* Blankets and towels can be used at your local animal shelter. They will provide animals a soft, warm place to sit.
* Instead of throwing away seeds from your fruits and vegetables, try growing them?
* Recycle old books and magazines; donate them to the library or center, or a school.
* Donate your old paint and household construction items by donating them to a local charity; specifically Habitat for Humanity.
* Food safe airtight glass containers are great for storing rice, pasta, sugar and flour.
Stress Relief: This time of year is stressful for everyone. These are some of our favorite stress relieving tips.
- Keep a journal – you can call it an organizer too. Jot down what you need to do and how you feel about it. Or, you could just open it up, and do a "free-write," where you just write whatever is in your head, it doesn't have to make sense, it just has to get off your chest! This is a great way to learn to journal.
- Relaaaaax! You do not need to make everything perfect – it only needs to be done with love.
- Be kind to strangers – you would be amazed how good it feels. Just a friendly smile can change someone's day!
- Have someone close to you that you can talk when you need to.
In the Kitchen: Holiday cooking is upon us! Be mindful of these suggestions as you plan your holiday menu:
- Do a quick inventory of your groceries – check expiration dates.
- Make a thorough list including staples. There are many download-able lists on line and in current magazines.
- If you are planning on serving a new dish, make it now so you will know what to expect when you make your sharing dish.
- Ask your family to try it. If they like it, everyone else will too!
