Meet Kobe the Driver!

This weekend was so much fun!

We drove up to Michigan to visit John's family and OF COURSE brought our Kobe with us.

We stopped for gas and as John stepped outside to pay, Kobe jumped in the front and before we knew it, he was pretty much geared up to drive!

The look on his face is hilarious! It's almost like, "Well, what are you guys waiting for?! Let's get this show on the road!!"

He never ceases to humor and amaze me, love him!

Kobe and his Teddy :)

Now that the weather is starting to shape up around here, we're excited to get back outside & take some pictures around the city again! I've missed blogging so much!

On Tuesday night, Kobe and I took a LONG walk along the Chicago river, discovering new sights and smells, and meeting other dogs and their owners.

We ate at small cafe called the Friendship Cafe and they had a live Jazz band playing. It was so much fun!

Afterwards, however, Kobe was pooped! He passed out in the middle of our living room floor! He was so tired, he ended up falling asleep with his favorite little Teddy bear! It was absolutely adorable!

Do you see what I see?

Hi everyone! Hope your week is going well!

Kobe spotted a rabbit in the park yesterday & I was really surprised the little rabbit didn't scurry away at the sight of him!

Kobe just stared at the rabbit...wonder what he was thinking...?



Wordless Wednesday: Bath Time!

Millennium Park!

It's been so hot here in Chicago that Kobe and I haven't had too many opportunities to go out for walks with out him getting overheated.

We strolled by Millennium Park the other day, and unfortunately, dogs aren't allowed in the actual park, but I was able to capture a cute picture of him with the background.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!



Potential Girlfriend for Kobe?

I think we may have found Kobe's long lost girlfriend! LOL!

What do you guys think?

Potential girlfriend for our little Kobe??

Mom and Dad approve!!! :)



Wordless Wednesday: Happy Puppy!

Kobe and His Two Best Friends

Every morning, Kobe gets to meet up with his two best friends at our neighborhood dog park.

Fuji the Schnauzer is his ULTIMATE best friend. Whenever they're both at the park together (every morning, and most evenings), they really only play with each other.

Ricky the King Charles Spaniel is also very close with Kobe, they don't see each other everyday, but when they do, they get along great.

This morning the 3 of them happened to be in the park together, and we were able to take some adorable pictures as they played!

At first, Kobe couldn't stop staring at me! Then he caught on to what the other dogs were doing and joined in on the fun. It was the PERFECT way to start off our Monday!



Happy Friday!!

Look who's SOOO incredibly happy it's Friday:

KOBE!

I think this may be my favorite picture of him.

He just looks so happy, I feel blessed to have him in my life.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend with your pups!

Any fun, dog-friendly things you'll be trying this weekend?

We have some exciting things happening here in the city next week:

The Taste of Chicago, Pet Fest, Yappy Hours & Pup Crawls!

Have a great weekend!

Walking Along the Chicago River

We're very fortunate enough to live near the Chicago River, which cuts through the center of downtown, one of the city's prettiest attractions!

The other day, as Kobe and I went on our evening walk, he literally tugged me along towards Lower Wacker drive (where scenes from the Dark Knight was filmed!). I never venture out that way, it's underneath a bridge and who knows what kind of things can happen if we head under there on our own, however, I was actually pleasantly surprised to see that there's a shortcut underneath the bridge that opens up to the Chicago River! Kobe was serving as my tour guide that night! There's also a security guard sitting near the opening, so I felt comfortable heading that way, no need to be nervous.

Kobe sat right on one of the docking steps and posed for the camera. He's becoming a natural in front of the camera, don't you think? :)

 

Happy 4th of July!

Kobe wants to wish all of you a Happy 4th of July!

It's a special one for him because today he's featured on Pet Blogs United!!

Thanks to everyone who's stopped by our page, we truly appreciate it and hope you enjoy our adventures in Chicago!

I hope you all have a great holiday with your friends and family!

