The Year That's Been: 2015 Third Quarter

July

July is the start of continuous bad weather for my part of the world. Luckily we got a few days of sunshine in amongst that. The first picture is from our walk to Pencarrow Lighthouse, which is approximately a six hour walk there and back. As you can see from Diego's ears, it was quite windy the day that we went.  The next photo is Diego enjoying his Jolly Pets ball, while it still actually looked like a ball. These days it doesn't resemble a ball very much.

August

In August we done a post with Puss & Pooch for Yakky Charms, and the top photo is one of the set up photoshoots we done for that post. This is one of the first photos that I have actually set up a background and made Diego pose for, and I quite like it. The next photo is Diego playing with a new toy he got out of a Bow Wow Box, its safe to say that that toy didn't last much past that photo. 

September

I had so many photos from September, a lot were preparing for our Halloween month, and we also went to a charity fundraiser where I took a bunch of photos of the pooches that attended. First photo is my younger sister with Knuckles, we were going to do a video shoot to welcome DaisyPets Halloween, but ran out of time so this is a still shot from that. Next is Diego and Asha from the Tess the Dachshund charity event, the only photo of them two together! I was staying at mums for a couple of weeks in September, and therefore got the opportunity to take photos of her cats, this one is of Missy relaxing in the sun. Last photo of this quarter is Diego with his Zee.Dog Eggplant toy that we got from Wolves of Wellington. He absolutely loves this toy, and to this day still plays with it regularly. 

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The Year That's Been: 2015 Second Quarter

April

We had a distinct lack of good photos from the month of April, but one that I really enjoyed is this picture of BMO peeking out of his cuddle sack. BMO loooooves cuddle sacks, and it does remind me that I need to buy him some more for this coming winter!

May

There was a bunch of small pet photos for the month of May, including this cute one of Schmutz looking for some food while I try and take photos of him. It also happened to be Knuckles birthday month so we done a photoshoot to celebrate. He was not keen on participating in that until I brought out the vegetables!

June

There were a lot of great photos from the month of June so I had to chose my top three. The first is of Diego when we were out at the park collecting grass for the Guinea Pigs and Schmutz and I love how he is really posing. The next is of Asha, who finally learnt how to play, unfortunately he hasn't yet learnt that my slippers are not what I want him playing with. Lastly, I had a fantastic photoshoot with my younger sisters Rainbow Lorikeet, and this is one of my favourite shots from that shoot. 

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The Year That's Been: 2015 First Quarter

January

January is generally a great month, with it being the new year people are a lot friendlier, and lucky for us living in New Zealand we get some amazing Summer days. We went up to my dad's house in Tauranga and that is where I caught the photo of Diego demolishing his first soccer ball. Also, with it being Summer, we get amazing fresh fruit and vegetables for the guinea pigs at the markets. Knuckles was known for having vampire drips after eating capsicums! 

February

In February, I was really trying to improve my rabbit photography, so the whole February album contains pictures of Schmutz. It was bitter sweet looking through those photos now that he has passed, but I am glad I have some awesome photos to remember his cheeky personality with. We also got our first Bow Wow Boutique collar, which is the first of many now! 

March

March in New Zealand is when the days start to get colder, and winter starts to appear. I love the days in this time of year, when the sun is out, but there is a bitter chill to the wind. We made the most of the those days by heading down to the dog beach most days!

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The Year That's Been: 2015 Products

Hey! What better way to wrap up one year, and say hello to a new one than by sharing our favourite things from the past year. I have found so many new products this year, a lot that have been loved by the boys and I, and some that were sadly a fail. I have decided to compile everything that we loved into one list, and hope that you can try some of these products, and places too.

Dog Toy: Planet Dog Diamond Plate Ball
Diego has gone through and loved a lot of toys this year, however this toy stands out. Diego is literally obsessed with this ball. We originally got this along with other tough dog toys from Amazon in May, and he would constantly play with it until he lost it under the bed where he would cry until I retrieved it. Unfortunately we lost that toy at the dog park one day, and would have to wait until we done another Amazon order to get it again. We were at a market one day, and a stall had one sitting there, and for only $5! We purchased it immediately. I kind of wish we hadn't. We have to put this toy away because Diego will play with it 24/7 if he had the chance, and he will sit there with the ball in his mouth for hours doing nothing, or alternatively, he will be pushing the wet ball into my lap to throw it for him. When we put it away, he will often go back to that spot and cry multiple times a day. It must be a firm favourite because all his other toys are in reach when he does this. It is pretty much indestructible, has an impressive bounce on it and smells of mint!

Dog Food: Orijen 6 Fish
We have had Diego and Asha on Orijen since we got Diego as a puppy, and they have been doing so well on it. Previously, Asha had terrible skin problems, constantly itchy and had dry, dandruffy fur. Since being on Orijen that has all disappeared and his skin and fur is like a different dog. Diego was on the same general Orijen as Asha until half way through the year we changed him over to 6 Fish as I felt he may have a slight intolerance to the red meat. It has worked wonders, and his coat is wonderful due to all the Omega-3s coming from the fish. I definitely recommend this dog food to anyone and everyone.

