Your Pet Gets A Treat While You're Away

I saw this wonderful new invention today and just loved it!

Gadgets and machines should never take the place of human contact, but I know many of the owners I sit for would love to check in with the pet while they are away.

This clever contraption fits into a wall socket and connects to the wifi in the house.

Then the owner can log in from any remote device like an iPhone, tablet, laptop or android device and talk to the pet and even deliver a treat.

For a nervous dog this would give comfort that their folks weren't too far away AND they get an extra treat.

My furry friends would figure out how to get me to give them a treat and then tell the owners I'd been starving them and get another treat off their folks!

Take a peak at the video, it just gorgeous.

Indiegogo Introduction from Petzila on Vimeo.

I'm pretty sure it would work well for cats too - but you'd need to make an appointment :-)

Bed Time Stories for Dogs

I can't help thinking I've seen it all now.

I also can't help thinking that a few of my part time pets would just love this!

I still think the "in person" bed time story would be even better, but this could be a nice way to calm an anxious pet, especially in the first few days of a sit when they are getting used to their new sitter and coming to terms with the fact that their family might be away a little longer than they anticipated.

The Clean Underwear Dilemma SOLVED!

Any travelling adventurer knows the burden of getting your clothes clean whilst on the road.

Well this clever Australian company has come up with a great invention that is going to make turning your undies inside out a thing of the past.

It's a bag with little nodules on the inside to help the cleaning process, it uses minimal water and is very light so it won't take up those valuable ounces on the airline scales.

Incredibly simple, it takes away the stress of trying to keep things clean, and when most hotel sinks don't hold water without leaving the tap running, this clever little bag will really help save water too.  

You can see it in action here - not sure if the bloke in the ute comes with :-)

Find out how to get yours at their website here

Will Technology Replace HouseSitters?

I was amused to read about a new service in cat shelters which allows the shelters site visitors to play remotely with cats in cages.  Its a great scheme and is showing greater number of adoptions and donations to the sites.

But of course this technology will be easily applied to other areas including housesitting.

Sylvie loved to climb up on my knees and have a snooze
while I worked on my iPad - she made a great stand

But will there ever be a replacement for a pat and hug, being walked all over and sat on and really just to have human contact while an owner is away?

You can visit the website here

What Do I Miss?

A question I get asked quite a lot ……. What do I miss most as I live the reality of a portable lifestyle?

Well apart from the obvious friends and family …… I'm slightly embarrassed to admit ……. the thing I really miss the most is my 27" Big iMac.

Here's my lil mac taking the download from the big mac on my last full day in Daylesford.

Even though I've come away with the latest Mac Book Pro with retina screen in my KnoMo Stella backpack - the Pro, well its faster and smarter on many levels, but I really miss being able to see everything all at once.

Its never easy to step down and going from 27 to 15 inches …. well just proves the age old adage that size really does matter.

Sigh and then there's the magic of building sequences in the new Infusionsoft campaign builder - no longer can I see the whole campaign all at once.  I know people in the world are starving, but these are the things you miss on the road, particularly when your whole business lives in your computer.

Then the next thing I miss is my Herman Miller Mirra office chair with the amazing built in lumber support.

My back reminds me every day how amazing that chair really was.

I could sit there all day and not feel any worse for the wear and tear.

But I get to experience new cities and do nutty things like wake up in the morning and just decide to go to lunch in a city most only ever dream of visiting.

I really am very blessed, but Apple …. if you can figure out how to make a fold up 27" screen, that is lighter than an Air and packs down to my backpack - I'll love ya forever!!

And Herman if you can put a button on that chair that shrinks it so it fits in the backpack too - oh my, my back will love you forever!