Sam I am

Sam I am
Sam I am

She is Pecan

She is Pecan
She is Pecan

Hi Shelly

Hi Shelly
Hi Shelly

Oh my Sherman

Oh my Sherman
Oh my Sherman

Sam, the model....

I haven't really mentioned this, but mummy's new internship is just awesome. Though it's a temporary stint, mummy is enjoying every moment and loving it! 
While she's getting paid peanuts, the perks of her job more than made up for that. 

One huge perk of mummy's job is... 
I get to be a pet model for Pets Magazine!

Check out my debut!
Hey~ Good Looking~
Sigh, I'm a natural!

Haha. Okay, just kidding. The shoot was a lot of fun and I got to lick tons of yummy things! 
Can't wait for my next modeling job. (If any.. LOL)

If you're in Singapore, go grab a copy today!
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Steak and Eggs Please?

We had an exciting weekend planned. However, looking out of the window immediately after waking up, I came to realise that was no way we weren't gonna step outside at all (Toilet breaks aside).
BOO to the haze.
Disappointed, I lazed in bed sulking. 
Mummy popped her head in and saw that I was really upset.  Hence, she did what awesome mummies do - she asked me what I wanted for breakfast!

Sam: *Thinks hard* .... "STEAK & EGGS!"
Mummy: "Ay ay Captain!" 

Luckily for me, there were some frozen steak in the freezer! *Wriggly dance*
Within minutes from my request, the cooked beef aroma filled the house and I swore I could not stop drooling. 
This easy dish was done in less than ten minutes and my frown was at once transformed into a huge smile!
"Pretty please.. can I start?"
As soon as it began, there was almost nothing left and yes, I licked the bowl smacking clean once again.
The yummy steak & eggs breakfast certainly drove the 'haze blues' out of the window! 
While I wished I could embark on some monkey rescue missions, this meal more than made up for that. 
Hooray to Mummy!
I'm not saying I like that haze, it's just that getting stuck indoors with mummy really isn't that bad after all. 
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Crafting duo strikes again - Paw Print Keepsake

Wtith the haze situation deteriorating, I was stuck indoors all day (Limited to quickie walks lasting no more than ten minutes, a far cry from my usual routine). 
Besides too many games of fetch, there was nothing much to do.
I was almost dying of boredom.
So I approached Mummy and asked that the crafting duo do something fun. 
Mummy: "What shall we do then?"
Sam: "Let's do something with.. my paw!"
Coincidentally, mummy bought a Sculpey Keepsake Deluxe Pawprint Kit from Art Friend a couple of days ago!
Time to put it into good use!
The kit comes with clay, a ring (for the shape and size), a small rolling pin, a detail tool and a ribbon. The clay is only sufficient for one application, but mummy says that we could always get more clay from Art Friend. Let's see how this goes before we decide if we are gonna do it once more.
Let's get the ball rolling!
To minimize mess and to keep the project within my reach, mummy decided to do it on the floor using the baking tray and parchment paper.
And here goes.
We began by preheating the oven. 
Kneading the clay was easy and took no more than a couple of minutes. However, fitting the kneaded clay into the ring and smoothening it out took mummy way longer than she expected. Besides that, the other huge challenge was removing the clay from the ring without losing its shape. 
She barely succeeded after nth tries. -_-
I was so bored and tired from waiting that I actually fell asleep. I did give her some 'eye' support, but since it wasn't all that helpful, I thought I was better off taking forty winks. 
I was woken from my beauty sleep abruptly by Daddy. He brought me over to mummy and got me ready to 'christen' the clay. Mummy was kinda expecting me to be all fidgety and uncooperative (after the last paw print incident). I totally surprised her by being extremely calm and still when imprinting.
My little hollywood moment. 
Tadah~ Presenting my paw print!!
While it isn't perfect, mummy thought it looked decent. The truth was she dreaded the idea of having to knead or reshape the clay again, not to mention the 'black face' Daddy might give if she asked for help once more. 
So with that, Mummy declared it a "PASS"!
Mummy added two holes (using the detail tool) before placing it in the oven to bake. After 30 minutes.. Viola~ it's done! 

