TGIF

TGIFYGDF…Thank Goodness It’s Feed Your Good Dog Friday!

October 15, 2010 by Rose Caplan

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Water is everywhere, right? Actually, for such a plentiful resource, clean water is surprisingly scarce. Less than 1% of all fresh water is readily accessible for direct human use, representing only 0.007% of all water on earth. Bet you didn’t know that. Check out five more clean water facts that you might not know:

1. Unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation kills more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.
2. More people have access to a cell phone than to a toilet. Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to toilets.
3. Every day, women and children in Africa walk a combined total of 109 million hours to get water.
4. It takes 6.3 gallons of water to produce just one hamburger. That 6.3 gallons covers everything from watering the wheat for the bun and providing water for the cow to cooking the patty and baking the bun.
5. The average American uses 159 gallons of water every day – more than 15 times the average person in the developing world.

Read this article in its entirety here.

While these facts may be grim, there is hope for real solutions as more and more people around the world are waking up to the clean water crisis. Earlier this year, the UN declared access to clean water a human right and groups like Water.org and charity: water continue to work tirelessly to bring water access to the developing world.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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TGIFYGDF…Thank Goodness It’s Feed Your Good Dog Friday!

January 8, 2010 by Rose Caplan

TEN WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE AND FEED YOUR OWN SPIRIT AT THE SAME TIME (continued from TGIFYGDF dated November 6, November 27, December 4, and December 18, 2009).

Acts of kindness and altruism can reduce stress in our lives according to a recent WebMD Feature article entitled The Science of Good Deeds, The ‘helper’s high’ could help you live a longer, healthier life., written by Jeanie Lerche Davis and reviewed by Louise Chang, MD.

Following are good deed ideas (41 through 50) that make performing acts of kindness and “feeding your good dog” in the new year easy as pie. Check out number 49…an easy and fun way to raise money for your favorite non-profit. Source: 50 good deeds for 50 days, By Daniela Payne

41. A few days before a family member’s birthday, head over to your parents’ or grandparents’ home to wrap their gifts for them. They’ll appreciate your help and the company.

42. On a random weekend, surprise your unsuspecting spouse with breakfast in bed. It will make their day.

43. When you come across a two for one deal (which are popular at book and movie stores), donate your free product to a local shelter or youth group.

44. Allot yourself a set amount of compliments to dole out a day. Your co-workers will love hearing something good about what they are doing.

45. Getting out and about isn’t so easy for some. Volunteer to do your grandparents’ grocery shopping for them every two weeks.

46. Next time you’re at your favourite local pub or breakfast diner, leave your server a very generous tip.

47. Everyone knows how annoying it is to rush back to your car only to find a parking ticket sitting on your windshield. To make sure someone else doesn’t suffer the same fate, feed parking metres that you notice are about to expire.

48. Next time you do your grocery shopping, pick up a large bag of cat or dog food to donate to a local animal shelter.

49. Host a movie night for 10 of your closet friends. Charge $10 admission, provide the popcorn, candy and drinks, and donate the $100 to a charity you all decide on. It’s a perfect way to feel good about having fun.

50. After you complete your 49 days worth of good deeds, treat yourself to a mani-pedi, dinner at your favorite restaurant or those fabulous shoes you’ve been eyeing. After all your selfless acts, you deserve a little treat.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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TGIFYGDF…Thank Goodness It’s Feed Your Good Dog Friday!

December 18, 2009 by Rose Caplan

TEN WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE AND FEED YOUR OWN SPIRIT AT THE SAME TIME (continued from TGIFYGDF dated November 6, November 27, and December 4).

Following are good deed ideas (31 through 40) that make performing acts of kindness and “feeding your good dog” easy as pie. Check out number 36…it doesn’t get much easier than that with the potential of huge positive impact on another person’s life. Source: 50 good deeds for 50 days, By Daniela Payne

31. Volunteer yourself to walk an elderly neighbour’s dog once a week. Getting out for a walk isn’t overly easy for many elderly folk, so they’d most likely appreciate this gesture.

32. Instead of dropping your head and pretending you don’t notice (like the rest of the rush-hour crowd) someone struggling to get a stroller down the stairs, take a second and offer to help.

33. Offer an elderly person, a pregnant woman, a physically disabled person – or just someone who looks tired – your seat on the bus.

34. Help keep your city clean. Pick up plastic bottles and other trash you see around your neighbourhood and deposit it in its appropriate place. Click here to read CanadianLiving.com’s Green Living blog.

