happy birthday penelope jane! + giveaway time!
hi!!!!
ok first off, the majority of you also hate the sound of chewing.. how ironic, since we love eating so much! basically all the pet peeves you guys named made me cringe!!
i am in a great mood today because it is miss penelope jane’s birthday! she is one :D
warning: dog photo overload in this post!
hahahahaha. such a good photo.
dude.. i never thought there could be a 22 pound bundle of so much love. penelope is such a lover. when my dog, mable, died almost two years ago i was heart broken. devastated. she was struck by a car when with my ex (who i shared her with) and my whole world shattered. you may have seen her name tattooed on my wrist. i was in rough shape for a very long time, still cry about it to this day. i had marshall’s basset hound, randy, i could love on.. but no dog to call my own.
it took awhile for me to decide that i was ready for a dog again. i knew wanted an entlebucher. an entlebucher is the smallest of the 4 swiss mountain dog breeds. they are $1200 and hard to find. i found a breeder in utah and she was due to have puppies in spring of 09. well, in october of 2008 my roommate called me and told me she saw some entlebucher mixes online that were in pennsylvania. they were mixed with a cavalier, which is a fairly small dog. the mother was an entle and the father was a cavalier. how those puppies were conceived is beyond me! but they were only $680 total with shipping and shots and all that.. and they were available in october. i couldn’t pass up the chance! so i picked out this little sweetie from the photos online~
before she arrived my mom bought me the biggest crate at the pet store and i bought a medium sized collar. entles get to be 65 lbs so i was expecting a larger dog. the bean arrived on october 22~
she was a runt! haha, i had to go back to the store and buy the tiniest collar. and she never did like her crate, she slept in my bed. so much for all that, eh?
i thought penelope would grow to be somewhere between the size of a cavalier (20 lb) and an entle (65 lb) but she is now one year old and clocks in at 22 pounds, the vet said she is done growing. i usually like having big dogs, but i wouldn’t trade my little penny bean for the world! happy birthday to her!!
keep reading, there is giveaway in her honor at the end of this post!
okay, onto the details about today~
breakfast was a bit of a fiasco. i came to work all ready to devour my usual protein oats when i ran into a slight speed bump, i didn’t have any vanilla protein powder on hand! actually the only protein powder i had was half a scoop of chocolate. ugh. so i turned into an improvisation station!
meal 1: protein oats+greek yogurt+PB2 @ 8:30 AM
i made the usual 1/3 cup of oats, stirred in the little protein powder i had and then added 1/2 cup of fage 0% which added 10g of protein and 3.5g carbs to the bowl. to make it taste better i added 1 TB of PB2. this resulted in an ultra creamy and oaty bowl of love. i was pleasantly surprised!
i worked my little heart out for quite some time, when it came time to eat i realized i didn’t have anything in the work fridge. i have GOT to get to the store asap. i had to do some birthday shopping for PJ anyway so after a run to petco i stopped by whole foods for some lunch supplies…
meal 2: 0.66 LBs WF salad bar salad + scoop of low fat cottage cheese + rosemary chicken breast (also from WF) @ 1:00 PM <—way too late, i was hangry
haha, i checked the receipt to see how much salad i got. even that much was $5. pricey salad bar. the chicken breast as $3. the cottage cheese i had at work.. so my lunch ended up being $8. um yeah, i need to go grocery shopping.. i don’t like forking over that much moolah for a meal, especially when i eat 5 times a day!!
BUT it was freaking amazing.. so it was worth the moolah i suppose.
before leaving the office i had
meal 3: apple + oikos @ 4:00 PM
after work i had big plans for the pupperooni’s birthday! i made some banana carob chip pupcakes using this recipe and figured something crazy out! i used this recipe page for randy’s birthday cake in july and thought nothing of it. but then the other day caitlin posted a happy birthday post to her maggie and the photo she posted looked eeirly familiar… and then when i went back to the recipe page today to find something to make for penny i saw the photo again, IT’S MAGGIE! she is famous! and a big huge sweetie no doubt. anyway, thought that was a fun small world experience.
pre baked
post baked
frosted!
the pupcakes were a hit…
pupcakes for all!
and then she got some gifts…
she was ecstatic!
and then i went to the gym!