The end product looked great and the texture turned out well. 
(I swore I heard a loud sigh of relief from mummy)
Before we could declare it completed, there was just one more thing to do - Personalize it!
Using her trusty Martha Stewart Stencil and my official colour, mummy quickly added my name to it.
She added the final touch (the ribbon) and it was done!!

Presenting my pawprint keepsake!
Tadah~
(Pardon my expression.. I just woke up from my second nap. 
Shhhh)
Isn't it just perfect?
Within minutes, mummy found the perfect place to hang it up - The Grafunkt mirror! 
If you swing by our place, don't forget to check it out!
Once Mummy cleared up the mess, she rewarded my hard work (Hey, it is extremely tiring providing 'eye' support!) by yet another round of fetch. 
Guess being stuck indoors isn't all that terrible after all - especially when the crafting duo get to create more fun pieces! 
(Though I much rather go for nice long walks. Boo to the haze. =/ )
Till next time!
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The best thing on Earth.. AMAZON!

We all know how awesome Amazon is.
And we also know what an online shopaholic Mummy can be.
So when we got wind that Amazon's Global Shipping to Singapore is free for purchases above USD$125, you bet all hell broke loose!

Within days of learning possibly one of the best news Mummy had have this year, she was in front of the iMac online browsing.
AND..
A week after that fateful night, a lovely brown package arrived at our door step! 

Using my very cute paw-print, I signed and received it. Nope, I swore I didn't bark at the mailman. Okay, maybe just one bark. Fine. TWO.
I was all excited to see what was in it!
Ta-dah~ 
(Yeah, green is mummy's new black)
I was in awe of the purchases. But I wasn't sure if they were meant for me.
Mummy: "Duh. Of course it's for you."
*Huge huge HUGE smile*
Mummy is da best!
Time to explore and see what goodies are in there!
Presenting the LOOT!

Safemade Products!
This company produces durable and lasting toys and pet products that have been tested to be safe for little monsters like me! 
In addition, the flexi-bowl, bone-shaped treat tray and paw-shaped treat tray are dishwasher and oven (up to 450 degrees) safe! Which means mummy can bake more yummy treats for me! 
I cannot wait!!
It's yet another durable treat dispensing toy! To make it even goofier, I'm supposed to have a ridiculous grin when I hold the ball in my mouth. 
Pity, the ball is a tad big for my tiny little mouth *Pouts*.
Nonetheless, it works great as a treat ball.
Foufou Silicone Placemats - One for my home and the other for Grandma's place!
And lastly, the most important purchase of all...
YET ANOTHER MONKEY!!!
Hee, pardon the shy monkey who refuses to show his face.
Mummy was just fretting about how to replace my other monkey who is starting to show signs of wear and tear when the god-sent free shipping came! 
So here the newest monkey to join in with Sam's rescue missions!
Meet Mr. Greenie! (How creative huh)
Just when I was still basking in joy and mummy's love, I was given even better news.
There is another package that is still swimming towards me!!!!
Yap, it's pretty typical of Amazon to send out the purchases in several packages. 
So I cannot wait to find out what other goodies are coming my way!
Cheers to Mummy, Amazon and of course, the 'silent provider' who's probably annoyed with yet another hole in his pocket - Daddy!!

Mummy's note: This is the best thing EVER! Well, almost. It did take me two hours to figure out the free shipping option. Apparently, if there are any items that don't qualify, your whole purchase will not qualify either. Unfortunately, there will not be any indication as to which are the items that are not eligible. As a result, using trial and error, I had to sieve through my shopping cart of almost 20 items to identify the culprit(s). -_- It turned out that items that are under the weight limit but are slightly bulkier (I wanted to purchase a pillow) will not qualify. Nonetheless, I am ecstatic about this whole deal and rest assure that I am now going to continue with my online shopping sprees!!
3

