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Today is Green Gift Monday!  Click the button to the right of this post to shop GREEN today.  Thanksgiving has come and gone.  I am thankful for my Family and many friends, and having my basic needs of; food, clothing, and shelter provided for each day. All of these needs take resources from the earth. In my slow progression to use less resources for my basic needs needs. I am always looking for products that are reusable, recyclable, and natural to help ease my impact on the earth and the trash can.  My use of paper towels and paper napkins is a big area for me to conserve at home and away from home.    I have recently found out about  People Towels .  These are personal hand towels that are made from 100% Organic Fair Trade Cotton. They are reusable, washable, earth friendly  towels with neat designs. These towels are for  use away from home in place of paper towels/napkins.  I know myself and I usually use more than one paper towel in a restroom to dry my hands, and paper napkins, w

This time of year my lists are growing. I make lists of things to do, things to buy, places to go, things to pickup or drop off, and rooms to clean.  I make lists almost daily, the list is plural because somehow the first list I made is either in the bottom of my purse, a pile of papers on my kitchen table, or in the car.   The world wide web offers tons of free printable forms to help people such as myself contain their list (s).  A favorite of mine is Organized Christmas , here you will find free printables to use all year long. I particularly like the Christmas printables to organize  the shopping and tasks of this time of year. Their web site  offers holiday crafts, recipes, planners, and forms free to print.  They have holiday jingles to print and add the ingredients to a "treat bag".  The Christmas Magic Reindeer Food  printable is great for children. One of the forms I printed out was the Stocking Stuffers.  From my stash of Computer printer paper I chose a small width

Years ago in my High School Days, I spent one Summer working at a State Park in a Conservation Program.  Although it was my Summer job and I did receive a pay check, I also learned a great deal about the outdoor world. Monday through Friday I would car pool to a State Park and my co workers and I would work at improving and maintain the State Park. The work was hard and the days were long.  Our "boss" was also our teacher.  We were taught all about the living park and how to maintain and respect nature.  Clearing Trails, and making new areas for visitors to enjoy was a daily activity along with outdoor classroom instruction.  I enjoy going to State Parks probably because my family and I spent many weekend picnics in State Parks.  I  went on to college to study Outdoor Recreation and Conservation of the Environment. The  Chesapeake Bay Foundation  is working hard to education Students in outdoor classrooms. Students learn about bodies of water-rivers, streams, lakes and the Ba

As  you are planning your Holiday Shopping list for those cute little stocking suffers here are some thoughts from my youngest daughter on her favorite products based on;  Natural, Organic, Cruelty Free, Paraben Free, EDTA Free, and Environmentally happy.  EOS  products can be found at Drug Stores and ULTA .  Their lip balm is a unique package and the perfect fit for a stocking stuffer.  They company uses natural ingredients and recyclable packaging. Lush , Products are handmade soaps that smell absolutely wonderful.  They are offering some really cute products for this Christmas.   The company seems to be growing and might end up in a mall or area near you. The soap in the store are mostly sold by the pound and then put in paper wrapping, so earthy.  I have bought soap from them several times and honestly works great for a room freshener, the fragrance is that good.(works just as well for its soap purpose) The also sell foot scrubs that are nice and just as fragrant. For pampering, th

Please visit Tim McGraw and General Mills  today to support this great cause of helping hungry people in America.  You can make a monetary donation and also type in your code from Hamburger Helper Boxes.  They make a great easy dinner for these cold November nights! Please visit Habitat For Humanity  to make a monetary donation, or help build housing for those in need.  Check your area to see what building is going on that you can help with supplies, food, labor, and support.

Over the weekend I took my daughter shopping for boots at DSW  (Designer Shoe Warehouse).  The store is offering a gift card deal for purchasing a $50.00 gift card they will give you a $10.00 gift card to be used January 15-January 30, 2011.  You can use the $50.00 gift card now towards a purchase. The ten dollar card is only good in the January dates.   While you are there sign up for their free rewards card that earns points for your purchases.  They also will send you a coupon in your Birthday month when you sign up for the rewards card. L.L.Bean   is offering a similar type promotional card.  When you spend $50.00 on a purchase in store or online, they will give you a $10.00 card to be used now until February 15, 2011.  On Monday I visited  Christmas Tree Shops ,  they are offering a $10.00 coupon off a $50.00 purchase. The coupon is good through December 13, 2010.  To get the coupon visit their web site and sign up for the email. If you got to the store and forgot your coupon ask