HIIT on the treadmill
20 minutes of intervals~
- 2 min @ 6 mph
- 1 min @ 6.5 mph
- 1 min @ 7.0 mph
- 1 min @ 7.5 mph
- 1 min @ 8.0 mph
- 1 min @ 6.5 mph
- 1 min @ 7.0 mph
- 1 min @ 7.5 mph
- 1 min @ 8.0 mph
- 1 min @ 6.5 mph
- 1 min @ 7.0 mph
- 1 min @ 7.5 mph
- 1 min @ 8.0 mph
- 1 min @ 6.5 mph
- 1 min @ 7.0 mph
- 1 min @ 7.5 mph
- 1 min @ 8.0 mph
- 1 min @ 9.5 mph
- 1 min @ 2.5 mph
stats: distance=2.23 miles, time=20 min, max HR=181, average HR=157, calories burned=157.
this was a good workout but i didn’t hit 10 mph because i had a gnarly side ache… and then the side ache traveled up into my right shoulder, this happens from time to time. why??? i wonder.
i got home at 7:45 and was starving so dinner was the biggest cop out.. i went to the easiest methods available!
this:
(something i buy every time i am in california at a TJ’s!)
plus some of these:
in a pot together with some chicken:
plus some of this:
equals dinner!
meal 4: chicken & veggie curry with whole wheat naan @ 8:00 PM
so easy, so quick, so delicious (TWSS)
and now marshall and i are watching season 3 of dexter which came out on dvd today! not sure if i will eat again, it is late and i am full.
okay, sorry to drag this post on so long, but it is now time to announce penelope’s birthday giveaway!!
this one is for the fellow dog owners! the loot:
picture frame~
newman’s own PB treats~
foodie stuffed toys! (that penny wishes were hers!)~
and some amazing grass products for good measure~
how to enter:
- send a photo of your pooch to janethabenson at gmail dot com.
- include your pup’s name, breed and one thing about him/her. this could be a silly thing they do, something fun you do together, a trick or talent the possess… anything you want to share!
- one entry per dog so if you have two pups, send me an entry for both! three? send em in!
- entries accepted until midnight on friday, august 21!
- the winner will be selected at random this weekend.
there you have it! no chances for extra entries or any of that fancy shtuff, but if you would like to link back to this to share the dog lovin’ please do!
Qs~
1. if you have a pet, do you celebrate his/her birthday? i don’t have human kids but i consider my pets my kids.. definitely calls for a celebration! some people think i am strange or over do it…
2. do you get side aches? do they ever travel up to your shoulder or neck? anyone know more about why we get side aches? what do you do to get rid of yours? i have heard it is from water consumption while running, i have heard to prevent them by running at a certain tempo, i really don’t know the rhyme or reason to them though…if you know, please talk about it!
xo. janetha b.
meals & moves 
Happy birthday to Miss Penelope Jane! She’s so cute, she deserves two names:)
I totally celebrate my dogs’ birthdays. I have an entire cookbook for making dog meals and treats, so I totally go to town on their birthdays (and Christmas! They need stocking stuffers too!). I’ll be sure to send you some pooch pics.
Love Penny’s full name. That photo of her in the pumpkin is adorable. I love my Siberian husky Apolo, but no, I don’t celebrate his birthday. I don’t even know when it is! We adopted him when he was six months old (we think). He has beautiful sky blue eyes!
Penelope Jane is adorable!!! I love the name too! So cute. That is hilarious about the pupcakes, sounds like something I would do! I LOVE the photo of her standing there checking out her stash with the big eyes. I will definitely be sending a photo of my puppy (she’s a full grown dog, but will always be a puppy to me!) What a great contest!
Oh my gosh, I love the pupcakes! And happy birthday to penelope, the lil cutie :) LOVE the pic of her in the pumpkin ;) Your doggie giveaway is so cute! I don’t have a pup so I won’t be entering, but I love the idea :)
1) I don’t really celebrate my cats’ birthdays… when I had a horse, I celebrated his and even got him a horsey cake and b-day hat :)
2) hmm, I don’t know much about side aches. I sometimes get them if I don’t warm up enough, or I’m I’m pushing too hard. Excess water can exacerbate the problem. I could ask my mom (a doc) tomorrow though. Ha, it sucks being 2000 miles away and having a 3 hour time diff now–I can’t just walk up the stairs and ask her!
awe your puppy is so cute!!!
