Whole Foods Market – Give Gifts that Give Back

December 9, 2011 By

 

Christmas is amost here. By now most people have probably finished their holiday shopping. We have (yeah!), but there are still a few little things we need to pick up. Mostly stocking stuffers but I do want to pick up a few gifts for people like the mailman, our complex handyman and a couple of neighbors.

If you have a Whole Foods Market near you, you know that they often offer gifts around the holiday season. This year is no different. Not only do they offer some unique gift options, but they also offer gifts that give back.

What do I mean by “gifts that give back”. Gifts that give back are gifts you can purchase at Whole Foods Markets across the country that will donate a portion of their sales to a worthwhile charity or cause. Talk about a win-win situation. You get a lovely gift for someone, and someone benefits through a charitable organization.

Here are a few gift ideas to consider.

L.I.F.E. Jacket Coffee Sleeve

For only $.99 with any Allegro beverage purchase at any Whole Foods Market coffee bar nationwide, you’ll receive a L.I.F.E. Jacket reusable coffee sleeve. All proceeds from every L.I.F.E. Jacket sold at Whole Foods Market will go directly back to Comfort the Children International to empower Kenyan mothers with an opportunity to earn a living while providing an education for their children with disabilities. The mothers hand-sew the canvas sleeves in a tailoring shop on school grounds, ensuring a safe walk to school for students and peace of mind for mothers who are able to work while their children are in school.

If you are not familiar with what a coffee sleeve is, it’s a piece of material that you can slide a hot beverage cup into, that keeps the cup from burning your fingers. Often coffee shops will provide you with a cardboard one. As you know that is just a waste of paper (trees!). With the purchase of a L.I.F.E. Jacket Coffee Sleeve you’ll have a reusable, Earth-friendly. way of protecting your fingers from hot coffee, tea or hot cocoa cups. Pick up a few and keep on in your car, purse or desk at work. I keep mine in my purse so I have it handy whenever I might need it.

The L.I.F.E. Jacket is made of really thick and sturdy materical too. It should fit most standard cup sizes.

I’m sorry I didn’t have a coffee shop cup handy as my “model”. I had to use a regular cup instead (see bottom of post). 

Whole Foods Market Organic Tanzanian Chocolate Bars

These single origin chocolate bars are made entirely from organic cacao purchased directly from farmers in the Kyela, Mbeya district of Tanzania and are certified by the Fair for Life Social & Fair Trade Certification Program. Great for baking or snacking, you or your loved one will enjoy these milk and dark chocolate treats with a smile. Why?  Because a portion of the proceeds from every bar supports education programs for school children in the district.  

One word – CHOCOLATE! Who doesn’t love chocolate? Chocolate makes a great stocking stuffer. Your friendly neighborhood bank teller or the student who walks your dog after school would appreciate the “sweet” gesture if you hand them one of these chocolate bars.

I had the opportunity to sample a milk chocolate bar. Wow! This chocolate is so creamy. It literally melts in your mouth. It’s a rather large size chocolate bar too so you’ll have plenty to share with others.

It’s nice to know that while you are enjoying mouth-watering chocolate, a portion of the sale of the bars is going to support education.

Whole Planet Foundation Calendar

For just $3, this gift supports Whole Planet Foundation’s poverty alleviation program, which empowers entrepreneurs with microcredit loans to create or expand their home-based businesses and help lift themselves and their families out of poverty. When you give this calendar, you’ll not only be giving a beautiful calendar filled with fascinating photos of microcredit clients from 13 countries, you’ll also be giving more than $20 worth of coupons for natural and organic products from Whole Foods Market!

The calendar features lovely photography of people from around the world and a little bit of information about the person or program they are in.

Each month you’ll find a valuable coupon for products carried at Whole Food Market. With over $20 worth of coupons you are more then getting back your initial investment of $3.00.

The calendars make great gifts too. Everyone need a calendar. This one features large areas to write down appointments, due dates and birthdays.

If the recipient shops at Whole Food Market they will appreciate all the great coupons they can use each month. 

