The other day I received a call from a prospective client. Since this was the first time this client needed a professional pet sitter, they weren’t quite sure what questions to ask or what to look for in a professional pet sitter. With summer here and vacation plans in the works for many of you, I thought I would give some pointers on what to look for when hiring a pet sitter.

First, a common misconception I would like to clear up is about “licensing”. I think this is one of the most frequent questions I receive from prospective clients. So, I am here to tell you there is no formal licensing for pet sitters. If a sitter advertises they are licensed, it is only a business license — something that is required of all businesses no matter what the type of business one may have. So please don’t think it means anything other than someone who has a business license should you be told they are licensed!

A pet sitter should be bonded and insured. They should be able to show you a certificate of coverage when they meet with you.

At the initial meeting with your pet sitter, do they ask lots of questions? This is one time when asking for a lot of details and asking a lot of questions is a good thing! Do they ask about odd hiding places “kitty” may have? Do they ask about feeding and the animals’ routine? Do they ask about current or past medical issues the animal may have had? I find the more questions I ask or are covered on the paperwork, the more prepared I am for those unforeseen events that sometimes crop up.

Is the sitter and staff, if applicable, trained in pet first aid/CPR? They should be and ideally their training should be within the last two years or so.

Also, consider how comfortable you are with the pet sitter! On rare occasions through no fault of the client or the sitter, personalities may not mesh. Although a sitter may be excellent, if you don’t feel comfortable with them, be prepared to find another professional pet sitter.

Does the sitter take any job that comes their way or are they willing to admit if a job is beyond their ability? If I think a job is beyond my scope, I will tell the client. For example, I do not have expertise in handling larger birds such as Macaws and African Greys. Better for me to walk away from a job than to take a job I am not comfortable with. And if that is the case, I am more than willing to refer you to someone I think may be better suited for the job.

Finding the right pet sitter for you will help ensure your peace-of mind that your animal family will be well taken care of and will help you to relax during your vacation!

–Jan Brown

Jan is the Owner of Jan’s Pet Sitting and is a Pet Tech Pet First Aid Instructor.

MilkShake Werks is known for its creamy homemade milkshakes and ice cream, and on Saturday the first person to finish a child’s size milkshake will win the grand prize including a trophy, $50 MilkShake Werks Gift Card and a t-shirt. Prizes will also be awarded for 2nd and 3rd places.

This event is MilkShake Werks’ latest effort in a fundraising push for schools which has included their “Brain-Freeze” Ice Cream Eating Contest and ongoing donations of proceeds from sales of all scoops and shakes made with their Birthday Cake ice cream flavor. Owner Leslie Widmann noted, “we’re very excited to reach our 3rd anniversary, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to include our local schools and families in a really fun afternoon!”

MilkShake Werks is located at 256 Redwood Shores Pkwy. in Redwood Shores, just off Hwy 101. Their phone # is (650) 654-3131. They’re open Monday through Saturday from noon to 9pm and Sunday from noon to 8pm. To learn more about “Shake-It” visit MilkShake Werks on Facebook or www.milkshakewerks.com.

– Leslie Widmann

2/18 (Thu) – Seasonal Sustainable Gardening:  Vegetables/Ornamentals
4/7 (Wed) – Seasonal Sustainable Gardening:  Utilizing Compost Biology
5/6 (Thu) – Vermicomposting Extravaganza:  Lecture & Demo
7/15 (Thu) — Planning & Understanding Drought Tolerant Gardening
8/11 (Wed) –  Seasonal Sustainable Gardening:  Winter Veggie Garden Prep
9/21 (Tue) – Alternatives to Landscape Waste & Pollution:  Rethinking Lawns
10/6 (Wed) – Sustainable Gardening Foundation:  Compost & The Soil Foodweb
11/16 (Tue) – Guest Speaker, tba

This is a day for the Shores community to come visit the school. The principal Cherie Ho and the teachers are excited to be able to show off the new school. All the classrooms will be open to view. Take a minute and come and check out the new school we believe you’ll be proud to see the latest addition to the Shores.

This year, the Computer Recycle Committee is working in collaboration with Goodwill Industries. Together, the team has established a goal to receive 17,000 lbs of electronic waste on this day. You may be aware that the Goodwill San Mateo facility focuses a significant portion of its business to “green recycling” of computers and other electronics. Aside from this work, Goodwill uses this business to educate and retrain a transition workforce. This is a great chance for our community to contribute to the cause!

