Many families have a Family Planner on the wall so that they can keep track of dates, meetings, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries etc etc.

But did you know that there's a Family Planner - the Pawsome Day Family Planner - Pawsome Days for Dogs and their Humans!
 

It's from the CalendarClub.co.uk and it's perfect for dogs and their humans to organise the year ahead.

It's got fun illustrations by Katie Abey and 5 columns including one for dogs - great for all those appointments and meetings with the vet, the dog groomer, obedience training, the dog show.....

It's £9.99 from the CalendarClub 

If you’re one of those people who like to plan ahead and be prepared, and you love wildlife, take a look at the Natural History Museum.

They’ve got two beautiful diaries, which may also make great gifts for someone.  Both are under £10.

They have stunning photos of the natural world from the past years of the competition. Each week has a specially selected photograph, with a caption to explain where and how the photo was taken.  A ribbon marker makes each diary easy to refer to, and there are details of national and religious holidays.   Both are done on a week-to-view basis. 

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Pocket Diary 2020
£6.99 from the Natural History Museum Shop

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Desk Diary 2020
£9.99 from the Natural History Museum Shop

At the time of writing, the Natural History Museum had some wonderful offers on their Wildlife Photography of the Year products which range from greeting cards, tote bags, mugs, coasters, notebooks, note-cards, cushions, scarves and a make-up bag.  Some products have up to 50% off.   Scramble off to view the range here.

Emma Bridgewater produce some amazing products, with lots along themes of birds, dogs, gardens, flowers, farmyard animals and more.   

Amongst the mugs, bowls, plates - and even pet bowls - is this very pretty tin caddy with lots of bird species on it. 

At £7.00, it would be a pretty gift to give a bird lover to brighten up a kitchen!  You can use it for storing items such as spare keys - or sachets of tea for instance.

Fly off to Emma Bridgewater to find out more about it and put some animal magic into your kitchen! 

If you're an insect fan, take a look at the Insect Festival York on Sunday 7 July 2019.

It's a celebration for anyone who is fascinated by insects, from exhibitors to wildlife groups - and of course the general public.

The Sunday event takes place at the York Museum Gardens.  There are exhibits and a range of other stands and activities - live insect displays, photograhic displays, national and regional natural history societies, book sellers, build your own minibeast, bug hunts, competitions - there's no shortage of things to see or do!

The event is organised by The Royal Entomological Society, and it's £1 entry per adult, FREE for under 16s.

Crawl over to the website to find out more

PS If you can't get to York but could get to Bristol, check out the Insect Festival Bristol 2019 on Saturday 17 August 2019.  More details here

Gift experience company Red Letter Days have a new product on their listing which may be of interest to those of you who can get to the West Midlands with your pet.

Pet Photoshoot with Six Prints at Jigsaw Photography 

Oh, I'm so gorgeous!

Not as gorgeous as I am!


Can I have a treat now?  Please?

This could be a fun thing to do with your pet - go for a photo session.  The photographer will use high-tech equipment, say Red Letter Days, to snap some gorgeous photos of your cherished family pet . The result of this pet photoshoot will be six frameable prints that can be proudly displayed throughout the home.

All for £15!

Red Letter Days say this experience is suitable for cats, dogs and rabbits.   Have a solo pet photo or a shot with the whole family.

Vouchers are valid for 10 months.  Please note that a £20 refundable deposit will be requested at the point of booking.

Buy this experience from Red Letter Days

Woof, woof!! Did you know that on Friday 21 June 2019 it’s #BringYourDogToWorkDay?  

This is the sixth such event, and it’s organized by pet company HOWND.  Businesses all over the UK will be welcoming dogs through their front doors (a good many do already as a daily occurrence).

The event is raising money for animal welfare charities All Dogs Matter and Animals Asia. 

All Dogs Matter rescue and re-home over 400 dogs every year in London and the surrounding area.  They also help dogs in need find homes from overseas.

Animals Asia is an international charity devoted to ending the barbaric practice of bear bile farming, as well as improving the welfare of dogs and cats in China and Vietnam.

Please also bear in mind that not every dog is right to take into the workplace so consider your dog’s needs and temperament before walking him or her in through the front door.  Also not every workplace is right for dogs, either.  

And even if your boss doesn’t wag his or her tail in excitement at the thought of the idea, and your pooches end up staying put at home, you could still do a fund-raiser for the event – a cake sale, for instance.

INFO PACK ON THE EVENT

Info pack for those lovely hounds in HR (Human Resources) and your Top Dog (that's the boss) that they can download

 
Summer Cottage Garden Favourites

If you want to get active, get out into the garden and put lots of colour into it, those fabulous people at Suttons Seeds have a very special offer on at the moment - their Summer Cottage Garden Favourites has 50% off!!

The offer is 36 x 9cm Potted Plants for £45 (usually £90) - so it works out at £1.25 per plant and as these are perennials they will return to the garden the following year too, so adding more value and making your money go even further!

Go to Suttons Seeds to find out what this offer contains! 

The  Government has just created 41 Marine Conservation Zones, stretching from Northumberland in the North East to Norfolk, to the Isles of Scilly and beyond.  These will help marine life recover and thrive in protected areas.

A group which was important in gathering the information to help decide which areas should be protected was that of volunteer divers.

They are members of an organization called Seasearch.

Seasearch is a project for volunteer scuba divers who are interested to find out and discover more about what they see under water.  They also want to help protect the marine environment around the coastlines of Britain and Ireland.

Seasearch divers record what lives in each area, and establish the richest sites for marine life.  They also pinpoint sites where there are problems for marine life – and those areas which need protection.  Visit their Recording page for more information.

These findings helped the government decide which marine areas should be protected. 

So if you enjoy scuba diving and want to make a difference, take a look at Seasearch.  My husband did one of their courses and really enjoyed it.

Here’s a list of Seasearch groups around the country.

Get hands on in Sumatra with a 13 day conservation adventure

The Sumatran Orangutan Society emailed today to say that they have partnered with a Different Travel and the result is the opportunity to spend 13 days in Sumatra, assisting OIC's restoration and permaculture teams at Bukit Mas and Cinta Raja.

There's also the chance to trek in Gunung Leuser National Park in search of Sumatran orangutans living wild in the forest.

The trip will take place from 15th – 27th March 2020, with a group of between 10 – 20 people. You will be accompanied throughout the trip by local guides (English-speaking), driver, and a Different Travel UK tour manager.

You can download more information here, including costs.

Find out more from the Sumatran Orangutan Society here.