Thankful Thursday - 3 (Now 2!) Weeks to BlogPaws!

Revised for SITS Girls! June 9, 2012: Only 12 days to BlogPaws!!!

And what do Women Bloggers/Mommy Bloggers & Pet Bloggers have in common? Wanting to learn more about social media, improve their skills, network with pros, monetize their blogs... and - a lot of them have pets, too! And they're all welcome to join us at the BlogPaws Social Media Conference and the BlogPaws online community!

Happy Thursday! I'm so excited and happy that we're getting so close to BlogPaws!

I just heard from a friend that some folks think it's only for dogs!!? 
I'm sorry, but cats *have* paws, no? And many of us blog - or have people who blog about us... My mom helps me with my blog, and she works for BlogPaws, so we're going to try to explain it a little more for folks who haven't heard of it before, or just aren't clear what it's all about...

Bloggin', bloggin' bloggin'... 

The BlogPaws Pet Blogging and Social Media Conference is for cats, dogs, birds, bunnies, ferrets, capybaras, humans (even veterinarians!) and any reasonable facsimiles thereof, including flat pets and, in my case, a stuffed plush stand-in for me, 'cause I hate traveling.

Moshe the Sphynx at BlogPaws
Photo via Curlz & Swirlz

Curlz and Swirls attending a Blogpaws session

Snotface the ferret & Dexter at BlogPaws

Plush Cokie & the Flat Pets
Good name for a band

I travel vicariously through Plush Cokie. I live it up a lot here in Hollywood without him, too, fear not...

Pret-ty Co-zy...

You don't HAVE to bring a pet - or be a pet - for BlogPaws, but you can if you want to, is the thing. You don't HAVE TO be a pet blogger, either. I would say being an animal lover is a prerequisite, though.  ; ) 
BlogPaws is a conference that is educational, inspirational and super fun for anyone who wants to learn more about blogging, monetizing blogs, building your audience, book publishing, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, WordPress, copyrights, video production, and lots of other stuff. There are 31 sessions over three days that you can mix and match any way you like. There's even a track for vets. 
BlogPaws is at the Salt Lake City Sheraton June 21-23, 2012 - which I'm excited to say is only three weeks away! Pets are permitted all over the hotel - in your rooms, session rooms, at dinners and entertainment events, and in the Exhibition Hall, where more than 50 pet related brands will be networking with bloggers - and 'microbloggers': Folks who post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.

Sheraton Salt Lake City - Let's Go!!

There'll be celebrities - Tillman the Skateboarding Bulldog and Norman the Scooter Dog from Animal Planet's "Who Let The Dogs Out," Jackson Galaxy from Animal Planet's "My Cat From Hell" (talking to us via skype in the moderncat Catification Lounge, live from his book tour), and YouTube sensations Jasmine the Pup and Paige the Border Collie. 

Tillman and Norman from Animal Planet's 
"Who Let The Dogs Out"

BlogPaws has the most inspirational keynote speakers, who'll get you amped up for taking your social media skills to the next level - and for helping animals. BlogPaws and their wonderful sponsors also make donations to great animal charities at every conference and a Be The Change session devoted to what we can do individually to make a difference in pets' lives. 

Indie folk pop singer songwriter/catlady Sarah Donner will perform Friday night, and on Saturday evening, they'll host the first annual red carpet BlogPaws Social Media "Nose-to-Nose" Awards Ceremony, MC'd by television personality/humanitarian Wendy Diamond from AnimalFair.com, which will be live-streamed around the world, in conjunction with a simultaneously Twitter #BlogPawty - so everyone everywhere can be in on that event!

If you haven't registered yet, you still can HERE. If you have any questions, you can tweet @blogpaws, leave a post on Facebook at www.facebook.com/blogpaws or shoot an email to BlogPawsTeam@blogpaws.com. 
I hope that clears things up! And that Mom will see you at BlogPaws, 'cause that would make me REALLY happy!
Now, what are you Thankful for/happy about today??

Wordless Wednesday

Still time to register!

Me, Marcus & Manny at BlogPaws!

I'm assuming if you're reading this, you know all about the BlogPaws pet conference June 21 - 23, 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mom works for BlogPaws as their Special Projects Manager, so she's busy helping plan all kinds of cool stuff for the conference.  