History

The Arts & Olive Festival at Cañada College began in 1998 as part of Cañada’s 30 year anniversary celebration to benefit student scholarships. The festival has since grown to be one of the largest scholarship fundraisers of the year providing much needed financial assistance to students. The celebration now brings together more than 70 vendors consisting of some of the olive industry’s top experts to provide the community with olive education, olive and olive oil tasting, olive related products, and an abundance of quality art works and gifts. This year’s festival will also serve as a kick-off to the Cañada College Performing Arts Series, sponsored by the Associated Students of Cañada College, bringing some of the Bay Area’s most spectacular performers to the Peninsula.

Cañada College has had a special relationship with olives since its inception. When the college was built in the late sixties, the olive trees were carefully removed during construction and planted in a temporary location under the protective custody of the San Mateo Community College District’s Buildings & Grounds experts. The olive trees were replanted in time for the college’s official opening in 1968. Thirty-five years later, the trees are thriving and are an integral part of the campus. The graceful leathery olive trees bearing gray-green leaves haven’t changed much in thirty-five years. However, the college has charged into the future with a brand-new look for its classrooms, state of the art facilities and innovative programs that improve access to higher education and provide local industry with a highly qualified workforce.

Well, take heart, it doesn’t have to be a torture for you. First of all, it helps going in if you have a little Swimwear Shopping Savvy…..

SSS Tip #1

First of all, forget about numbers…the size, that is. No one will see the size but you, and the important thing is that the suit fit properly, to show off your best assets. If it bothers you, cut out the tag after you purchase.

SSS Tip #2

You probably have a pretty good idea about your body ’shape’, i.e. round, rectangle, triangle, inverted triangle, hourglass. That being said, you should look for suits that will emphasize your most attractive assets while minimizing those areas you’re not so fond of.

For example, if you want to camouflage your midriff, a suit with ruching in the midriff will help. A vertical accent, such as a ruffle down the front of a suit or a vertical line in a contrasting color, will help to slim the body.

If your shape is a triangle (heavier on the bottom), you can focus attention on the upper body with a printed tankini top and solid color bottom. Another way to accomplish this is a suit with wide-set straps, which will draw the eye upward and outward, emphasizing the upper chest and shoulders.

If you want to emphasize (or create) a waistline, a suit with detailing at the waist will do the trick. Check out the swimsuit section on the Nordstrom website – you can look at suits according to your body type.

SSS Tip #3

Think about the fabric and your planned activity before you purchase. For example, if you’re planning on spending time in the water, avoid crocheted or loosely-knitted suits because they sag and lose their shape when wet.

SSS Tip #4

Get a tan … no, not in the sun but out of a bottle.

We all look better in a swimsuit when our skin is a bit tanned. Whether it’s a spray-on (Mystic and Versatan systems are two good ones…I especially like Versatan because it dries you off after the ‘liquid tan’ is sprayed on…minimizes streaking) or a lotion (again, my favorite is Loreal Sublime Bronze…gives a good color and doesn’t smell bad…be sure to wash your hands well afterwards or, as I do, wear latex gloves to apply.)

– Adena DiTonno

Adena is owner of adenaDesigns, a fashion and wardrobe consultancy in Redwood Shores.

It’s important to take care of yourself—for your own good as well as your baby’s. If you feel healthy you’ll likely do a better job caring for your newborn during a time often characterized by sleep deprivation and mental exhaustion.

Following are five tips to help you stay focused on your own nutrition and fitness needs after childbirth:

1. Don’t try to lose your pregnancy weight quickly. Despite what you may see in movies, new moms don’t magically shrink down to their pre-pregnancy size as soon as the baby is delivered. Be patient and remember that it can take up to a year to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight. A crash diet can make baby blues and sleep deprivation feel even worse. Furthermore, if you’re breastfeeding you need extra calories and nutrition for your baby. Making small changes and smarter nutrition choices will help you return to your pre-pregnancy weight in a healthy way.
2. Watch your food portions. You don’t have to give up your favorite high-calorie foods, but you may need to eat less of them, and less often. A good general rule is to make half your plate vegetables, one-quarter lean protein (poultry, fish or tofu), and one-quarter starch (baked potato, brown rice or whole wheat bread). In addition, limit the amount of calorie-rich and fat-heavy “extras,” such as dressings and sauces made with cream, butter, mayonnaise and oils.
3. Take help when it’s offered. If friends or family offer to prepare meals for you, let them. It’s a nice (and usually healthier) alternative to take-out or restaurant food. When you do have time to cook, make extra batches and freeze them for later. This way you have an alternative to processed instant foods that are typically higher in calories, salt, sugar and preservatives than food prepared at home with lower-fat cooking methods such as baking, broiling, grilling, roasting or steaming.
4. Don’t skip meals. If you do, you’re likely to become overly hungry later and overeat or choose less healthy foods. One way to avoid skipping meals is to have your kitchen stocked with healthy convenience foods such as fruits and veggies (preferably washed and ready to eat). Make breakfast a priority, since it’s the most important meal of the day. Chances are you are tired from interrupted sleep, so make it easy for yourself and have healthy yet easy-to-prepare choices in your kitchen, like high-fiber cereal, whole-wheat bread and hard-boiled eggs; or yogurt and fruit.
5. Make time to exercise. Even a short walk will help you burn calories, which can help with weight loss. Moderate sunlight exposure also helps your body make vitamin D, which helps to absorb calcium and improve bone health.

