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Is Your Office Celebrating TYDTW Day?

PetSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:04 -0700

Happy National Take Your Dog to Work Day! Celebrated the first Friday after Father's Day each year, is your office in on the action?

Five Things To Do Before Celebrating TYDTWD

PetSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:20:02 -0700

Tomorrow is Take Your Dog to Work Day - will your pups accompany you to the office? Whether it's just for an hour, the whole day, or every week, check out my five tips to remember before letting a four-legged friend into a place with your two-legged ones.
Source: Getty

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Do Tell: Would You Bring Your Pet to Work?

PetSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:00:24 -0700

I've shared my tips for tomorrow's big day – if you could bring a pet to work, would you? Those of you who have, or work in a dog-friendly spot, share your stories and experiences – the funnier, the better!

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Don't Forget This If You're Bringing a Pet to Work . . .

PetSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:10:28 -0700

In honor of Take Your Dog to Work Day and, for those of you participating in this holiday or lucky enough to bring your pooches to work every day, I've got a couple tips for making their office visits go swimmingly.

Puppy Proof the Place Nothing sours the experience like something unexpected . . . and bad. Make sure you keep trash and food out of the way of your pup and ask others to do the same. Check around for wires, poisonous plants, and anything else you think they can get their noses into.

See the four remaining tips when you read more.

Prep Your Pooch Make sure your pup is up-to-date on all those important vaccines and has a clean bill of health. It's a big day so give him a bath, special grooming treatment, or new collar so he looks spiffy.
Pack a Doggie Bag Let your doggie feel at home by bringing along a travel pack with toys, treats, food, and some pet-friendly cleanser . . . in case of accidents. It doesn't hurt to include a pet first-aid kit, too!
Pick Feeding Times and Safe Spots Choose a time to feed a pet to result in potty breaks at convenient times. If this is a one-time deal, I'll bet there will be co-workers lining up to take him out to do his business . . . if only to stretch their legs! Also, on the reverse, be mindful that not everyone loves your pets as much as you to do – keep an eye on him so he's not being a pest. You can even bring his crate into the office if he travels that way to work – he'll feel right at home in no time!
Plan Your Grand Exit If it's his first day on the job, make sure he seems content. If at any time he looks stressed, fearful, or is misbehaving, have a backup plan to get him home. Make sure you know what he's up to – and what he can handle in terms of noise, strangers, and distractions – and that you plan accordingly for any lunch/ coffee breaks. Having him half the day works, too!

As always, well-trained and socialized pups do best. Refresh your memory on my quick training tips and have a fabulous day!

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The Bark's Top Four Dog-Friendly Workplaces

PetSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:30:00 -0700

I'm a huge fan of The Bark magazine, not only because it's based here on the West Coast, but they consistently report great info and news for dogs and their owners. In this month's issue – just in time for Take Your Dog to Work Day coming up on June 20 – Bark dug into the nation's most pet-friendly workplaces and came up with their top four faves. Not only does this story have me wanting to make a little space for North by my desk here at Sugar HQ, but it also has me saying "Awww!" since you know that both owners and pets have a blast at work every day!

Amazon: Anywhere from 24 to 36 dogs come to work daily at the Seattle, WA, headquarters. Owners must first register their pups and agree to rules like keeping vaccines up to date and staying on a leash - unless they're in their office, of course.
Healthwise: This Boise, ID, company that employs around 200 people have welcomed pets in the office since day one in 1975. Doggies must adhere to a "three-strikes" rule, ensuring that problem pooches get adequate warning before being booted. But with the miles of hiking trails that surround the complex, the pups seem to be too content (or just too tired) to cause trouble.

To see the remaining two dog-loving companies, just read more.

