Doing Good Got Easier

This looked useful:
Free and Easy Volunteer Scheduling, Sign Ups and Reminders – DOING GOOD just got easier with VolunteerSpot

I've Got a Hunch You'll Like...

Visit www.hunch.com, a new way to get assistance making decisions. Answer some questions about yourself and it filters through various options helping you decide anything from which camera to buy to which sad movie to watch to where you should go on vacation. Great time waster if nothing else!

It's a Deal

What is it about me that loves getting a deal? I've already been feeling pressure to Christmas shop with the retailers we have left out there encouraging us to "beat even the early birds."

I found out today I'm not alone. A coworker - a man no less - turned me on to a couple of deal-watching sites. Check out www.dealnews.com and www.blackfriday.com . He was intrigued seeing yesterday's deal at Walmart - an XBOX for $99, after paying $199 and getting a $100 rebate. Who knows what other steals we might find between now and Christmas?!

Gilt Guilt

I love this site called Gilt: http://www.gilt.com/invite/sbrowning

I have neither the body type or the pocketbook to justify many purchases, but it's a guilty pleasure to take a few moments and check out the couture. I have been tempted to purchase jewelry and the stylish children's clothes are often at great prices. So check it out. If you sign up using the above link, somehow I will get a credit should you purchase something...I did see a lovely gold and pearl necklace for $11,000 listed today! Could be yours ;-)

(Also links to the men's site + more affordable designer options.)

I love a bargain. In fact, yesterday on a random tip from my dad, the family rushed out to check out men's dress shirts on sale at Dillard's. Chris bought 3 nice white/blue shirts suitable for his banker uniform and 1 tie for a total of $61. Thanks Dad! I can't guarantee you can find quality shirts for $14 a piece, but here is a kind of fun site to visit for unique deals and offers.

Meals, Baby

If you have friends having a baby or have another occasion that prompts scheduling food deliveries in your community, use www.mealbaby.com A friend sent me a request through this tool and I thought it was pretty cool. Makes the whole thing of giving so much easier!

Cheap and Easy

I came across this site called http://www.alice.com/. I'm going to use it...soon. In fact right now my shopping cart on the site is full of all the brand named items I buy priced at or below what I pay for them at Kroger. Best of all, isn't it going to be great when a big box of diapers arrives at my door sans shipping fees? Less hassle at the grocery and less trips to the big box discounter...I'm in!

A Day of Accomplishments

First let me point out that my first attempt to post a picture on "Wordless Wednesday" not only had words, but was posted on the wrong day. I woke up today (w/M at 3 AM!!!!) thinking it was Thursday so of course I thought yesterday was Wednesday.

On to big news...Mitchie got his very own custom ordered and fitted wheelchair today. I chose basic black (of course) and while a more colorful one might be more childlike, I do think it being all black makes it sort of disappear making you instead focus on who is sitting in the chair...beautiful Mitchie!


Boy is it HEAVY. Even when you take off the seat. My back already hurts from just testing the thing out! Both Chris and I will need to be careful - already Chris' back gives him some pain. But look how straight he sits! I hope he's happy in it.

The other first is that I used clippers to cut Luke's hair myself instead of taking him to Cook Cutters. Friends suggested we figure out how to do that since Luke's head-with-many-cowlics needs hair kept short and let us borrow a clipper set they haven't used. Luke watched Power Rangers and had a lollipop just like he does at the salon. An added bonus is that he enjoyed vacuuming up the hair himself afterwards. It's ok for a first attempt and I'm quite pleased with easily saving $17 and some travel time.

I am not ready, however, to attempt M's hair - he moves too much who knows what would happen. And his hair is thick and gorgeous so much more forgiving.

Good Searching

Set www.goodsearch.com as your browser’s default page. Select the charity you want your internet searching to benefit. (I’ve recently made mine UMDF – United Mitochondrial Disorders Foundation.) Use it as your search tool. It uses Yahoo’s engine. A lot of people prefer Google. I start with GoodSearch then if I don’t see what I want, move to Google. Check in on how much is being raised each month by your and others’ searching and shopping.

It takes a bunch of surfing by a bunch of people to add up, but it all counts.

New to You

Here’s something to do with your girlfriends especially if you are trying to stay out of the malls right now, but would love something new. I hosted an Accessory Exchange with the women managers at work. Attendees brought one or more gently used, of-this-decade pair of gloves, handbags, scarves or jewelry. They got a button for each item they brought. I was impressed with the high quality of the items. So many things I would have liked! The highest scorer on a “what not to wear” quiz was given the opportunity to go shopping first. From there, the color of your button(s) determined the order in which you were able to select accessories. Snacks, wine and storytelling of our own fashion emergencies were also part of the fun. Only a small bag of items remained that we’re passing on a donation center. Invite me to a swap and I’ll come.
Friend from work modeling many items at once.