Happy Birthday to her!
I gave my puppy cupcakes on his first birthday toO!
happy birthday Penelope (such a cute name)!!!!
Can I enter the giveaway without a puppy? :D
If I had one, I’ll definitely celebrate its birthday! It’s part of the family, right?
Happy bee-day Penelope Jane!!!! She is seriously adorable. Fun fact: Jane is also my sister’s name! :)
1. We never celebrated our pet’s birthdays growing up. But they always got spoiled at Christmas time. We’d put their treats under the tree and see how long it took for the dogs to track them down :)
2. I think water does have something to do with it, but I’d keep an eye on your breathing too. Make sure you’re remembering to breathe! It’s something I have to consciously do when I’m running, otherwise I forget and cramp up.
Okay, off to enter my two dogs back home. I know one mutt who’ll go nuts for those PB treats!!!
Happy Birthday PJ! What an interesting mix and story!
My dog like the banana soft serve for dessert ;)
Awww! Penelope is SO freakin’ cute. Happy Bday to her:D That’s so awesome you baked her cupcakes and celebrated, hehe.
I didn’t throw a party or bake anything for Niko’s 1st this year, but I did get her a butt load of treats :D
This is the best giveaway ever, as I would love to see all the pictures you get (just sent mine in!)
Of course we celebrate birthdays! We even decorate the area of his food and water bowl…
And of course, at Christmas they have stockings and presents as well. He even knows which one is his, so we can’t put anything in it until that morning.
Anyway, I’ve had the side ache traveling up to the shoulder thing before, so you’re not alone. However, you’re not alone in having no idea how to get rid of it. I hope someone has a suggestion!
Dear Janetha,
Please take me with you the next time you go to Cali so we can go shopping at Trader Joe’s together. That would be awesome. Thanks ;)
P.S. Sweetest. Dog. Ever.
Oh my gosh, I think that Penelope might be the cutest dog I have ever seen!! I don’t have a pet, but I desperately want a puppy!
I love this post and your little pup is the cutest thing in the world. Those pupcakes look good enough for me to even eat!! Have you tried them???
1. I always celebrate pugsley’s birthday. He is such a spoiled pup and he loves it!
2. I hate getting side aches and I usually get them when I try and run. That’s one of the reasons why I don’t run. I have no clue why, but I think it may have to do with breathing. Sometimes when I consentrate on my breathing they go away.
Penny Bean needs to be Matilda’s friend. There would be sooo much cuteness I don’t think people would know how to handle it!!!
1. Well.. I buy her a special doggy treat :D I had a friend that had a birthday party for her dog once and she organized it at a park and a bunch of her friends with pups came too lol
2. If I get a cramp on my side I just walk it out.
http://www.ohonemorething.wordpress.com
looooooooooooove the photo of penny in the pumpking!!! that.is.adorable.
looooooooove the pupcakes too :-p
Pupcakes! love them. I love them so much if I made them I would probably call them peoplecakes so I could eat them
JJ is barking right now. I think he likes them too! I feel bad that we don’t celebrate his birthday but he’s a very good pup and I love him to death. Also a maniac. He would love your doggie prize and espesh the Amazing Grass bars. haha
oh! I just got side aches this morning in spin! maybe I was dehydrated?
Janetha! you totally inspired me! I haven’t posted a single entry on my blog and finally checked it this morning… I say you had commented and WOW now I want to post post post LOL…. I am starting tonight :0)
Thanks a bunch!
(and I am going to enter Penelope’s give-away FOUR TIMES… once for each dog)
Nugget, Bella, Chloe, Mitzi
Oh my Lord–your dog is soo cute!!!!! Happy birthday to Penelope!!! I’ll definitely be entering your giveaway…my puppy loves cute little toys.
Veg/chicken curry? With naan bread? That’s my style. I love Indian food!!!
What a precious, sweet puppy dog!! Happy birthday to PJ!
1. I have a cat, and we actually don’t know her b-day, so we made one up…I totally whisper happy birthday to her every year, she’s pretty low-key ;)
2. I’ve heard that about side aches too! I get them sometimes, and usually just walk them out and stretch out that side.
Oh my gosh! So much cuteness packed into one post! Happy Birthday Penelope! She is so cute! I love her name too! Isn’t it crazy how much love one little dog can bring to your life?
