Woody turned 8 today! I've only had him for a little more than 3 of those years but it's still going by way too fast. He will be celebrating at his favorite place in the world: Camp Bow Wow. Speaking of Camp Bow Wow, the franchise was featured on Good Morning America yesterday. More on that later this week. For now, enjoy the view I see every morning and be jealous:

It's officially that time of year (you know, when the year is about to end) and people across the country are frantically trying to make resolutions for things they wish to accomplish in 2014. Research at the University of Scranton found that only 8% of people complete their resolutions. As you might expect, this year's top 10 are as follows:

1. Lose weight
2. Get organized
3. Spend less, save more
4. Live life to the fullest
5. Stay fit and healthy
6. Learn something exciting
7. Quit smoking
8. Help others in their dreams
9. Fall in love
10. Spend more time with family

All of these on the surface are much easier said than done because all of them are actually pretty vague. One of the reasons why I believe most people find it difficult to achieve these resolutions is that they don't break their hopes and dreams into actionable, SMART goals. In other words, they are not Specific enough, there is no plan for Measurement, they are so vague that they become unAttainable and unRealistic, and there is no Time limit on when they would like to see results.

When I hear stories of resolution making and I see articles about how people failed, it's easy to dismiss this trend as just a cliche part of our society. But, I still believe that resolutions are a great way to give yourself a fresh perspective and sense of self. For me, it's less about making some vague "I want to lose weight" or "I want to manage my money" statement. I have a running list on my fridge of all the things I want to accomplish this year. I can always add to it, however there will be no taking away from it because that's cheating, right?

A few of these are a little more vague (get promoted, pay off car) but this is mainly because they don't need explaining on my fridge. There is a set date at work when promotions take place so no timeline is needed. I either get it or I don't. As for my car, I don't really care when I get it paid off, just as long as it happens in 2014. I will consider 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2014 a success. Also, both of these encompass popular resolution 3.

Most of my 2014 goals tie back to new experiences I'd like to have and will give me a reason to do something new with the boyfriend, friends and my dog. These primarily encompass popular resolutions 4, 6 and 10, plus 9 when I do some of these with my boyfriend. I believe that any time you add new experiences to a relationship and see the world together you are strengthening your bond more than you had the day before.

In terms of things to do with Woody, the dog parks are the obvious activities. I sadly haven't taken him to any of the nearby dog parks, even though I said I would do so last year. Now that it's on my fridge and on the internet, I am 100% accountable. Other Woody-centric goals include blogging once a week (because I blog about him, in case you missed that), exploring three different Metroparks and running at least three races. Woody can join me in the Metropark adventures, and he is a great companion when I am training for races. Also, one of the 5ks I definitely plan to do is the Berea ARF Monster Mutt Dash. For those who are unfamiliar with the Berea ARF, they are one of Ohio's largest No-Time Limit Animal Shelters. Woody actually would be able to run this race with me, something that I'm sure will be a highlight for him.

So there you have it, my goals for 2014. I'd love to hear your resolutions, especially those that are dog friendly!

It's safe to say Woody and I had a wonderful Christmas. Here are some highlights from the last few days:

Yep. I did it. I entered my dog in a photo contest for the sake of $50 to my favorite pet store, PetPeople. Voting ends at midnight Friday, so if you could show him some love that would be fantastic. Below is a sneak peak of the entry photo, and you can vote for him on Facebook. Thanks, friends!

Yes, this is what my life has become.

I dropped $100 last night at PetCo on presents for the dogs in my life. This wasn't even for ALL of the dogs in my life. And I'm not done yet, because I still have to make a run to Pet People to get the rest of Woody's Christmas and birthday presents. At least for Woody, I can justify it by saying these are all treats and things that Woody needs and I would actually buy him throughout the year. Plus, I prefer to purchase items that were made in the USA or Canada, which you would think would drive the price down. For the rest of the dogs (five total), I have no excuse other than that I just like to spoil them because its fun. American consumerism at its finest, perhaps? You caught me.

How do you spoil your pets during the holidays?

Hello friends! November was a crazy month, which I guess would explain the lack of posts. I was so busy with my paying writing job that extra curricular writing wasn't really in the cards last month. But, Woody and I are back! No real updates on the dog front. Allergy season for Woody has come and gone, so now we're just looking forward to the holidays. Woody will be 8 years old on New Year's Eve, which blows my mind. Not only does he have the energy of an 8-month-old puppy, but he doesn't miss a beat on anything. I hope this is a good sign for many more dog years to come.


Woody does have a wretched scab at the moment. I noticed he had a huge cut on his neck the other morning and immediately gave him a bath and left his collar off for the rest of the day. Here is what it looks like now, still ugly, but healing:

In terms of human things, this weekend was Black Friday and Cyber Monday (what, you hadn't heard?). I bought a few things here and there for friends and family, but my big purchase for myself was not a big screen, a tablet or even a pair of shoes. It was...A Bissell Spotbot Pet Handsfree Spot and Stain Cleaner with Deep Reach Technology. Jealous? This bad boy has amazing reviews and has been on my radar for awhile, but it just hadn't seemed justifiable to shell out $200 for it. This weekend, it was $98 on Amazon and I was able to add on the cleaners for much cheaper than what I would pay otherwise. I'm hopeful that this will come in handy for all those (un)intentional messes Woody likes to make in random spots throughout my apartment. I'm pretty sure a few years ago I would have used this $98 at Express' 50% off sale, but I guess this what happens when you decide you want your living spaces to be nice, not just your clothes.

For my human moms out there, my friend Maggie, mother of two twin girls, posted her Black Friday steals over on her blog. Obviously her purchases were on a much larger scale, but it made me a feel better that I wasn't the only one buying something big as a direct result of having someone small to care for.


P.S. GO BUCKEYES!