We're only four weeks away and she is really excited to hook up with all her pet blogger pals, all the pet related brands and sponsors she made friends with at last year's conference, the veterinarians, the celebrities, and - of course - the pets! 


At last year's BlogPaws conference, in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, Mom made lots of animal friends. There was a paparazzi explosion when ferrets Marcus and Manny (@informedferret) got together with my stunt double in the exhibit hall. (That's my guy wearing my pants.)

My stunt double (in my pants), Marcus & Manny
BlogPaws 2011

There's going to be a #BlogPawsChat on Twitter on Tuesday, May 29th, from 8-9pm Eastern Time. @BlogPaws will be there to answer questions and a whole bunch of us who are going, will be there to... chat!  ; ) 


If you have any questions about BlogPaws - if you haven't decided yet about going, if you're only just hearing about it now, or if you want to talk or get tips from other people who are going to the conference, come on by Twitter #BlogPawsChat on this Tuesday.


We'll have another #BlogPawsChat on Tuesday, June 12 - and a #BlogPawty on Tuesday, June 5th! So, make a note to join us on Twitter for the next 3 Tuesdays!

Use this code for a 20% discount on your BlogPaws registration: 
BlogPaws2012-Cokie


See ya!
Cokes

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop is Baaack!

Yes, friends, it's once again time to articulate your gratitude. Thankful Thursday has returned, and I'll try my best to keep up this blog hop every week, giving us all a nudge to appreciate our blessings. 

This week, I want to thank Boris Kitty for his awesome Sci-Fi Pawty last March (yes, this is way overdue). He threw the most awesome bash, raised lots of money for 1 by 1 Cat Rescue in PA, and gave away killer pawty prizes, the most cool of all being the PLUSH ALIEN FACE HUGGER that I WON!

@BorisKitty modeling the prize

Me and my Alien Face Hugger
Look how nicely we match

I decided though, that I had so much already to be thankful for that I should give my beloved Alien Face Hugger to Mom's nephew, so AFH is now hugging his face in Austin, Texas, and you may meet them BOTH at BlogPaws!  ; ) 

Mom's nephew models Alien Face Hugger
Isn't he a handsome little guy?

Your turn! What are you thankful for today? Post on your blog and come back later today to link up below. (I let my LinkyTools subscription lapse and have to wait for Brent to reinstate me later today!) Post a link to your FB page and on Twitter, too.


Put the Thankful Thursday badge on your blog (there's a widget code in the right sidebar) so folks know what's up, and then add the blog hop code, which will also be below laer today, to add the other blog hoppers to your page. 

Cheers!

Cokie

Wordless Wednesday

Join the BlogPaws Blog Hop!

Shrek and my stand-in
at Madame Tussauds, Hollywood

#AAAC graphic artists honored today at BlogPaws sponsored Awards on Twitter (& I attend a Hlwd Block Pawty!)

Honoring graphic artists in the anipal community

Sponsored by BlogPaws!

I'll be at the #AAAC Anipal Academy Awards Graphic Artists Recognition Ceremony on Twitter a little later today. Here's the invitation for more info: http://twtvite.com/preblogpawspawty.

First, I have to 'represent' at a block pawty at Hollywood and Highland for 'locals only' from 10am to 1pm pacific time, then I'll sneak back into the BlogPaws sponsored #AAA Pawty.

See, if you actually live in Hollywood, you show your local ID, and today only, we get a free tour of the Kodak Theatre, as it's set up for Cirque du Soleil's production of IRIS, free admission to Madame Tussaud's wax museum and a tour (and popcorn!) of the Chinese Theatre (which is where we always go to the movies anyway, but we've never actually taken the tour.)

Hollywood Sign from 'Hollywood and Highland' terrace

WALK OF FAME (AKA Mom's exercise route)

KODAK THEATRE

Come back tomorrow and I'll share my tip and pics with you for your next trip to HOLLYWOOD!!

And don't forget, you still have time to register for BlogPaws here: http://registration.blogpaws.com/ There are pet brands just waiting to meet and network with you - the pet blogger! Don't miss this opportunity to make the connections that could be pivotal in your career as a blogger!!

Love,
Cokie the Cat: Hollywood Insider
=^..^=

Save BlogPaws Live-Streaming!!

Dear Pals, if you're thinking of registering for BlogPaws Live-Streaming, please, for the dogs' sake, DO IT NOW - or it may have to go away - which will SUCK! If you've already registered, please spread the word!! 

