afFURmation

Why an Introvert wants to win a trip to a Blogging Conference

This post is my entry in the Eukanuba Paws In Motion to BarkWorld sweepstakes.

Extroverts thrive in social settings drawing energy from being around other people. I’m an introvert. We’re often thought of as shy, rude or antisocial, but this shows how misunderstood we are. Introverts are drained by social interactions and draw energy by focusing inward.

The Internet can be a haven as it gives introverts a chance to be social in a way they are comfortable with. Even with the advantages of being online, there are some characteristics of being an introvert that affect my blogging.

Introverts are private. We don’t like to talk about ourselves and are more comfortable having conversations with people we know. So while I love reading all the stories people write about their pets, I find it hard to do on my blog.

Introverts prefer deep conversations over chit chat. So when it comes to commenting sometimes I don’t because I don’t feel comfortable doing it unless I it seems to add to the conversation.

Introverts need time to process information before responding. This is the number one reason I love the Internet. I can take time to leave a thoughtful comment, but the delay means I often I end up not commenting because too much time has passed to take part in the conversation at least in my mind.

Introverts find certain situations draining and for me one online situation is social media. There just seems to be so much information flying at me that I have a hard time determining what is relevant to me.

So why can’t I just do these things? They aren’t difficult, how hard can it be to leave a comment? If only it were that easy, but it’s hard to change something that is an inherent part of you. One study found that introverts and extroverts have different brain activity and this plays a big part in our personality. So it’s no easier to change some of what my mind thinks about these things than it would be for me to all of a sudden be shorter.

With these attributes, why would an introvert want to win a trip to the BarkWorld conference? After all, there are people I don’t know and brand representatives I have to talk to about myself and my blog. Well, meeting other bloggers will mean they are no longer a stranger to me so I’m more comfortable in joining in their conversations and posting about myself and my pets. Meeting brand representatives will give me practice in promoting my blog. Attending the sessions will give me more knowledge and skills to work with my blog especially those activities I’m not comfortable with. I want my blog to grow and I want to grow as a blogger and a conference is the place to do it.

The Lifetime Costs of Pets (Infographic)

Thanks to My House Rabbit for sharing this infographic from Mint.com about the cost of keeping a pet. I don’t think I want to add up how much I’ve spent over the years. But love is priceless right?

Provided by Mint.com

Pet Pop Quiz Answer

I’ll be honest, I never saw the movie and didn’t know the premise of it until I looked it up for this quiz. I might have to netflix it to see what it’s like. I remember learning the theme song for middle school music class and loved it. They wouldn’t teach the song from an evil movie to children, would they? :>)

Q: This movie starred a rat who becomes friends with a little boy and also leads a pack of people killing rats. What is the name of the movie?

A: The movie is Ben after the rat. A young Michael Jackson sang the theme song.

(Source- IMDb)

If you left the right answer, you get an entry into the April Pet Pop Quiz and Contest. Be sure to stop by next Monday for the last chance to get an entry into the April contest.

Wellness Wednesday- Pet CPR

Learning CPR may mean the difference between life or death for your pet. Your local Red Cross may offer Pet First Aid classes where you can learn how to care for your pet in an emergency including how to give pet CPR.

This video shares the how-tos on giving CPR.

Have you taken a pet first aid class?

Pet Hacks- Pet Food Canister

Pet Hacks is a new feature on afFURmation. It will share do-it-yourself projects pet owners have made to make their pet’s life easier, happier or just more fun! Remember every pet is different so what may work for one pet might not work for another.

If your house is anything like mine, you have a couple of those large popcorn tins hanging around. I never know what to do with them. they usually have Christmas designs on them so aren’t something I really want to keep out year round. What to do with them, what to do…

Cheryl from TidyMom came up with the great idea of revamping the tin to make a very stylish pet food canister for her dog Cullen’s food.

Photo used with permission of TidyMom

If you’ve been looking for something to do with those extra tins that are hanging around (No tins?! Check out your local thrift store. I usually see a couple at the ones near me.), check out the post on TidyMom to see how Cheryl transformed her tins.