Happy New Year, you probably have heard that a hundred times by now. Do people really mean it though? Yes, I believe they do, just as when someone says “Good Morning”. Both are a nice greeting from one person to another and then they go on about their daily lives. So Happy New Year and we really do hope you have the best year ever. Now it’s that time when people start making New Year’s resolutions, you know the ones they very seldom keep.

I have one resolution to recommend. This resolution is enjoyable, easy, heartwarming and healthy. You can’t say that about loosing weight or to quit smoking or to get in better physical condition. So what is it? Seriously and I mean seriously, associate more with your friends and family. Take more interest in your kid’s day at school, your spouse’s activities and your friend’s issues. I mean really take the time on a regular basis to communicate with the ones you love, with the ones that will support you for being you.

Most people go about their every-day lives in a fog, seeing but not really seeing the people around them. There’s always the small talk, the greetings, the conversations about the weather or yesterday’s ballgame. But how often do you really discuss how someone feels about their job or their concerns or their achievements. A gathering of friends should be more about supporting each other than about who one the football game. Learn to listen to others

What a perfect reason to entertain some family and friends. Get together, have fun, celebrate just being there. It’s been documented that people with good friends and family live longer and healthier.

So Happy New Year and truly enjoy your life’s most important things.

It’s the season for gift giving; homes will be filled with plenty of gifts, which come with wrapping paper and boxes. Unfortunately most of the wrapping paper and boxes will end up in the local landfill causing a 30% bump in landfill waste due to these gift add-ons over the holidays. Here are a couple ideas to minimize the waste and be more environmentally friendly.

Use some left-over fabric to make a gift bag. If you can sew, put together a 2 or 4 sided bag with some handles. If you can not sew, just take a large towel, lay the gifts in the center and then tie the top together with some ribbon and other decoration of choice.   These fabric gift bags can then be used later throughout the year by the one receiving the gift.

Use reusable shopping bags that are now becoming quite popular. Shopping bags come in an assortment of styles and colors.  Yes they may have a company’s logo or an ad on the side, so what, it shows you are a leader in being green.

There are many ways to make the wrapping part of the gift.  Don’t just give a movie DVD, give a movie night. Place the DVD, popcorn, bottle of wine and maybe some cheese into a large mixing bowl or food container.  You can also use scarves, bath towels and handkerchiefs to help decorate and package your items in the container.

This year, think outside the box.

Good news, you just received a gift box of cookies.  Bad news, the cookies were just a pile of crumbs.  For many people, the holidays mean sending special gift baskets or boxes from the kitchen to friends and family far-away.  If you are going to spend the time and money baking something special, spend some time to make sure it gets to the destination in reasonably good condition and safe to consume.   Here are some tips to help keep the baked items in good condition for its arrival at the destination.

• Some foods are less perishable than others and are more easily shipped.   Typically items like cookies, candy, raw vegetables, fruits, breads, meat jerky, jams, uncooked pasta and unopened canned goods will be reasonable to ship.

 

• It is recommended to NOT ship perishable foods unless absolutely necessary.  Highly perishable items such as meats, fish, cooked vegetables, dairy products and eggs are perishable foods and should not be above 40 degrees for more than a couple hours.  These perishable foods would need to be packed in dry ice, check with you carrier for special shipping instructions.

 

• Foods should be wrapped airtight before being gift wrapped.  When sending multiple food items, each one should be wrapped separately to keep it moist but also to keep from mixing the flavors.

 

• Any glass or breakable containers should be placed within a sealed Ziploc bag just incase the bottle gets broken.

 

• Keep breads, cakes and other fragile items in rigid containers with little room for movement to help protect their shape.   Disposable foil tins can help save those cookies and cakes during shipment.

 

• Use a rigid cardboard box as the shipping container.  Use a new box if possible, especially for heavier contents.  The box should be in good condition without holes, tears or damaged areas. There are box manufactures but for people with just a few packages to send, check office supply stores.

 

• When packing the separate items in the box, use crumpled newspaper or Kraft (brown) paper to keep the items separated by 2-3 inches from each other and from the box sides.  If sending a basket, use a couple layers of bubble wrap around the basket and taped to keep it secure.

 

• Remove any pre-existing labels and other markings from previous shipments.  Once the top of the box is closed, the contents should not “rattle” when shaken. As with all packages being shipped, clearly print the address on the box and cover with clear packaging tape.

What is it about the DIY lifestyle that is very appealing to some people but not others? I have always found completing home projects and doing things for yourself to be empowering. Especially for small projects, you can usually complete them in less time and expense then trying to hire someone.

The DIY movement is alive and well on the internet. Instead of hiring some bloodsucking service to do a job, you can Do It Yourself. There are so many services out there trying to get your money, doing some things for yourself are invigorating.

You have access to the web “how to” information. More and more people are turning to the DIY lifestyle not only to save on expenses but to also help prioritize what’s important. Instead of spending 2-3 hours watching TV, learn “how to” fix your lawn sprinkler system or something that interests you. Today the internet provides the knowledge and access to the tools for just about any DIY task.

There are many large web sites like Squidoo, Yahoo Groups and Google’s new Knol site where all types of information can be found. Some offer more in-depth and detailed information then others. And then there are many other sites, just like this site, that are more focused.

Most DIY lifestyles help improve one’s ability to “think” a problem through and plan the steps to completion. When searching for information on the internet, you need to be able to reason clearly and critically. There is a lot of people providing information, usually partial information, that don’t know squat about what they are discussing. You learn what makes sense and what does not. You need to be able to discriminate between the good and the bad. Another great thing about the internet is that you can verify and compare.

The web is a tremendous resource, a facilitator, a catalyst for a DIY lifestyle. Most tasks are not as difficult as one may first think. It usually takes a little common sense, some research and some motivation. With the current economy in the tank, more people seem to be taking time to embrace the DIY movement.