I think we can sum up most dog’s personalities with one word; mischievous. All dogs, especially puppies, are prone to getting into trouble at one time or another.

On occasion they may become seriously injured. Though your Vet is highly trained to handle these types of situations, you might need to stabilize your pooch before transporting him there. That is why the basic first aid procedures are essential for all dog owners.

First, just like the first aid kit you have for yourself and your family; make a kit for your dog to include the following:

• Important contact numbers, like your vet, poison control, and an emergency clinic. Along with their complete medical history including breed, weight, and age.
• Next, throw in the items to help restrain your dog and examine the wound:
• a muzzle
• magnifying glass
• tweezers
• a penlight
• clean towels (one big enough to use as a stretcher if need be)
• disposable gloves
• sterile saline
• an eye dropper (to flush wounds)
• hydrogen peroxide (this can be used to disinfect any wound, as well as induce vomiting in cases of poisoning. Use as directed by vet)
• antibiotic ointment
• cortisone spray to keep them from scratching
• first aid tape
• activated charcoal (to help absorb any poison in their system. Call the poison control center before using.)
• wrapping gauze

• Also, if your dog has any pre-existing conditions which require special medication, you should have a back-up stash in the kit.

Here are a few tips for handling an injured pooch.

• Never try to hug or caress them, the pain can make them unpredictable and even dangerous.
• While carefully examining the wound, call your vet or emergency clinic to notify them, allowing them to prepare, as well as coach you through the transportation.
• Muzzle your pet to prevent biting.  Do not use a muzzle if the dog is vomiting!
• Attempt to bandage the part of the body where the wound is, so it can’t move.
• Use a blanket or pet carrier to transport the dog, making sure the area is small, so he can’t move.

After you bring your dog home from the Vet make sure that you give them lots of love and attention. Give them a yummy treat, if the Vet allows. Always remember to feed your dog with love and a wise heart.

The Freecycle Network is a grassroots and nonprofit community gifting movement made up of thousands of entirely local and individual city groups that promote reuse through local gifting among their members.  Members have the opportunity to give and get items for free, in an effort to keep unnecessary waste out of landfills. Each group is run by a local moderator and membership is free. Membership in Freecycle is free and open to all communities and all members that want to participate. Freecycle is the perfect spot to help a deserving non-profit or for an organization to find donors. To sign up for a Freecycle group, interested users simply need to choose the appropriate region on the www.freecycle.org.

Anyone can become a member of Freecycle. However, there are rules of membership, and local volunteer moderators ensure that the basic rules are followed amongst local group members. Freecyle is a great spot for:

• computer equipment
• electrical appliances
• leftover building materials
  
• furniture
• other household goods.

There is always a risk you inherently take when meeting someone you have not met before to pick up or give away an item. It is important to arrange to meet in a public place or leave your item out to pick up without making mention as to whether you will be home at the time of the pick up.

Remember, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

Visit the Agoura/Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village group page

Visit the Ventura CA group page

Visit the Santa Barbara group page

Visit the Northridge CA group page

 Originally published in Green Home and Family Magazine

AT HOME

Bathroom Don’t have a low-flow toilet yet? Your toilet that was installed before 1994 can use 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. If you can’t replace yours, then try putting a bottle filled with sand in the tank of your toilet. It will reduce the amount of water used with each flush. Don’t use a brick (the “old” standard) for this because as the brick breaks up, the pieces can get into the system and cause tiny leaks.

Skip The Bath So the five-minute shower is too short for you? Even taking a 10-minute long shower uses less water than the bathtub. A 10-minute shower uses 20-50 gallons of water while a full bathtub uses an average of 70 gallons of water.

Kitchen The question of warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer is always on the mind of an eco-conscious person. But how about your appliances? Refrigerator and freezers use a lot of energy to keep your foods cold. The energy use of these appliances is greatly impacted by the ambient room temperature. So never place your refrigerator or spare freezer near an oven or a microwave or even the sunny side of the kitchen.

Refrigerator Remember when your mother used to say, “Close the refrigerator door!”? She was right. Making sure that the seal on your fridge closes tightly each time. If you hear the “motor” or the compressor switch on a lot. It may be time to check for a leak.