Coupon calendars are “gold” to some people. My father and step mother get one each year from a local publisher and they use pretty much all the coupons found instead.

These are just a few of the last minute gift ideas and stocking stuffers available at your local Whole Foods Market.

For more information, or to find a location near you, please visit www.WholeFoodsMarket.com. You can also follow them on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/WholeFoods) and on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/WholeFoods).

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Help Fight Hunger and Quick and Easy Holiday Drink Recipes

December 8, 2011 By

Do you have a special holiday recipe that you make year after year? I honestly wish I could bake because I would love to bake cookies for my family and friends each year. Instead I have to stick with things that are a bit easier for me to make.

Every year I usually make up a great big batch of Fireside Coffee. I found the recipe on the Internet many years ago and fell in love with it. After I tried it I was hooked, and so were my family and friends. It’s so quick and easy to make, plus it makes a great gift!

Here is the recipe that I use. You can certainly “tweak” it to suit your needs. Over the years I have altered it a bit here and there (add a little more of this, and a little less of that…).

Fireside Coffee Mix

Ingredients:

1 cup of Maxwell House Instant Coffee

2 cups of Instant Hot Cocoa Mix (without marshmallows)

2 cups of Powdered Coffee Creamer

1 1/2 cups of Sugar

1/2 a teaspoon of Nutmeg

1 teaspoon of Cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients until well blended. You could use a blender but it might be messy.

Store in an air tight container.

To use: Add 1-2 heaping spoonfuls depending on your preference.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can change it to suit your tastes. For example, you could add Vanilla or Vanilla Powdered Coffee Creamer.

You can “dress” up this drink when serving to guests. Try adding a dollop of cream on top with some shaved chocolate. Or maybe some colorful holiday sprinkles.

You can also use a candy candy to stir it or as a decorative touch. It also adds a hint of mint to the drink.

You can give this drink mix as a gift too. I often give some to our mailman, delivery man, neighbors, friends and my kid’s teachers. Simply add the mix to a decorative jar (even a Mason jar would do). Add a label or hang tag with directions on how to use the mix too. Don’t forget to add some holiday embellishments like ribbons and/or a holiday ornament.

Kids can also enjoy this drink. If you don’t want them having the caffeine you can try using decaf instant coffee instead.

If you want to create a special drink for kids this holiday season why not try my “Mock Hot Apple Cider” recipe. This is super easy to do. I’ve tried it out on my own kids and they loved it.

Mock Hot Apple Cider

Ingredients:

1 pouch of Capri Sun 100% Apple Juice

A pinch of Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Directions:

Open up the Capri Sun pouch and pour the contents into a sauce pan. Heat on low for a few minutes until warm. Remove from the heat and add in the pinch of Cinnamon and Nutmeg and stir. Pour into a mug and enjoy.

My kids loved that the juice was warm and they said the spices reminded them of the apple cider we get from the local farm. I tried some myself and I think it turned out pretty good. Now my kids want to try other Capri Sun juices warmed to see how they taste. I’m not so sure about that. Warm grapefruit or punch? Eww. :-)

I am sharing these recipes with you as part of Kraft’s Huddle to Fight Hunger Campaign.

Kraft Food’s Huddle to Fight Hunger program is looking to donate what would be the monetary equivalent of 25 million meals to Feeding America. They are hoping that they can achieve this goal by rallying around three things American are passionate about this time of year (next to the holidays of course): Football, food and family. 

By sharing these recipes to you 1,000 meals will be donated to the program in my name. I can’t tell you how wonderful that makes me feel to know that some recipes and a simple post can make such a difference in the lives of others. This is one of the many reasons why I am a blogger. I love knowing that by blogging I can do good for others.

YOU can help too and it’s as easy as clicking a button. Simply “like” the Kraft Fight Hunger Facebook page. For every person who “likes” the page a meal will be donated to the Feeding America organization. Just think, just by liking the page you can help provide a meal for someone in need. 

The link to the Facebook page is www.Facebook.com/KraftFightHunger.

