Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Capitalists unite!...and give


The goal of Kiva Capitalists is out to make more capitalists, of course! Making loans to help folks make their own way in the world, these capitalists give because: 
"Capital and business make the world go round; trade is a stabilizing force. Offering non-usurious loans to help people start businesses to provide others with goods and services they need or want is what capitalism is all about. We are all proud capitalists, and some of us are even unrepentant"

Are you a capitalist? Then this is the team for you! You can  help to start up a new business, a new life or even a new local economy!


signature avatar

Happi-eth Birthday-eth

A super and wonderful birthday to our youngest male child affectionately known as 'Elvis'. He turns a big ol' ten years old today. To celebrate his big day, he invited his bff over this weekend and got to choose the restaurant for his b-day dinner. Don't BFFs make everything better?





Happy Birthday Elvis!!

signature avatar

Monday, January 30, 2012

I was tickled pink when I got home from church to find THIS:

on my front steps. It was a big bunch of fresh Rosemary. My neighbors are gardening gurus, a lovely pair whose yard looks like and a pro designed it. They often bring fruits and vegetables over from their surplus. So when I walked up and saw the bundle of small branches I knew right away where it came from.  What I didn't know was that fresh cut Rosemary was so wonderfully fragrant! I took half of it and put it in a pitcher.

Doesn't that look so sweet? The other half, I put in a big pilsner glass.

 I used some today for a baked potato and it was delicious!! Thanks, y'all, for the great surprise!!


signature avatar

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Nerds to the Rescue!!

Who launched man into space? Nerds. Who taught us the fun of repeating movies lines over and over? Nerds. Who gave us the inter-webs? Nerds. Now, they're tackling poverty one Kiva loan at a time!

Nerdfighters are on the case! Team Nerdfighters loan because "We aim to decrease world suck." That's not it! "We're Nerdfighters! We fight against suck; we fight for awesome! We fight using our brains, our hearts, our calculators, and our trombones." Be smart, fight on the right side...the NERD side.


signature avatar

Holy Fortnight!

I wish I could find an awesome reason for not blogging for almost two weeks; getting lost in the rain forest, being on a secret mission, whisked away on a surprise vacation. Alas, nothing has kept me from being productive except life, real life. Cooking dinners, fillings orders, house cleaning, grocery shopping and faithfully serving my corporate masters are the things that have kept me away. And then of course, there's Pinterest.

But I've made good use of my time. I cleaned up the catch-all cabinet in our kitchen...the one that looks like a teenager's school locker exploded. I'd add that I cleaned my craft space,

but it's messy again and will always be (except for when I take pics of it!)

But today I met with a surprise free time combo: boss let me leave early, Ladies' Auxiliary meeting was canceled and the Baseball Parents' meeting was canceled. Yay! So here I sit explaining myself. Now, I still have to cook dinner, but I think I'm gonna make it a quickie. I have chicken breasts in the fridge and last night's spaghetti sauce. Throw 'em in the pan and fuh-ged-aboudit!

now where's that To-Do list......


signature avatar

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

'Hey, Boo"

Do you like good looking, educated men who are extremely classy pillars of their community and who stand for what is right all the time and who hold themselves to high standards? Well then I've got the perfect Kiva lending team for you! For such a man has inspired a couple of folks to do what they can to lift others up. I'm talking about THIS GUY:


Team "Atticus Finch - To Kill a Mockingbird" is the team you're looking for! Team Atticus loans because Atticus is an "upright character" and a "moral ideal". Do yourself a favor...actually do yourself two favors. Check out Kiva and check out the film" To Kill a Mockingbird". Get inspired to do some good out there!

signature avatar

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Funding the Future

Last week I talked about KIVA, a micro-lending website that funds small business owners and budding entreprenuers most of them in empoverished countries or conditions. One thing I like about Kiva are the lending groups I'll feature every week. And so I bring you this weeks group: Star Trekkers. Are you a Trekker? I am. Not just the original series, but TNG, DS9 and VOY. Sorry, Enterprise.


Members of team Star Trekkers give because: ... "we can; & because Gene Roddenberry would certainly approve. The first step on the road to any future is to believe that the future is possible & the secret goal of any true trekker must be to help others live long & prosper. Even a Cardassian can see that...."  You got that right!  It seems their biggest portion of loans go to retail businesses. While they currently have only 40 members, team Star Trekkers has loaned amongst them $12,200! That's impressive....most impressive OOPS! Wrong 'Star' guy, my nerd worlds are colliding!




signature avatar

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Extreme cheapskates...maybe too extreme

So I get wind of a new show from TLC called Extreme Cheapskates that airs next weekend. It features cheapskates and the stuff they do to save money. Some are smart tips like cutting the bottom off the toothpaste tube when it's "out". You just KNOW there's still paste in there! But somethings are just silly like re-using paper towels and rinsing out disposable cups. Why would you spend money on buying paper towels, and use them over and over and not just use kitchen towels / dish rags that are already re-usable, washable, eco-friendly? Nope. Disposable cups and plates too; you have re-usable dishes, they're called plates and glasses. You can wash and re-use them THOUSANDS of times!