Mothballs Search your home and the home of your eldest relative and remove the mothballs. Mothballs give off naphthalene and paradichloobenzene gasses. Carcinogenic substances can damage your nervous system causing headaches, fatigue, and nausea. Try lavender bags or cedar chips for a wonderful smell for your clothing and keep your moth-friendly clothes in sealed boxes instead of sitting in carcinogenic substances.

Paying Bills If you haven’t already changed your traditional bills over to electronic, do it now. Paying bills

accounts for about 80,000 tons of paper waste every year. That is over 17 million trees. Make sure that when you make the switch with your bills that you check the box that lets you choose to not get paper statements or bills. Also, don’t print your ATM receipts, it is such a waste. Jot them down in your checkbook or check your account electronically from home. This extends to your taxes: A light+green consumer always uses e-file!

YOUR CAR

Slow Down! Again, your parents had it right. Gas mileage decreases when you drive more than 60 miles per hour. Decreasing your speed on the roads can save you money. Slowing down by 5 miles per hour can boost your fuel efficiency could save you almost $6 on each fill-up.

Do You Idle? Don’t! On average, your car produces nearly 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. We live in a fairly warm climate. It just doesn’t make sense to “warm” your car up while in a stationery position. Try driving gently and slowly for the first few miles. Your engine will have a chance to warm up without creating needless pollution.

GIFTS

Flowers Your typical flower purchase from the supermarket or the florist has traveled many miles to get to the vase. 79% of cut flowers are grown in Latin America. In Columbia, the workers in the flower gardens are exposed to pesticides and chemicals just to get your flowers. Try giving a potted plant instead, or only purchase organic or fair-trade bouquets. Look for the labels of VeriFlora or Fair Trade to insure that your flowers come from farms with high standards. Just like you.

Gift Baskets Only 6% of the coffee sold in the United States is fair trade certified. That means that the 7 million people that farm the rest of the coffee in the world are not meeting their basic needs for food, health and housing. Purchasing gifts with fair-trade coffees and teas helps your gift be of service for so many. Look for other fair-trade products to fill the rest of the basket, such as bananas, chocolate, sugar, and honey.

USB Drives They come in many shapes and sizes, but giving the gift of a flash drive saves the need to back-up onto a disk. Although disks are recyclable, many times they are just thrown away and then into the landfill after transferring the information. A drive can be reused again and again.

AT SCHOOL

Lunch Packing lunch in a reusable tote rather than a brown bag is an obvious choice. But how about getting used to recycling the sandwich bags? Or reusing the tin foil. When buying for your lunch, resist the urge to by snack-sized packing. Buy the largest quantity and divide at home. It will save so much wasted packaging.

Field Trips This year put the field back into the field trip by suggesting that one of the class trips be dedicated to environmental education. Visiting recycling centers, local farms, and even hikes into the local mountains can be great educational learning experiences.

Generosity

By Seth Godin

When the economy tanks, it’s natural to think of yourself first. You have a family to feed a mortgage to pay. Getting more appears to be the order of business.

It turns out that the connected economy doesn’t respect this natural instinct. Instead, we’re rewarded for being generous. Generous with our time and money but most important generous with our art.  If you make a difference, people will gravitate to you. They want to engage, to interact and to get you more involved. In a digital world, the gift I give you almost always benefits me more than it costs.

If you make a difference, you also make a connection. You interact with people who want to be interacted with and you make changes that people respect and yearn for.

Art can’t happen without someone who seeks to make a difference. This is your art, it’s what you do. You touch people or projects and change them for the better.

This year, you’ll certainly find that the more you give the more you get.

Seth Godin is a blogger and speaker. His new book Linchpin comes out in January

Not only is it frustrating shopping for the "person who has everything" but if they truly have plenty already, it's also wasteful to buy them something they don't need and may not want. Yet it's the holidays, and we want to give.

The best solution to this thorny problem is to spend your money supporting an organization or charity that will use your money for a good purpose- in your giftee's name. Here are three amazing organizations that deserve your support and mean that you have something (amazing!) to give to the minimalist or the person who already has more than they need.