While you are there please consider playing the fun trivia game called “2-Minute Trivia Drill”. There are a few football trivia questions (not many). It’s mostly pretty easy random trivia questions. For every question you get right another meal will be donated to Feeding America. So if you get 5 points, 5 meals will be donated. Or if you get 20 points, 20 meals will be donated. The trivia questions are pretty easy for the most part. The last time I played I got 50 points which means that 50 meals were donated. That is AWESOME!

You can also help spread the word through all your social media channels including Facebook and Twitter. If you could include the hashtag #KraftFightHunger on Twitter that would be very helpful and much appreciated.

If you would like to check out the other recipe I made so far, Dog Bites, using Kraft Mac & Cheese, Ritz Crackers and Oscar Meyer hot dogs please CLICK HERE.

Kimberly

*Kraft Foods is providing me a gift card in exchange for my participation in this program at no cost to me; however, all opinions expressed here are my own.

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Feed it Forward – Give 40 Friends & Family a FREE $10 Gift Certificate EVERY DAY!

December 3, 2011 By

Our economy has been very difficult on many people. Personally I don’t know anyone who has not been negatively effected by the economy. Our family was hit with a $20,000+ a year pay cut when my husband had to find another job with significantly less pay (and horrible health insurance too!). To make up for the loss of income I have been looking for a part time job. It’s been well over a year and I still have not been able to find something. It’s no joke when I say we buy Ramen Noodles in the bulk packaging. There are sometimes we have no choice but to eat the 5/$1.00 soup.

I always find it amusing when I hear people talking about where to eat dinner that night or should they order take out? My family rarely goes out to eat. Once every few months we’re fortunate to take the kids out to the local diner or restaurant. And while many families order pizza on a weekly basis, ordering pizza for my family is a rare treat too.

Sometimes just going out to eat at a nice restaurant is a great feeling. Not only is it nice not to have to cook or do dishes, but it’s also fun to try out new foods and enjoy quality time with family and friends. It’s a nice change of pace.

This time of year so many people are feeling down, not only because of the economy, but also because this time of year sometimes makes people feel “blue”. Maybe they are missing their family or have suffered a terrible loss.

Restaurant.com would love to help you send some “holiday cheer” to family and friends. Through their Feed It Forward program YOU could send FREE $10.00 Restaurant.com eGift certificates to up to 40 friends and family EVERY DAY until the end of 2011 (December 31, 2011).

The Feed It Forward program was started in 2008 as a result of the economic downturn. Feed It Forward enables individuals to give FREE $10 Restaurant.com eGift Cards to friends, family or anonymously send random acts of kindness to the Restaurant.com community.

A whopping $32 million in dining experiences have been given away for FREE over the past three years. WOW! That is amazing!

There is no catch. You don’t have to spend a dime. All you need to do is open up a FREE account and then start sending people on your holiday list, family and friends a FREE $10 egift certificate to Restaurant.com.

Before you think $10.o0 won’t buy much, think again! You can get a $25.00 gift card to most restuarants at Restaurants.com for $10.00. Or you can purchase two $10.00 gift certificates to the same (or different) restaurants for only $5.00.

We live in a rinky dinky county outside of NYC. We don’t have many “big name” restaurants here. I didn’t think Restaurant.com would have anything in my area, but they do! On Restaurant.com I found Italian restaurants, Japanese restaurants, Chinese restaurants, Indian restaurants, pubs and more! I found at least four restaurants I would love to get a gift certificate for.

Because this program has had so much success, Restaurant.com has once again set aside a pool of $40 million worth of eGift Certificates which will allow every participant in the program to gift up to $16,000 each! That is AWESOME!

You can choose whom to give to and your gift recipients then decide where to dine from a list of more than 9,500 participating Restaurant.com restaurants nationwide.

Are you ready to start sending some deserving people in your life some holiday cheer this season? Simply visit the Feed It Forward site and use your Facebook, Gmail or Yahoo accounts to log in and give to your contacts.  You can also type in email addresses manually, or give directly through Facebook to your friends.

Don’t forget everyone in your life who is deserving of a little something special including your child’s teacher, the mailman, your mechanic, neighbor and anyone else you can think of.

