Introducing: Team Cuddle

One of the most fascinating and wonderful things to come out of the worldwide attention brought by my photos of Theo and Beau has been the interaction with fans.

On Instagram and occasionally Twitter where our hashtag is easily tracked, #TheoandBeau brings up thousands of various posts of all kinds, from all different corners of the world. It is remarkable to watch how this bond that our son and puppy have developed between each other continues to spread and inspire people (and animals!) of all walks of life. Many of these posts are photos of children and dogs, though often they are of adults and their pets, sometimes pets with other pets, but overall there is a resounding sentiment of love and peace-which is exactly what our very own Theo and Beau bring to all of us.

(Thank you for allowing me to share your gorgeous families!)

The rescue organizations have also been drawing a lot of support around these photos and online social interaction, which is amazing to me and exactly what I had hoped would happen once our photos became popular.

I’m really lucky that all of this happened after I’d already established this blog as both a social platform as well as a business, because it’s allowed me to team up with major (majorly awesome) brands that are ready, willing and excited to team up with me to raise funds for the Santa Cruz SPCA.

Team Cuddle Contest

Given the sweetness behind these photos and the LOVEly holiday coming up this week, I am more than a little thrilled and excited to announce Team Cuddle, an incredible campaign and interactive contest I’m hosting with my dear friend and Rock Star blogger, Ilana Wiles of Mommy Shorts. Not only will our generous sponsor, Freshpet be donating $5,000 to the Santa Cruz SPCA, they’re also giving the grand prize winner $1,000 cash money. We’re encouraging our readers and followers to share and enter their sweet photos in the following categories:

“Tots & Pups” and “Kiddos & Kitties”:

…and Ilana’s adorable family showcasing categories “Sibling Snuggle” and “Family Cuddle”:

“Family Cuddle” can include a mom and child, a dad and child or a whole family with or without their pet(s). You may also (and please do) post a photo with you and your pet-there’s nothing like a selfie with a fur baby.

Freshpet was started in 2006, by pet lovers who wanted to introduce a healthier pet food alternative to the typical dry or canned food found on shelf. Instead, they created fresh, REFRIGERATED food for pets, using only high quality meats, poultry and fish combined with fresh vegetables and fruits, with no preservatives or fillers like corn, wheat or by-products. This allows dogs and cats to eat nutrient-rich meals that have the same healthy standards as meals that pet parents would eat themselves. Food that pets will love and you can feel really good about feeding them.

Theo and Charlie (our infamous cat) both love the Freshpet food we give them daily. While I haven’t found Theo to be all that discriminatory about his meals, Charlie is incredibly picky. She gobbles up her portions twice a day, which is the first time I’ve ever seen her do this. They’re clearly both big fans, and that makes three of us. It’s nice to know that they’re eating and loving this food that is also really good for them.

PRIZES

Tots & Pups: $250 cash gift card along with $50 worth of Freshpet food

Kiddos & Kitties: $250 cash gift card along with $50 worth of Freshpet food

Sibling Snuggle: $250 cash gift card

Family Cuddle: $250 cash gift card (plus $50 worth of Freshpet food if the photo includes a pet)

Grand Prize: $1000 cash gift card

Photos can be submitted on the Mommy Shorts Facebook page (just post on that fanpage wall with the first names of everyone pictured) or post to instagram tagging @mommyshorts @mommasgonecity and @freshpet with hashtag #FreshpetTeamCuddle.

All photos will be added daily to the Team Cuddle Facebook album up until Monday, March 3rd. You can “like” your favorites to help us narrow down to the top five contenders in each category, but ultimately the twenty finalists will be determined by myself, Ilana, and Freshpet. Most “likes” does not guarantee inclusion.

The twenty finalists will compete against each other on Mommy Shorts on March 4th. The winner will be determined by popular vote and announced on March 10th.

I couldn’t be more thrilled to be teamed up with Ilana and Freshpet. If you are familiar at all with the incredibly fun and interactive content on Mommy Shorts (check out her Cake Smash Smack Down for a “taste” of her brilliance), you’ll know why I am really excited to be involved in a campaign with her. We’re raising money for the Santa Cruz SPCA, working with an amazing brand that I happen to really love, and we get to see all of you and your beautiful families and pets!

I cannot wait to see what’s to come.

This post was sponsored by Freshpet. All thoughts and opinions are my own.