The Nature Conservancy's Adopt-an-Acre

Ecosystems are threatened around the world; by 'adopting' an acre in one of them in your friend or relative's name, you're helping to protect them. Since 1991, over 60,000 acres have been protected worldwide through this program, meaning that native plants, animals and insects are protected in their native habitats. For $50 you can adopt an acre in coral reef in the Pacific, a grassland in Africa, or a southern forest, Appalachian mountain region or California coast in the United States.

According to The Nature Conservancy, "When you give to Adopt an Acre, our scientists and field staff identify key conservation strategies to ensure the lasting protection of your acre. Some of these strategies include:

• Acquiring land
• Planting trees and restoring native vegetation
• Hiring and training park guards and staff to protect against illegal logging and poaching
• Working with private landowners to establish permanent conservation easement"

Oxfam America Unwrapped

For just $12-$50 you can do all sorts of good, from sponsoring the planting of a garden to getting soap to people who need it to keep unhealthy conditions at bay. A can of worms helps a struggling farmer with soil health and aeration and a pile of manure provides organic fertilizer so crops are full of nutrients for the people that eat them. This gift will get everyone talking under the Christmas tree and do some real good besides.

Oceana's Adopt-A-Creature

If someone in your family loves the open seas, or spends hours on the beach, they will love that you supported the oceans in their name. Choose from Oceana's $35 Adopt-an-Octopus (there are lots of other sea creatures to choose from, but octopi don't get much love!)  kit or spring for the $200 Limited Edition Casey Kit which includes "a special sea turtle plush toy and cookie cutter, plus an oven mitt and a personalized adoption certificate. Your donation will help protect sea turtles from driftnets, long-lines, and other dirty fishing methods."

10. Send E-Flyers

• Real estate agents who sell in your area.
• Friends, family and coworkers.
• Out-of-area brokers and agents who represent buyers in your area.

Recent reports indicate that the real estate market is improving.  Maximize your potential with spectacular photos.

Can a One-Person Business Really Make a Difference?

It seems that when the phrase “social responsibility” is used in connection with business, it usually has the word “corporate” in front of it. If your enterprise isn’t a corporation, this can make socially responsible businesses seem like an exclusive club, where the one-person business isn’t welcome.

Other labels describing the intersection of business and social conscience may also seem to exclude the solopreneur. “Social entrepreneur,” for example, which is often defined as a person who implements pattern-breaking ideas for wide-scale change to address social problems. Achieving this kind of global impact may feel completely out of reach for the solo business owner.

But there is a place for the solopreneur in the world of social responsibility and social change. In fact, there are several. Here are four ways that a one-person business can make a positive difference in the world.

1. Small business social responsibility. Social responsibility is often invoked as a business ideal without a clear definition of what it entails. According to Mallen Baker, founder of the social responsibility portal Business Respect, a socially responsible business is one which is managed to “produce an overall positive impact on society.” This is a goal even the smallest business can attain, by treating with fairness and respect everyone whose lives are touched by the business – customers, employees, investors, suppliers, communities, and the environment.

Jamie Welsh, founder of the social responsibility certification and consulting firm 10 Percent Solution, believes that the social responsibility of a small business can be measured by looking at just three areas: volunteerism, philanthropy, and sustainability. If you contribute, on average, one hour per employee per week of volunteer time, donate 1% of annual sales to charitable causes, and either obtain a green certification appropriate to your industry or purchase carbon offsets equal to your company’s energy use, your one-person business can be certified as socially responsible. That’s a benchmark almost any small business can achieve.

2. Microphilanthropy. Although it’s often assumed that small businesses can’t afford to be as philanthropic as larger companies, studies indicate that small businesses donate an average of 3% of sales to charity, more than double what larger corporations give.

Increasing your one-person company’s charitable giving doesn’t always require cash. Most organizations welcome in-kind gifts that may cost you very little, such as meeting space, food and drink, transportation, and samples of your products or gift certificates for your services to use for door prizes, silent auctions, donor rewards, and employee incentives.