I adoped Bailey from a shelter when he was about 6 months old. They didn’t know his birthday but I figured it was close to mine! So, we celebrate our birthdays together! We do know Chiefs birthday though and celebrate it, usually by buying him fun toys and treats! I keep telling him when he’s 4 I will let him sleep with me…we will see!
Yum! Your dinner looks awesome! I may need to make some curry soon!
happy birthday penelope jane! what a cute lil’ pup she is. very ladylike when eating her cupcake as well :)
good work on all the food improv – LOVE LOVE LOVE that indian goodness. i really do wish i was indian sometimes. it wouldn’t hurt to look like that girl from slumdog millionaire either :)
i don’t have a dog or pets due to a traumatic childhood experience with showdog poodles (i’m kind of scared of animals – please still love me) but i am working on increasing the dog love. i mean i did take care of angus the beast for a week.
side aches. ugh. usually they happen when running for me from eating too soon before hand. so i try to leave LOTS of time between eating and going running.
happy humpday love!
I am obsessed with Penelope Jane! She is so pretty and cute and the boy and I want a dog super duper bad…she is just a super cute pup. Happy birthday to her!
I don’t have any pets so I can’t answer your first question but I can say that the indian food is calling my name!
Oh for real – WF salad bar is up the jizzah expensive! To the max (just so you’ll love me more)! I can’t justify it. ever. Sad face.
Side aches – same as side cramps/stiches? Bcos I had one this morning and it honestly ruined my run to the point that it was probably the worst run I’ve ever had. And I know why – because I ate a bite of cookie before I left the house when I KNOW I cannot eat before running. Fool! So cross with myself.
Ok, happy hump day! xx
Aww happy birthday to your puppy! What a great day she had :D
So many things to comment on…where to begin!
I am officially obssessed with Penny :) That face is to die for and I too am normally a big dog kinda girl!! I am definitely stealing the cupcake recipe for Daisy’s first b-day.
I can’t believe how speedy you are getting with your HIIT girl. People must be mucho impressed when they see you rockin it out at the gym.
Only time I get cramps when running is from not enough water, or eating too soon before a workout. A gym teacher once told me if you get cramps while working out take short breaths and blow out like you would blow out a candle. It works a little, but more because I think it helps focus your breathing.
Have a great Hump Day and happy b-day PENNY!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PENELOPE!!! She is such a cutie pie – LOVE! Those pupcakes look awesome, I kind of want one ;)
1. We do celebrate our fur babies birthdays – The Brat is my fur child!
2. I used to get those side aches and my trainers would tell me to breathe in through my nose, out through my mouth when I got them.
Awwww Happy Birthday Penelope Jane! When you said at the top of the post, “Warning: dog overload…” I literally said “YES!” Actually, yesterday morning before MamaJ left we read your posts and awwed over your babies. Dog freaks right hurr! If every post had that much dog love in it, I certainly wouldn’t mind one bit!
Anyway, I just had oatmeal without nut butter and thought of you. Now I see your oats which sound incred!
I’ll be sneding two entries for my lovepies, whom I haven’t seen for almost three months now! You can imagine how I’m slowly dying inside without them :(
1- We don’t really celebrate their B-days! I’m not even sure when our big dog’s b-day is. That’s bad. But we do talk about them every single day and feed them human food. That’s something.
2- I don’t really get side aches when I run! Sometimes I get aches on my side that travel up to my chest, but that’s merely gas. Gross, I know, but true.
On that note, have a fabulous hump day! xoxo
And P.S. MamaJ thought Marshall was cute too. She also loved that he cried during Time Traveler’s Wife.
She is sooo cute! I’ve always wanted a cavalier. Well I go back and forth between several breeds, but those are one of my faves.
1. I am currently petless :(
2. I usually get side cramps when I have eaten too recently or if I drink water while running. Nothing really helps with me though. They usually last the whole run.
Pupcakes! Brilliant :)
Awww, I’m in love with her name! Puppy eyes just make me melt.
Dogs and puppies are all just cutie-patooties! I am a proud owner of an English Bulldog. Her name’s Gala and she’s my little kid. She lives with my parents right now while I’m in college so I’m definitely missing her! When I first got her I used to sit with her on the floor and she would fall asleep on my lap for hours at a time! But I think that’s how we connected so well. When I go home on visits she gets so happy and ecstatic she pees all over!!
