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Foodie Loves Fitness

Sharing my passion for living a healthy & happy life

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Hug Your Pooch, it’s National Dog Day!

Hey friends!

So, I wasn’t planning on blogging today, but here I am chatting with you because I found out….

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It’s National Dog Day! 

I know that there are lots of random, silly holidays on every day of the year, but truth be told, I think some of them are fun because 1.) I love any excuse to celebrate, and 2.) I enjoy acknowledging days designated to something near and dear to my heart. And pretty much everyone that knows me knows that I’m obsessed with dogs, especially my own pooch!

Hiking at Elfin Forest

Hiking with Harley a couple of weeks ago

Having a dog that you adore is a special bond.

For me, it’s knowing that I have someone to sleep by my feet while I work in my office, that I always have an enthusiastic hiking partner….

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It means having one entertaining creature around that constantly cracks me up…

Harley Chobani container

It means having a witness to all of my cooking endeavors and knowing that any dropped food will be promptly licked up cleaned…

Harley loves broccoli

It means having a companion who alway likes to be near, whether she’s sitting next to me while I’m hanging out studying, or pulling her blanket up to be at the foot of my yoga mat.

harley-yoga-mat

In the days of Marine Corps deployments, I spent more time with Harley than any other living creature, and she always somehow knew when I was having a hard day to be extra sweet and cute. Dogs somehow just know sometimes.

Having a dog means having someone to run around and relax at the beach with… dog beach selfie

Harley beach

Harley reminds me that life’s too short to be serious, that every day is a great day to get out there and run free….

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…and boy, does she love to run free!

running at the dog beach

Sometimes I wonder just what goes on in that pretty little head of hers…

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…but I love my nutty dog and am so happy to be her pawrent. One day, I’ll have human children of my own, but for now, I’m good with just a puppy as my child!

Harley playtime

I can’t help but feel like people who have never loved a dog before are missing out. There’s a reason why they call them woman’s best friend: They’re such loyal creatures that love unconditionally. In the years I volunteered at the animal shelter, I was always amazed at how forgiving dogs are. Some of the dogs I worked with had been neglected and abused, yet still, they were usually quick to trust me, because all they wanted was the love of humans.

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So pawrents, I hope that you give your pooch an extra hug, special treat, or nice long walk today in honor of National Dog Day. 🙂

Questions: Are you a dog owner? What’s your favorite animal? 

Though dogs are high on my list, lions are my absolute favorite!

Spread the love

August 26, 2014 3:48 pm foodielovesfitness 11 Comments Filed Under: Dogs, Harley

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Comments

  1. Kim says

    August 26, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    We don’t have any pets – I’ve never had a dog and I guess I’m fine with that. Right now I can’t imagine taking care of it (and I know it would end up being me doing the work).
    Glad you have your dog to keep you company!!!

    Reply
  2. Ali says

    August 26, 2014 at 7:52 pm

    Awe, Harley is such a pretty dog! Very sweet post. I Love dogs too!

    Reply
    • foodielovesfitness says

      September 4, 2014 at 9:07 pm

      Thanks, she’s a cutie!

      Reply
  3. Amalia @ Live Travel Eat and Run says

    August 26, 2014 at 8:00 pm

    Awww yay! I didn’t know it was national dog day. I have a puppy that lives with my parents in a different province — I should facetime her and tell her how much I love her!

    Reply
    • foodielovesfitness says

      September 4, 2014 at 9:08 pm

      Awww! Does your dog at all understand Facetime? Anytime I Skype or FaceTime with my hubby and try to say hi to my dog, she’s totally confused and doesn’t get it. Haha.

      Reply
  4. Cailee @ http://hellohealthyeating.com says

    August 27, 2014 at 8:36 am

    Aww!! This is so sweet!! Happy dog day! Glad that you love yours! They can be woman’s best friends too!! haha… sweet! Dogs really are a great way to keep active as well!!

    Reply
    • foodielovesfitness says

      September 4, 2014 at 9:10 pm

      My dog is totally my little buddy 🙂

      Reply
  5. Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says

    August 27, 2014 at 9:31 am

    This was a really sweet post and it made me want to go home and give Coco the biggest hug ever! Dogs are the best companions. Brandon and I had to live apart for a year and my girls were the only thing that got me through those times! I can imagine it would be even harder in your situation with your husband being in the Marine Corps. I’m glad Harley helped you through it. She is such a pretty girl!

    Reply
    • foodielovesfitness says

      September 4, 2014 at 9:10 pm

      Aren’t they?! You and I are like two peas in a pod when it comes to our feelings on dogs and animals in general. Love them like crazy!!