Don't just do it for yourself, do it for all the others who live too far away, aren't mobile enough, or just can't afford the trip to Salt Lake City, but still want to be part of BlogPaws and have the opportunity to participate in some of the courses! If enough people don't sign up TODAY, BlogPaws will have to cancel the Live-Streaming altogether.

From BlogPaws yesterday: 

Should it stay … or should it go, now? 

Sing it with me! Okay, seriously …

Our purpose for offering the BlogPaws 2012 “Online Experience” with live-streamed and recorded video was to make it accessible for folks who can’t get to SLC. Plus, one of the most repeated feedback items we get from attendees at the conference is that you wish you could go to more sessions, but can’t due to time conflicts. We hoped the recorded video would solve some of that problem, too. 

We’ve heard that lots of you had intentions of taking advantage. But so far, registrations are behind predictions. Which means, we need to decide whether to cancel the video production effort.

We’ve always relied on our community to tell us what they want –so, we want to let you decide. If you really want this, if having sessions recorded for later viewing, or for viewing because you can’t be there, please register by tomorrow, Friday, May 18, at midnight. We need to receive at least 20 new people in this time frame to make this a go! Or, should I say, “a stay”?

Again, we want to leave the decision up to our community. If you or someone you know, have been planning to take advantage of our live and recorded video sessions at BlogPaws 2012, register now! And, please help us get the word out. 

Thanks so much from me, the BlogPaws Team, and @PepiSmartDog (Down Under)

Do it for me, mate?

Cokie

Wordless Wednesday

"Animal Practice" on NBC

There's what looks like a totally cute new show coming up next season called "Animal Practice," about a grumpy New York veterinarian who loves his patients, but people - not so much. Sounds sort of like the "House" of vets.


Animal Practice stars Justin Kirk (from "Weeds" & "Angels in America") as Dr. George Coleman and Crystal - the capuchin monkey ("Night at the Museum" & "We Bought a Zoo") as Dr. Zaius. There are some other human and animal actors, too, but I think Justin and Crystal are going to steal the show.  ; ) 

Dr. Zaius & Dr. Coleman in "Animal Practice"

The half-hour sit com will air this fall on Wednesday nights at 8pm Eastern/Pacific and 7pm Central on NBC. Here are a couple of clips:

You can follow the show on Twitter @animalpractice and like it on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/animalpractice. The official NBC show website is HERE.

So... What do you think?

Cokes

Walking in L.A.

Mom's been trying to get some exercise herself lately, but her bum knee's made it so she's supposed to walk on flat surfaces as much as possible; not hike up Runyan Canyon which our apartment is literally at the foot of and would be more soul satisfying that walking down Hollywood Boulevard. But we live where we live and her knee's what it is, so while for some people, this is where you go on vacation, for Mom, it's where she walks for exercise - half the time. On alternate days, she walks west to Laurel Canyon.


At the end of this video, if you were to keep walking straight ahead for three blocks, you'd be at my apartment. I'm trying to get the hundreds of tour buses that drive past every day to add me to their spiel, so we'd hear them saying, '...and on your right, on the second floor where you see the Lakers banner, is the window of Cokie the Cat: Hollywood Insider...' MOL. 

Be sure to check out Pepi Smart Dog's SmartDogBlog in this hop today. I'm featured! Thanks, Peps! ; ) 


If you like my blog, please be so kind as to follow me on Google Friend Connect and on my Facebook fan page - both in the right sidebar.


Thanks! And have a good weekend!
Cokes
=^..^=

Exercise for the Body and Soul

Dad brought me out to Mom from my room, sans pants, at midnight tonight, saying I was having trouble with my right hind leg (my bad one) and maybe Mom should take me downstairs to see if I'd walk around the courtyard, get a little exercise - and the exhilaration of being outside. 

My Magic Tree

She did, and I immediately was walking pretty darn well - into the fairy land forest (the 6' wide area alongside the apartment building between the elevated patios), around the magic tree with the big knotted truck, and discovered a perfect spot to dig in and roll in the loose dirt and loud crunchy leaves. You see, you can usually find a magic forest somewhere, even in an Hollywood apartment complex, if you look hard enough - or just send a cat down there. He'll find it.