Dog Accessory: Bow Wow Boutique Accessories 
If you know anything about our blog, you would know that we love Alex and Bow Wow Boutique! Diego owns three sets of lead and collar combos, and Asha owns a collar as well. The quality is amazing, and the amount of different styles and prints you can get means that everyone can find something they like. These accessories really stand out, and we are always getting compliments on them when we are out and about. Alex is super sweet, and every time I go to her for a weird inquiry, or something a bit different she is extremely helpful. I highly recommend these for your pets!

Random Pet Product: BecoBowls
This year I found the BecoBowl and loved everything it was and stood for. I originally purchased the large size as a water bowl for the dogs, and since then have purchased four more in ranging sizes. The bowls are made from rice husks and bamboo and is 100% biodegradable. The original bowl I purchased is sadly now in heaven as it had a pot dropped on it from height and it cracked. I got a replacement one the next day. I had also bought bowls for the guinea pigs and rabbit, and for christmas I received the smallest size for guinea pig treats. They have all lasted really well so far, they clean up nicely and also are great to look at. You can get them from Animates so makes them very accessible for New Zealanders.

Animal Book: Ivory, Apes & Peacocks
This year I hadn't read and reviewed as many pet related books as the previous year. I was rather busy with work, and activities outside of work that meant I had less time to read. I definitely will be changing that for 2016! Anyway, my favourite book out of the ones I read was Ivory, Apes & Peacocks by Alan Root. This book is all about Alan's travels around Africa, where he was a wildlife photographer and videographer. I loved this book as it involved many of the things that I love in life, wildlife (Hippos especially), video/photography, and the continent of Africa. To see my full thoughts on this, I did write up a review here.

Longest Lasting Product: Nylabone Dinosaur
We got this product, along with a few other toys, from Amazon when we were on the hunt for products that stood up to Diego in terms of toughness. Although, there are a couple of them products still around, some of them fell into different categories in this wrap up, while others are now destroyed. This one has lasted a good seven months of chewing and is still kind of around. Diego chews this toy at least once every other day, and has done for the whole time he has had it. Now it is hardly recognisable, but Diego still enjoys to chew it when he finds it in his toy basket. People do have differing opinions on Nylabones, but I take this away before Diego bleeds on it, and he is always supervised when chewing. We will be purchasing another one of these sometime in 2016.

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2016 Achievement Goals

Hey! I personally don't believe in New Year, New You, or any of those other corny lines that people say when January 1st ticks round. I think that you can and should change things you don't like within yourself when you realise them. You shouldn't have to wait for a new year to reassess your life and where you are going. With that being said, this year is kind of different for me. I have had a lot of things happen in a short amount of time, which has placed mine and the pets lives upside down. Therefore, I have been reassessing a lot of things and have decided some things I would love to achieve with the pets and the blog for 2016.

1. Interview Series
Last year, we interviewed Alex from Bow Wow Boutique and it had such amazing feedback and was one of my favourite posts of the year. I want to continue this into the new year, and interview many small business owners, possibly aim for one a month. I think this is an awesome way to find new small businesses, but also inspire others out there to follow their passion and dreams.

2. YouTube Videos
I have been sporadically uploading videos to YouTube over the last year and a half, but have never been able to have a schedule for these, or atleast upload semi regularly. This is something I really want to work on into this year, as I really enjoy making videos as well as watching others. If you would want to watch these, head over to our YouTube and subscribe so you won't ever miss an upload.

3. Agility Competition
Diego is now of an age where he will be allowed to compete in an Agility Competition and this is something I have always been excited to do with him. So for 2016 I will want to not only teach Diego the ins and outs of Agility, I want to be able to compete in our first competition. I will be definitely writing blog posts (and possibly videos) on our progress so you can follow along with us.

4. More Charity Work
As we become a little bit more known in the community as DaisyPets, I would love to use that reach to help more animals and charities in need. Animal Rescues and Charities have always been important to me, and we have done some work with HUHA but I would love to do more hands on work and actually make more of a difference. So not only will I start to volunteer my time for cleaning and dog walking, I will be running different things through our FaceBook page in hope of raising funds, or products for these charities.

5. Explore More of New Zealand
New Zealand is a beautiful place, and although I have really explored a few places that I have lived and holidayed, I have missed a giant chunk of the country. I am blessed to live in one of the most beautiful countries, and up until now I have somewhat ignored that fact. So, this being my main goal of 2016, I want to explore more of the country with Diego in tow. I have hardly been to the South Island so that will be where I want to try and see the most, but also am hoping to do a bunch of Weekend trips to random parts of the North Island. I will also be documenting this throughout the year, so you will be able to see some of the awesome places we visit.

Thank you for reading. I would love to hear what kind of things that you are hoping to achieve this year. Leave a comment below with all your ideas!