Remember, you can giveaway FORTY (40) $10.00 Restaurant eGift certificates each and every day until the end of the year.

Visit the Feed It Forward website (www.FeeditForward.com) and start spreading some holiday cheer.

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post (but I MIGHT receive a Restaurant.com egift card). The opinions expressed are my own.

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IKEA Soft Toys for Education

November 29, 2011 By

I have a confession to make… I have never stepped foot inside of an IKEA. I want to! I really do. It’s just that we don’t have one local to us.

I LOVE the IKEA catalog. I get just as excited to receive that catalog in the mail as I did when I was a child and the Sears Wish Book would show up in our mailbox. The IKEA catalog is my grown up “wish book”. LOL!

IKEA is the world’s largest home furnishings company with over 320 stores globally including 38 stores in the USA. Sadly none local to me.

IKEA was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad. The vision of the company is to create a better everyday life for the many people. The business idea is to offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishings at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.

I was shocked to learn that IKEA stores have an average of 626 million visitors during a year. WOW! That is a lot of visitors.

I didn’t know that IKEA was very involved in charities. I think that is wonderful. Knowing that inspires me to find a way to make it to an IKEA some day. I like to support businesses that support charities.

The IKEA Foundation, the philanthropic entity at IKEA, works in partnership with UNICEF and Save the Children to make a difference for millions of children in need around the world by reducing malnutrition and infant disease, and by dramatically improving literacy. The Soft Toys Campaign for Education (a UNICEF and Save the Children program) aims to improve the education of the most disadvantaged children while recognizing that education is one of the best investments for them.

The IKEA Foundation also aims to improve the opportunities for children and youth by funding holistic, long-term programs that can create substantial, lasting change, and enable them to take charge of their own future. IKEA works with strong strategic partners applying innovative approaches to achieve large-scale results in four fundamental areas of a child’s life. Currently funded programs benefit an estimated 100 million children.

If you would like to learn more about the IKEA Foundations please visit www.IKEAFoundation.org.

This year IKEA is running a campaign called IKEA Soft Toys for Education. From November 1, 2011 – December 24, 2011. For every soft plush toy that is purchased, IKEA will donate one Euro (approximately $1.35 in US Dollars) to the IKEA Soft Toys for Education campaign.  

IKEA Soft Toys, which includes stuffed animals, finger puppets and books, range in price from $.49 – $19.99 and are available in all IKEA stores and online. You can see the full collection here, http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=soft+toy.

These incredibly affordable and cuddly creatures will certainly put a smile in the hearts of children, while supporting millions of others in need of a quality education.

IKEA Soft Toys for Education is actually an annual event. Since 2003 this campaign has donated 35.2 million euros ($47.5 Million US) to UNICEF and Save the Children. This contribution has enabled approximately 8 million children in nearly 40 countries the great opportunity of having access to a quality education. That is amazing!

We have a couple of soft plush toys from IKEA. My kids each have a Vegetable plush. My daughter has a plush carrot and my son has a plush broccoli. They are not only super soft and huggable but also incredibly cute.

We also have an adorable clown dog called Klappar Cirkus on the IKEA site (my kids call him Clown Dog).

All of the plush animals and dolls available at IKEA are not only adorable but super affordable too. Currently our veggie plush are on sale for $3.99 (normally $7.99) each and the Clown Dog is on sale for $2.49 (normally $4.99). These are NOT small plush toys either. The vegetables are HUGE (almost 2′ tall!) and the Clown Dog  is big too (not as big as the veggies but still a big size). Even at their non-sale prices they are a great deal. Where else will you find a nearly 2′ tall plush for $7.99?

Even though these plush are very affordably priced, their quality did not “suffer” at all. When you purchase inexpensive plush animals, like those at low-end department stores or the dollar stores, they tend to fall apart easily, have lose threads or rip easily. The IKEA plush, although priced incredible low, are NOT low quality. If you told me they came from a high end department store and cost $$$$ I would believe it. They are made exceptionally well.

