TGIF

Oh Friday, I have missed you.. Come visit me sooner next week??

Sorry for the short post, I am one BUSY bumble bee!
Thought this would get you all smiling nonetheless!

ENJOYYYY!
XxxxX

The Problem With Hamster Photography

It is fast become a routine where I base my posts on a photograph I have taken in the week of one of the hamsters. I try to take photos as much as I can because I never know what I will post about. and so having lots of nice, focused photographs makes writing a post for later in the week a hell of a lot easier.

I will be the first to admit however that hamsters are not the most photogenic creatures.

I like to think I have a very high standard of photograph on this blog. It needs to be focused, bright, vivid and all about the hamster.

Its what people want to when they visit this blog to cut the chase short.

So the problem with hamster photography really is they move quickly so its hard to focus and they rarely face the direction you want.
Basically they are the master of avoidance.

I, personally, hate my photo being taken – I don’t have that flawless pout perfected yet so I end up looking like a complete goof. BUT, I love having memories from nights out and days away, so I put up with my goof smile for the greater good of the memories.. Or just pull a stupid face (if I’m gunna look bad, I may as well go all out!)

Hamsters however don’t seem to have this “Ill have my picture taken for the greater good” mentality. And its unbelievably frustrating - especially when I am trying to visualise a blog over here!!

 I find that even the perfectly normal hamster-whisker twitches end up blurring all attempts at decent photography. It has also gotten to the stage where I need to take about 50 pictures in quick succession to even have a remote chance of getting that blissful picture I decide to use on my blog.

I did try using my actual proper camera for some photography, but it ended up being a lot of kerfuffle. And it was never actually handy when I wanted to take the picture.

I am sure all pet-owners will agree, them funny pet moments are fleeting times and rummaging around looking for a camera, switching it on, adjusting the flash settings and then actually lining up the shot ends up being ridiculously time consuming.

So how do you cope with animal photography??
Do you follow any tips when snapping your furry???
Have you got any advice for a struggling animal photographer???

Best Blog Award November 2012

Once again this is delayed (supposed to be the first of the month thing) but thankfully I have been reminded!
Thank goodness too because I would probably not have remembered until the end of the month, and some use that would be.

I guess this ‘time’ malarkey really is getting the better of me!
Hang in there folks, I’m getting there! I haven’t given up yet!

So back to the month of November; a busy month (by my standards). I worked my first full month of full-time work, YAY ME! I made light work of my paycheck mind you! I am a natural born shopper, what can I say.

So the blog has taken a bit of a tumble from my stance. Getting the chance to sit down and reply to every single comment has become a not-so-common luxury. However, I am still posting daily (okay so my timings aren’t so consistent and I usually end up posting later on in the evening but the main thing is I have put something up every single day so far. And I will continue even if it kills me!)

I have still been reading my lovely followers blogs, old and new.
And of course the month of November would never be quite complete without me bragging about my top 3 favourite blogs over the past 4 weeks.

Without further ado and waffling the runners up are as follows:

Our Dachshund Sophie
This blog is just inspirational. Sophie is a gorrrrrgeous and very unique dog! And the ‘heading’ on the blog says it all: A blog featuring our dachshund Sophie’s story of life with paralysis, filled with inspiration, support, fun and food, in honor of all the wonderful pets in our lives. I quite honestly couldn’t recommend this blog more for all those pet lovers out there and beyond!

Stargazing Under Coconut Trees
This is yet another wonderful blog! The colours and quirkiness of the posts are keeping me entertained day in, day out! If you are ever in need of a random (a slightly eccentric) muse of things, then look no further! A blogging delight and a much anticipated runner up!

And now for the winner of Novembers best blog award…
*drum roll please*

Animal Tails
It very nearly killed me not placing this amazing blog in Octobers best blog award but I really wanted to see more of the blog and give it the really recognition I believe it truly deserves. Hamster blogs are few and far between so when you find a super-duper hamster blog you know you are onto a good thing! It may not be a WordPress blog but when you have such a class blog (and are blogging about the worlds cutest subject – yes Im talking about you Willow!) there really is every exception! If you are reading this blog now and enjoy what I post about, then you really are going to LOVE Animal Tails.

As winner of my November best blog award 2012, you have the icon above to do with what you please! I will be posting it on the left-sidebar so that for the next month, people who visit my blog will have a link to your site. It will also be placed onto the Blog Awards page along with all the other months winners and runners up, as a permanent reminder that you rock!!
Congratulations again!!

The Cracks Begin To Show…

So my Saturday post has been swallowed up by the internet.

Its really annoyed me because now I have technically missed a blogging day and I haven’t missed a day since the start all the way back in May.

I will put this down to experience.
Damn you WordPress!

Your Sunday Riddle will be right with you guys!

xxxx

Feel The Love People!

After my post last week, I was touched by people stories about how they, like me, loved their pets to pieces but struggled sometimes with the work/life balance. I decided a post dedicated to the adored pets of the blogosphere was in order!

You sent me your pictures of your loved pets and that one thing you could tell them that they’d never forget! And here they are, all framed and beautiful for your viewing delight!

Let me just say this now, you are some very loved pets!!

Genuinely, lovely to hear such nice words about your furries! Welling up over here!!!
Thank you for sending these in everyone! The pictures are fabulous!

Another one is definitely on the cards if you have missed out this time!!!

Finding The Time

Now from the title of this blog you may think I am about to whine about my new work life/social life balance and how I am struggling to manage the blog whilst working till almost 6 everyday and all that jazz.
Well this blog hasn’t quite sunk to that mundane level just yet

But it is along them lines, just hamster related (and something I think some people out there could benefit from reading).

Yes I am going to mention the work thing. But only quickly.