Made with Love - No Bake Coconut Treats

This is the dog version of the local tea-time snack Ondeh Ondeh! Actually, Mummy saw the recipe off Pretty Fluffy and felt that it reminded her too much of one of her favourite treats. Hence she decided to make it for me. Plus, the ingredients were pretty similar to that of the Anzac, so mummy didn't have to buy any new stuff! 
(Well, she did replace the coconut oil with the Olisana we already had and used desiccated coconut flakes instead of fresh finely shedded coconut.)
As we didn't have a food processor, mummy decided to use the food blender, with a pretty underwhelming outcome sadly. 
It was difficult to blend/mix the oats and as a result, only those at the bottom were well combined. (Time to invest in a food processor!) With the limited successful mixture, she was only able to make SEVEN coconut treats!
So precious!
Posing with my best smile! Hoping to be able to eat them quicker!
As usual, she just had to make me wait.
Boo. 
I finally flashed out my million dollar smile...
and it worked!
I got to eat...
ALL SEVEN OF THEM!
Hee, as mummy didn't want them to spoil, she decided to just give all of them to me.
What a great after dinner snacks. 
So this is what desserts are like. 
Me want more!!

Mummy's Note: I conveniently skipped the refrigerating stage (no thanks to lousy speed reading) but it seemed that Sam couldn't care less. He was probably happy that he got to eat them earlier. As usual, I did try it and it was pretty good! Guess the peanut butter added the much needed tinge of sweetness and that pretty much sold me on it. If only it had the liquid centre that bursts in your mouth, just like the original ondeh ondeh. But oh well, I shan't push my luck (maybe one fine day when my cooking XP is high enough) and I'm sure the silly little dog likes it no matter what.

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Sam's Day Out - III Cafe

Daddy had to work today, hence, Daddy-substitue my girlfriend mummy's friend, Auntie Q joined us on our quest this week! 
We ventured to a busy stretch of shophouses, near Siglap, to a nice little Sam-welcomed venue - III Cafe! Opened in December 2012, this open-concept second floor cafe is fully air-conditioned and pets like Sammy Loo are welcomed to roam off-leashed!
Hooray!

Waiting to head in...
Check out the huge space for me to run around! 
The down side was that there was a small children party happening. Interestingly, that group of people didn't have a single dog. Guess they were attracted to the spacious venue too. Unfortunately for me, I had to be kept on leash till the crowd dispersed as mummy wasn't too keen for me to go sniffing around the kids. 
Boo~
We were initially seated at a window seat with normal dining chairs and I had to sit on the floor. Luckily for me, a booth seat opened up and we shifted over. 
Of course, I got myself comfortable pretty quickly!

 We had to order at the counter as the only menu was on the wall at the bar. The food selection was quite limited and Auntie Q and mummy both settled for Curry Rice with Fried Chicken, before indulging in the Chocolate Lava Cake and Pancakes!
When their food came, I was a little annoyed. I mean, mummy couldn't have thought that I would like curry rice. -_- 
Hee... that's when mummy told me that she ordered something for me from the special dog menu! 
REALLY??
 I was eagerly waiting...
and then it finally came!
YES... it's beef meatballs and it sure smelt awesome! (Even mummy agreed!)
No surprises, I licked my bowl clean after each of the first two meatballs. By the third one, I was a little full and couldn't eat anymore. Ha.
After eating, I just sat around and chilled while mummy and Auntie Q chatted. Of course, with the lovely air-conditioning, they can take all the time in the world.
Auntie Q was really sweet and patient as mummy dragged her around for two other Sam-centric activities - we went to check out a new daycare for me and then SWIMMING! 
I'm sure she must be thinking that mummy has no life since her weekends revolve around me. 
Hee... hope we didn't bore you too much today! Care to join us again? =P

I only got home at around seven and I was totally exhausted since my day begun before noon. That is more than seven hours of no naps, possibly my new record! On a good side, I was zonked out even before mummy could brush my teeth and I sure slept real well.

