TIPS TO KEEP YOUR DOG’S COAT GLOSSY AND SHINY

Ask most vets what causes a dull coat and they’re likely to answer “poor nutrition.” So the first thing you want to do is make sure you’re feeding your four-legged friend a healthy diet full of real meat and protein, with few if any by-products, preservatives, and grains like corn, wheat, and soy, which can cause allergies.

There are also certain medical problems that can affect a dog’s appearance, so a dull coat may be a good reason for a checkup. Parasites like tapeworms, hookworms, and roundworms can all deplete your dog of key nutrients important for coat health. Infections, fleas and ticks, thyroid problems, kidney conditions, and other health issues can also be to blame, so make sure your dog has a clean bill of health.

Natural Ways to Encourage a Shiny Coat

Once you know that your dog is in tip-top shape, here are some other things you can do to encourage their coat to come out shiny and soft.

Brush regularly: Regular brushing stimulates the skin and hair follicles, which increases the natural production of skin oils that make the coat shiny. Brush your dog at least once every other day.

Bathe regularly, but not too much: How often depends on your dog, the length of the coat, and how dirty he or she gets. Bathing once a month is a good general guideline—often enough to keep the coat clean, but not so often that you’re stripping the coat of essential oils. Use a moisturising shampoo that won’t irritate skin. Consider adding a natural conditioner afterwards—those that contain vitamin E are soothing to the skin and hair. Some owners use coconut milk on the pet’s fur for several minutes before bath time.

A little oil: Stir one teaspoon of cod liver or salmon oil into your dog’s food to keep the coat healthy. Try sunflower, flaxseed, olive, coconut, and safflower, but don’t give them too much—that can lead to diarrhea. Coconut oil may also help clear up skin conditions.

Remember to check with your local pet store who will stock oils and can give more advice on using oils and your dogs diet.

Putting them in the Right Direction

The Mount Argus Work4All Initiative was started by a group of women and men in the parish of Mount Argus who came together because they wanted to do something about unemployment in their area.

“little work”

How does one person give another person Hope. Encouragement is easy enough to dispense. Although when faced with unpaid and mounting debts the future can be very bleak.

“hope”

They  believe Hope is restored when choice is restored. When people have choice in their lives they don’t feel despair and hopelessness that can sometimes be so strong it paralyses them.

“choices”

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning between the hours of 10.00am and 12.30pm some rooms upstairs in the Mount Argus Community Centre on the Lower Kimmage Road are open to everyone who wishes to  look for help in exploring their choices in life.

“human approach”

“We offer one-to-one guidance on your educational opportunities, professional C.V. preparation clinics, information on social welfare rights and entitlements, computer training, First-Aid certified courses and much more.” They really take pride in the human approach that their volunteers offer to anyone who comes up their stairs. They believe that makes all the difference.

Please contact us to find out more:

179 Lower Kimmage Rd, Kimmage.

Ph: 01 492 7250

Email: info@mawork4all.ie

Web: www.mawork4all.ie

Spring Clean Gardening Checklist

It’s beginning to look a lot like Spring as the Winter weather calms down. Fresh bulbs are growing, leaves and buds are appearing on the trees and the days are getting longer. With Spring comes the Spring Clean and the urge for DIY and gardening projects as we get ready to enjoy the outdoors this Summer.

If you’re planning your gardening and DIY this March, here’s a checklist of things you’ll need.   

Source: http://experthardware.wordpress.com

Tools

• Let your lawnmower to have the oil changed, bolts tightened and blades sharpened.
• Inspect your gardening tools.
• Remove soil from your tools’ metal parts.
• Sharpen your tools.
• Rub the metal parts with olive oil to lubricate them.

Lawn

• Assess your lawn’s health.
• Purchase Test kits for soil testing.
• Lime, treat moss and, finally, reseed as needed.
• Fertilise your lawn.
• Get rid of weeds as they sprout.
• Consult with an expert in your area for dealing with persistent pests.

Soil

• Remove mulch over the course of several days, exposing the soil gradually.
• Till or spade soil 6 to 12 inches deep.
• Mix in compost, peat moss and fertiliser for plants or vegetables.
• Rake the soil level to smooth out low spots.

Seeding & Planting

• Choose neighbouring vegetables carefully.
• Plant some perennial vegetables right in your rich new soil.
• Later in the month seed or set out hardier vegetables.
• Be sure the seedlings get lots of light.
• Plant fruit trees and berries (from late March into April).
• Set out or plant new roses and cool-loving flowers.

New Resource for Locals

Sam Lyons moved into Clonard Road in Kimmage in 2005. After living in the area a couple of years he realised how little he knew about his own area. One afternoon after his car broke down he went in search of a local business that might repair it. The price he was quoted was well outside his budget. He spoke to a friend who was a mechanic who lived locally and he mentioned that he remembered hearing of a guy nearby where Sam lived who specialised in fixing exhausts. After Googling and not finding anything, Sam drove around and found Auto Exhausts on Stannaway Drive. The job ended up costing nearly a quarter of what he had originally being quoted.