When it comes to giving the gift of IKEA plush this holiday season it’s a win-win-win situation. You can save money purchasing these adorable, quality plush, someone gets an fun gift and you are helping IKEA send money to great charities.

To find an IKEA location near you visit www.IKEA.com.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.  

 

 

 

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Kraft’s Huddle to Fight Hunger and “Dog Bites” Recipe

November 28, 2011 By

I’m not the greatest cook in the world. Not by a long shot. I’m also not one of those people who can take 2 or 3 ingredients and create a gourmet meal on the fly. That would be a great “skill” to have.

I’ve recently been asked to participate in Kraft’s Huddle to Fight Hunger campaign. The Huddle for Hunger campaign aims to raise meal donations for Feeding America and local Feeding America food banks. 

Because it’s football season (Go Cowboys!), Kraft came up with the perfect name for the campaign – Huddle to Fight Hunger. After all, football games often bring out some of the best foods and recipes around. Just thinking about a tailgating party and alll that great food right now it making me hungry myself. Chili, ribs, salads, burgers… all those great tailgating foods are oh so good. Sadly, many people across the country can’t even look forward to something like a tailgating feast. Many people don’t realize just how well off they are. I couldn’t imagine not having enough food to feed my children.

This year Kraft Food’s Huddle to Fight Hunger program is on a mission to donate the monetary equivalent of 25 million meals to Feeding America. What a better way to achieve their goal by rallying around three things American are passionate about this time of year (aside from the holidays) – Football, food and of course family. 

Did you know that last year the Huddle to Fight Hunger campaign raised 21 million meals through the support of passionate football fans and people in the community. I want to challenge everyone reading this post to see if we can beat that record. Let’s see if we can help raise 22 million or more! 

So what can YOU do to help? It’s easy! It won’t cost you a dime and it will only take a couple of minutes. I’m sure everyone can spare a minute or two, especially for such a worthy cause.

All you need to do is “like” the Kraft Fight Hunger Facebook page. Every person who “likes” the page will result in a meal being donated. YOU can donate a meal to someone in need and all you need to do is “like” a Facebook page.

The link to the Facebook page is www.Facebook.com/KraftFightHunger?sk=info.

You can help donate even MORE meals by playing the fun interactive game called “2-Minute Trivia Drill”. It’s easyand you don’t need to be an expert either. For every point earned in a given “2-Minute Trivia Drill” game one meal donation will be made to Feeding America. That means that even if you only scored 4 points in the game, four meals will be donated and that could make a difference in someone’s life.

I played and I earned 50 meals. Some trivia questions were very easy, others required more thought. It was fun. I enjoyed it. And it’s for a great cause.

Can’t you spare a minute or two to help feed the hungry?  

Please also consider spreading the word through all your social media channels including Facebook and Twitter. If you could include the hashtag #KraftFightHunger on Twitter that would be very helpful and much appreciated.

Hunger issues here in the United States is more serious then you think. Did you know…

- In 2009, 8.8 million families were in poverty. That means a little over 11% of families here in the US are in poverty.

- In 2009, 15.5 million children under the age of 18 were in poverty. That is over 20% of children here in the states!

- In 2009, 3.4 million seniors 65 and older were in poverty. That is nearly 9% of all people 65 and older. 

More recent findings found that…

- In 2010, 48.8 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children. “Food insecure” means not knowing where the next meal is coming from, if at all.

- In 2010, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (20.2 percent), especially households with children headed by single women (35.1 percent) or single men (25.4 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (25.1 percent) and Hispanic households (26.2 percent).

- Food insecurity exists in every county in America, ranging from a low of 5 percent in Steele County, ND to a high of 38 percent in Wilcox County, AL.

Sadly most people only think about the hungry during the holiday season. Unfortuanatly hunger doesn’t care about the holidays or what season it is. Hunger effects people year round. My family tries to donate to our local food bank whenever possible. Especially when stores have “buy one, get one free” sales or too good to pass up sales on non-perishable food items.

