Summer Walking Wardrobe Revamp!

After seeing this article on The Bark Post a few weeks back, I have been thinking a lot about the possibility of a "meet cute" during my morning walks with Holly. In fact, I have a friend who met her husband while they were both out taking their pups on a stroll in the early morning hours. Not only will I know this handsome gentleman is a fellow dog lover, but I also get Holly's immediate read on a potential love interest! Win-win!

Of course, in order to have a "meet cute" with a dashing stranger, I have to actually feel like I look cute. And let me tell you--this can be tough to pull off with no makeup, no coffee, and an eager to walk pup not allowing for any pre walk primping. However, I know I need to step up my game a bit to go from "I just rolled out of bed" to #Iwokeuplikethis. Here are some pieces I'll be adding to elevate my confidence and style without sacrificing walking time:

Clockwise from Upper Left:
Headband, Sweaty Bands
Turban, BabyJulesBoutique12
Leggings, Victoria's Secret
Tee, Megan Lee Designs
Yoga Pants, Victoria's Secret
Sweatshirt, Unit-Y (on sale!)
Sweatshirt, Lululemon (on sale!)

Do you know someone who met their S.O. through their pup? I'd love to hear the story! Share in the comments below :)

Until Next Time, Darlings!

Weekend Wander: Shakespeare With the Dog

Ok, I know, it's not technically the weekend yet, but Holly and I were lucky enough to have a Summer Friday on "Take Your Dog to Work Day," so rather than take her to my actual work, we met up with some friends from work to take on Shakespeare in the Park.

In case you are unfamiliar, Shakespeare in the Park is New York City's annual free Shakespeare event in Central Park. They produce two shows each season, and free tickets may be obtained either online through a lottery system or the day of the production at 12 noon. Of course, people who want the tickets at 12 noon need to start lining up early, and bring snacks, magazines, and blankets to hunker down for hours in order to secure a ticket (we got there at 7:30am and were probably some of the last to get tickets to the production).

"To pee, or not to pee. That is the question."

Of course, Holly doesn't mind an excuse to spend several hours in the park, though she does seem to mind the sitting in one place portion of it :). Even though this year I came prepared with toys to distract her, she spent the first hour of the morning happily picking up sticks and having me promptly take them from her. Puppy parenting fun!!

"Alas, poor squirrel. I knew him."

In between snacking on sticks, Holly was super excited to run into one of her friends from school, Aries, who we also saw at the Bagel and Bark event hosted by Central Park Paws a couple weeks ago. Aries chilled on our blanket for a bit before continuing his romp, and was replaced by a fluffy Maltese named Elmo, and then a poodle named Betty who really just seemed down to spending the whole day on our blanket. You couldn't blame her--my friend's uber talented sister, Ariah, had whipped out her guitar and was entertaining us with some beautiful tunes--Holly even temporarily stopped her stick hunting to listen!!

"If music be the food of love, play on (unless, of course, you have actual food)."

Finally Holly laid down and was really getting into the Shakespeare in the Park line thing. It was at that exact moment, of course, that we were informed it was time to stand up and collect our tickets! Pups can't attend the show, but having a puppy accompany you sure does make the line waiting go faster!!

"Give thy thoughts no tongue, and thy shoes no sniffs."

Here are our tips for bringing your pup to the Shakespeare in the Park line!

1. Check the weather. Once you get to the line you can't leave for a prolonged period, and you don't want your pup suffering through sweltering heat or pouring rain!

2. Bring water and toys to keep your pup entertained. There is also a deli that delivers to the line in case you or your four legged friend need some extra snacks!

3. Bring some friends! They can come in handy with holding your pup in case you need to make a trip to the restrooms or Starbucks after you get your tickets.

You can check out this year's show schedule here. And be sure to like Little Holly's Big World on our new Facebook page!!

Until Next Time, Darlings! Parting is such sweet sorrow!!

Thought For The Day

Hello lovely followers (new and old)!

I am overwhelmed by the amount of people stopping by after our feature on Bark Post!! I hope all of you have fun being a part of our world, we sure love having you here!

Holly and I have an exciting weekend planned that we can't wait to tell you all about, but as a little treat for our readers old & new who are checking us out this week, I had to share this tidbit from this morning's walk.