I celebrate both my dog’s birthday and the day we got her. I usually buy her some treats and even the puppy ice creams but next time I’m definitely baking my dog a cupcake(s)!
I’ll be sending a pic of my sweet pea!
: >
you are waaaaay too cute! Your lovin for your pup brought a teensy tear to my eye! He is such a cutie pie!!
I have crazy shoulder pain NOW!!!!? Just walkin to work…checkin out the reads! It doesn’t always start in my side though? I have been givin it some beans cardio style this mornin and drank quite alot of water?! Hmmmmm? It’s ALWAYS my left shoulder too??? Never the right? Crazy crazy??
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PENELOPE!!She is soooo cute.. I love small dogs!! That’s so cute that you made her birthday cupcakes.. she looks so excited!!
I don’t have a dog (sadly!) but I am definitely getting one when I move into my own apartment and have time to play with it!! So jealous :(
Happy Birthday to your lovely doggie!
omg – your dog is so cute. I love the picture of her in the pumpkin. It should be the “october” picture for every dog calendar! :)
aww those pupcakes look so yummy! your dog is soo cute, i have a maltese :) i just came across your blog and i am going to follow it! i just made my own, check it outt!
jenna
omg loveeeeeeeeeeee her! what a sweeetttie! happy birthday to her! and i love your giveaway for all of us dog lovers out there :)
aw happy birthday to the pooch! better savor your time with her now before she gets in to that “trouble teen” stage ;)
I do not have a dog, but those foodie stuffed toys are so cute! :)
ahaha i love the pumpkin pic! so cute. happy bday to her!!!!
salad looks amazing! but yes very exp lol.
hahah awwwww love the cupcakes for the pupcakes. er wait, what? lol.
i celebrate rexi’s bday. it is on feb 18th!
i get side aches often but its normally associated with back or sometimes ribs during running.
-muffy
Oh my what a day our PJ had!! Looks like those pupcakes really were a hit :) Love your giveaway, sorry I don’t have a pooch – I’ve had a lot of pets along the way, but I guess Rooster and Blue would be right up there with Mabes and PJ and even Randall B now!! Love those pooches even to the moon and back xoxoxo!!
cute puppppppy pics!!! I got a side ache the other day while running on the t-mill, and just slowed it down a bit, did HUGE embarrasing deep breaths- in thru the nose, out thru the mouth- and it subsided! I hate them so much though!
ADORABLE pup pic :) I love that you’re hosting a dog-themed giveaway! I’m definitely entering Shelby :).
Aw, happy birthday Penelope! So cute :D
What kind of protein powder do you use? I am using a whey powder and no matter how thick my oats are, as soon as I add the powder they get really runny again :(
1. if you have a pet, do you celebrate his/her birthday? no pets… I like photos of other people’s but for the most part, am terrified of all animals.
2. do you get side aches? do they ever travel up to your shoulder or neck? anyone know more about why we get side aches? what do you do to get rid of yours? i have heard it is from water consumption while running, i have heard to prevent them by running at a certain tempo, i really don’t know the rhyme or reason to them though…if you know, please talk about it! I get weird shoulder cramp things…no idea what’s up with that. But it hurts :(
that seems so crazy that the powder makes the oats runny?! the powder makes mine so thick. i cook my oats on the stove with 1/3 cup oats and 1 1/2 cups water and as soon as there is just a bit of water left i stir in a scoop of powder and the powder soaks up the remaining water and makes it all creamy.. i use whey as well. i have no idea why yours dont work?! sad…
This is TOO CUTE! I absolutely adore your pup, and you! Happy Birthday Penelope Jane :)
Those cupcakes look ridiculously good, too.
I also celebrate my dog’s birthday – I have a doxie that just turned 13 in March! She’s still young at heart though! Not to mention the most spoiled furbaby EVERY! :P But she deserves it.
Love,
Meg
Puppy puppy puppyyyy, I completely adore wee Penelope, she is the cutest most darling thing EVER. Happy Birthday Penelope!
1. I have no pets. The only pets I’ve ever owned are fish and hamsters. So I’ve never really celebrated a pet bday. :(
2. I get side aches from time to time but they are pretty rare. Sometimes I get weird aches in my arm when running… no idea what that’s about.