Getting back to my recipe. As part of this campaign I was challenged to come up with a recipe using various Kraft products. The last time I created a recipe I was a finalist in a recipe contest and had that recipe put up on the Food Network website. I’m not sure if this recipe is going to win any contests, but I certainly gave it my all and did my best to create something. I’m sure I’m going to have to “tweak” it many times until I have it perfect.

Dog Bites

Ingredients:

- 1 box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

- 2 Oscar Mayer Turkey Hot Dogs (or your favorite Oscar Mayer hot dog)

- 1/2 a sleeve of Ritz crackers

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese as directed. Once prepared remove from the pot and put it into a mixing bowl to cool.

While you are preparing the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese boil water. Once boiled add the two Oscar Mayer Turkey Hot Dogs, reduce the heat and cook until done.

Pour 1/2 a sleeve of Ritz crackers into a plastic Ziploc bag. Using a mug or rolling pin crush the Ritz Cracker up until they are the consistency of bread crumbs.

Place non-stick foil on a baking pan and set aside.

Cut the Oscar Mayer Turkey Hot Dogs up into 1/4″ – 1/2″ slices.

Once the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is cool and sticky you can begin. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop up the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese until it fills about 1/2 of the ice cream scoop. Using a spoon press the mac and cheese down into the ice cream scoop. Next, place a piece of hot dog in the center, then scoop up more mac and cheese into the ice cream scoop (you can either use the scoop or the spoon.

Using the spoon once again, press down on the mac and cheese in the scoop.

Using a different spoon lightly sprinkle some of the crushed up Ritz Crackers on top of the mac and cheese while still in the scoop.

Carefully place the scoop full of mac and cheese (and the dog!) on to the baking pan. If some of the mac and cheese falls off use your hand to patch it back up.

Continue doing this until you’ve used up all the mac and cheese and/or hot dogs. This will make approximately 10-12 “mounds” of mac and cheese.

Use the remaining crushed Ritz Crackers and sprinkle them on top of the mounds.

Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven and let stand a couple of minutes to cool down. Then serve and enjoy. 

Like I mentioned earlier, this recipe is a “work in progress”. I was hoping I could make “balls” out of the mac and cheese and roll it around in the cracker crumbs, but the “balls” kept coming apart. Humm… back to the drawing board on this one. 

I liked the name “Dog Bites” because my “vision” was something you could eat with your hands that you could find off in a few bites. The “dog” comes from the hot dog of course. :-)

I know there are plenty of “foodies” who read my blog, and those of you who are geniuses in the kitchen. Perhaps you can make some suggestions on how to improve this recipe and make it more “do-able”? Your comments and feedback are always welcome.

If you try out the recipe let me know what you think.

Just by sharing this recipe with you 1,000 meals have been donated to Feeding America. ONE THOUSAND! That is such a great feeling. :-)

Don’t forget – “Like” www.Facebook.com/KraftFightHunger?sk=info and play the 2 Minute Drill game to help donate food to those in need.

Kimberly

*Kraft Foods is providing me a gift card in exchange for my participation in this program at no cost to me; however, all opinions expressed here are my own.

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Pet’Net 2011: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

November 16, 2011 By

 

For the past couple of years I have been participating in a special event called Pet ‘Net. This event brings together bloggers, journalists and websites for a great cause – Pets.

Now in its 4th year, Petside.com’s Pet ‘Net Event maintains its commitment to educate people and honor the pets who love them. This year Petside has teamed up with Iams to donate food to local animal shelters. Please continue to read this post (especially towards the bottom) to find out how YOU can help (and it won’t cost you a dime).

We have six adopted pets. Five of them (four cats and a dog) were adopted from our local animal shelter. One of our cats was adopted as a stray kitten. Our pets are members of our family and they mean the world to us.

My heart breaks whenever I go to our local animal shelter. There are so many beautiful and loving dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals that are desperate to find a loving “forever home“. Every time I see their precious faces I just want to hug them and take them home with me. Sadly I know that is not possible. These animals need to find loving homes. 

I volunteer at our local animal shelter as a photographer. I go to the shelter a couple of times a week to take pictures of the animals.

