my pup and me

a guide to all things fun for you and your dog

[mypupandme]

team poppy!

on sunday family and friends gathered to walk/run our 5th annual race for poppy aka Team Poppy. when poppy died of pancreatic cancer five years ago, my sisters and i got involved in the hirshberg foundation for pancreatic cancer research. each year we raise money for the annual la cancer challenge, the 5/10k walk that the foundation puts on.

this year was penni's first team poppy race. she had the best time...and even wore a costume to boot. peep her in the photo.

happy halloween friends.

until next time.

xo

[mypupandme]

a pup friendly beach in malibu?

we found a pup friendly beach in malibu - hooray! penni loves herself a great beach and so do b and i - after much research and a test run, its official there is a pup friendly beach in malibu. i will tell you that its not promoted as a pup friendly beach, there is even a sign on the entrance like all other beaches that says no dog allowed, but once you make it down the stairs ( there are tons of them, so limit the coolers and beach accessories) you arrive at dog/human heaven. dogs are running and playing along the beach. owners are doing their thing. its bliss. 

beach is located right on pacific coast highway about 100 ft north of  Geoffrey's (the restaurant). there is a small gate that accesses the beach.

so next time you and your pup are looking for some r&r head down to this spot. promise you and the pup will be in for some fun too.

enjoy.

xo

[mypupandme]

check out penni - this was her first official swim in the ocean in santa barbara over labor day weekend with brandon. love them. 

[mypupandme]

Running

hi friends,

wow, did i fly off the face of the planet, or what? so penni and i have started running in the mornings - and what better place then the beach. did you know that if it is before 11 am (luckily i go at 7 am) you can run with your pup right on the venice/santa monica beach boardwalk. this is great for p and i - i love to run and watch the beautiful water and p loves the occasional moments when she can stick her paws in the sand. so next time you need a workout spot you will both enjoy, head over to the beach. 

until next time..

xo

[mypupandme]

did you know?

hi friends,

wow it has been quite some time since my last post...

i had no idea that Westfield Mall Century City was dog-friendly until this weekend. b needed to go to century city but we wanted to spend time with penni - so i checked online and boom - totally doggie-friendly. we got to the mall and much to my surprise there were even drinking fountains and treat stations around the mall as well as a small dog park at the back of the mall. i love to find these little gems that you wouldn't imagine would welcome the pups - so need a great place to spend the day and do some shopping - well go on down to westfield mall century city for a fun day with you and the pup. and don't worry the stores welcome your pups also. what are your favorite places around la to go with the pup?

until next time...xo

[mypupandme]

the swimmer

penni, our 8 month old vizsla, absolutely loves to swim. we taught her when she was about 5 months old and now she is quite the pro -  a fearless one too.  brandon and i taught her together, by bringing her into the pool with us. at first she was not having it but after a little warming up, she became comfortable with the water and didn't look back.  she even jumps off the ledge now!  its something you will be forever grateful for as its the cutest thing to watch and it really tires out that little pup of yours. but major key to remember: take that pup in as a baby. 

until next time...

[mypupandme]

dining out with penni

with our work schedule it is important to b and i to spend time with penni after work and on the weekends, which means we love to include her when we go eat at local eateries. keyword: dog-friendly. a couple great restaurants we have been to recently, all of which welcome the pups.

1. Kreation: off to a very rough start but now in full force, Kreation has been open now for a little over a month (i think). we go to the one on abbot kinney. they have a great outdoor patio with heat lamps for the evening. yummy juices and tasty persian type food (think kabobs, rices etc.) for dinner and standard breakfast/brunch foods. all very healthy. 

2. Oscar's Cerveteca: the most happening place in venice and one of my favs, located on rose avenue. great great food and drinks - all mexican inspired. and the best ambience ever! gets very crowded so make that reservation if you can (note: they don't take day of reservations). 

3. Venice Ale House: located right on the boardwalk in venice, excellent people watching, tons of beers on tap and a large menu. 

promise, you and the pup will love these gems.

Until next time..here is a pic of penni at venice ale house. she is too cute for words, i know. 

[mypupandme]

morning walks

penni and i walk together every morning. it is our daily ritual together, she hears my alarm go off, she comes to my side of the bed, jumps on me and we get ready and go. i look at it as a time to enjoy the quiet neighborhood, hang together just the two of us (sometimes b joins us, we like that), be outside before spending the day in my office and of course get some cardio. i know penni looks forward to our walks every morning as much as i do. my favorite neighborhood walk is down second street - it is really quiet, has adorable houses to check out and no lights to stop at. check it out - promise you will enjoy it. 

[mypupandme]

santa barbara

hi friends. happy monday, sorry for the delay in posting - i hope you all had a wonderful long 4th of july weekend. in my last post, i mentioned we spent some time santa barbara, one of mine and brandon's absolute favorite places - and i now love it even more because i know penni has such a great time there. this weekend we spent the 4th of july at the beach (penni was miss popular - making friends left and right, playing football, swimming in the ocean etc.). on friday we all went on a great hike in montecito to my favorite trail - cold spring trail, the hike is off leash and the trails are just gorgeous (even waterfalls for the pups to play in). some other gems in santa barbara that i did not get too this time but are dog-friendly include henry's beach, its a pup fest and the urban wine trail, loads of tasting rooms and most welcome dogs (might i add my favorite one is municipal winemakers). so..make your way up the coast to santa barbara with you and the pup, promise you will both be in for a great time. 

here are a couple snap shots of our getaway...

[mypupandme]

happy 4th!

good morning friends. i am in santa barbara (one of my all time favorite places) for the 4th with the fiancé (brandon), penni, our very good friends and of course their pups. before we made the drive up last night we stopped for dinner in our neck of the woods - venice/santa monica at m street kitchen. m street kitchen has delicious drinks, great food (nachos are a must), a wonderful atmosphere and most importantly is pup friendly! they have a great outdoor patio where your pup can hang right by your side (and great doggie treats to boot) so go enjoy brunch, lunch or dinner with you and the pup! promise you won’t regret the decision. until next time…a fun place in santa barbara coming your way…

[mypupandme]

welcome!

welcome to my blog. my name is jena and i have a seven month old vizsla named penni who i love so very much. in february of this year, my boyfriend now fiance surprised me with the most magical proposal - that included penni, who had the ring wrapped around her collar. she has become such an amazing part of our lives, and i really could not imagine my life without her. she is part of our family. my blog is dedicated to all things penni - especially fun things we all do together in and around los angeles. enjoy!