My Fairy Forest - hidden behind a hedge

I did pee on the concrete while I was walking from one part of the courtyard to the other. Mom says I have to wear my pants next time. 

We were down there for about half an hour. It was awesome. Life is good. Sometimes all it takes is a change of environment to get an old kitty's joie de vivre back. At least enough of it, to make it a better day, after all. Highly recommended, but only under constant supervision and a guardian at the ready to scoop up said cat and run him back up the stairs and home, should a scary noise or person cause undue anxiety requiring immediate action.

A wee bit of shrimp after all is said and done, makes it a perfect day. Night. Experience. 

And my leg's not quite so stiff now.

Cokes

Natural Balance President's Message

I posted earlier today about a precautionary recall of some kinds of Natural Balance Pet Foods. Here's a video fromm Joey Herrick, the President of Natural Balance, also released today.

For specific items involved in the recall, click HERE.

Natural Balance Precautionary Recall Alert!

I'm sharing this from my friends at Natural Balance Pet Foods: 

A Precautionary Recall Alert!

Natural Balance has just been notified by Diamond Pet Foods, one of our co-manufacturers, that certain Natural Balance dry food formulas produced in their Gaston, SC facility should be voluntarily recalled.

Although there have been no animal illnesses reported and none of our Natural Balance products included in the recall have tested positive for Salmonella, we have voluntarily initiated this recall as a precautionary measure.

The following is a list of products affected, for select sizes:

• 5 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog; Best By Date: December 12, 2012; December 13, 2012; March 12, 2013
• 15 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog; Best By Date: December 12, 2012; December 13, 2012; December 14, 2012; March 5, 2013; March 6, 2013
• 28 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog; Best By Date: December 12, 2012; December 13, 2012; December 14, 2012; March 5, 2013; March 6, 2013; March 7, 2013; March 8, 2013; March 12, 2013
• 5 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog; Best By Date: December 10, 2012; December 21, 2012; December 22, 2012
• 15 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog; Best By Date: December 10, 2012; December 21, 2012; December 22, 2012
• 28 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog; Best By Date: December 10, 2012; December 21, 2012; December 22, 2012
• 5 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog; Best By Date: December 17, 2012; December 18, 2012; December 28, 2012; December 29, 2012
• 15 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog; Best By Date: December 9, 2012; December 17, 2012; December 18, 2012; December 28, 2012; December 29, 2012
• 28 LB Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Bison Dog; Best By Date: December 9, 2012; December 17, 2012; December 18, 2012; December 28, 2012; December 29, 2012
• 5 LB Natural Balance Vegetarian Dog; Best By Date: December 9, 2012
• 28 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Large Breed Bites; Best By Date: December 12, 2012; December 20, 2012; December 21, 2012
• 5 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Small Breed Bites; Best By Date: December 21, 2012
• 12.5 LB Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Dog Small Breed Bites; Best By Date: December 21, 2012

Recalled products may have been distributed in the following states:

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming and Canada.

States that are NOT affected include:

Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

We are extremely sorry for any potential issues this may cause, and will continue to keep all of our customers updated through Club NB.

Sincerely,

Your Natural Balance Family 

If you have any questions or concerns about the products listed above, feel free to call Natural Balance at (800 829-4493 or email them at info@naturalbalanceinc.com

¡¡Gracias el Jueves!! (Thankful Thursday)

Los Gatos Folkloricos

Jazzy and I are rehearshing our Cinco de Mayo dance moves for Kittehboi's #chilipawty this weekend on Twitter. 

Hope you have something fun planned for this holiday, which at least here in Hollywood, is a day to celebrate big hats, margaritas, guacamole, nachos, mariachis and chihuahuas! Olé!!


It's also Thankful Thursday, and I'm very happy that our very nice neighbor with Special Needs Kittehs of her own, has asked Mom to watch her cats this weekend. It's always nice to be of help, but Claudia's also offered to watch me if Mom and Dad ever want to actually go "away" for more than a day - TOGETHER. Like in, AT THE SAME TIME.


Once Mom's taken care of her (hopefully) ornery messy kittehs, she won't feel so guilty about asking Claudia to watch me for a day - OR TWO!?? (We'll have to try that for one visit first, and see how that goes.)


So we're babysitting! This should be fun! I think...
What are you thankful for this week??


Cokes

Wordless Wednesday

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