Many shelters utilize local publications and events to show the public animals that are available for adoption. Other shelters use online resources such as PetFinder.com.

It’s hard to convince someone that they need to come in and meet an available pet with mere words along. What you need is some great photos to accompany the pet’s description. Often shelters will snap photos of the animals in their cages or kennels. To be honest with you it’s really hard to see the beauty in an animal through bars. It’s also not easy to showcase their individual personalities with those kind of photos.

Here are a few examples.

You can tell from the photos that these are beautiful animals. What you can’t tell from these photos is what kind of personality they have, how big they are, and what they look like from head to tail.

As a volunteer photographer it’s my responsibility to showcase each and every pet that I photograph and to bring out the best in them.

The first thing I do is remove the animal from it’s cage or kennel and try to place the animal in a more natural environment, or at least in a situation where it mimics a family’s home or backyard. That way prospective adoptive families can get a better sense of what the animal might be like in their home.

Our local animal shelter has large, fenced off areas in their backyard where dogs can run around. I’m grateful for the dog runs because it gives me the opportunity to play with the dogs I photograph and also the opportunity to let their personalities shine through, which I try and capture in photos.

Here are a few examples of dogs I’ve photographed at the shelter.

 

As you can see the dogs in the photos are in a more natural setting. Looking at the photos, potential adoptive families can “see” what the dog might look like in their backyard. It also gives an idea of how large the animal is as well as what it looks like from head to tail.

Here is an example of a dog in a kennel and running freely in a dog run. This is the same dog. Which picture do you think showcases her beauty and personality better?

 

When you are taking photos of animals that are available for adoption it’s a good idea to snap several photos. Not only does it show how the animal looks from all angles, but it also helps to give a glimpse of the pet’s personality.

Take for example Getty. I took several pictures of him. Hopefully his personality comes across in these photos. He’s a very sweet, calm and gentle puppy.

Sometimes photos do not always turn out their best, therefore making the animal not look their best either. If you are handy with a photo editing program you can “tweak” the photo to really make the animal shine.

Here is a photo I took of a dog name Butch. The second photo is the same photo that I “tweaked” a bit to really who off just how handsome Butch is.

 

I find cats to be a bit more challenging when it comes to taking their photos. Unlike dogs, cats don’t respond to basic commands like sit and stay. The trick is trying to find something the catch the cat’s attention long enough for you to snap their picture. Cats also tend to lose interest quickly so when you are working with cats you need to be prepared to snap a few shots right away. A high quality camera with a good sport/action mode would be helpful (but not necessary).

Here are a few examples of cat photos taken when the cats were out of their cages.

 

It’s much nicer to see a cat lounging around or being playful rather than hiding away behind the bars of a cage.

Here are a few helpful tips when photographing shelter pets.

- Use a quality camera, preferably one with a good action/sport mode if possible.

- Have toys and treats on hand to reward the pets and to grab their attention so you can take their picture.

- Use props whenever possible like sheets (backdrop), pillows, scratch pads, dog toys and so forth.

- Try to capture the animal’s personality and their best angles. Avoid photos that might make an animal appear aggressive. I took a picture of siblings (a brother and sister) playing. I know they were playing but the photo makes it appear as if they were violently attacking each other.

- HAVE PATIENCE! It can take a while to get a few decent shots. Don’t give up. Just exercise some good old fashion patience and you’ll find that you can take some beautiful photos of the animal.

- Introduce yourself to the animal. Let them sniff you so they feel comfortable with you. Some animals are at ease right from the start. Other animals are very fearful and might run and hide or lash out at you. Play with the animal. Talk to them. Pet them. Do whatever it takes to make them feel comfortable with you.

- If possible have an assistant. It helps to have someone interact with the animal. It also allows you to focus on snapping pictures instead of having to get a pet’s attention. Photos with animals interacting with people also make great shots.

- Make sure the pets are being photographed in a secure location. The last thing you want is for a dog or cat to escape as you are taking their photo.

