#32 Let Them Hear Your Roar

Katy Perry is my homegirl. I'm all about crazy costumes and being a champion. 

Bark=Roar. And you're gonna hear it.

#31 Be A Lady

Apparently it's bad for circulation to cross your legs at the knee. So cross your ankles. And fold your hands in your lap. And cover your mouth when you yawn. And look coy for the camera.

#30 Exercise Regularly

I've had my share of weight fluctuations, so I try to keep my waist trim and my heart pumping by playing lots of sports and stuff. Like most, I get a little lazy during the holiday season, so I try to throw the old yellow felt bouncy thing around at least a few times a week. And by throw I mean catch.

#29 Embrace Your Inner Hippie

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

I reduce the amount of kibble in my bowl, I reuse all of my toys in new and creative ways, and I recycle through all the laps I've sat on in a day. Call me a flower child, it's true.

#28 Thou Shalt Not Covet

Thou shalt ask politely and perhaps thine sister shalt share.

#27 Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamin D

I'll be the first to admit I'm a bit on the fair side. However, I'm an outdoor puppy at heart, so I deem vitamins vitalmins. That isn't a word, but whatever. Wear sunscreen, wear protective eyewear, and get yourself some happy vitamin.

#26 Spread A Little Love

I'm a very affectionate puppy. The words I use most are, in order, love, treat, outside, kitty, attack, kisses, belly, and whatwasthatsoundoutsideI'msureIheardsomething.

As you can see, love comes first.

#25 Get A Good Night's Sleep

I spend all day running errands and running laps and laying on laps and laying on errands. I just wear myself out by the end, so I always try to get the recommended 10-18 hours of sleep per night, to keep me on my paws during the day!

#24 Stay In Touch

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This is my bestie Sheridan. I don't get to see her very often so we love catching up. And snuggling. And nose-nuzzling.

When we're far apart, we text and tweet and snapchat each other, but today I got some real-life snuggles! Excuse me while I go lick her sweatshirt and nap in her arms.

#23 Practice Safe Driving

Don't text and drive. Also, don't be a dog and drive. Preferably. 

#22 Conquer Your Fears

There may or may not have been a day once where I feared the vacuum or heights or those big black and white spotted moo things outside. Yes, I may have acted irrationally. I may have barked a lot. But I'm getting over it. Because I am a conquistador.

#21 Decorate Seasonally

I never miss a trip to the pumpkin patch or Christmas tree lot. We always try to decorate as a family, but let's be honest. I do most of the work. My sisters always fall asleep or get distracted by their toys halfway through pumpkin carving, but me? I can't be stopped. I'm a holiday fiend. 

P.S. Don't be that person with Christmas lights up two days after Halloween.We're talking about decorating seasonally here.

#20 Be A Team

Hey, without each other they would not have been able to carry me and the bed with me on it.

We're teammates! We work together! No I in team! No pain no gain! No potty in car! No chewing Leah's headphones! Teamwork!

#19 Frolic

There isn't a whole lot to it. Frolicking is fun. It makes life whimsical.

#18 Wash Behind Your Ears

I'm not entirely sure from whence this phrase came, but I'm sure it's beneficial somehow. And the kitties do it ALL THE TIME so it must be important.

Personally, I love to reek of lavender and cucumber melon after soaking in some bubbles for an hour or so. I love baths like Jim loves Pam. Actually I love baths more like Ryan loves Kelly, but whatever. Love is love and baths are baths.

#17 Thank Your Mother

If you're lucky enough to have a mommy like mine, you're pretty lucky, and you should probably say thank you to her a lot for putting up with you and your antics. Here's a picture of me and my mama when I was just a wee pup!

Consider this a hug, a thank you, and a moderate to severe slobbery kiss.

Love,

The Actual Favorite Daughter,

Abby Kevin

#16 Read Good Books

Or read bad books. Just read books.
I come from a family of readers. My mommy taught English for like eighty years or something (whatever it was, it was way before I came along) so she likes to come home with new books for me and my sisters to read. We each have genres we like more than others, but we love recommending our favorites to each other!

Like these!

Pride & Prejudice (It's public domain!)

Harry Potter

A Thousand Splendid Suns

The Help

To Kill A Mockingbird

Ender's Game

The Hobbit

A Sand County Almanac

#15 Put Your Best Paw Forward

Most days, I'm all about dressing for comfort. But when meeting new people or interviewing for a job, I always take the time to ask my sisters if my outfit works. Interview without my best satin tie? I think not. Proper dress is important, but remember, it's your personality they'll remember when the day is through. So smile like you just ate half a sock and remember, you got this.

#14 Support Local Volunteers

Better yet, be a volunteer. There's nothing quite like looking at a park or community monument and knowing you're part of the reason it's there, or part of the reason it looks so good.

Personally, I'm a big fan of volunteer firemen. Go fire hydrants! Keep those around please!

#13 Celebrate Every Birthday

In our family, birthdays are kind of a big deal. Though there is only one (very misleading) candle on my cookie cake, this was actually my third birthday.

It's important to celebrate the ones you love. It tells them that at least one person cares enough to mix water and cake fluff and bake at 350. And sometimes that's all you need.

#12 Eat Dessert First

The way I see it, this could all be over in a minute, so I'm eating the cookie before the kibble. Besides, this one was a gift from my delivery man, and it's rude not to accept gifts. And I'm nothing if not a gracious gift-receiver.

#11 Keep Up With Current Events

I love to hear all about what's currently happening in politics from my favorite person in the world, my daddy, but when he's away, I make it my personal mission to stay abreast of current events. KONY 2012? I watched it. Government Shutdown? I know all about it. I keep my newspaper close and C-SPAN playing in the background.

#10 Eat Your Veggies

I've tried my share of crash diets and crazy weight-loss methods (I once tried this diet where you have to carry each mouthful of food into another room before you can eat it. Let's just say it wasn't the most efficient way to finish my kibble)

But four and a half years of expertise tells me that the most important thing you can do is just eat right. Hey, I love me some raw broccoli. No ranch needed!

#9 Never Let Technology Get Between You and Your Loved Ones

I may be posting this from a computer but you better believe I spend more time on my mama's lap than on my laptop.

P.S. Check out my twitter!

P.P.S. But seriously though, family first.

#8 Spend Time Outside

There's nothing quite like the breeze in my fur and the grass on my tongue.

If I could spend all day chasing cats and tennis balls across the yard, I would. Besides, exercise is good for you. And for the cat.

#7 Keep Your Friends Close and Your Toys Closer

Especially if your friends like to take away your toys. And I'm not havin' any of that.

#6 Avoid Pigtails Always

Pigtails are like Crocs. They're only cute on infants.

#5 Always Leave the Door Open for a Friend

There's nothing I love more than the beautiful ding of the door bell, letting me know another friend has come to see me. If only I could get there faster!

#4 Invest In a Good Pair of Sunglasses

In case you can't tell from my third post, I'm all about protective eyewear.

#3 Make Someone Else Laugh Today

Like I said, dress-up is a powerful thing. It was enough to make this human laugh.

There are a lot of things I love to do, but making humans smile is undoubtedly my favorite.

#2 Never Forget The Value of Dress-Up

I may not be a real Holstein but that's a moo point. I'm spotted under all my fluff, and a little dress-up never hurt any dog. Or cow. Probably

#1 Don't Try to Bee Something You're Not

My tail is softer than a sting and my bark is not a buzz. Someone tell my owners I am fluffy. Not fuzzy.