When I get back from work, the first thing I do isn’t always hold the hamsters. It has definitely slipped on my priorities. I have found myself just flopping on my sofa and catching up with the boyfriend. I usually pick up Casper first, he’s so sleepy still he doesn’t run around much and so I can hold him calmly and not feel manic.
In the evenings they are all so hyperactive they become hard to hold for long periods of time.

Finding the time to snuggle each of my hammy’s and give them all my undivided attention is proving very difficult.
And this makes me a sad panda.

I still do hold them all everyday. Without fail.

But some days, its not for very long. I have even struggled to get them all in their exercises balls over the last week.
Where does all the time go?!

Do you have any advice for me?? Am I still adjusting to the changes?? Do you set yourself a set time to occupy your furries in the evenings? Or are there some days you just don’t have the time ?? ://
All advice welcome

The Sunday Riddle #23

Sorry for the late posting of tonights riddle. I have really slacked off blogging this weekend and not prepared ONE single blog post for next week. Not one!! What am I going to do?!

Well I am going to buckle down to it tonight and see how many posts I can sort and then write the rest tomorrow, hopefully. I have high hopes for myself! I will NOT, I repeat NOT, be leaving you hamster diary blogless for a single day. I will get it all sorted and you’ll know no different Thats the plan anyways…
Back to the topic in hand. Last weeks riddle-me-ree. Here it is again, to refresh your memory:

I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows close behind. What am I?

Scienerf gave it two fabulous guesses and colours in the wash was a pretty smart answer but not quite right. Cupcake also answered, but unfortunately you aren’t the answer. Could be, but not quite right either And unlucky Ann Paws, ‘your brain’ was not 100% correct but actually was not far off at all!
I can say that Doggy Styles, Toffs Gran and Kokoruma all got this one correct, so congratulations to you three.

The ANSWER:
Your nose!

And now it all makes sense. Doesn’t it always after you’ve read the answer!!

Now for this weeks spectacular Sunday Riddle (you can still comment your answer if its Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday.. etc) I have quite the puzzle for you all to get your teeth into…

It cannot always be seen, it weighs absolutely nothing, but when put into a barrel, it makes it lighter. What is it?

Good luck my friends
xxxxx

Wordless Furs-day

This is an old-ish photograph of Casper (looking mighty adorable) for my Wordless Furs-day. Thats right, I am bucking the wordless Wednesday trend and going with a slightly more pet-appropriate Wordless ThursFurs-day theme

Thinking that this will become a more regular weekly feature, with the whole limited time thing Hope this quenches that daily thirst for cuteness!

xxxx

10,014 Views, 94 Countries, 186 Posts, 1,616 Comments, 18 Videos And Counting… :D

Looking at my WordPress stat’s page is usually a pretty routine affair.
I check how many views I get for the day, have a secret celebratory dance, and then have a closer look at what posts have been looked at most blah blah blah. As fellow blogger’s you know the drill.

Well yesterday I had a littler more reason to dance than usual.
I have crept over the 10,000 all time views border.
TA-DAHHHHHH!!

So I thought my post today would be dedicated to a few statistics from the Hamster Diaries blog which actually will act as a reminder that my blog is actually quite a hit Blogging everyday is not the easiest thing in the world and takes a fair amount of discipline and patience to get into a routine. Having settled into a pattern (or there abouts after the new-job-time-management-shake-up thing)]

First post date:
Sunday 13th May 2012
 Number of posts:
186
Number of comments:
1616
Total number of views:
10,014
Overall average views per day:
80
Most views on a single day:
132
Number of countries reached:
94
Most country views:
United States
Likes on Facebook:
15
Most popular post(excluding homepage): 
How to tell whether your hamster is a boy or girl
Number of videos on Youtube:
18
Most popular video on Youtube:
Newborn Baby Hamsters
Number of views for this video:
447
Lifetime video views on Youtube:
1118

Writing this post has actually put a smile on my face. Who knew blogging could be so satisfying
Have a fantastic day everybody!
xxxx

Best Blog Award October 2012

OMG HOW DID I MISS THIS?!

This is MAJOR.

Its now November 5th… and what do I usually do on the last day of each month? BEST BLOG AWARD of course!!! I am 6 days late with the blog award! This is shameful!!! Oh organisation skills, why do you do this to me!!!

Well I guess its better late than never…

So here are my October Runners Up:

http://hammyhappenings.wordpress.com
I love love love love lovvvve this blog! I may be a little biased because another hamster blog in the world can only be a good thing! The pictures a just a visual treat, the posts are always interesting and there really is everything you could want in a blog here

http://kokoruma.wordpress.com
Its not hamsters but its their bigger cousin.. rats! I have never been quite so engaged in rats ever before! I love this blog to pieces and the pictures are always a delight! Koko and Ruma are two rats who keep their owner on her toes as they always seem to be causing mischief Definitely check out this blog if you havent already! Giggles await you!

And now, for my winner of October’s BEST BLOG AWARD 2012….

http://mypawsitivelypets.blogspot.com/

Now this is a little out of my comfort zone here because I dont know the first thing about Blogspot (I am a WordPresser through and through ahha) but this blog has it all! Its covers all kinds of pets from kitty cats to snakes – so all animal lovers are going to enjoy this blog for definite! Its easy to find your way around and the posts always are covering new things! What more could you want!!!

Congratulations!! The award logo will be on the sidebar of this page for the next month so all visitors old and new to my blog can discover your blog too Sorry for it being a few days late! 

To be in with your chance to win Novembers best blog award, all you have to do is follow this blog! I check out all followers blogs, and chose my favourite at the end of each month for a little recognition

xxxxxxxxxxx