It brings me to my favorite re-usable/repurposed items at home that save me money on the little things.

1) Lonely socks. You know them, they've lost their partner somewhere in the dryer and are doomed to a life of watching other socks snuggle in the drawer or go out to a movie. Well no more; they're perfect for the Household Soil Managemnt Division. That is: dusting. Your lonely socks can join other lonely socks and old t-shirts that now have a real purpose in life than just hanging around you all day.


2) As mentioned above, T-shirts. C'mon, there's so much they can do! Dust, wipe, wash; they're handy! Van Halen and Journey can make your house look goooood.

Items three and four are Swiffer products. At the risk of sounding like a corporate schill or a paid advertiser (which I am not, since Swiffer has no idea I'm even posting this), I like passing on good tips to moms like me, SO:

3) Swiffer Sweeper sheets. These things take a beating when used instead of a paper towel , sponge or cleaning rag. I found this out while helping Sister Christian clean out her old apartment. She'd run out of paper towels and handed me a Swiffer sheet. I used it over and over and over again! I cleaned the whole bathroom with ONE sheet. and it was still in great condition when I was done with it. You can dry it out and use again...and again...and again. That's one pennywise product.

4) Another is the Swiffer Sweeper Vac. It doesn't come with re-useable sheets, but you can purchase good, fluffy cleaning rags that you can wash and use over and over. And it doesn't just save me money, it saves me TIME which is my most precious commodity. A big thanks to my dear S-I-L who turned me on to it!
 
5) Last is the Libman Freedom Mop. The pad is washable and re-usable so I don't have to spend money buying more and more pads. The bottle can be filled with any cleaner...that includes vinegar which you can get a GALLON of for about 2 bucks at the grocery store!

Being cheap isn't always being smart....be smart.


signature avatar

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Power up!

Are you familiar with Kiva? Well you're gonna be. Kiva is a non-profit organization that helps folks like you do something awesome! It links lenders to small business owners or budding entrepreneurs (many of them in impoverished countries). It helps you give a hand-up to someone with a plan, a dream or a hope...or all three. "Micro-loans" as small as $25 can be made at Kiva to finance folks with their small business. Businesses run the gamut from farming to retail to food services to cattle to...well, you get the pictureLidia Belokon
It's not some random loan either! You can choose who you loan money to. A face and a story accompanies each loan request. It's not just money, it's an ooportunity and empowerment that you're lending. Once your loan is paid, you can get your money back OR you can turn it around and loan it again!

Lastly, you can join a team that loans together. Oh the teams; they're formed or they loan based on interests or values or region or favorite sports teams....for real! I'll introduce to a team every week in hopes that you'll get inspired to invest in someone's dream of a better life. You'll see that there are so many reasons to give.

This week it's Team Texas. They loan because: "Texas does it bigger!". The team has 741 members (including yours truly). It appears, from team stats, that Team Texas members are big on making farming or agricultural loans...go figure.

Check out Kiva's website. Once you lend, you're gonna want to do it again!


signature avatar

Sunday, January 1, 2012

New Year and more

A New Year on your doorstep is like a blank canvas. It's full of promise, it's got lots of potential. You can fill it up with anything! It's a fresh start for fresh ideas and fresh perspective.

I can't wait to bring some new stuff to the blog. There's stuff on my mind that I want to share with folks out there. There will be some craft challenges for projects that I'll be doing with my circle here. Hope you join in on a project or two. I'll be trying to find ideas and helpful tips and timesavers that really work for gals like me; working moms of the Bombeck variation. Diet-y goodness will be added to the menu as well as awesome items I score on my budget via sales, roadside or even free. I'll also introduce you to Kiva, a website and community that empowers people to empower themselves.

Stick around!!

signature avatar

And a Happy New Year


A Happy and Blessed new year to every one! My prayer is that our family will grow in unity, love and service to Jesus. And for you, my dear reader, that love and mercy will be yours all year long! That you prosper even as your soul prospers and that 2012 brings you new adventures, wisdom and peace! That goes for Chief, Pickles and Elvis too!

signature avatar