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2016 Pet Blogger Challenge

Another year done and dusted! Last year, I completed the 2015 Pet Blogger Challenge that is run by the blog and website GoPetFriendly. I had a great time, and found a lot of awesome pet bloggers that I have continued to read throughout the year. So of course, we had to do it again this year! If you want to join in, all you have to do is go across to the Go Pet Friendly blog and it will have all the instructions. I hope you enjoy my answers, and I look forward to reading yours :)

1. How long have you been blogging? And, for anyone who is visiting for the first time, please give a quick description of the subject of your blog.

I have been blogging since March of 2014. Daisy Pets is a blog 100% dedicated to all things pets and animals. I blog about my own experiences with my two dogs, and two guinea pigs, as well as review a range of products. I review everything from animal related books and humane human products to dog and small pet products. I have a passion for writing and animal photography so that often features in the blog as well.

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

There has been a lot of moments this year that I have been amazingly happy about. I have met so many talented and friendly people through the blog and love being able to work with these great people. One stand out moment is to do with Puss & Pooch. We originally won a contest through their Facebook to trial their new product and give an honest review of it. From there we had contact multiple other times, and Janelle sent me new items to try which was amazingly generous. Now we have a coupon code that offers 25% off the whole Puss & Pooch site! The coupon code is 'DAISYPETS'. I am excited to see what other opportunities come our way, and what we can achieve with Puss & Pooch in 2016.

3. Which of your blog posts was your favorite this year and why? (Please include a link.)

My favourite blog post that I made this year has to be my interview with Alex from Bow Wow Boutique. I hadn't done anything like it previously, and it was so well received. I love the idea of spotlighting a bunch of small businesses that are making fantastic animal products. I definitely will be doing more interviews like these in the future.
Link to the interview: http://www.daisypets.co.nz/2015/08/interview-with-bow-wow-boutique.html

4. A common theme from last year’s challenge was that many of us wanted to increase the size of our audiences. Whether or not we intend to monetize our blogs, it seems we’d all like to reach more people. It feels good to know that we’re connecting with others, sharing a laugh or supporting a cause, and it’s motivating to see those numbers grow! What is one thing you’ve done in the past year that has brought more traffic to your blog?

I haven't worked too hard on trying to get more traffic, I have just been cruising this year, writing what about things I like, and enjoying it as the last year I got too caught up in who was seeing my blog that I stopped enjoying it. I have found that connecting with brands via social media is a great help in bringing traffic in as they like to share content about their product as much as I like writing it.

5. Which of your blog posts got the most traffic this year? Why do you think it was so popular? (Please include a link.)

The post with the most traffic that was written this year was my June review of the Bow Wow Box, however my review of SkinFood products was written last year, but gained most of its views this year. The reason both of these got popular is that I shared the content with the businesses that make the products through social media, and they then shared it to their fan base. This was a win/win for both the businesses and I, as the businesses got exposure for their product being good, and I got foot traffic to my blog.
June Bow Wow Box: http://www.daisypets.co.nz/2015/07/june-bow-wow-box.html
SkinFood Review: http://www.daisypets.co.nz/2014/07/out-of-conventional-skinfood-skin-care.html

6. What is one blog that you read religiously – other than your own – and what makes you such a devoted reader? (Please include a link.)

My favourite and most read blog this year has definitely been 'Keep the Tail Wagging', which is strange because we blog about completely different things! I love her outlook on life and blogging, and all her posts are so informative and interesting and written in a way that keeps you engaged. I don't currently raw feed, and probably won't any time soon due to a number of silly excuses on my side, but I love learning all about it through her blog.
Kimberly's blog: http://keepthetailwagging.com/

7. What resources do you rely on to enhance your technical, writing, photography, social media, or other skills that improve your blog?

This question had me thinking for a little bit, but I think my most used resource in general is Lightroom, which is a photo editing software. All my photos are shot on my Canon 70d, and shot RAW which means I have to put them through an editing software to change them over to jpeg. This means I can also adjust little things in the photo that I would like. Without this tool, I really feel that my content across the blog and social media would be lacking.

8. What is the best piece of advice you can offer other bloggers?

Be yourself. The worst thing you could do is try and mimic someone else in order to achieve their success. It won't work out. There is enough space on the internet for everyone, and for everyone's different interests and styles. Just stick to yourself, show your passions and don't be afraid of anything, readers will come to you naturally if you are as authentic as possible. They will also trust your opinion more.

9. What is your vision for your blog in 2016? Do you have specific goals?

This has been the hardest question out of all of them. I haven't really thought about it, I am definitely a passion blogger, and have no financial interest in my blog at the moment. I think I want to be more consistent, maybe even have certain days and times that I will posting so that my readers know when to expect a new post. I don't have any specific goals otherwise, but I just want to continue what I have started and grow the community, both within my living area, but also throughout the world. I would love to get the blog behind some more charity work as well.

10. You have the attention of the pet blogging community – is there one blogging challenge you’d like help with, or one aspect of your blog that you’d like input on?

I am not sure how the whole SEO thing works, and as much as I have tried to understand it, it still baffles me. If someone could 'SEO for Dummies' me, I would really appreciate that!

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