Donating your professional services directly to a charitable organization is another giving option to consider. Many charities eagerly accept expert help with graphic or web design, accounting or bookkeeping, public relations or marketing consulting, and many other professional specialties.

3. Social enterprise. The Social Enterprise Alliance defines a social enterprise as an organization that achieves a social or environmental mission using business methods. Many social enterprises are nonprofits that operate businesses, like Goodwill Industries, but an increasing number are for-profit businesses. Well-known examples of for-profit social enterprises include Newman’s Own, Working Assets, and Tom’s Shoes.

At first glance, it might seem that a sole proprietor couldn’t succeed as a social enterprise. In order to make a substantial social impact, or generate enough profit to fund a charitable mission, an enterprise typically requires a whole team of people working together. But that doesn’t necessarily mean hiring employees. Many for-profit social enterprises start out by using volunteers, like Better World Books did, or by employing a virtual team, like Make the Difference Network.

Of course, you may not want to manage a team at all. To make maximum use of the social enterprise model as a solopreneur, look for other ways to leverage your efforts. For example, by building a web-based business, or reselling products created by others, or collaborating with a network of other independent business owners.

4. Activism and advocacy. Making a difference doesn’t necessarily require making a financial contribution. As a business owner, you have many opportunities to spread the word about causes you believe in. At your place of business, on your website, in your ezine, at events you attend, or while networking online, you can let people know about an issue or organization you believe needs more attention.

You can also use your business activities as a platform to raise money for your favorite causes. For example, as a workshop leader, you could offer a seminar and donate the proceeds to charity. As a chiropractor, you could designate one day per year as a benefit, asking clients to pay their session fee to a charity instead of to you. Initiatives like these raise awareness, not just money.

Can one-person businesses really make a difference? Consider this: of the 26 million businesses in the U.S., 20 million of them have no employees. Imagine the payoff from 20 million solopreneurs increasing their level of social responsibility, philanthropy, and activism, or engaging in social enterprise. That’s a tremendous impact that could be created, one person – and one business – at a time.

CJ Hayden, Guest Blogger

C.J. Hayden is the author of three books and over 300 articles on marketing, entrepreneurship, and social change. She serves as a social venture advisor to entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and activists. Her bestselling book is Get Clients Now! C.J. is the founder of the Send Girls to School Project, and authors the blog How to Become a Hero.

What Color Is Your Business?

Sustainability (sus·tain’a·bil’i·ty n.) The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

Whether you are the top dog at your organization or the one who does all the heavy lifting, you are the one with the power to make your workplace more sustainable. Yes, it helps if your job title has the letters C-E-O in it but even with that obvious advantage, you’ll still need to get others to join you before you can make a new sustainability initiative really work.

So where do you start? Follow this 9-Step Plan to create something that’s perfect for your place of work:

1. Gather a Team You can’t do this alone.

Begin by talking to your peers, managers, and other stakeholders and fi nd out who wants to help. If you aren’t finding any support, then you may have to do some educating to help people understand WHY.

Some of the best reasons for going green include:
— Increasing employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity
— Improving your bottom line through more effi cient operations
— Saving money on energy, water, and raw materials
— Shielding yourself from escalating energy and water prices
— Branding the business and differentiating it from the competition
— Developing a positive, proactive relationship with local compliance inspectors
— Reducing pollution, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions

2. Take Stock of Where You Are.

An awareness of your current practices is the best starting place, and sometimes just knowing how much you’re spending on energy or paper can be enough to get your executive team on board. But don’t just look at expenses. Check out the amount of waste your organization creates too. To download a comprehensive audit form, visit: www.socialgoodconsulting.com/checklist

3. Determine Your End Goal

Once you’ve done an assessment, it’s time to figure out where you want to go, specifically, and because each organization is different, your objectives will be unique. Those factors will help you determine exactly what’s important for you to achieve, and ultimately to measure.