Replacements, LTD: You would think that a 12,000-square-foot warehouse containing tons of china, crystal, and collectibles would be no place for dogs, but Replacements' founder, Bob Page, begs to differ. With people coming into the showroom just to visit the dogs, it must be good for business! Bob makes sure that his employees' pets' behavior remains their responsibility by recommending training for naughty doggies, then allowing them back to the office in three months. Kind of like dog probation, right?
Ben & Jerry's: The ice cream giant's headquarters in South Burlington, VT knows their 15 office dogs by name, and often introduces them to touring guests right alongside the employees. The dog-friendly environment is so therapeutic, that one Ben & Jerry's employee who was afraid of dogs before starting, has since become a dog lover and adopted two golden retrievers of her own!

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Is Your Office Celebrating TYDTWDay?

PetSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:00:02 -0700

In addition to being North's birthday today, it's also the 10th celebration of TYDTWDay (Take Your Dog to Work Day, that is). Is your office in on the action?

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Ask Casa: Decorating With a Puppy in Mind

CasaSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:34 -0700

Hi Casa,

We've just recently adopted an adorable puppy, and we're having a great time with her. The only problem is she's taken over the house! We had to move and hide anything she might eat or chew, so our living room and bookcases look empty.

Our kitchen is overwhelmed by her dog bed, and her doggy toys are scattered all over. Plus there's always that dog "smell." I know we need to just find the right system of organization and storage that will be safe for her and attractive to us, but I don't even know where to start! Any suggestions or tips?

Thanks!
Alex

To see my suggestions, read more.

Hi Alex,

As it happens, I'm pretty well-versed on this one, since my husband and I adopted a puppy back in June (that's him lounging on a friend's sofa a few months ago). It's been eight years since I dealt with a puppy, and I'd forgotten how much work it is! Here are the most helpful things that I've gleaned from my experience of living with, and decorating around, a puppy.

During the day, the puppy is crated, so I usually air out his dog bed on our deck, to keep it smelling fresh. This helps cut the doggy smell.
To organize his toys, I placed a blue tin bucket in one corner. It's actually a really cute container in itself. While Haiko, our puppy, will take his toys out (and won't return them, sigh), it's easier to just toss them all in this bucket once he's abandoned one. This keeps us from tripping over bones and balls, and also keeps the house tidier.
Try to teach your puppy to enjoy one place in common areas as her spot. You can do this by placing her bed in that area, and then rewarding her with praise and treats when she stays there. Eventually, she'll settle in that spot.
I sympathize with you and your empty bookshelves, but don't worry, your puppy will grow out of the chewing stage. I'd try replacing your books little by little. Make sure to sternly tell your pup "No!" if she tries to chew on them, and give her a Kong or bone when she approaches your books. Our puppy went through a long chewing phase, but with simple reprimands and redirecting, he's now left our books and records alone.
To cut down on the doggy smell further, air out your house by opening windows. You can also try a natural air freshener or Nature's Miracle to eliminate odors.
Since doggy smells tend to stick to upholstery, keeping your pets off of furniture will reduce doggy smells as well. If you can't bear to keep your pup off the sofa or bed, you can try laying down a fleece blanket where your puppy usually rests. Make sure to regularly wash the blanket to cut down on smells.
You might also want to look into investing in a dog bed that will fit into your decorating scheme easier. Check out these dog beds on PetSugar for more ideas.

Anyone else have a great puppy strategy? Tell Alex about it when you leave a comment.

Hope this helps!
Casa

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:30:14 -0700

It's one of my favorite days of the week: Tuesday! Which means I get to add DVDs to my Netflix queue, along with some brand new tunes for my iPod. So check out today's music releases for what you should download. (And if you like to review albums, don't forget to take a peek at the Music Review Group in the community.)

A smooth ride: Sufjan Stevens takes a breather from his states project with BQE, an ode to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. He originally performed the work to accompany a film about the road, but the music stands on its own as a beautiful orchestral arrangement. Warning if you like Stevens's mellow voice: BQE is all instrumental. Still, it proves that he has what it takes as a composer, and I'd like to see him lend his talents to more of this sort of work. My picks: Movement II: Sleeping Invader, which sounds like a ballet dream sequence, and Traffic Shock, which mixes in clashing electronic sounds like a busy gridlock.