This made Sam think, how do people in an area find the different businesses that exist and the prices they charge? Whether its a small home run business, a retail unit or family run business stuck in the middle of an industrial estate how do people know you exist? You see local businesses with a board outside showing their deals, although how do people find out about these? This was the seed that led to the creation of KCRarea.com. With years of experience of working with communities and digital media, Sam had the skills necessary to design something that can help both community and businesses. It needed to allow people to find what they were looking for with ease.  Over the last 12 months, working with his intern Artur, they built the new website KCRarea.com.

“It has come on along way from the original concept. Now it offers a full search engine, daily deals, a forum, horoscopes, videos, photos and coming soon a Classifieds section and Gift Shop. Other exciting developments in the future are a mobile app and even talk of a local radio station, all going well.” said Sam.

KCRarea.com is about bringing businesses and community together in a long-term sustainable relationship, “using togetherness we can deal with community issues, regeneration of areas, unemployment and so much more.”

Businesses pay for a yearly listing, while  charities, non-profits and associations get their listings for FREE.

Top tips for staying warm outdoors

So Winter has finally crept around the streets of the KCR area so we thought it might be a good idea to find some useful tips for how to keep warm. Just because its gone cold and damp and the evenings have gotten darker it doesn't mean we all have to stay indoor. Perhaps that one of our biggest faults as Irish people. We have so many lovely parks and places to walk in the areas of Kimmage, Crumlin, Drimnagh, Walkinstown, Perrystown and Terenure. Also, please remember to keep an eye out for older people that may live alone in your areas. They may not use KCRarea.com so perhaps take some of the suggestions from below and offer them to them. 

Layer it up: Several thinner layers, rather than one thicker layer, will keep you warmer. This is because body heat is trapped between each layer and if there are several layers the body heat has a better chance of being contained and maintained. Also, if you have lots of thinner layers you can add and take off according to how warm you feel.

Wick away: Look for base layers that allow sweat to evaporate. To explain, when you exercise your body sweats but if you wear clothing made from fabrics such as cotton the sweat will be absorbed by the fabric and you will then end up with a wet and cold t-shirt against the skin. If you wear layers that allow the sweat to exit by evaporation you will avoid becoming wet and damp. It’s a simple as that!

Warm on the outside: Softshell jackets are great for blustery days when it’s not too wet. A softshell is an outer layer that keeps out the wind.

Dry on the outside: A good quality waterproof jacket, as well as waterproof overtrousers, will keep the rain out. Wear a jacket and trousers over your winter warmer layers. Look for jackets that have integrated hoods and also boast breathable qualities (if the fabric is breathable it will allow sweat to evaporate, just like the wick-away baselayers.)

Best feet forward: In winter, it’s important to choose walking boots that keep your feet warm and dry. Look for waterproof qualities. Winter walking boots should also have improved grip on the outer soles for keeping you upright on wet and muddy trails and hills.

Accessorise: Don’t forget hands, feet, heads and necks when it comes to staying warm and comfortable. We lose a surprising amount of heat through our heads and few people enjoy cold hands and feet, or wind whistling around their neck.

Source: regatta.com

What happened to that sense of community?

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the queue in Lidl on Cork Street and I just realised how distant we have become to each other as humans. I know people will probably say, we like to have our own space and all that. Nevertheless, its kind of strange to see everyday people standing within inches of each other and there is no recognition of another human. I love to smile and say hello to the cashier and normally the feeling seems mutual.

I wasn't going to write anything, until while sitting in the jacuzzi in Carlisle Gym, a day it was packed, I noticed that people were sitting inches from each other. Although they might as well have being sitting on the opposite side of the planet. Not a glimmer of recognition of another. What happened to us? Were we always like this?

One of my underlying goals with KCRarea.com is to look at this concept of community and how we can rejuvenate the spirit of it in our everyday lives.

What do you think? Is this sense of community still alive?

Sam

Help us with the Keys to the City Competition

http://bit.ly/kcrarea

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Oisín Quinn, has launched the “Key to the City” Competition where businesses can win the key to excellent business support packages, worth €35,000.

The support packages include creation and broadcast of a radio as well as online TV ad, which will air on Dublin City FM and An Lár TV, reaching hundreds of thousands of people. Also included, is business consultancy with Distinctions Consultancy. The “Key to the City” operates a no-lose model, where any business that enters immediately gains benefit.

Utilising principles, such as the “Hawthorne effect”, simply taking part can stimulate awareness, interest and sales among customers and potential customers, during this key seasonal quarter. There is no judging panel. This means that businesses that enter retain 100% control of their progress. In addition, everyone who enters instantly wins tickets to the UpStarts Strategy and Networking Event in January, to ensure optimum success in 2014!

Also, every person who votes is in with a chance to win a great prize! The competition has been organised in partnership with Dublin City Fm, UpStarts, An Lár TV and Distinctions Consultancy, and is sponsored by iDonate.

According to Andy Byrne, from UpStarts: “Entering could not be easier. Businesses simply upload their logo, and some information about them and why they believe they can unlock the “Key to the City”.

“They can then invite people to vote for them all through the month of October. The winners will be presented with their prize package -the UpStarts key to the city – by Lord Mayor of Dublin, Oisín Quinn, in early November!” For further info, and to enter, please check out http://bit.ly/kcrarea