Kobe's thanking his lucky stars for his independence! :-)



Lone Pup in the Park

Kobe and I took a tiny little break from blogging because I really did notice his lack of enthusiasm as we kept exploring around Chicago. Maybe I actually did wear my little guy out! Yikes...

Nevertheless, we had a quiet morning today, sitting by ourselves in his favorite dog park. It was a nice way to start off a normally hectic and crazy morning with a bunch of other dogs running around!

Sleepy Puppy

I think we've worn Kobe out from all the fun activities we've been taking him to!

After our canine cruise last week, he came home and fell right asleep!

2012 Canine Cruise

Every year, Chicago's Anti-Cruelty Society organizes a canine cruise in order to raise money and awareness for their shelter.

I took Kobe and John with me last night, and we had a great time! It was a nice way to kick off the weekend. The architectural tour lasted 90 minutes, and there were at least 50 dogs on board.

Everyone got along, nobody got sick, so overall, the evening was a success!

Kobe hopes you all have a great weekend!



Giving Up Meat - I'll Do it For the Animals

For awhile now I've been thinking about incorporating a plant based diet, and eliminating meat. For as long as I can remember, I've LOVED animals. From the time I was a little girl and begged my parents to get me a puppy, to now as I am the proud owner/mother of the sweetest little dog. I simply can't think of a time when animals wasn't something I was passionate about.


Lately, I've been reading a lot about different animal rights organizations & a couple that have really struck a chord with me have been The Humane Society of the United States - Farm Animal Protection, and Farm Sanctuary. I've found myself in tears after reading the cruel treatment these innocent animals have had to endure. I know this is nothing new, obviously it's been going on forever, but when you open your eyes, understand and realize what the actual circumstances are...how the pork you're eating came from a pig that lived a life full of suffering then slaughter, it puts things in serious perspective. In fact, I feel selfish for eating pork at all. My enjoyment of eating a certain food had to be at the expense of another creature's very own life? A life that man doesn't have the right to take, in my opinion, doesn't sit very well with me.


I feel like I've always had this voice in the back of my mind urging me to STOP eating meat altogether. I used to ignore it, continue on with eating whatever I wanted, until recently when I watched a video the Humane Society posted about an undercover operation on an animal factory farm that is a direct supplier for Tyson foods. In the video, I watched as a sow screamed at the top of her lungs as she just wanted to tend to her piglets, because they were being tossed around by their hind legs into a pile of manure. Or as a factory worker jumped on another sow who's back lag was broken, and she screamed in agony. I couldn't help but cry, it's just horrible. As I sat and ate lunch today, I saw someone near me eating the pork sandwich special. I thought about two things: the mother who simply wanted to tend to her piglets, and I thought of Kobe. I thought of Kobe because, well, he's an animal, can feel the exact same pain as the piglets, and how I would literally want to ring any one's neck if they every treated him that way. So, I thought, what is the difference between Kobe and the piglets (besides the obvious)? Nothing. I wouldn't eat Kobe, so why would I eat this pig? Or any other animal for that matter. I just can't justify it. Not without feeling selfish, and a bit ignorant, really.


Conclusively, my goal is to ultimately eliminate any food that contains animal products, so I'd like to live a vegan lifestyle. I don't want to rush into changing my diet in fear that I'll fail go back to eating meat (this is not an option!), so I'm going to take it slow. For starters, I've officially sworn off pork (my parents didn't eat pork while I was growing up, so it's not something I'm used to eating anyway). Secondly, to start off, I will integrate Meatless Monday's into my weekly routine. I'm excited to post the many different menu options this new way of eating has, even after eliminating meat.


If eating a plant based diet is already a way of life for you or you're thinking of incorporating it into your life, PLEASE reach out and share your thoughts! I would love to hear them and learn anything new!

And best of all, I know Kobe would approve!!

Thank you so much for reading!

Eva

WW: My mom refused to scratch my back, so...

Kobe...and Our Flat Tire :(

This past weekend was a scorcher here in Chicago. The neighborhood tour for One Tail at a Time was great, but the weather was so hot, that it made it nearly unbearable for us all to finish! Once the episode airs, I'll be sure to post it on our blog! :)

For Father's Day, we were all outside playing tennis and basketball, and Kobe sat and watched us all, but I could tell he was SO HOT, so we needed to get inside quick!

