Charity: Who Cares? from Mint

Wow! I am pleasantly surprised by this data on charitable giving. Go Americans!


budget planner – Mint.com

Oh J!

I love a good "outing" as much as the next person, but orange juice, seriously! What's next? Eggs...ha,ha. Just kidding. Eggs are awesome! Everybody knows that.

As much as I love to eat..and I do love to eat. I love controversy even more! So yes I do think I will read Squeezed: What You Don't Know About Orange Juice by Alissa Hamilton.

I already have been scorned by this highly acidic beverage more than once. I'm not a fan of grapefruits either for that matter. Clementines taste absolutely fabulous, however they can be expensive and difficult to obtain at certain times of the year. I do take daily supplement drops (on more like a bi-weekly or monthly basis) containing 60mg of vitamin C though I have to question their effectiveness and nutritional value over time.

Broccoli, red pepper, mango and kiwi fruit all contain a significant amount of Vitamin C as well as some apples. I really wish that coffee was high in Vitamin C. I'd have it made then.

Christmas Card Gift Tags

Christmas cards have 101 uses. Before yesterday, I thought they had one maybe two possible functions, tops. Interesting, yes? I'm referring to the many ways a Christmas card may be repurposed and not my stunning lack of imagination or knowledge in this area, which is more like an embarrassment or a travesty than anything else.

One of the simplest ways to reuse a Christmas card is to turn it into a gift tag. All it takes is some scissors or pinking shears, cookie cutters or other decorative cutting shapes, a pen or pencil, string or ribbon, and a hole punch. Begin by separating the front cover of a Christmas card from the back. It is easiest to tear along the edge. Recycle the back of the card. Trace the outline of a cookie cutter or even the rim of a drinking glass onto the reverse side of the Christmas card's front cover (the side w/o the printed pattern). Cut out the design and punch a hole near the top. Write "to" and "from" on on the tag. Thread colored string or ribbon through the hole and attach to a gift. Done and done!

It so simple it is ridiculous.

Learning to Live In the Moment

Christmas certainly has its perks: spending quality time with friends and family, lovely Christmas decorations (and not so lovely Christmas decorations), yummy edible treats, and the charitable giving of those who are fortunate to those who are less so.

And, in complete honestly, gift giving (and receiving), as long as it is in the true spirit of the holidays, is nice too.

As lovely as this all sounds, Christmas is an incredibly stressful time for many of us. Spending too much time with friends and family grates on the nerves, holiday cleaning and decorating takes hours and easily becomes overwhelming, hours spent bent over kitchen counter tops and hot stoves making cookies and fudge eventually leads to extra pounds and annoying sugar crashes, and shopping at over crowded stores is an absolute nightmare. Pile on a few parties, a forty hour work week and a busy social schedule and "bah-humbug" begins to rear its ugly head.

It is at this point, when all the over stimulation of the holidays is at its peak, that a person has to step back, take a deep breath and live in the moment or risk the alternative, completely loosing ones mind. I wish I could say that I am a master at what appears to be such a simple act, but living in the moment is not my strong suit which is putting it kindly. The reality is that I suck at it.

Despite my ineptitude for appreciating life's little moments, I am determined to try to be a better person, only slightly though as don't want to be seen as completely spineless either! It's hard to strike a balance.

The first step in the journey on learning how to "live in the moment" is being mindful through a simple practice. OK, so my spiritual journey is already on pause. Oh, wait. OK, drinking coffee is my favorite part of any day (don't laugh) so I will be mindful through the simple practice of drinking coffee. Sweet, sweet coffee.

The second step is to apply the positive thoughts, feelings and emotions related to the simple practice (like drinking sweet, sweet coffee) to stressful situations to create a mindful sense of calm or well being.

Once the mind is open, refocus on the moment as it unfolds in front of you. Be mindful of sounds, colors, textures, smells etc.

While working through difficult situations or repetitive tasks, let negative emotions and feelings fade away into the background and fully experience those things that are important to you, and remember to be mindful of life's moments, whether big or small, that make the holidays such a joyous time.

And drink plenty of coffee! Sweet, sweet coffee.

OK, I think I'm set.

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more."
~ Dr. Seuss's Grinch from'How The Grinch Stole Christmas'.

Eco-Friendly Christmas Cards

So it turns out my suspicions were true and most Christmas cards are recyclable including those with glossy front covers. The only exceptions are greeting cards embossed with foil or those that have non paper decorations glued to them. Also, overly dyed envelopes (dark red/green) can cause a problem and glitter (Oops! My Bad!). Consider greeting cards constructed from recycled post-consumer waste paper or purchasing a card template online from a site like g squared that can be printed from home on recycled paper. Biodegradable seed cards are also available in stores and online.

I enjoy quite a few of the designs from Paper Source including this Winter Berry Wreath box set of 10 cards regularly priced at $12.25 per box, however this set is currently on sale for $9.19 per box when you buy a total of 3 or more. Made from 100% recycled Eco-White paper, 30% of which being post-consumer waste, these cards are stylish and affordable.

Of course an e-card is always nice too! No paper to recycle there. After all it is reduce!...reuse, recycle.

Christmas Card Ornament

Since I have had very little luck finding recyclable holiday greeting cards, I have been looking for ways to re-purpose the many "good tidings made in writing" of years past. I found this nifty DIY project online at a couple of websites including Junk Mail Gems.

The materials and tools needed to complete this project are all normal household objects including a variety of old greeting cards, cardboard or similar material, a pen or pencil, glue, scissors, binder clips (optional), ribbon or string, one circle cutting pattern and one triangle cutting pattern.

Begin by creating the circle and triangle cutting pattens. Using a round object like a drinking glass or jar lid, trace a circle onto a piece of cardboard. Note: A circle 2.75" in diameter will result in a final ornament of about 5-6" in diameter. Make a second circle and draw an equilateral triangle that fits within, similar to the pattern shown below.

Cut out one circle and one triangle cutting pattern.

Using the circle cutting pattern, trace 20 circles onto selected greeting cards. It may be a good idea to utilize a few different types of greeting cards in order to find a combination of eye pleasing patterns and colors.

Cut out all 20 circles.

On the back of each circle, trace the triangle cutting pattern. Fold all three sides of the triangle toward the front of the circle. Repeat for all 20 circles.

Arrange five of the folded circular cutouts tip to tip, glue together and secure with binder clips (optional) until dry. Repeat. You now have a top and bottom.

Arrange ten of the folded circular cutouts tip to bottom in a line, glue together and secure with binder clips (optional) until dry to create the midsection of the ornament.

Before assembling the top and bottom to the midsection, knot a loop of string or ribbon at the base and place, knotted end down, inside the ornament so it won't slip out. Secure with glue or tape for extra support.

Glue the midsection to the top and then attach the bottom. At this point, you have a finished product, however you may want to add a few finishing touches like glitter or other embellishments.

The entire process from start to finish should take approximately one hour.

For more detailed step by step instructions, click here.