In the midst of all the new-baby chaos, don’t forget to take care of yourself. By following these five simple tips you’ll feel better and have more energy to care for your new little bundle.

– Karen Astrachan, MS, RD, CDE, CSSD

Let’s get the ‘not-so-nice’ out of the way first. These were relative to the stopping to allow the geese to cross our lanes and parkways. Several said that by “stopping to let them cross” we were just encouraging them to do it more often. On the other side several said this is something they do each spring when they see the various “families out together”. My beliefs are that since we all “took over” their territory we need to be considerate of them. For those of you who have been here for many years you will remember that we had red foxes, ‘possums’, jackrabbits, and raccoons in what were the ‘pasture’ fields east of Shell Drive. All are gone now.

Next came the calls about the Cringle Drive stop signs. I am personally delighted. I did not want to see another child or an adult killed there as was the schoolgirl on Bridge some 20-odd years ago. Also includes a second crosswalk. I was unable to decipher some of the calls in that they said they felt that drivers could skirt that intersection by going al the way around by Marlin Park to Bridge and then left to Redwood Shores Parkway and then right. Why use extra time and gas to go so far out of one’s way. Again, many calls were about speed and bikers, particularly those who are not considerate of the drivers and just cut in and out and right on through the stop signs and lights. I keep saying they should have insurance just like us auto drivers.

I was asked again to please include a note about having your family or a friend help you check out your low beams, high beams, brakes and front and back signal lights. More and more are not bothering to use them and it really is a problem, particularly at an intersection where you have absolutely no idea of where that opposing car is going next. And, most were to do with cars not coming up to the stop line at a signal. As I’ve said, if you as a driver and looking into the back seat of a car next to you, you can move up to be equal to the other driver. Or you may need an eye exam. Some of our signal lights are on “short term” if they are not heavily used streets, so if you are stopped way back and not ready to move when the light changes you will most likely be the only car that gets through the light, possibly a second one, but the others will get the yellow.

Ah yes, the yellow! More and more seem to be running it and what a scary thought should it already be red as you get to the middle of the intersection and other cars are now moving forward. I was very happy that I was the second car in line a few days ago as this is exactly what happened and that other driver saw that the one coming from the right side of the intersection was not going to stop. It was green for him but he stopped just over the line to let that red-light runner clear. What an accident that would have been.

Since this has been about inconsiderate drivers I want to finish up by again reminding you that if you are out in your motor boat the max speed is 5 miles per hour – NO WAVES !! And please, take home with you any snack wrappers, etc. you may have. I am really tired of having that debris coming to visit me. With our nice weather due soon [?] please remember when out in the evenings to have some type of light with you if riding your bikes, pushing your baby carriage, walking your dog or just strolling. We need to know you’re there and we do care … see you later – alligator …

– Pat Dixon, the Swan Lady

Two weeks later, RSTC traveled to San Carlos to take on the San Carlos Tennis Club. Our team of 10 met our counterparts for a friendly contest. SCTC brought breakfast and balls and RSTC brought an expansive lunch. There was a LOT of tennis but ultimately RSTC won the day and brought home the virtual trophy. Yay team!

If you love to play tennis in a friendly atmosphere, RSTC is the place to be! Visit www.rstc.org  for more information on our club and upcoming events.

Special Announcement: RSTC is very excited to announce our first ever JUNIORS CLINIC. We are offering a clinic for kids of all ages and all skills level on September 11 from 10am – 12pm at Marlin Courts. You need not be an RSTC member. Sign up on www.rstc.org.

– Karen Brodersen

– President, Redwood Shores Tennis Club