On our way up to my parent's home North of Chicago, we got a flat tire! I couldn't believe it happened, my first flat after driving for over 10 years. I guess that's kind of a good thing...

Nevertheless, Kobe thought it would be nice to try and help the mechanic fix the flat...

He tried to lend a paw...

But then decided it was way too hot to be doing anything! 

So, instead, he decided to go lay in the grass. Great alternative :)

Ready for the Weekend!

The other night in our living room, I took a picture of Kobe as he was lounging so comfortably and I could tell he's ready for the weekend! That makes two of us.

We have a neighborhood tour planned on Saturday in the Little Italy/University Village neighborhood towards the South side of Chicago. I'm excited about it because 190 North will be filming the tour, and I've been asked to interview about the last tour Kobe and I went on in the Logan Square neighborhood. It was a great tour, and I can't wait to talk about it. It's a dog friendly walk, organized by One Tail at a Time dog rescue. We are beyond excited for this opportunity and to be able to help One Tail at a Time in getting more exposure for their dogs.

And of course Sunday is Father's Day, so Kobe and I are heading up North to spend quality time with my dad and play some tennis. Lots to look forward to!

I hope you all have a great weekend and check back for pictures of Kobe's adventures in Chicago : )

Fido to Go - Canine Catering on Wheels!

As if Chicago couldn't get any more dog friendly, we are also the home to this AWESOME doggy ice-cream and "gourmutt" food truck called Fido to Go! They drive around to the city's dog parks, beaches, special events and neighborhoods, and Kobe is a huge fan! I have to admit I'm a huge fan as well, more so for Kobe, but I get excited FOR him because he gets to have their ice cream which I know makes him super happy!

Kobe and I attended another art festival in the West Loop on Tuesday and Fido to Go happened to be there, too! I decided to stock up on some of his favorite items (frozen yogurt and 'rice krispy treats' for dogs) because I wasn't sure when I'd be able to catch up with their truck again. Sure enough, Kobe was completely content with his bacon-cheeseburger flavored frozen yogurt and worked on it for about 30 minutes while I chatted it up with the owners of Fido to Go.

Everything on their menu is nutritious and made by the owners themselves. They're huge animal advocates and dedicated to fundraising and raising awareness for the local shelters. They even cater dog parties and provide treats, cakes, games and a photographer to capture all your pup's moments! If you visit their website you can follow them on Facebook and if you ever happen to be in Chicago, you can meet up with them as they post where they'll be on certain days/times! And who knows...perhaps one day they'll be riding around in a city near you!

Kobe spotted the Fido to Go truck and is ready to get his treats!

You have to wait in line just like everybody else, buddy!

See? Wasn't it worth the wait!? : )

(Taken from Fido to Go's Website @ www.fidotogo.net)



Wordless Wednesday: Kobe Smelling the Roses!

Shopping Date at Nordstrom!

I love to shop! And what's better than being able to take your dog with you on any given shopping date? I can't think of too many things. Being able to combine two things you love, that's my definition of a perfect time. That's just what Kobe and I did over the weekend!

All along Michigan Avenue, also referred to as the Magnificent Mile, are many dog-friendly shops and restaurants. Nordstrom just happens to allow dogs of any size into their store, so we stopped by for the afternoon with Kobe for his first shopping date. We didn't stay for long, and definitely plan to come back.

Nordstrom is actually located in a mall called the Shops at North Bridge. We walked through the mall, since it's also dog-friendly, and they have restaurants, and other brand name shops as well. A shopping must if visiting Chicago :)

Nordstrom, here we come!

Riding up the elevator to the stores!

Trying to give dad some fashion tips!

...And still checking myself out in the mirror!

Perusing through the racks to see what would best flatter my figure! ;)

Walking through the mall while everyone points and asks if they can say hi!

What a fun shopping date!