After 2 Years & 7 Months, This Is My 500th Post!

When I started blogging on January 18, 2010, the idea of writing 500 posts seemed daunting but with the support of all of my readers, I made it! I truly look forward to reading your informative, humorous, and sensitive posts everyday and I appreciate that you give me the chance to brighten your days and nights in return!

For those who know me well, you are aware that the film, Julie and Julia, inspired me to start blogging and because of both of these women I began writing about my pets, my pet sitting clients, and in return, I gained hundreds of Blogville friends! 

It has been wonderful getting to know you and your pets for the past 2 years and 7 months and I look forward to learning more about you in years to come!

In closing, I will leave you with my first post....

Dear Friends,

I was inspired to start a blog many months ago after watching Julie and Julia at the theater; in fact, I turned to my fiance' and fellow pet sitting partner, Amos, and announced that I was going to start a pet sitting blog that would eventually make me as well-known as Julia Child and Julie Powell.

Of course it would be wonderful to reap financial benefits from blogging about pets but a greater benefit would be to attract an audience of animal lovers who need a break from their busy lives each day. 

Ever since I walked away from 16 years of teaching in the summer of 2006 in order to focus on my business, Teacher's Pet Sitting Service, I've been quite entertained by both the pets and their owners and I feel I have enough wonderful stories to last a lifetime so I will write them down, one day at a time, and I hope you will enjoy them all.

Thanks for reading,

April

Happy 100th Birthday To Late Bloomer, Julia Child!

I didn't realize until today that yesterday was Julia Child's 100th birthday but I figure it is better to be late to honor her birthday today than never, right? 

My introduction to Julia Child came via the 2009 movie, Julie and Julia, a film that I could identify with because she was what one would consider a late bloomer.

Julia didn't discover her passion for cooking until she was 36 while attending the world famous Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, France, while I didn't discover my passion for pets until I adopted my black and gray tabby, Henry, when I was 34.

Julia's love of cooking blossomed into the publication of Mastering The Art Of French Cooking and at 50 she was the star of her own show,The French Chef.

After adopting Henry and then Buster three years later I realized I had another passion, pet sitting, and at the age of 36, Teacher's Pet Sitting Service came to life.

Julia Child's motivation to co-author Mastering The Art Of French Cooking inspired me to start blogging about Henry, Buster, Daisy, and my pet sitting business at the age of 44 and I will forever be indebted to her for causing a late bloomer to realize my true passion! 

Happy birthday, Julia Child! You will forever be an inspiration!

Hurry! My "Julie & Julia" Blogoversary Giveway Ends Today!

 

In case you haven't heard, I have Julie Powell and Julia Child to thank for one year of blogging bliss and if I'd never watched the movie I don't think I'd be here today with you, my blogging pals, and to thank you for laughing, crying, and sighing over my blog posts I began a Giveaway Contest in honor of my January 18th blogoversary. 

Of course, the Grand Prize is none other than a copy of the Julie and Julia movie BUT you need to hurry because the contest ends at 7:00pm (EST) today!

Here are the rules: 

• You MUST be a Google Friend Connect, e-mail, or RSS feed follower and you must PLEASE tell me which type of follower you are in order to be part of the GIVEAWAY. Don't worry, I will follow your blog immediately, I promise!
• In a comment below, please answer this question, "What (or who) inspired you to start blogging?" Whether your answer if short or long the purpose is to inspire others to keep blogging, to remind yourself why you blog, and to (hopefully) win a copy of Julie and Julia!  

• Submit your comment no later than Saturday, January 22, 2011, at 7:00pm (Eastern Standard Time).

The winner will be announced on Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 9:00 a.m.

Happy 1st Blogoversary To Me and Happy DVD Giveaway To You!

 

 As many of my wonderful blogging friends already know, I was inspired to write a blog while watching the movie, Julie and Julia, last January and the inspiration to write was so strong that I angered those sitting around me by announcing (loudly, I might add) to my fiance', "I'm going to start a blog tonight! I really am!" After a few "shhhh's" from the audience I quietly watched Julie Powell change from a woman who felt she had no purpose in life to a woman who challenged herself to cook all 536 of Julia Child's recipes in one year and live to blog about it. 

I felt that if Julie could do it so could I and I am proud to say that as of today, I have blogged for one year and I am so happy to be here in Blogville with my friends who remind me day after day that I do have a purpose....to blog and to keep on blogging.

So to thank everyone who stayed with me through thick and thin, through good times and bad I want to give one lucky person a copy of the movie that inspired me to start blogging by hosting a giveaway! 

In Order To Win This Movie All You Need To Do Is:

• You MUST be a Google Friend Connect, e-mail, or RSS feed follower and you must PLEASE tell me which type of follower you are in order to be part of the GIVEAWAY. Don't worry, I will follow your blog immediately, I promise!
• In a comment below, please answer this question, "What (or who) inspired you to start blogging?" Whether your answer if short or long the purpose is to inspire others to keep blogging, to remind yourself why you blog, and to (hopefully) win a copy of Julie and Julia!  

• Submit your comment no later than Saturday, January 22, 2011, at 7:00pm (Eastern Standard Time).

• The winner will be announced on Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. 

Thank you, dear friends, for wishing me a Happy Blogoversary and for wishing me a speedy recovery from my bout with a stomach virus yesterday! You are the best! Have fun with the GIVEAWAY and with sharing your blogging inspirations! 

                                                

Julie and Julia: My Blogging Inspiration

Hello Friends!

I thought I would resurrect my very first blog which was written on January 18, 2010, because I only had a handful of interested readers at the time and now that I have attracted nearly 80 followers, I thought you would like know why I started writing about my life as a professional pet sitter.

It was not easy to write my first blog entry because I am an avid reader, an English major, and a perfectionist but I somehow managed to hit the "Publish Post" button and I waited eagerly for someone to make a comment. 

The comments didn't arrive until I posted In Praise of Funky Lawn Ornaments and was awarded with 3 comments; one from me, my fiance', and a very supportive pet sitting client, Christen. By February, I had one follower, Christen, and I cannot tell you how thrilled to have an audience who are actively reading my stories, participating in my contests, and most importantly, leaving comments!

And now, let me introduce my first blog entry entitled Julie and Julia!

I was inspired to start a blog many months ago after watching "Julie and Julia" at the theater; in fact, I turned to my fiance and fellow pet sitting partner, Amos, and announced that I was going to start a pet sitting blog that would eventually make me as well-known as Julia Child and Julie Powell. I think it's a longshot to become rich and famous from blogging, but if I could attract an audience of readers who love pets as much as I do, then I will consider myself lucky.

Ever since I walked away from 16 years of teaching in the summer of 2006 in order to focus on my business, Teacher's Pet Sitting Service,I've been quite entertained by both the pets and their owners and I feel I have enough wonderful stories to last a lifetime so I will write them down, one day at a time, and I hope you will enjoy them all.

Thanks for reading,

April

Julie & Julia

Dear Friends,

I was inspired to start a blog many months ago after watching Julie and Julia at the theater. In fact, I turned to my fiance and fellow pet sitting partner, Amos, to announce that I was going to start a pet sitting blog that would eventually make me as well-known as Julia Child and Julie Powell.

Of course it would be wonderful to reap financial benefits from blogging about pets but a greater benefit would be to attract an audience of animal lovers who need a break from their busy lives each day. 

Ever since I walked away from 16 years of teaching in the summer of 2006 in order to focus on my business, Teacher's Pet Sitting Service, I've been entertained by both the pets and their owners and have enough wonderful stories to last a lifetime so I will write them down, one day at a time, and I hope you will enjoy them all.

Thanks for reading,

April