Business & Cooking: Going Local

Recently Community Education joined Sustainable Connections. Our hope is that we can improve our green practices and meet other businesses who feel the same way.

At the new member orientation, we learned that one of the main philosophies of Sustainable Connections is to buy local. In addition to that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you support your neighbor, the idea is actually backed up by an economic theory called the local multiplier effect. The local multiplier effect states that more money goes back to the community when it is spent at a local business than when it is spent at a national chain.

Sustainable Connections also has a Food and Farming program that promotes buying food locally to support farmers and to reduce the amount of oil used to truck food all over the world. In researching this, I uncovered a story about a Vancouver-based couple who decided to eat only local food for an entire year. They succeeded, and are now sharing their story with others at http://www.100milediet.org/. While I'm not ready to go completely local due to time and budgetary constraints, I was fascinated by the dedication and encouraged to try to eat locally more of the time.

To read about the local multiplier effect, and see a handy diagram, click here.

To read about the 100-Mile Diet, click here.

Business & Well-Being: De-clutter in an Organized Way

Now that the summer classes are winding down here at Community Education, it's time for staff to undertake a major summer project: de-cluttering. It's time to file away papers, take boxes to archives, and purge old emails. It's also time for us to look at our individual desks and get rid of all that we don't need. Luckily, the Dumb Little Man blog has an inspiring article entitled "10 Ways To Remove Clutter From Your Life."

Coming up in the fall, we will have two classes that will help you de-clutter your life. For businesspeople, we have a Thursday Morning Seminar on using lean management principles at your small business. Being "lean" can mean anything from speeding up how you process your invoices to having an exact spot for your stapler on your desk (some lean consultants go so far as to say that you should label the spot!) The idea is that the leaner you make your office, the more time you will have to be productive, and thus increase your bottom line.


For those interested more in a psychological perspective, therapist Carolyn Koehnline will be back with her popular classes Letting Go of Clutter, Levels 1 and 2. In this class, Carolyn talks about the relationship between actual clutter and emotional clutter, and helps you find ways to let go of what you don't need.


Both of these classes, as well as the article in the "Dumb Little Man" blog, can help you find the time and strength to do that much-needed de-cluttering. Hopefully. Or you could just go hiking all weekend . . .


To read the full article, click here.

Self Discovery: Creating Relaxing Routines

The Zen Habits website is starting to become one of my favorites. I have become convinced that I, and most of the world around me, needs to spend more time learning to be relaxed and actively avoiding stress.
This new article from Zen Habits focuses on 12 ideas for establishing calming routines. If you can get into habits that enforce calm, especially in the morning, you will have a more peaceful and relaxing day. The key for me was the focus on routine.
Anything you want to learn needs to be done routinely for two or three months before it becomes a habit.
I am going to try waking up a bit earlier so I can enjoy a cup of coffee while enjoy the company of my dog and the coolness of the morning. Maybe then I won't be rushed on my way to work!
picture by Kate Sumbler

Business: New Credit Class of Interest - Small Business Internal Controls and Tax Laws Essentials

For those of you with small businesses, this may be a class worth your time. This new credit class offering is all about internal controls in your business to control cash, inventory and stay on the right side of the law.
Taught by Community Education's very own Erin Schlichting (Stepping Up to Manager) the class will cover:

• Small Business Federal and State tax laws
• Recognition of cash, inventory and accounting inconsistencies.
• Unemployment, payroll, and B&O tax.

The class will run Tuesday evenings from Sept 25th to December 11th and is a 3 credit class. You do not have to be in a degree program to sign-up for this class.
If your interested, give Merrianne Bieler a call in our business program. 360-676-2170 ext3316

Food & Wine: Joe's Garden Has New Owners!

Joe's Garden, a popular place for local produce and an inspiration for one of our own cooking classes, is under new ownership--kind of. Parents Karl and Carol Weston are passing the torch to their two sons, Jason and Nathan Weston.


Seeing this article reminded me that I needed to make a trip to the Southside for the amazing produce that Joe's Garden offers. Now that it actually feels like summer outside, it's time to taste its bounty!

This Fall, Mary Ellen Carter will feature the produce of Joe's Garden in "Cooking in Season: Fresh From the Garden." In fact, students will be able to join her as she selects the perfect produce, and then everyone will head to Sehome to see her cook it up in her signature delicious dishes. Look for it in our Fall Schedule, which will be on the web August 17th!





To read the full article, click here.

Personal Enrichment: Don't Ignore Your Gut

Have you ever heard of gastroneurology? It's the study of your stomach as your body's "second brain." Apparently the brain is not the only place that has neurons or neurotransmitters, and scientists are just beginning to figure out the subtle messages that go between your brain and your stomach based on your emotions and reactions to the outside environment.

Thus, if you have a "gut feeling" about something, it may not be unfounded. In fact, it may be a symptom of a very sophisticated process going on in your nervous system. On a similar note, Community Education will be bringing back its popular "Awaken Your Intuition" class this fall, where instructor Carolyn Schieck will discuss ways to be aware and follow your intuitive sense. In this society of facts, figures, and tangible evidence, we often don't give our own bodies enough credit.

To read the full article on slate.com, click here.

Self Discovery: Kid Connect

I recently had a discussion with a fellow dad about connecting with our kids. It gets harder and harder to connect as our kids get older. Busy lifestyles and work schedules also take away time from the connection process.
This busy dad wanted to know how I did it. Here we were, sitting in the woods taking a break from playing paintball with our sons and this dad wanted to know the secret. My answer? Your doing it.
The key is to spend time with them as often as possible doing the things they want to do. You make time for your family like you make time for anything else.
The Zen Habits website recently published a list titled 10 Activities for Connecting with Your Kids. If you have been feeling disconnected, this list can help you re-establish those connections with your kids.
Remember that we also have a few more sessions left in our Kids College running the next couple weeks.
Photo by Jérôme

Community Education: Hot Tips for Cooling Down

With temperatures now in record territory, any tricks to keep cool are worth learning. The Real Simple website just published an article with 23 Steps to Keeping Cool. Many of these will provide relief from the sun. Some, I hadn't even heard before like:

• Close the damper on your fireplace... With the heat, your chimney actually works in reverse sucking heat down into the house.
• Blow the fan out of the house... If its hotter inside than outside, turn the fan around. Bill Nye "the science guy" says its kind of weird but the fan works better that way.

If the heats getting to you, than checkout this article and learn how to cool down!
Picture by Luke Gattuso

Business: Sole Proprietors to Take Over Whatcom County

In Dave Gallagher's most recent column in The Bellingham Herald, he discusses the findings of the latest U.S. Census report that shows that Whatcom County has an unusually high number of sole proprietors. Called "non-employers", these businesses are owned by one person, have no employees, and often work out of their homes. The official tally is 13,357, mostly in either professional services or real estate.

This number is surprising in that it is higher than other counties of equal size. However, it is no surprise to the SBDC training department here at Community Education. We see these sole proprietors every week at our workshops as they learn how to amp up their marketing, manage their books, and informally network with their peers. They are a part of what makes Whatcom County a thriving, diverse business community, and we are glad to help them succeed at their passion.

For more information about Community Education classes for small business owners, click here.

To read the full article in The Bellingham Herald, click here.