Hey Janetha, I found your blog from the bfl tracker site. You are AMAZING! You have such awesome food ideas. I am looking to start BFL on Monday. My 4th challenge! Don’t you just love it. I am only about 2 1/2 hours north of you in Pocatello, ID. We go skiing all the time at Brighton, Powder Mountain, Snowbird, and Alta. Your blog was very motivating to me. Thanks! My tracker name is runner22.
Cicily
Your pup is sooo frickin cute! Unfortunately I don’t have a dog yet :( When I get a house, for sure. I get side aches if I eat or drink too soon before running. To stop them I breathe through my nose and exhale through my mouth. Sometimes I have to walk for about 20 sec. to try and get it out of my system.
Greek yogurt in oats….sounds yum!
Oh my gosh…I am so sorry Penelope Jane, I just realised my wee typo in my earlier comment!!?? I am such a dufus!!!??? xxx.
OMG cutest post EVER! happy birthday penny bean!!! big hugs and kisses coming your way from GDW!
love the story of how you got her. mable is looking down on you from heaven – bless her heart! (would you feel comfortable showing a full blown shot of our tattoo?? i’d love to see it!)
Awww…penelope is such a cutie!! She was cute as a puppy and she’s still adorable as ever. Happy Birthday P! :) I wish I was a dog owner just to vie for that loot! How FUN!!
I do have a cat, but we’ve never actually celebrated her birthday. Partially because we don’t know when it is! We adopted her from a couple on Valentein’s Day in 2003 and she was 9 months old at the time. The owners didn’t know when she was born though because they took her in as a stray kitten. Now when May rolls around I just pick a day that sounds good and give her extra treats. :)
Thank you for your awesome comment on my blog, btw. I need to respond to those! I’m never sure if the best way to do it is on my blog or via email?
I am just now seeing this post and am laughing that I had an indian dish with naan tonight! Classic!
And O-M-G those pupcakes are so awesome and little PJ is so sweet, loved all the pics! Happy 1st Birthday to Penelope Jane – the first birthday is so special!
No dogs but we do have two cats that drive me berserk. That said, no, we don’t celebrate their birthdays. I would consider making a human cake and pretending it was their birthday though.
Penelope Jane is too cute! When we had a dog we would buy Frosty Paws ice cream for dogs to celebrate bdays!
ooooh, I wish I had a pup to spoil with those goodies! we’ve been wanting one for-EVAH, but don’t know what to get! I love big dogs, but we live in a small city apartment (close to lots of parks and the beach, though, for running around).
1. I would totes spoil a pet. if only!
2. hm, you are the mad genius at hydrating, so maybe just pay close attention to when/what you eat compared to when you workout? and maybe google exercise related transient abdominal pain (etap).
hope you had a great hot and spicy day! this is a day I am celebrating fo sho!
Happy Birthday puppy!!!! How ADORABLE was/is she?!?! OMG I want to hug that little puppy so tight!
My dog was brought to me at random because he had been abused and I was a vegan animal lover. Mallard’s dog was from a pound. So, we don’t know their birthdays and don’t really celebrate but they do get gifts for Christmas, Halloween and Easter!
I am not even a dog lover but Penelope is adorable. Happy Birthday to her :)
AAAAH! AWWWW! I love all the puppy pictures! Penelope is so freakin cute. I hope she had a very happy birthday.
1. We celebrate my dog’s birthday at my dad’s house, but not the cats’. My doesn’t celebrate her pets’ birthdays. I think they deserve celebration!
2. I get the side-aches, but I get wicked bad shoulder cramps when I run. Not while doing anything else, ever! I have no idea why it starts, but I want to know how to make it stop. It sure messes up a workout!
Your dog is adorable! I’ve never heard of a Entlebucher and I didn’t know there were 4 breeds of Swiss mountain dogs. I’ve always wanted a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.
Emailing you now!
Happy Happy (belated) Birthday pretty Penelope!!!!!
I love her birthday cuppy cakes. LOVE!
My baby bulldog, Lilly, isn’t a year old yet, but you can bet she’s going to have a smashing birthday party! She has crazy food allergies (gluten, eggs, beef, kelp, etc…) so we’re going to make lots of pupsicles out of peanut butter and yogurt!