Creative Photo Book Gift Ideas + 2 Ways To Save!

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make a dog book

There are a lot of gifts you could give this holiday season, but when it comes to something really meaningful, there’s nothing quite like the gift of a book you’ve made yourself. But before you start having visions of gluing and sewing together pages, check out the Blurb Gift Center and see how easy it is to make an original holiday gift this year!

Getting inspired with the Blurb Gift Center

Blurb lets you make seriously beautiful books using their free tools. Just add photos and text, choose your options (like paper and cover type), and then order. Of course, you do have to decide just what kind of book you want to make. But relax, because they have put together the cool Blurb Gift Center to give you lots of ideas:

  • Since “pets are the new kids” you could make a beautiful gift book for your favorite pet parents.
  • If you’ve got a genealogy buff in the family, there’s the Blurb Family History Book.
  • For those with newborns (or those that know someone with a newborn), a Blurb Baby Book might be just the thing.
  • And if you’re the kind of person who keeps getting asked for copies of your recipes, think about making a Blurb Food Book.
  • This holiday season, make your gift recipients feel really special by making them something special. There really is a book for everyone.

2 Ways to Save: 

Save 20% when you spend $40 or more on print books at Blurb
When you use the coupon code: MORESAVINGS

Valid through November 11, 2013 (11:59 p.m. local time). Valid for printed books only. A 20% discount is applied toward your product total with a minimum order of $40. Maximum discount is USD $100 or CAD $100 off product total. 

Save $25 when you spend $100 or more on print books at Blurb
When you use the coupon code: EARLYSAVINGS

Valid through November 11, 2013 (11:59 p.m. local time). Valid for printed books only. A $25 discount is applied toward your product total with a minimum order of $100. 

Hurry & Snag 50% OFF Photo Books w/ New Shutterfly Promo Code!

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shutterfly photo books

I LOVE making photo books and can’t wait to head on over to Shutterfly for this special deal with 50% off 11×14, 12×12, 10×10, 8×11 and 8×8 photo books! You don’t need any design or computer skills to create a really cool one, since they have hundreds of free templates, color schemes and tools to make it so easy. You just upload your favorite pet and family photos…or food photos if you want to make a cookbook instead, and then it’s simply a matter of adding texts and captions where/if you want. I was really impressed with this one that I made for Woof Woof Papa last year for Christmas!

Daisy photo book from Shutterfly

Photo books are a really great way to turn digital photos into a gift or keepsake and you can’t do much better than 50% OFF!  Just head on over to Shutterfly.com and be sure to use promo code PUMPKIN when you order by 11/3. It’s totally free to use their online tools to start working on your own creation, so there’s nothing to lose if you want to check it out!

Carve A Pumpkin To Look Like Your Dog — Free Printable Stencils + Carving Tips

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carve a dog pumpkin

Here’s a great Halloween freebie for dog lovers! BHG.com has a gallery of printable pumpkin stencils in 25 different dog breed designs. You can carve your jack-o-lantern to look like your own dog or choose a different type of dog just for fun. I think the Chihuahua is especially adorable and wish we had room for enough pumpkins so we could carve them all! Go here to download one or all of the dog pumpkin stencils via free PDF files.

UPDATED Recommendation for 2021:

Easy Pumpkin Carving Tool Kit

Check out this new Pumpkin Carving Kit with Tools,  LED Candles and Stencils to help making carving easier, safer and more fun!

pumpkin carving tips

Pumpkin Carving Tips from Woof Woof Papa

If you’ve been following us on Facebook or Instagram you know that Woof Woof Papa is a pumpkin-carving wizard! Here are a few tips he has for carving the perfect pumpkin:

  • When choosing your pumpkin, think about the type of design you’ll be carving and make sure you get one that is tall and big enough.
  • Clean and dry your pumpkin before carving.
  • Tape your stencil, or draw your design before cutting the opening.
  • Cut the bottom, not the top.  I was raised to cut the top off, but it looks cool and is easier to light the candle or hide the cord from a string of lights when the opening is at the bottom.
  • Make sure to scrape well to get out all the goop.  Be sure to save the pumpkin seeds to roast later!
  • Take your time and use tools if you’re doing an intricate design ($2-4 at Michael’s)
  • Don’t stress if you goof up a little…imperfections give your pumpkin extra character!

Last night we (he) carved a spooky cool witch and spider, and tonight we’re going to do a dog-themed pumpkin for Daisy. Be sure to follow us on Instagram to see how our pumpkins turn out! Are you carving a pumpkin this year?

Dog Pumpkin Stencils for Halloween

Let us know what design you’re doing and feel free to share a photo of it with us on Facebook. We’d love to see!

 Top photo: BHG.com

Hectic Holidays? Plan Pet Sitting Now To Save Stress Later!

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hectic holidays pets

The holiday season can be an especially stressful time for both humans and the fur kids. Schedules are crazy and whether you’re staying home or traveling out of town, you can help make things a little easier by enlisting a pet sitter to give you a hand! The best pet care providers usually book up early, so you’ll want to do your research now and maybe arrange a few meet & greets with potential sitters soon so you don’t have to stress about it later.

If you’re staying in town for the holidays, you might not have considered all the ways that having a reliable dog sitter can come in handy. Whether you’ve got out of town guests coming to stay, or lots of late night party plans, a pet sitter can help for a few hours or a few days. Many even do pick up and drop off service, which can be a real time saver if you’ve got a lot of social obligations, kid’s concerts, cooking & cleaning or other commitments that come with the season. And you’ll feel better knowing your fur kid get the care and attention they deserve!

Right now you can save $25 OFF your first booking with Rover.com so it’s a great opportunity to give them a try. It’s super easy to get started. You can create a FREE online profile for your dog, then browse for sitters by price and location. Be sure to use the Rover promo code WWM25 to get $25 OFF. Just visit Rover.com to check it all out.

Want to EARN some extra $$$ for the holidays? Check out our post about how to make money as a pet sitter!

Daisy & I are working with Rover.com to help spread the word about their services. We only share information we think will be of value and interest to our readers.

Get a Head Start on Creative Holiday Gifts with 20% OFF Blurb Photo Books

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If you’re already thinking about what kinds of unique and personalized gifts you can get started on for the holidays, you’ll want to check out Blurb photo books. As a longtime fan & customer, Blurb continues to wow me each year with how easy they make it to create your own high quality custom book.

You can check out Blurb’s new 2013 Gift Guide to find inspiration and ideas beyond the standard photo album…the possibilities are endless! I love the ABC children’s book on page 6 and the cookbooks on page 7. The Gift Guide is also an instruction guide for how to make a beautiful Blurb book gift for anyone in your life.

Get a head start on your Holiday gifts by creating your own Blurb book and save 20% through 10/7 with Blurb Promo Code EARLYBIRD20.