      Reply
  6. Britt@MyOwnBalance says

    August 28, 2014 at 1:57 pm

    Harley is so adorable in these photos! I love the Chobani photo! Haha. We do not have a pet due to lack of space and time. I just don’t think its fair to dogs in this city. If we had more space and we were both home more it would be different. I would feel bad leaving a dog for 12 hours a day! 🙁 I’ll see if I can keep a human alive and then decide if I can also keep a dog alive. Haha.

    Reply
    • foodielovesfitness says

      September 4, 2014 at 9:13 pm

      I know, the Chobani photo really cracks me up! She had her entire face in the yogurt container for a solid 10 minutes.

      Yea, I hear ya. My dog is spoiled since I work from home. I think that they get used to it, but I definitely felt bad when we lived in a small apartment that she didn’t have much space/any type of yard to move around in.

      Reply

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I'm Nicole, and I’m passionate about all things food, fitness and healthy living. I'm a toddler mom, certified health coach, freelance writer, and long-time health nut. Here I share my vegetarian recipes, workouts, fitness trends, travel adventures, and motherhood & health musings. Read more about me…

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Last weekend we got to ride on the world’s largest rotating aerial tram car, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway 🌴⛰️ Guests travel 6,000 feet up in just 10 minutes! Once we reached the top, we hiked a couple miles of trails in Mount San Jacinto State Park - where it was only 37 degrees and windy, brr! - and took in the beautiful views. Here are a few tips for optimizing a Palm Springs Aerial Tramway adventure: ✨Show up early. We didn’t realize how big of a production this excursion would be, and when we arrived at 11 am, the wait time was 2 hours to ride the tramway. If I could do it over, I would show up at opening time. ✨Bring breakfast. While they do have food options while you wait for your tram ride, it’s stereotypical not very healthy American food. Pick up food at a local cafe and bring it with you to enjoy outside. We love @palmgreenscafe! ✨ Bring extra clothes. The temperature at 8,500 ft elevation varies from 20-40 degrees colder, so make sure to pack a jacket, sweatshirt, hat, even gloves. #californiatravel #palmsprings #makingmemories #familytravel #roadtrip #adventure #kidswhoexplore #views #desert
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3️⃣ Time to play! Each player picks 3 pebbles. Take turns using a finger to push your pebble towards the target. 

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🥌 Pebbles that land in the outer circle = 1 point each
🥌 3 rounds = 1 game 

❗️Players can hit other pebbles & knock them out of the circles, which is fun! 

❗️Once all players use their pebbles, that’s the end of round 1. Tally the scores as you go! 

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Here are the ingredients you need to serve 4: 

1️⃣ 2-3 boxes of Near East Pearled Couscous with Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil (I find that 3 boxes yield about 4.5 cups; you can also use a plain pearled couscous)
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Directions:
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Get a printable version of the recipe on foodielovesfitness.com #linkinbio or comment RECIPE for a direct link. 

If you like this new Easy Plant-Based Meals series, let me know what kind of recipe you’d like to see next 👩‍🍳

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California has it all, & I love this area that I get to call home! Last weekend’s fun included: 🌊 Soaking up the sun at Carlsbad State Beach, where my daughter tried surfing for the first time 🏄‍♀️ 🥾 Hiking in Wildomar 🍷 Wine sipping in Temecula #californialove #weekendfun #sandiego #temeculaca #hiking #getoutside #mywinter #adventure #socal
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📍Explore the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
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🌎 The largest National Park in the contiguous U.S. - 3.4 million acres! - did not disappoint 🔥 Here’s what we had on our agenda for Day 2️⃣ of exploring Death Valley National Park: 📍Explore the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes 🛷Go sledding down the dunes! 🥾Hike Mosaic Canyon Trail ~ a 3.5-mile out & back trail with 974 ft elevation gain. This trail was so much fun & the rock formations are gorgeous! My daughter loved climbing & bouldering around. It features some cool slot canyons and difficult rock scrambling - our kinda speed! 🚰 Refuel at Stovepipe Wells Village ~ Nearby pitstop within the park for gas, restrooms, a general store & restaurants #roadtrip #california #travelgram #familytravel #kidswhoexplore #momsofinstagram #hikingadventures #deathvalleynationalpark #nationalparks #wanderlust #adventureseekers #hikingtrails
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That thing you always talk about & think about doing but haven’t gotten the guts/energy/time to do? Make 2026 the year you freaking GO FOR IT. #livemoreworryless #2026goals #goalgetters #entreprenuermindset #sunset #chasingsunsets #viewoftheday #windowseatview
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