Country and Coast – Dogs need exercise, and for this reason it is great to go on holiday with your dog to a place where there are lots of places to walk him. Watching a dog run and play on a beach, jumping in and out of the waves, is a wonderful thing. If you are planning to go to a coastal area, check there are no restrictions on allowing dogs on the beach. In some areas it is only possible at certain times of the year, or at certain times of the day.

Accommodation choices – This can often be the limiting factor. Some hotel chains such as Best Western or Travel Inn do accept pets but you need to book in advance, and you will probably need to pay a supplement. If you are using a website to find hotel rooms you can often enter “pet friendly” as a requirement. If you want to stay in a B&B then lists of animal friendly places are available from the Dogs Trust. The facilities offered will of course vary from place to place. Some may provide some of the equipment your dog will need (bowls etc), others won’t, so check when you make your booking. Cottages are often a much better option for pet owners, as there is more flexibility and freedom. Country cottages are great for animals anyway because they are not as cramped as they would be in a hotel room. Most websites which offer holiday cottages for rent include “pet friendly” or “dogs allowed” as a search option.

Camping is another great option if you have a dog, but again not all campsites allow them. You may also find that you are restricted to pitching your tent in a particular area of the site, and you will probably have to keep your dog on a lead. When you are booking accommodation with a pet (particularly a dog) you may need to specify the breed or size of dog. Somewhere that would happy accept a Yorkshire terrier may not be so keen on a St Bernard!

Consideration for others – If you are thinking of taking your dog on holiday with you then you are probably a responsible owner anyway. It is important to be considerate of other holidaymakers though and always make sure you clean up after your dog. This is especially important somewhere like a campsite where you should always supervise your dog, however friendly and well-trained it is.

Andrew writes frequently about travel and eco-holidays. He also maintains a blog on solar panels .

a

The Crocus café operates according to 6 core principles – that the food should be affordable, healthy, vegetarian, community based, fair-trade and locally sourced. Indeed if nothing else eating at the Crocus helps you to feel like you’ve done something good by choosing to eat there. But is that enough? Thankfully the food is excellent too, and worth going there for all on its own. The daily menu always includes a delicious soup, an exciting and alternative main course and some yummy vegan and vegetarian cakes which are made on site or brought in from a nearby vegan bakery.

Regular Crocus staples include the amazing and gut-busting full veggie breakfast as well as their lovely twist on the old fashioned cheese on toast. If you go there on the own it’s always well stocked with daily newspapers and a massive selection of books for you to sit and read and there is of course wireless should you need to browse online or work. My only quibble would be that sometimes it gets very busy and there never seem to be enough staff – consequently the staff who are normally very friendly, can get rather stressed. That aside though, a lovely and charming little place to grab a vegetarian bite next time you are in Nottingham.

Alex is a financial blogger and writer and a vegetarian. He loves writing about vegetarian food and green issues although he spends most of his time writing about finance and business from credit cards to taxes to payday loans .

a

a

When it comes to hosting, people don’t realize that the web hosting industry has a huge impact on the environment, with the average server causing the same emissions as an SUV and with data centres consuming as much electricity on average as 30,000 private homes. Or, looked at in a different way, your green and ethical website will be hosted on someone’s server that produces more than 13 tonnes of CO2 every year.

That is why Green hosting is growing in popularity, particularly for companies who put the environment and social responsibility at the heart of their business manifesto. Green hosting has not been around for a long time, but it is starting to get more and more common for companies to offer it. With statistics showing that the world internet usage is on the rise and is doubling in the USA and the total bill for electricity to run servers and infrastructure equipment topping off at $3 billion in the US and $8 billion worldwide it is clear that something needs to be done about energy consumption. In fact it has been calculated that if hosting energy consumption continues at current rates, then by 2020 the hosting industry will be a greater polluter than the airline industry.

So what can we do as consumers? The main thing is choose hosting services who use green servers. This is a small thing, but it is a start. These greener servers are capable of producing 20% less CO2 and with large data centres that can make a big difference. Additionally look for companies that also offer tree planting schemes to offset their emissions. All of these are only a start – we need to do more, but you might as well choose companies who are making that start.

Alex is a freelance journalist and financial blogger. He loves to write about baseball and jazz but spends most of his days writing about mortgages and umbrella companies .

a

National Green Pages – Run by Co-op America the National Green Pages work on the same principle as the phone book and contain a directory of all the major and many minor green companies.

Eco Mall – Set up as an online shopping mall for eco-friendly companies the site design isn’t great but the listings are accurate and useful.

LinksOrganic – if you’r elooking for eco-friendly or organic products this international guide is a good place to start.

The Green Guide – website and online magazine with buying guides and excellent listings.

a

Full Size Loft Beds
I have an 8 feet long, 5 feet width room space for my kid and the ceiling is 7 feet tall from the surface. So I was in search for a bed that best suits this dimensions and found one named Full Size Loft Bed. full size loft bed are best suitable for children and teenagers as well. I think I have chosen the right one.