Pretty packs a punch: If you haven't heard of Florence and the Machine, get ready. Florence Welch is the latest spunky Brit singer on the scene, and her debut Lungs already went platinum in the UK. Today, it's available to buy stateside. She's the singer I'd want to be if I had my own band - a woman who wails while banging the tambourine - and her album veers between tough-chick anthems and haunting ballads a la Sarah McLachlan. Make sure you try the hand-clapping, feel-good Dog Days Are Over or the romantic Cosmic Love.

See two more releases when you read more.

Freaky fun: If you're a Flight of the Conchords fan - or even if you're not - you'll want to check out I Told You I Was Freaky, a compilation of music from season two (including three previously unreleased tracks). Sure, half the fun is watching the boys act out each song on the show (and Jemaine's wicked dance moves), but when you listen to the music on its own, you realize just how talented they really are. Each selection could qualify for radio-play - or just a ridiculously fun karaoke night. The album includes favorites like Sugarlumps, Hurt Feelings, and the Emmy-nominated Carol Brown.

Lyrical wanderlust: Jay Farrar of Son Volt and Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie team up on One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Music From Kerouac's Big Sur, an ode to the famous author's work. The two musicians met while working on a documentary about Kerouac and decided to collaborate on this album using words from his novel. It's fitting then that the result feels like a cross-country trip - lazy and laid-back with some twangy country, Americana sound. I'll be adding the title track and California Zephyr to my car playlist.

Tech Dating 101: He Acts Differently Online Than in Real Life

GeekSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:05:30 -0700

I'll admit it: technology has made the early stages of dating a lot easier. For instance, you no longer have to work up the nerve to call a guy you're into - just fire off a witty text message or IM and avoid awkward pauses on the phone altogether! It's a lot easier to type out something you might have trouble expressing in a face-to-face situation. (Exhibit A: Texts From Last Night. Do you think half of the things said via late-night text would ever see the light of day in a face-to-face or phone call situation?)

Another admission: it's a whole lot easier for me to talk to a guy online than it is in person. And if it's easier for me, I assume it's easier for a guy, too. But that creates a whole other set of issues. What happens if you connect great with someone while chatting online or via text, but there's still a ton of in-person shyness and awkwardness. It's happened to me more than once, but I was able to overcome it. To find out how, read more.

After meeting a guy and exchanging information, we started chatting online and immediately hit it off. We didn't see each other face-to-face for a week or two, and when we did we both suddenly reverted to our shy selves, never mind the amazing, insightful conversations we'd had. Thankfully, we both realized the problem and were able to overcome it. Here's how:

Stop online chatting. OK, that may be a little extreme, but at least slow it down. One of my favorite Someecards reads, "Let's temporarily avoid each other's blogs, tweets and Facebook updates so we have something to talk about on our date." This is so true! Not only is it easy to virtually stalk him, it takes all of the fun out of getting to know each other.
Talk about your online conversations. A simple, "That story about your dog that you told me online today was hilarious," worked wonders. It reminded him that I was the same girl that he happily typed to all day - and that I was paying attention.
Don't overshare just because you're online. It's much easier to divulge more personal information when there's a computer screen in front of you instead of a real person. When you're just getting to know someone, If you wouldn't say it to their face, don't type it out, either.

It's tough, but a little online distance will only make the face time you spend with your new guy even more exciting.

Do you have a Love 2.0 question you want answered? Join the Tech Dating 101 because we understand that love and dating are stressful and the Internet and social networking sites can just make things worse. You never know, your question could be featured on GeekSugar! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Vanessa Williams on Aging and Fish Pedicures

BellaSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:00:25 -0700

You might have caught a glimpse of Vanessa Williams's sense of humor in the first installment of my interview with her, in which we discussed her use of Botox, along with her love of cars, Irish music, and baking carrot cakes.

Currently, in conjunction with the Dress For Success organization, Vanessa is making a few appearances for the Botox Cosmetic: Express Success Campaign, and in October, we'll be seeing her back on the air as the villainous Wilhelmina Slater on the much-loved Ugly Betty. And now, as promised, there's more from Vanessa after the jump.