Today I received a large box from the  VIlleroy and Boch  company based in Germany since 1748. Inside I found their TOY'S DELIGHT SERVING BOWL well packed and in perfect condition.  In saying perfect condition not only do I mean it arrived intact, this bowl is gorgeous!  The company is offering a timeless and must have item for this year's gift list.  I believe this large serving bowl will look beautiful on your dinning room table, coffee table, or on a buffet table loaded with traditional Holiday treats.  I personally think it stands as well alone on its own merit.  The art work and quality is amazing and with so much detail you can look at it many times and see something new in the design each time.  The neat thing about this piece is how it centers the food while still allowing a clear view the pattern and the fluted edges keep your treats from spilling over. The Villeroy & Boch TOY'S DELIGHT SERVING BOWL is well suited for the center of a dinning room table for a m

- SAMARITAN'S PURSE   is collecting shoe boxes filled with small toys, school supplies, and toiletries for Operation Christmas Child.  If you are interested in helping out this group visit their web site for more information on how to help this Christmas time. The web site will tell you how and where to send your donation. Type in your zip code to find a drop off location near you. Monetary donations are also accepted.  Some local CHICK FIL A  Restaurants are collecting the boxes and for your donation they will give you a coupon to use in their restaurant.  Be sure to check with your local restaurant to see if they are collecting the filled shoe boxes before heading over there with your donation.   Either way help out Samaritan's Purse by donating local or on line.  As with all the posts click the HIGHLIGHTED word to view the web site of the topic.

Here are a few more sites you can visit to get free samples sent to you! I did send the Kleenex brand  Share Package to someone, and they received it already-within one week of requesting the cute Kleenex Share Package it was in her mailbox.  Another great web site is Scensible Bags ,  here you can request a free sample of their great product for the keeping the environment cleaner and healthier.  The company provides a cleaner way to dispose of feminine products in the restroom area.  I have requested several samples from StartSampling , and I am told they are on their way.  These web sites have been in a post earlier, I think an update is in order since my experience has been positive in getting the samples.

The holiday toy catalogs are here!  This past Sunday's newspaper had the Toys R Us  Holiday Catalog featuring FAO Schwarz toys.  Kmart   Holiday Catalog was also in the newspaper.  These catalogs have coupons and sale toys.  Today I received a Holiday Toy catalog from  Target .  There are coupons in the middle of the book.  If you did not receive any of these catalogs you can ask at the customer service counter, look around the store for sale ads, and in the toy section of Target they have had the books and coupons on the end of the aisle.  The coupons are a great help for the Holiday shopping, and you can get the newest hottest toy now before it is sold out. Don't forget to look for coupons on the stores web site, especially if you are doing on line shopping.  There are usually free shipping or an amount off your order. Keep your holiday shopping coupons at the ready so you have them when you are in the store. 

1.  Today is voting day. Take  the time to get out and vote, and be sure to read ALL the questions on your ballot before casting your vote.! 2.  Today is National Literacy Day  help this cause by visiting their web site to see what you can do to end Illiteracy around the world.  Read to your kids, It is a great month to read books about Thanksgiving.  While you are out voting, take your kids to your local Library and sign them up for a library card.   If they already have a card- check out some books. My kids had books for every holiday we would read each season.  Some of my favorite books were from that time of year.  Your children will learn to read at an earlier age and learn about Holiday traditions by you reading to them early in life.

At 8:00 AM this morning I headed to my local Target  Store.  Why so early and what for???  It is the day after a holiday, and that means 50% of Halloween decorations.  Where else would I be!   Over the last several years my sister, mother and I head to our respective Target store the day after a holiday looking for decorations, paper goods, and gifts.  We usually call each other to see if what we are looking for is at the store we are in -since we all live in different areas.  It is like we each have three shoppers instead of just ourselves.  I have gotten better at really not loading up my cart and coming home with things I have to find a place for.  So this year I went with Fall printed paper goods, less storage, half off, and useful.    The most obvious thing I noticed this morning was not the 50% off Halloween, but the fact that Christmas has arrived overnight.  The store was so busy with store clerks filling shelves with Christmas merchandise.  The entire Halloween section was bei