Month: March 2014

Sunny Monday!

Turn that frown upside down… its Monday! No, I haven’t lost my mind. I know its Monday and not Friday but I’m pretty much over this whole “Monday blues” thing. I mean I woke up this morning with that same ol’ Monday feeling and then I went outside. It is sunny and warm and my dog it happy! So why can’t I be happy too?!

I officially want to throw Basil’s “hat” in the ring for new spokesperson or spokes dog of Mondays! I mean just look at that smile! Vote Basil for happier Mondays! 

If your Monday wasn’t going as planed or you are just having “one of those days” we hope you can take a few moments to enjoy these pictures of the happiest dog in the world and hopefully that smile helps… if only for a little bit!

Happy #SunnyMonday Everyone!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

I wish the world was flat like the old days…

Then I could travel just by folding a map… No more airplanes, or speed trains, or freeways… There would be not distance that could hold us back – Death Cab for Cutie564096_10150656732046868_1210395296_n

TDIF! Thank dog its Friday! Well, we made it! Its finally Friday! After a busy week it feels pretty good to see the weekend right around the corner. I think what really pushed me forward this week is the thought of our upcoming trip to Las Vegas. Basil, Nate and I are getting pretty excited and trying to wrap up all our travel arrangements. For the last couple of weeks I have been doing some serious research regarding what the best “airline approved” pet carrier is. After reading like a hundred blogs and probably even more reviews, I decided on the SturdiBag. I ordered it with some pretty high hopes so, fingers crossed!

Not only have I found the right carrier for Basil but I also stumbled upon so many amazing pet products this week, its insane! Most were found from probably one of my favorite websites out there right now, Dog Milk.

If you aren’t familiar with Dog Milk, they are a blog type website that posts about anything and everything that a modern dog may need. I find myself on the Dog Milk web page everyday so yesterday when I noticed their Travel tab, I almost lost it! How have I never seen this before? Modern dog travel accessories?! Yes please!

Here are just a small amount of  my new favorite, super hip dog products. I highly recommend you head over to Dog Milk yourself and find some of your favorites. Your dog will thank you!

SniffingButt Dog Bone Brewery: Beer Grain Based Dog Treats http://beergraindogtreats.com

PetSwag http://www.petswag.com

Cloud7 for Tumi http://cloud7.de 

GreyPaw http://www.etsy.com/shop/GreyPawDesign

FYI: Basil’s Travels is not sponsored by any of these companies. We just love them and want to get the word out! Shop local, shop small!

Have an amazing weekend everyone! Until next time!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

Coming this Summer… Basil learns to Skimboard!

Hello all! As I sit at my desk and look out the window onto a rainy street I find myself dreaming of the sun. If you know me personally than you know this is not normal for me. I am a lover of all things rainy, stormy, and what most people would call “gloomy.” I mean, don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the sun and the warmth of summer but its not something I usually actively look forward to. Because of this, I have turned Basil into a dog that isn’t afraid of a little weather. That being said, he won’t be caught dead in the rain without a rain coat or sweater on!

So, as I find myself thinking about laying on the beach somewhere watching Basil playing in the waves and enjoying everything summer has to offer I can’t help but to eye my skimboard leaning against the office wall. I start thinking about all those dogs you see on YouTube that skateboard. Well, it just happened that yesterday iBostonterrier posted an amazing video of a Boston terrier skim boarding! After seeing this I started searching for more skim boarding dogs. There are quite a few on YouTube and below you will find some of my favorites.

So when the weather does decide to finally change and we can spend so time down at the beach, I am going to teach Basil to skim board. Look out for many videos coming soon of Basil learning this ridiculously cute new skill!

1. Vader – Boston Terrier Skim boarding


2. Bullterrier Skim boarding Lesson


3. French Bulldog Skimboard

4. Amazon Dogs Skim boarding

Until the sun!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

Basil’s Favorite Things – Club Fetch

Here we go again with another very special Monday edition of Basil’s Favorite Things. This BFT is a spotlight on a very chic, very clean, totally rocking dog club in Charlotte, NC. So, sit back, relax and learn why you should also fall in love with Club Fetch.

Our obsession with Club Fetch actually started back this last summer, before they even opened their doors. Basil, Nate & I were attending a charity 3k dog walk and happened upon their store front. Out in front of this charming building, painted white with black trim, we first met Blaire & Jackson. Blaire being the friendly human owner of Club Fetch and Jackson being the 4 legged Boston terrier owner that will lick your face. Of course Basil and Jackson hit it off right away and after a quick hello and sniff of the behind (Jackson’s not Blaire’s!) we were off. With new information in my pocket I made a mental note to enjoy their services once they opened full time. 

This last Saturday seemed like the perfect day for us to have our first official visit to Club Fetch. The sun was shining, and there just happened to be a craft beer crawl in the same neighbor. This meant that Basil could run and play with his peers for a few hours while his mommy & daddy could also “run and play” with their peers and beer! We walked into the club and were promptly greeted by name! ( We did happen to call in advance and advise them of our arrive. They aren’t psychic! Even though they may be able to read my dogs mind.)

After checking us in, Club Fetch requires that your dog it up to date on rabies, bordetella, and distemper shots, Blaire took us on a complete tour. Once we stepped beyond the office and into the club spaces I was blown away. Let me first say this place smelled amazing! Like better than a few of my friends homes! It was that good! And I know what your thinking, “really?” Yes, really! If you didn’t know that you were in a space that houses dozens of dogs 24 hours a day, you would not believe it. Seriously, I can not explain to you how incredible this was. I felt like I was in a Febreze commercial but better. Blaire let us know that not only did they updated the entire building, they epoxied all the concrete floors as well as up all the walls by many feet. On top of protecting the floors and walls from absorbing all these common dog smells they clean with only 100% green cleanser.