Hooray to another great weekend!
Mummy's note: It was pretty obvious that the place's main attraction is that it's a dog-friendly cafe that is air-conditioned, as opposed to its food. The ingredients on the curry rice was quite pathetic as there were only 4-5 pieces of small chicken and the veggies in the curry were barely noticeable. The dessert wasn't too bad. On a plus side, they were really cheap, going at $4.90 each! The thing is, the food we ate wasn't terrible, it's just that it's not awesome and felt very home-cooked. (Probably prepared by a home chef rather than a professional chef.) The space is really nice and I think Sam did enjoy roaming around. Unfortunately, the location of the cafe is a huge minus as parking was a huge pain in the ass. It took us a little while to find a lot. I'm not quite sure if we will be back on a regular basis, but it's certainly not a bad place to go should we want to celebrate Sam's birthday next year. 
5

Bishan Dog Park

After brunch @ Grub, we set off to explore the park. We walked and walked and walked till we arrived at... a DOG RUN!
Okay, I was kidding. The weather was just insanely warm and the sky was piercing blue as there was close to ZERO cloud cover. The sun was just scorching hot. So we did what smart people, like myself, would do - we drove from a carpark to another carpark. 
*BEAMS*

Bishan Dog Run is located at Bishan Park 2 and comprises of two enclosures, one for small breeds and the other for larger ones. As per the AVA ruling, certain breeds are required to be muzzled before they are allowed me. But nay, doesn't bother a cute little Jack Russell the least.
Without any doubts, my parents brought me right in to the big dog run cos I'm a big big boy (just happened to be trapped in a small, but increasingly fatter body). 
The truth is... I'm a bully (HO HO HO ). 
I am intrigued by furry little canines that moves. What I do with them? I chase after them, knock them over, jump on top of them and grin. 
Occasionally, I attempt to grab them. Sadly, I'm usually unsuccessful as a pair of hands from nowhere would yank me away before I could do anything. (damn!)
I'm not small dog aggressive. I am just too rough and strong for smaller (toy) breeds. 
So the reasonable thing for my parents to do... throw me with the real dudes. 
Bring it on~

There was two other dogs (a mongrel and another jack russell) for me to chase and play with. Pity, the other JRT was too lazy to chase and just stood there. I had a ball of time running around with the mongrel though. 
Lucky for my parents, the grass patch was dry and they didn't have to deal with a muddy dog at the end of the day. That also meant that I didn't have to endure yet another bath session. Phew~
Too bad for me when both the dogs left pretty soon after I came. But, my awesome mummy is always well-prepared! She brought my favourite toy!
And we played FETCH!
More FETCH!
Yet more FETCH!
Before I finally threw in the towel and laid down to rest. 
I was having so much fun that even my eyes and ears were smiling!
One important thing to note: Always keep your dog hydrated in a warm climate like the little red dot! 
Mummy actually froze my water bottle the night before and thus I had unlimited supply of ice cold water!
Brain freeze!!
After several water breaks, I decided to just roam around the grass and gallop.
 Check out the best shot of the day! 
(After 12411413813231 tries.)
 I love being a HDB dog, but I love days like this even more. 
Days where I can run free (without a tagging leash) and far!
That pretty much explains the smile that could not be wiped off..
Check out my curling tongue - that's an indication that I'm having too much fun (not complaining) and am getting a tad bit tired.
Okay. I rephrase. Getting real tired.
Before long, I was on my frog-leg position and just done for the day. 
*Pants*
I literally laid on that spot for a good twenty minutes before catching my second wind. (HA!) My parents was pretty surprised that I even had the strength to move, let alone run. Well,  how can I miss out on the fun! (A new pack of four dogs came in and that simply rejuvenated me!)
By then, my parents were too tired to whip out the SLR and decided to just sit back, relax and indulge in watching me play. Of course, they enjoyed patting the other dogs too!

I had to have one last shot before we left though -  a happy shot of a elated dog!
Wished we just stayed across the street and that this will be a daily activity. 
Pity that's not gonna happen. 
Oh well, I guess an occasional treat will do just fine!
Meanwhile, it's time to spend the rest of the week day recuperating!
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