4. Create an Action Plan

This is the stepby-step part. Choose three to five smaller goals (or strategies) that will help you move closer to your larger end goal, and then spread those out over the next 12 months.
Pay close attention to who will manage which tasks and how you will know exactly when you’ve hit the mark. But no matter what – start where you are. Don’t try to accomplish too many things too quickly. Be realistic and you’ll be much more successful.

5. Communicate Internally

Sustainability initiatives work only if everybody plays together nicely. That means, your entire staff needs to know what is happening, why, and how they can do their part. It’s helpful to incorporate messages into your regular workfl ow of team meetings, memos, and on bulletin boards. But be creative too: Find ways to make the new goals a fun and inspiring part of your work day.

6. Communicate Externally Let your customers, vendors, and community know where you stand, but do it authentically. Don’t tell the world you’re doing something if you’re not doing it. Not only is that unethical, it will kill your business when people find out. (And they will.) The best way is to share your goals and the values behind them.

7. Monitor and Evaluate It’s important to know when and how you’re fi nding success (or failure) with your new initiatives so you can make adjustments along the way. Monitor your progress on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, and let everyone in on the results. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t see huge results right away. Organizations that are new to sustainability can have a bit of a slow start.

8. Celebrate Your Success! When you reach your goals, commemorate the occasion with a party, a press release, or a special offer for your customers. Acknowledging your accomplishments with more than just a pat on the back will keep everyone inspired and wanting to do more.

9. Set New Goals The funny thing about sustainability is that there will always be more to do. With new technologies and scientific discoveries around every corner, you can rest assured that no matter where you are on the path, there will always be a new hill to climb. Don’t let this discourage you. Continuous improvement can be quite motivational.

Each of these steps to a sustainable workplace can seem overwhelming. If that’s the case, then don’t hesitate to consult with a professional in one or more areas depending on your needs. Ask your friends or colleagues for a referral, or call (805) 658-8196 for more information.

Tea Silvestre is the principal of Social Good Consulting, a Ventura-based firm that provides strategic business and marketing planning for sustainable, socially conscious businesses. She is
also an instructor for Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) and the host of Planet Good Radio. Contact her at (805) 658-8196.

CONSCIOUS DINING

from Green Home and Family Magazine

You recycle, you conserve and now is the time to look at the food that you put onto the table. The choices abound this fall season when you are planning your meals, but “local” is the trend and there is a good reason for that. Locally-grown food carries a wealth of benefits in addition to being fresh and tasting great.

1. Locally-grown food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or countries. Local farmers can offer produce varieties bred for taste and freshness rather than for shipping and long shelf life.

2. Buying locally-grown food keeps your dollars circulating in our community. There’s never been a more critical time to support our farming neighbors. With each locally-grown food purchase, you ensure that more of your money spent on food goes to the farmer.

3. Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown or raised enables you to choose safe food from farmers who avoid or reduce their use of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified seed in their operations. Buy food from local farmers you trust.

Supermarkets
Some of our supermarkets and retail grocery stores may offer a selection of locally-grown and produced items.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an agreement or partnership made between communitymembers and a particular local farm. In a CSA farm, consumers can purchase seasonal “shares” which entitle them to weekly food allowances. Shareholders visit the farm or another pickup location at a scheduled time every week to get their food. Some CSA farmers may even deliver to your door.

Farm Stands, On-Farm Markets & U-Picks
The farm stand and on-farm market give you the opportunity to purchase directly from farmers at their own independent locations. These may vary from small sheds or trucks selling one seasonal crop like strawberries or corn to warehouse-sized year-round operations with a diversity of products. A U-Pick farm gives consumers the unique opportunity to harvest their own produce (typically fruit).

Farmers Markets
Farmers markets come in many different sizes and forms, providing a wide range of opportunities for both the consumer and the farmer. For one thing, farmers markets are a very convenient way to purchase local goods. Producers from around the area will bring their produce to a centralized location on a periodic basis throughout the growing season.

Restaurants and Caterers
Some specialty, alternative, and gourmet restaurant suse ingredients from local producers. As with grocery stores, you may have to ask your restaurant about the exact sources of their food, but more and more this information is being given on the menu.  Knowing your choices makes it easy for you to find and connect with these local growers.