Puppies & Planks happened and it was BEYOND.

My heart and soul are soaring. I took this entire week to let that feeling truly soak in.

Leading up to Puppies & Planks, we were battling the rain, vendors who canceled on us last minute, the sheer lack of time, and also I ended up in Urgent Care just days before. I really didn’t know what was going to happen.

But this weekend Puppies & Planks exceeded every single one of my expectations. WE RAISED OVER $20,000 for LA Animal Services, Much Love Animal Rescue, Karma Rescue, and The Dove Project!!! Huge thanks to every single person or doggy involved in making P&P a reality. Whether you physically were there or shared it on social media or bought a festival shirt to support…THANK YOU.

A huge thank you to PETCO for being my official partner for the inaugural Puppies & Planks fest! Below is the PETCO “Life’s a Ball!” installation, which included a pool FULL OF tennis balls for the takin’!

I’m so happy. I don’t even know what to say. I’m lost in these feels. The day was filled with so many dogs, so many friends, so many POSITIVE VIBES. I could not have asked for anything more.

So, I’d love to take you on a journey through the day! Ready?

7:50 AM: Here’s everyone entering the main stage under the official Puppies & Planks balloon arch!

8:00 AM: Anna Victoria led a huge warm up for everyone getting ready to do the 3K!

Doggies who signed up for the 3K got an official Puppies & Planks bandana!

Look at all the people and the doggies!

Humans were lining up all day to take plank pics at the official Puppies & Planks paradise installation!

And check out this art installation for humans and pups! It’s called “Dogs Can Fly and So Can I!” by Daniel Kordek.

9:30 AM: The first official class of the day was led by my good friend Joseph Corella of 567Broadway! I love his dance class so much. He always makes me laugh and he’s such a fantastic instructor.

10:30 AM: Next, my sister Jackelyn introduced me on stage as my heart was pounding! So many feelings were swirling in my body!

Starting off POP Pilates with some plié squats of course!

I can’t get over how cool that downtown LA skyline looks behind the stage!

After every class, we ended with a 1 minute plank challenge. I chose the opposite arm, opposite leg plank. Then my sister decided to put George on me. It was hard. REALLY HARD.

Then!!! We presented a GIANT check to the local animal rescues! Wed raised over $20,000 for them through the sale of the fitness class tickets! The check here says $17,700 because that was BEFORE we counted how much we made from on site ticket sales! Ahhh!!!

11:30 AM: Next up my friend Caleb aka The Fitness Marshall rocked the stage with his suave dance moves! I wish my body could move like that!

Lunch break!

We had lots of great food options including delish acai bowls from Amaze Bowls!

Food trucks lined up to feed the peeps!

Just Food For Dogs served up some fresh food for the pups – for free!

12:30 PM: After lunch, CRUNCH Fitness took the stage and leg “Ruff Yoga” – a yoga class made especially for you and your dog!

The dogs really loved it.

The dogs also really loved the Toy Distraction Field! Basically, any toy the dog would touch first it would be their’s to take home for free! We kept hearing owners say “NOT THE BALL!!! DO NOT PICK THE BALL!!!”

Everyone adored the doggo kissing booth from I Has Cupquake!

And the free caricatures from Arrival Fitness!

Oh and the agility course from LARPBO (Los Angeles Responsible Pit Bull Owners) was a hit!

1: 30 PM: Then Luke Milton from Training Mate took the stage to teach his HIIT inspired Sydney Circuit!

2:30 PM: My sister ended the day with “Yoga for Tight Everything.”

People getting their flexy on.

That day we got sooooo many applications for people interested in adopting! And good news, 4 dogs from LA Animal Services were taken to their forever home that day! Yay!

I hope you enjoyed the Puppies & Planks photo story! I could not have done this without your enthusiastic support; without my incredible #Blogifam for spending countless late nights at the office putting this together; without our instructors Anna Victoria, The Fitness Marshall, Joseph Corella of 567Broadway, my lil sis Jackelyn Ho, and Luke Milton of Training Mate who donated their time and their talent to lead the classes; without my amazing event planner Linda and our incredibly creative event production team at Lurline; without Petco’s confident belief in us as our title sponsor; without the rescue organizations; without my husband Sam who at first thought I was totally insane for doing this (you promised in your vows you would support me no matter how crazy) but then was the one who drove me to the hospital when things got too much, and of course…I could not have done it without my baby, my love, my entire inspiration for Puppies & Planks Sir George.

The big question is…SHOULD I DO IT AGAIN!!!???