There is a woman who we run into many mornings on our way to the park who loves to strike up conversation. This morning, she commented on how cute Holly is (of course), and asked if she sleeps in the bed with me (also, of course!!).

She said:

If you ask me, truer words have never been spoken!

Until Next Time, Darlings!!

Paw-sitively Fabulous: Barkfest At Sniffany's Photo Session

I'm so excited to finally share our fabulous photos from our portrait session with Seriously Sabrina Photography. Sabrina was so wonderful to work with, and really took the concept and ran with it! I told her while we were strolling thorough the Park that seeing engagement photos on Facebook inspired me to photograph the most significant relationship in my life, and I truly feel like she was able to capture that through these images. Enjoy!

Until Next Time, Darlings!

The Dog Days of Summer

We can't believe Summer is FINALLY here! There were some days when it was 2 degrees outside when it seemed like we may never get warm weather again, but now we have the A/C blasting! I'm sure we'll be sick of the sticky humidity and praying for snow again by September, but in the meantime it's all early Summer spirit over at LHBW HQ!!

Maybe I was a little overzealous with the air conditioning this day.

Of course with Summer in New York comes an infinite number of pup-friendly activities, such as waiting in the Shakespeare in the Park line (we'll cover that after our first trek for Much Ado About Nothing tickets later this month!), sharing a couple licks of fro yo at Forty Carrots (or a pup friendly custard at Shake Shack), or just enjoying the sunshine with alfresco drinks or dining. But fun in the sun can also mean dehydration, irritated paws from the scalding pavement, and visits from biting insects like mosquitoes and ticks. Below are some of our tips on how to have fun in the sun while staying safe!

1. If possible, try to do the most walking early in the morning or after dusk, when the temperatures aren't as hot and the sidewalks have a chance to cool down.

We love to take early Summer morning jaunts to the Park, where the "Central Pack" runs off leash until 9am (though we stay on leash to protect the New York squirrel population). The park even hosts "Bagel and Bark" events with breakfast for humans and pups during the warmer months, providing a chance to socialize in sweatpants, which isn't something that happens nearly often enough!

Holly loves Central Park on the weekends!

In hot pursuit of an unsuspecting squirrel.

2. If you must walk during the day, be sure to take frequent breaks for water and paw protection.

I was so excited when I saw these sandals at Petco, thinking that my Summer pavement meets paw problems were solved forever. Of course, if you have ever tried to put a sandal on a chihuahua, you can imagine how that ended (even if you haven't, I'm sure you can guess...not well). So in lieu of proper footwear to beat the heat, I make sure if I am out with Holly during the day that we stop into dog friendly stores en route to our destination to give her little paws a break from the scalding pavement. I also carry a water bottle with me to provide consistent hydration without having to rely on the yucky shared water bowls sitting outside of stores (though Holly, in true Holly fashion, immensely enjoyed the one inside the Ralph Lauren store and proceeded to splash water all over the marble floor). 

This Dog Is Good water bottle comes with a roller ball that allows dogs to lick for water without spilling (much).

3. Prepare for Summer rain with a lightweight, packable coat.

Just because it's warm out doesn't mean Holly enjoys going out in the rain anymore than usual! My mom found an adorable Fab Dog rain coat for her that is lightweight enough for hot Summer days and also folds into a handy pouch that can be tossed in our bag in case we are surprised with a sudden shower. 

Of course an added bonus is how snazzy Holly looks in it!

4. Be prepared for mosquitoes and ticks by protecting your dog before you leave home.

I have Holly on heartworm medication year round to protect her from the harmful parasites that are transmitted by mosquitoes. Once it warms up, I use a natural product for flea and tick defense rather than traditional pesticides, because I didn't like the idea of using chemicals on Holly given that she is only in areas with tick danger a few days out of the year. The spray I use is more high maintenance than the monthly application of chemical repellents (it must be re-applied every 3-4 days or after excessive sweating or bathing), but it's natural ingredients include cinnamon which smells incredible, so I don't mind giving Holly a quick spritz before we head out the door!  

Naturally pest free (and smelling like a Cinnabon!)

What are your Summer essentials for your pet? Do you have any tips for keeping them safe when the mercury rises?

Until Next Time, Darlings!