White Bunk Bed
My wife and I are very keen to buy a bed for our two kids who always quarrel when they go to bed. So I thought of buying a white bunk bed that could be suitable for both. These beds also provide you more space as a storeroom for your children. For parents who are with the same issue, I recommend these beds.

Water proof mattress pads
My kid wet the bed very frequently at nights which bothers my wife a lot. So I planned to buy a waterproof mattress pads that can give a soft feel to my child. The reason why they are soft is because of its substance. These pads are specially designed so as to get rid of infections caused by the bacteria. If you want your child to be safe from this, use water proof mattress pads.

Mattress for platform bed
I recently changed to queen size platform bed from a king. So thought of getting a mattress for platform bed. As per my friend’s recommendation bought one. I am very satisfied with the mattress and its features. Unlike spring mattresses, these mattresses give more comfort and are durable. Before buying it, check the measurements of your platform bed as they come in different sizes.

a

It could be a good idea. Actually, it’s even better than just a good idea. It’s a great one! First, you can decide to go completely green (as in eco-friendly) with all of your Easter decorations. From opting for baskets of woven bamboo to filling them with shredded, biodegradable “paper grass” to cushion your eggs, take the all of the unnatural out of your celebration. Exchanging Easter Cards with family and friends? Use online printing to design your own unique card.

Whether Easter is a religious and holy day for you, or an occasion for a family get-together, they’ll have lots of design templates for you to choose from that will make creating your own card as much fun as sharing it! Those printing vendors you locate on the Web can even save money, not to mention wear-and-tear on the environment due to shipping, by offering you the option to print it at home. You will be able to print your cards on your own printer, hopefully using recycled paper! You can then hand deliver your custom cards or tuck them into your baskets. Starting with your Easter dress and bonnet and working all the way up to your big family Easter dinner, remember and be grateful for all the wonders of nature while you celebrate this holy day and festive day. Happy Green Easter to all.

a

Aside from the clean streets, intellectual culture and friendly people, Boston is also one of the cities that have the best eco-shopping areas. If you are one of the many homeowners who wish to do their share for the environment then this fact is definitely a plus for you.

For instance, there’s American Apparel which is known for its casual clothes that are targeted at young consumers. The comfortable clothes such as T-shirts, hooded jackets and shorts are all made from organic cotton and are all manufactured without sweatshops. If you’re into organic clothes, then you should also drop by Hemp Clothing. The store has an impressive selection of hemp clothing for men and women. Not sure what hemp is and what it can do for you? The store also carries several reliable books on hemp that can help you out.

If you need to have your dry cleaning done then you can simply go to Bush Cleaners. This dry cleaning establishment is known for its eco-friendly operations. The staff uses GreenEarth solvent, which cleans clothes in a greener fashion.

Whether you’re a vegetarian or someone who likes to eat organic food, you will never run out of stores to shop from in Boston. For instance, there is the Whole Foods Market which boasts a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and vegan foods. If you like your meat then there is also a selection of top-grade poultry, fish and meat.

a

Several activities have been lined up to give participants a chance to do their share for the environment as well as raise awareness about the current issues at hand. One of these activities is the program Athletes for the Earth. Athletes have always been role models that a lot of young people look up to. For this year’s Earth Day, hundreds of athletes will be working with the members of the Earth Day Network to raise awareness about the various ecological problems that the earth is facing today.

The Song for the Earth Contest is a competition that is aimed at young people. High school students or children under the age of 18 are invited to create original songs in any genre—pop, R&B, rap, country, rock, etc. All songs should discuss the topic of the environment. The winners will perform their original songs in Washington during the week of Earth Day.

The Earth Day Network and Earth Day participants are also encouraging everyone to do their part for Earth Day by pledging to plant even one tree to commemorate the event. Whether you want to make this planting activity a community project or something that you and your family can do together, this small step can do big things for the environment. A good idea would be to invite your neighbors to plant wildflower seeds for Earth Day. Wildflowers are ideal because they can thrive in almost any size of land—from a small plot of land in your garden to an acre-wide field in the community park.

a

An alternative to using chips is to use virtual chips. Of course, in order to use these, you’ll need to be partaking of the games via Caesars online, and other online casinos. These chips, games, and the atmosphere of the casino are all computer-generated and a lot more earth friendly. While an online casino may lack some of the atmosphere of a “real casino”, they can make up for that by offering you convenience, privacy and the solace of knowing you are not damaging the planet even when you go through quite a few chips in a day. Of course, the money you win and lose at these virtual casinos is very real. It just doesn’t ever become a compression-molded chip that ends up as pollution. So, when you play on-line, the earth is a big winner.

a