The Peanuts Movie: 5 things about Charlie Brown's new movie

Disclaimer: Tickets to "The Peanuts Movie" screening were provided by Twentieth Century Fox. All thoughts are my own.

“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. For after all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog.”  -- Charles Schulz

This well-known quote from "Peanuts'" creator pretty much sums up Charlie Brown's newest film outing.

"The Peanuts Movie" is an homage to everything most of us remember about the Charlie Brown series we know and love.

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Christmastime is here

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Take a look at some of the dog-related ornaments in my collection.

That's my I have a bunch of Hallmark Peanuts ornaments. This one recreates the Christmas play scenes in "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Above that one is Max, the Grinch's dog in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Nice Beagle ornament, huh? It's one of the Sandcastle ornaments. And yes, Stitch is right underneath.

And some more of my awesome Charlie Brown ornaments.

• What are your favorite pet ornaments? Comment below!

Win Hallmark prizes with the Deck the Dog House photo contest

On Tuesday "A Charlie Brown Christmas" airs on ABC -- the first of hopefully many airings this holiday season! Yay Snoopy.

Do you remember this scene?

Ok, so Charlie Brown wasn't quite as happy about Snoopy embracing the commercial side of Christmas. But who doesn't love Christmas decorations? They give the holiday a beautiful glow. So if your pet could decorate their living space for the holidays, what would it look like? Here's your chance to figure it out -- and win prizes!

 From now until Dec. 20, decorate your pet's dog house, cat condo, crate, cage, bed or other living space! Take a picture and either post it on the Life With Beagle Facebook page, the @LifeWithBeagle Twitter account or email me at lifewithbeagle@gmail.com. Be sure to include the hashtag #DeckTheDogHouse!

UPDATE: Just making it clear, this is not just for dogs. Owners of cats, rats, birds, turtles, fish, ferrets and other creatures are welcome.

Three judges will chose the top two winners. Now there are two ways to decorate. You can:

• Actually decorate your pets' living space. Should you choose to do this, remember that some decorations are dangerous to pets, including garland and Christmas lights. But if you want you can decorate the area, take the picture and then remove the decorations.
• Digitally add the decorations, like I did in the picture above. You can use any computer program you have handy. I did that one above with Picmonkey.com, which has some cool overlays.

Winners will get one of two prize packs from Hallmark, full of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Peanuts goodness!

• Prize Pack One: 2 Snoopy plush, a box of Peanuts Christmas cards, a Snoopy and Charlie Brown wire figurine and a Peanuts Advent Calendar.
• Prize Pack Two: 1 Snoopy plush, a box of Peanuts Christmas cards and a Snoopy wore Figurine.

So, to reiterate:
Life With Beagle's Deck the Dog House photo contest

• Dec. 1 to Dec. 20
• Decorate your pet's living space, either in reality or digitally, and send the picture via Facebook, Twitter or email with the hashtag #DeckTheDogHouse!

FINE PRINT: Void where prohibited by law. Contest runs Dec. 1 through Dec. 20. Hallmark is providing prizes for the contest but this is not a paid contest.

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Here's the World War I Flying Ace: 5 facts on Snoopy's iconic fantasy

When I wanted to dress Lulu up as Snoopy, only one costume came to mind.

Snoopy is one of the most famous dogs in the world. But while PetSmart does sell Peanuts Halloween toys, no one seems to sell costumes for pets. Lulu is actually wearing the hat from my Build-A-Bear Workshop Snoopy doll and a red scarf I found at Macy's!

I even went so far as to suggest a "World War I flying ace" costume to one of the big costume makers at Global Pet Expo earlier this year. Hopefully they will come up with something.

But I digress. The World War I Flying Ace in my opinion, is Snoopy's best fantasy (and way better than silly Joe Cool). Here's a little about the World War I Flying Ace.

What is a flying ace?
The term flying ace did begin in World War I.  In the beginning the French and Americans considered a pilot an ace if they got five victories in the air. The number has varied over the years.

Who is the most successful World War I flying ace?
Sadly, not Snoopy, but his nemesis: Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron.

Courtesy National World War I Museum.

How did Snoopy become a World War I flying ace?
According to "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Making of a Television Classic," by Lee Mendelson, Snoopy's status as a World War I flying ace was inspired by Charles Schulz's son Monte. Monte was a World War I enthusiast and a model plane builder. According to the book, he suggested his father make Snoopy a fighter pilot.

According to the Intrepid Museum in New York City, Schulz said this: "Like Snoopy, most people turn to fantasy for fun and refuge. I have always believed that his flights of fancy are what help him survive, and we must admit that a dog’s life is not an easy life."

Snoopy's first appearance as the World War I flying ace was in a comic strip.
His first appearance was in Oct. 10, 1965.

Courtesy: Peanuts.wikia.com

Snoopy's World War I flying ace fantasy has made it into museums all over the country.

There was a special exihibit at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, MO. You can still see pictures of the exhibit online.

Snoopy has also been featured at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City. In 2009 Snoopy as the World War I Flying Ace featured prints. But even cooler, the Intrepid showcased some of the Snoopy artwork that crew members would draw on the walls of the Intrepid, called "sailor art."

Snoopy is also immortalized in the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. You can find, for instance, an album of the Snoopy vs. the Red Baron song by The Royal Guardsman. At the Air and Space Museum there is an exhibit on World War I air combat, called Legend, Memory and the Great War in the Air. They talk about the Red Baron there.

Want more about Snoopy? Check out my 5 ways to tell Snoopy is a beagle article from last year.