- Have fun with it! If you don’t truly enjoy interacting with the animals, getting to know them and taking their pictures then you are not going to do your best work. If you find that taking pictures is not something you truly want to do perhaps you can volunteer in other ways, like taking photos at pet related events and fundraisers.

You do not need to be a professional photographer, or have an expensive camera with all the “bells and whistles”, to take photos of the shelter animals. Simply volunteer at your local shelter. Most shelters will welcome you with open arms. Often shelter staff and employees are too busy with the day to day operations of the shelter that they don’t have the time to take quality photos of the pets. That is why they rely on volunteers.

The only expense to you would be your time. Digital cameras allow you to take photos for “free”. You can also use props like old sheets and pet toys that you have lying around your home.

If you love animals and you love photography please consider volunteering at your local animal shelter as the pet photographer. 

Another thing I would truly love for you to take into consideration is helping to feed hungry shelter pets. Here’s how YOU can help, and all it will cost you is a few minutes of your time.

Share and Donate with Pet ‘Net’s interactive social media campaign.  To show pet lovers that there are many ways to support local shelters, Iams© Home 4 The Holidays and their Bags 4 Bowls initiative will donate 25 bowls of food to local shelters for every mention of the Pet ‘Net hashtag (#iheartshelterpets) and @IAMS handle on Twitter. 

You can use this tweet to make it easier (just copy and paste it into your Twitter feed).

Tweet @Iams with the Pet ‘Net hashtag #IHeartShelterPets and Iams Home 4 The Holidays will donate 25 bowls of food to local shelters

Users can also “Like” Petside’s Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/Petside) for an additional donation of 25 bowls and share a personal adoption experience on Petside’s wall for a chance to be featured on Petfinder.com as a Happy Tail story!

You can also find links to over 20 pet-centric websites and read articles on topics ranging from the benefits of adopting a senior pet to personal stories of strength. The site is www.PetSide.com/PetNet2011.

Also available on the Hub page is a voting tool where you can vote on your favorite article/blogger. The blogger with the most votes will receive a $500 donation from Petside to the shelter of their choice. I would love you forever if you could vote for me! If I won I would donate to the shelter where I volunteer.

Our local animal shelter has had funding cut by $26,000 by our local government. The shelter cannot afford repairs to the roof, heating system or kennels. They are overflowing with so many cats that they are stacked in crates almost to the ceiling. Needless to say they have very little funds. That $500 would go a long way. It can help spay and neuter shelter pets to help control the pet population, or used to buy food or medical supplies.

All of our pets came from our local animal shelter. We adopted our first pet there 13 years ago. We even fostered kittens from the shelter (one had to be put to sleep, the other one we adopted). For all the years of unconditional love my pets have given our family the LEAST I can do is give back to the shelter who helped to bring them into our lives.

♥ Please vote for me! I would appreciate that more then mere words can express.♥

If you are looking for a dog, cat, rabbit or other type of animal to bring into your home and make it a part of your family, PLEASE DON’T SHOP – ADOPT! There are thousands of beautiful animals desperate to shower you with love and affection.

Please also consider adopting an older pet or a pet with a disability. They have just as much love inside (even more!) then adorable little puppies and kittens.

November is Adopt a Senior Month. If you pledge to adopt a senior pet you could win a BISSELL Lift-Off® Deep Cleaning System for YOU and a shelter of your choice. For more information please visit http://www.petfinder.com/promotions/adopt-a-senior-pet-month.html.

PetFinder.com  showcases hundreds of available pets in your area. You can select what type of animal, breed, age, size and more. 

Pet Adoption
Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I hope you will take a moment to tweet and “like” the PetSide Facebook page to maximize the amount of food that will be donated to animal shelters across the country. I would also love it if you could take a moment to vote for my post so that I could win that donation for my local animal shelter.

♥ THANK YOU! ♥

 

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this because I love animals and I want to do whatever I can to help them find “forever homes”. Any opinions expressed are my own.

**All the pet photos found on this page are copyrighted to Kimberly Vetrano, with the exception of the four stock photos of pets in cages appearing at the top of the post. Please do not use my photos without permission. Thank you!

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