With my nose still trying to comprehend how this place is even possible we were shown the kennel area. All the kennels included a bed, dog toys, and plenty of access to water. The doors to these kennels were made of aluminum, to prevent rusting, and offered a full view of the many flat screened TVs. Yes, when your dog stays at Club Fetch he gets to watch TV while laying in bed! Again, I have friends that don’t know that luxury! If you are not completely sold on the this place already let me continue.

Along with the cable TV your dog is enjoying while you are away, they were also playing some light classical music. You know if you dog is beyond watching ESPN he or she can contemplating the state of the world while being stimulated by Mozart.

Beyond the kennels there are three play areas designed for toy, small/medium, and large dogs. These areas have a full rubber floor and plenty of windows. Each room had happy dogs running around also had a staff member to “babysit” the action. All Club Fetch’s employees are trained in pet first aid and CPR. This isn’t like just dropping your dog off with your 20 something neighbor that said he “had a lot of dogs growing up” these folks know their stuff!

Along with the kennels, and play areas Club Fetch is fully equipped with a dog wash for full service grooming as well as a full kitchen that houses any and all of your dogs special food items and medications. So whether you need to just drop your dog off for a couple of hours, all day or need to have him stay for a few days while your away on vacation, Club Fetch can accommodate.

The whole time Nate & I were there taking the tour and dropping Basil off we couldn’t have been more impressed. Blaire and his staff have really thought of everything and this protective mommy felt more than comfortable to leave her baby with them.

I few hours later we returned to find out that Basil had a blast! He was smiling that Boston terrier smile from ear to ear and everyone as Club Fetch let us know that he was a great dog and they loved having him. Well, I’m glad they loved having him because he loved being there and we will for sure be back.

We left Basil’s new favorite home away from home with one happy, sleepy dog. The moment his butt hit the back seat of the car he was in full blown coma mode. Not to be awaken until we were home.BizCAP0IMAAwYQn

We highly recommend Club Fetch for all your dog care needs. Another thing you don’t know about Club Fetch is its totally affordable! All their services and prices can be found at their website, http://www.clubfetch.comMake sure to also head over to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to follow them for daily photos of all their club members, spoiler alert, they are adorable!

Thank you Blaire, Jackson, and all the staff at Club Fetch for making the best dog club out there. Basil gives you guys 2 paws straight up!!!

If you are in the area and need a place for your pet please consider Club Fetch, you will not be sorry!

Happy St. Paddy’s day everybody!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

“You look like a muppet when you yawn!”

I always laugh when Basil yawns! He usually does it right into my face after a shared nap or long car ride. I’ve told him, almost every time, that he looks like a character from the muppets. Mostly because he opens his mouth so wide that you can’t see where his mouth ends and his throat begins. So today, after a silly puppy yawn that made me yawn in return I decided to search the internet for dog yawns.

A lot of what came up were adorable pictures of sleepy puppies as well as adult dogs looking just as cute. When I stumbled across an article from Pedigree about why dogs yawn I thought I would educate myself a little. According to Pedigree (also, About.com) dogs yawn when their patiences is running out or in anticipation or stress. Well, this may be all good and true for some dogs but I don’t think Basil has ever yawned out of stress! Today’s yawn was brought to you by a long nap and the belly rub that followed. I’ll make sure to keep my eyes out for yawns brought on by low patiences or stress but for now I’ll just enjoy those “other” kinds of yawns. You know… the ones caused by a long day of wrestling with his brother.

If you would like to read the full article from Pedigree you can find it here. http://www.pedigree.com/All-Things-Dog/Article-Library/What-Your-Dog-s-Yawn-Really-Means.aspx

Does your dog look like a Muppet when he yawns? Let me know in the comments below! Hope everyone is enjoying their Thursday. Just remember Friday is only a day away!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

A Weekend for Celebration!

On Friday evening I received some very exciting news. Our little blog, Basil’s Travels, is now a finalist in the BlogPaws 2014 conference for Best New Pet Blog.BlogPaws 2014 Nose-to-Nose Awards Finalist badge
We were extremely excited to just be nominated but to be chosen as 1 of the 4 finalist and to able to attend my first BlogPaws conference is beyond our wildest dreams. The weekend was spent celebrating with our family and spoiling a certain black & white dog for which this blog is named for.

The weather could not have been better! Its like the gods knew this was our weekend and anything other than perfect was not going to do! We spend most of our time outside with Basil, either in the front yard throwing a toy around or scouting out a new dog park.

I want to give a big thank you to BlogPaws for choosing us as a finalist. We can’t wait for the conference in Las Vegas this summer. Basil is going to party it up!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

Throwback Thursday – Summer 2011

Hello all! Life has been crazy in our neck of the woods this last week and by crazy I mean sickly. First the husband got it and then I got it and now, after thinking we were both done with it, the little bugger is trying to hold on! Its been a week of working from bed, drinking a lot of tea, and snuggling with Basil even more than normal.

For todays throwback thursday enjoy a few photos of sweet old Nolan back from the summer of 2011, when we took our engagement pictures. And even though Nolan didn’t make it to the wedding, I am so happy to have these photos to remember him by. Happy Thursday everyone… Stay well!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

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