Month: July 2015

Just Keep Swimming… Just Keep Swimming….

Basil, Luna, my sister-in-law Sara, and I headed to the dog park yesterday for some play time and a swim in the lake. Luna (Sara’s black lab mix) is a grade A water dog. The moment she spotted the beach she was off!

Basil isn’t that much of a swimmer. He just likes to dip his paws in the water and play with other dogs on the beach. Recently we got him a life jacket. The thought was that maybe if he felt a little more comfortable in the water he would want to swim with us. Well, it worked! It only took a few times in the water and Basil became swimmer dog.

Check out the this video of Basil first official swim with his life jacket on.

If your dog needs a life jacket this summer we recommend the Aussie Life Jacket. I got it at TJ Maxx for a steal at only $16.99. Brightly colored, handy top handles, and floats like a champ. (Not a sponsored post. Just really happy with the product!)

I can’t wait to hit up the water again and see Basil do some more swimming. So proud of him!

Does your dog love to swim? Let me know!

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

Best Buds Forever! 

 Sometimes you just need a snuggle from a good friend. Happy Wednesday internet friends! Go find yourself a good friend to snuggle and remember, 2 days until the weekend!

Travel well, nap well, let’s be well!
-Abbey & Basil

Basil presents Dog Friendly Destinations – Leavenworth, WA!

Dog Friendly Destinations - Leavenworth, WA Happy Travel Tuesday! Have you ever wanted to travel to Bavaria but don’t want to leave the US? Head to Leavenworth, WA. A little bavarian village in the mountains outside Seattle, Washington.  Dog friendly, family friendly, and a serious good time!

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

Make it Monday! DIY Doggy Ice Block!

Its been a super hot summer so far. Even in Seattle we have been seeing temps of 90 to 100 at least once a week. For this Make it Monday! I thought I would make something that would help cool down the pups on these hot days. I call it, thanks to my sister-in-law, fruit chicken soup!

 What you need

  • A Tupperware container or bucket (I used a 7 quart Tupperware with a lid) 
  • Tap water
  • Chicken broth 
  • Dog friendly fruits & vegetables (I used blueberries, strawberries, and carrots.)
  • Freezer 

 First I filled the Tupperware half with tap water and half with chicken broth. Then I added chopped strawberries, and carrots as well as a cup and a half of fresh blueberries.

 The next step was to freeze over night. It may take longer or shorter depending on the size of container you choose.

This morning when we wake up the sun was shining and the mercury was already rising. I pulled the fruit chicken soup from the freezer and with a little help from the hot water tap I was able to pop out the ice block. I took it outside and Basil, and our housemates dogs, Luna, and Hank went to town.

Dogs love ice blocks!This was a serious success! I am very happy with the result and the dogs really enjoyed it.
I highly recommend doing this for your dog this summer. Feel free to add dog food, dog treats, and toys or whatever your dog prefers.

Let me know how it goes!

How was you weekend? Until next time! Xoxo

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

Black & White Sunday! Hold Fast Seadog! 

 Hope your weeking is going well and your finding a way to stay cool.
Tomorrow on Make It Monday! We are making large dog popsicle. Check back then to see how to see to make them.

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

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Wordless Wednesday! Faux Fire Hydrant!

“I’m not sure if I should pee on this, lick it, or both!” 

I think the answer was BOTH!

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

BP_Wordless_wed_Hop_Logo_2014 (more…)

Travel Tuesday! Basil presents Dog Friendly Destinations – Seattle, WA!

Happy Travel Tuesday! So the Leavenworth, WA post is not ready. Some unforeseen stuff happened today and the the infographic didn’t get finished. So instead please enjoy Basil presents dog friendly destinations- Seattle,WA! Dog Friendly Destinations - Seattle, WA
This is only part 1 and part 2 will be coming in a couple of weeks. Where are some of your favorite places to take your dog in Seattle? Where should be travel next? Let me know!

Hope your day is going well! Until next time! Xoxo

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

Make it Monday! DIY paw print art!

Art is what you can get away with. -Andy Warhol
  Happy Monday everyone! It’s so good to be back and even though we are still super busy it feels so great to be posting and sharing our adventures with all of you!

 Today on Make it Monday! we got a little creative, Basil and I did some custom paw print art work. It was super easy and we had a lot of fun. I seriously love the 2 pieces we made and can’t wait to hang them in our new home!

What you need

  • Blank Canvas (Any size. I used square)
  • Non-toxic water based acrylic paint (I used Crayola washable kids paint)
  • A plastic shower curtain liner or painting drop cloth
  • Wet wipes

 I found all these things at Target at a great price. I was surprised to find the canvas but I guess Target is getting pretty artsy. That worked in my favor! I decided to use the shower curtain liner as the floor covering and I couldn’t be happier. I purchased the cheapest one they had, $2.49, and it worked like a charm. The magnets those things have weighted down the sheet so when I throw it out on the lawn it stayed put, even with a bit of a summers breeze.   Next all I did was set out the canvas onto the shower liner, poured out a small amount of my desired color onto the shower liner next to the canvas, and let Basil walk through it. Then I had Basil walk directly onto the blank canvas. He wasn’t super into that part but he put up with it! You can also apply paint to 1 paw and press that paw onto the canvas. We did both.

After its all said and done the clean up was a breeze. I used the wet wipes to clean the paint off Basils paws and to clean the paint off the shower liner. I thought about just throwing the liner away but we really didn’t make that much of a mess. If you have a larger dog with bigger paws I would recommend a large wet wash cloth and maybe just saying good bye to the liner.

Once back in the house (We did this all in the front yard. I’m sure my neighbors and the UPS guy were all very curious as to what was happen!) Basil got a short little puppy bath with our favorite Burt’s Bees Apple & Oatmeal dog shampoo and is now happily napping.

Here is what our final creations look like. Once they’re dry I’ll add Basil’s name to the corner. He did do the majority of the work after all!

 What do you think of our art? Do you love it? I think it’s so post modern.

Let me know if you try this project and how it came out. I would love to see it!

A big thanks goes to Treats a la Bark for the original idea. I saw their take on this fun little art piece on Pinterest and had to give it a try.

Tomorrow is Travel Tuesday and I’ll be posting about Leavenworth, Washington. Make sure to check back then to learn about our favorite dog friendly spots in this little Bavarian village. Xoxo

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

We’re back!!

Our feet (and paws) have hit Pacific Northwest soil. We are back on the west coast!

A Taste of Basil's time on Lake Chelan
A Taste of Basil’s time on Lake Chelan

After a long cross country move and a crazy family vacation, we are finally getting back to the swing of things. I’ll be back to posting about our adventures and just the the silly things that happen in the life of Basil, Willow, and Sebastian on a daily basis.

Our first official post back will be a Make it Monday. I have a few ideas in the works but if you have something you really want me to try let me know in the comments.

Until then make sure your following us on Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/basilstravels) for even more Boston terrier fun!

Thanks everyone for sticking around through this little hiatus. We all really appreciate you!!

Now on to seeing what kind of trouble we can get into in the land of fish, trees, rain, and the 12th man! Xoxo

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil