Leo's 2nd Birthday + KangaROOS -

About a month ago Ita and I celebrated Leo’s 2nd birthday at Mutts Cantina in Dallas. If you haven’t been before, it’s a dog park that also has a full bar and mini restaurant serving up things like spiked frozen lemonade, hot dogs, burgers, and of course, a few dog-friendly treats as well.

It feels like it was just the other day I was visiting various animal shelters in the area. I was constantly looking online through all of the sweet faces of dogs that needed a home. I remember sitting at my dining table scrolling through the Dallas Animal Services website when I saw his little puppy photo pop up and how I rushed to get there before they closed in order to adopt him! He was the cutest little thing, only about 8 weeks old and in a room with his other malnourished brothers and sisters who were dumped on the side of the road along with him. It’s always so hard for me to go to shelters because your heart breaks for every dog and you know you can’t save them all.

I remember the shelter told us he would most likely get to “about 35 pounds”. Ha. Not even close. After a couple of months of him struggling to gain weight he is now a strong and healthy 75-pound pup (although he thinks he’s a little lap dog)! That could be because Ita and I baby him so much… it’s quite pathetic actually. We don’t have kids yet so he really is like our little child. Ita is so good about taking him to the dog park multiple times a week and taking him on runs all the time. Then I’m the one who snuggles with him on the couch once he’s tired 😉 (don’t worry I play with him too). It never ceases to amaze me how much joy a dog can bring into your life every single day. Leo is such a sweet, loyal, protective (although sometimes too protective) dog who I truly couldn’t imagine life without. #prouddogmom

To celebrate his birthday we played with him at Mutts for hours. It cracks me up how excited he gets when he meets new dogs. There are times where he literally starts bouncing around like a kangaroo and jumps straight up from all four legs. I’m telling you it is the funniest thing! If you noticed my sneakers in this post they are by the brand KangaROOS. Do you remember the KangaROOS sneakers from back in the day? Payless recently brought them back in a new way and I have been wearing them nonstop! They come in several different color combinations but I fell in love with this maroon and navy pair. I love that they have a little zipper on the side so I don’t necessarily have to mess with untying them every time I want to wear them. The great thing about these kinds of sneakers is that you can easily pair them with items like skirts and dresses, not just activewear. I wore them several times during my recent trip to New York for Fashion Week. It was so nice to have comfortable shoes on that still worked with my outfit! These sneakers are currently on sale at Payless for under $35! In case you’re shopping for anyone else in your family, they are available in little boys and girls sizes too! You can check the KangaROOS options out here.

Is anyone else out there a proud dog mom? I’d love to hear what kind of dog you have! And for those of you who may be looking to add a dog to the family, please check out your local shelters and adopt! I promise you will find the most loving animals that are just looking for a place to call home. Feel free to leave a comment or email me directly (hello@thefashionhour.com) if you have any questions about adopting a pet!

Thank you for reading and have a great weekend!