35. Visit a nursing home just to chat with some of the residents, as many of them don’t get regular visitors.

36. They say that smiling is contagious. Pick a day to smile at everyone you pass on the street.

37. Pass on your books after you’ve read them for someone else to enjoy. Take them to a local shelter or give them to friends.

38. Next time you read an article about an author you know your book-loving friend would enjoy, pass it on to them. It will make them feel good that you think about them.

39. If you’ve discovered a great little restaurant or store, spread the word. The business and whoever you tell will both benefit.

40. Being angry at someone requires a lot of energy from both people involved, so go ahead and let go of an old grudge. Forgiving someone who hurt you will open the door for a friendship to be rekindled.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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TGIFYGDF…Thank Goodness It’s Feed Your Good Dog Friday!

December 4, 2009 by Rose Caplan

TEN WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE AND FEED YOUR OWN SPIRIT AT THE SAME TIME (continued from TGIFYGDF dated November 6 and November 27)

Following are good deed ideas (21 through 30) that make performing acts of kindness and “feeding your good dog” easy as pie. Check out number 29…it doesn’t get much easier than that with the potential of huge positive impact on another person’s life. Source: 50 good deeds for 50 days, By Daniela Payne

21. Help someone who looks lost with directions. Most people are intimidated and feel vulnerable when they’re lost, offering to help them find their destination will relieve them.

22. Donate blood. One single donation can help up to 4 people – that should be inspiring enough. Check out the Canadian Blood Services website for more information.

23. Donate your used clothes and housewares to charity. By doing so, you can help people meet basic human needs. Your old sweaters will keep someone warm during the winter and your old housewares can help someone furnish their new apartment.

24. Around Christmas time, find a holiday angel program in your community. You can donate basic things like toothpaste, towels, sheets and pyjamas for a family in need to open on Christmas morning.

25. Take a CPR class. You never know when you might be in a position to put those life-saving skills into practice.

26. Help an elderly person off the bus or cross the road by offering to take their arm or carry their packages.

27. By joining a bone marrow registry such as One Match stem cell and marrow network (in Canada), you could be giving someone a lifesaving gift.

28. Offer to babysit a friend’s kids one night so she and her partner can enjoy a romantic evening out. You friend will certainly be grateful for the night off.

29. Bring your old magazines to a hospital waiting room to make patients’ waits a little less nerve racking.

30. Write a letter or e-mail to a good friend or family member to let them know how much you value them. Can you imagine opening a letter of that sort? Go on, start the trend.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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TGIFYGDF…Thank Goodness It’s Feed Your Good Dog Friday!

November 27, 2009 by Rose Caplan

WAYS TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL GOOD THIS WEEKEND (continued from TGIFYGDF dated November 6 )

These good deed ideas (11 through 20) make “feeding your good dog” as easy as taking a walk in the park. Source: 50 good deeds for 50 days, By Daniela Payne

11. Put together a basket of treats for a friend who had a death in the family. Deliver it after the funeral has taken place, when most friends have gone back to their day-to-day lives.

12. Drive your grandparents, elderly parents and their friends to church, doctor’s appointments or the movies. They (and their aging bodies) will value the gesture.

13. Volunteer for a charity. Pick a cause that’s near and dear to your heart and donate your time to them.

14. Sit down with your family and estimate what you’d spend on each other for gifts. Instead of buying each other gifts for birthdays or holidays, donate the estimated amount to a charity.

15. If you head out of town, drop off your monthly public transit pass at a youth or job centre. They’ll pass on the pass to someone who is in need of it to job hunt or attend school.

16. Take your neighbors trash to the curb while you’re taking yours. Imagine their surprise when they see that the chore is already done.

17. If you’re in line at the grocery store with a full cart, let the person behind you who only has 5-10 items go in front of you.

18. Offer to take care of a neighbour’s pet when they go away on a small vacation. They’ll be comfortable knowing their pet is in good hands.

19. Make dinner for friends with a newborn baby (or, if they’re far away, send a gift card for the grocery store or a favourite restaurant so they can pick something up).

20. Pay for the person behind you at the drive thru. It will make someone’s day!

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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TGIFYGDF…Thank Goodness It’s Feed Your Good Dog Friday!

August 7, 2009 by Rose Caplan

THERE ARE SHORT-CUTS TO HAPPINESS, AND DANCING IS ONE THEM. ~ VICKI BAUM

Please support your creative community this weekend. Visit a local dance theater, playhouse, art show or museum.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!

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HERE IS A LITTLE SOMETHING TO SEND YOU DANCING INTO HAPPINESS THIS WEEKEND!