Eternal Thoughts from a Sunshine Mind
Every year we try to give back to the community in various ways. This year we donated lots of clothes and houseware items to a local shelter and stuffed animals to the Sheriff's office for the domestic unit. We made cookies for local firefighters and stopped by to say thank you. I like to show my girls that giving is an important part of the holidays and in general. We had an exercise bike that my father in law gave us years ago. We haven't used it in awhile so we figured we would get rid of it. Rather than take...
As the holidays approach, I was stuck trying to think of teacher gift ideas for my girls' kindergarten and daycare teachers. So I turned to my good friends on Twitter. I love having a sounding board for ideas be it marketing related or for holiday gift ideas. Feedback so far - candy/food, scarf/hat, handmade items from child like jewelry or card. Last year I got Target gift cards so they could either buy for themselves or for the classroom. Once idea I like from the web sites below is a gift basket filled with...
I was wondering about all of the charities that exist and how people go about choosing which ones to support and what they can do, especially on a tight budget. It's the holiday season, a season for giving in more ways than one. Little things count. For example, we make cookies for our local firefighters and drop off a toy for Toys for Tots. These are easy things anyone can do. Here is a great blog that illustrates many ways how we can give without impacting our wallets. Obviously, volunteering and giving your...
I found this fascinating quote today: Today, however, I’m sending my completely sarcastic and uncaring “buh-bye” to the Bratz dolls. A California judge has ordered the company that makes them to stop doing so and to begin removing existing inventory from store shelves after the holiday shopping season. Why not sooner?Dec 2008 Parents of girls should read the whole article. Victory and buh-bye.
Until this year, I followed the basic PR process when issuing a news release. Write a news release, upload to wire service, spend hundreds of dollars and hope it gets picked up. Not a very solid or results-oriented process. Of course, you have to build media relationships and target the news with the people who cover the category. That is another topic entirely. A few weeks ago I discovered PitchEngine through Twitter. (These two services are my favorite new social media tools for 2008, by the way.) I read that...
As we approach Thanksgiving, I am thankful for many things. My health, family, friends and freedom. Here is a neat Thanksgiving (Tweetsgiving!) charity started on Twitter to raise money for a classroom in Tanzania in the next 48 hours. Give up a latte for a day and help needy kids get an education. After you do a good deed, whether it be telling someone you care about them or donating to a charity, or an act of kindness, check out Network Solutions' Black Friday shopping widget to track all of the post-Thanksgiving...
It seemed crazy. I thought FaceBook was for college kids so I waited awhile before investigating. As part of my social media self-education, I joined Facebook this year. I thought that FB was for college kids and that MySpace was for teenagers. Well now it looks as if the GenXers have found a place to have a reunion online. Yes a lot of FB is silly - I have about 126 notifications, of which I have no idea what a poke is, but I just like to see what everyone is up to and to have conversations. It has been cool to...
I have recently become a Twitter addict and just learned today of a cool feature to add graphics to my Twitter posts. The Next Web created it and it's called Twitterkeys. Check it out and happy tweeting! http://thenextweb.com/2008/09/16/twitterkeys-enhance-your-twitter-conversations/
I just read about Amazon's initiative for going green and starting to offer frustration-free packaging. I am all for it. I don't know how many hours we have wasted on Christmas and birthdays trying to open presents while impatient children eagerly wait to play with the hot new toy! Plus it is so much better for the environment. Check out their "Wrap Rage" gallery http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?node=1234279011 Amazon Frustration-Free™ Packaging Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging, a multi-year initiative designed...