

Since 2011. It's primarily photos of animals I pet sit.

2) What was the one thing you accomplished during 2015, either on your blog or because of it, that made you most proud?

I became certified in Reiki Level 2 and completed Healing Touch for Animals Levels 1, 2, and 3. I've begun to trust that I am a healer. I feel shy about talking about it, which is why you've yet to see a blog post about it.

3) Which of your blog posts was your favorite this year? Why?

The 2015 BlogPaws Conference. I love remembering BlogPaws and deciding what photos to use.

4) What is one thing you've done in 2015 to bring traffic to your blog?

I join the Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

5) Which blog post got the most traffic? Why do you think that is?

The post about my beloved hamster Winnie, who died in September, received the most comments. People met Winnie at BlogPaws and BarkWorld or online. When one of us in our community of pet lovers aches, we all ache. I love that about bloggers.
Winnie and me at BlogPaws 2015, in Nashville

6) What blog do I read religiously? Why?

Fire Horse Ranch. Diana Gogan champions and empowers women. She's succinct and meaningful, and my work with her blew me away. P.S. Diana is in Phoenix, the site of BlogPaws 2016!

7) What resources do I use to enhance my blog?

For the most part, I post only on Wordless Wednesday, so I'm heavy on photographs. I've been using my iPhone 5 and it's time for me to bite the bullet and buy a bridge camera (between point-and-shoot and DSLR) or a DSLR. Question: What camera do you use? Why do you like it?

8) What's the best piece of advice you can offer other bloggers?

If your enthusiasm wanes, ask other bloggers for help. BlogPaws has an outstanding Community page with lots of resources.

9) What is my vision for my blog in 2016?

Because I plan to add energy work for animals to my pet sitting services, I want to blog about energy healing. Those posts will be useful when I segue to a dot com web site that will advertise my energy healing.

10) Is there one aspect of my blog I'd like input on?

I helped a stray pet get back to its owner and thought I'd write a short post about it. But that same day another blogger wrote a comprehensive post about that topic. It was so well researched and written I wondered why I should bother writing about my experience. Question: Why do you write about a topic if another blogger has written about it?

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

• Wordless Wednesday: Get Fit with Your Pet

It's Exercise with Your Pet Month, so get out there!
You won't see me, though. My pet is a hamster.