IT'S SO EASY TO BE #GREEN RECYCLING IDEAS FOR STARTING SEEDS INDOORS

I know it is still cool and snowy outside, but before you know it Spring will have sprung, and it will be time to start your seeds indoors for your Summer garden. Just thinking about the summer, and all the delicious veggies from the garden should make you warm up to these ideas about how you can recycle and reuse, while starting seeds indoors.

via Gardening World

via Gardening World 

 via Gardening World  

Hopefully these inspire you to find ways to reuse and recycle while planning this years summer garden. If you have ideas, or stories about being green please share in the comments section. I would love to hear them.

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about being green.

Not So #RandomActsofKindness & Giving That Lasts All Year #GivingBack

Extending the Season:

Giving Back All Year Long

In November I wrote a post about easy inexpensive or free ways to give, or pay it forward during the Holiday season. For most of us the holidays are a time of giving, or "Tis the Season" and we are looking for ways to give, and give back. 

Lately I've been thinking a lot about why the season isn't all year round. 

I'm wondering what small not so random acts of kindness can be done on a regular basis throughout the year. It's been my experience that the giver, gets as much if not more in return than the receiver, and wouldn't it be nice to feel the joy of giving all year long. I'm not talking about huge life altering actions, but rather a plan to include and schedule small acts of charity and kindness into our busy everyday lives. Like everything else (eg. exercise, projects, appointments) it is much more likely we will actually do an activity, follow up, and follow through if it is scheduled into our plans, and not left to chance. 

Why not schedule in a few of these ideas into your life, and make the "Season" of giving last all year long. 

• Donate gently used clothing to a local shelter or mission so it can be distributed to the homeless and those in need. In the colder months jackets, hats, gloves, socks, boots, blankets, sleeping bags,  knapsacks, and dufflebags are so appreciated. 

• Donate gently used clothes, toys and books to a women's shelter. The coffee and the tea from the hotel room and hotel toiletries are also perfect for someone that is in temporary accommodations.

• Baby clothes and items can be donated to teen mother organizations and homes. They are always very much appreciated. Remember certain items like car seats have expiry dates and are generally not accepted.

• Donate gently used work clothes to an organization like Dress For Success.  http://www.dressforsuccess.org/

• Donate gently used children's snowsuits, hats, mitts, and boots to a Snowsuit Fund or Snowsuit collection in your area. Canadian winters are cold, and no child should go without a warm jacket.

• Donate gently used sports equipment to organizations that help to ensure all kids have access to participating in sports. The Star: Where you can donate used sporting equipment

• Donate prescription glasses you no longer use to  https://www.lenscrafters.ca/onesight or  http://www.clerc.ca/?page_id=77

• Collect the small bottles of shampoo, soap and toiletries from hotel stays, and/or the toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss you get from your dentist. Donate them to a shelter or to a food bank. Sort the items into into small ziplock bags for easy distribution.

• Children's book your kids no longer use can be donated to a school library. School libraries get very little by way of budgets to buy new or to replace books. Your donations can go a long way. Same goes for magazine subscriptions; Chirp, Chickadee, Skateboarding and Snowboarding Magazines, Popular Science and Mechanic and Canadian Geographic are all popular with students even if they are a year or two old. 

• Adult novels can be donated to nursing homes or shelters. Or if you know someone who can't get out, drop a box of books to them. Reading helps to combat loneliness, as does the act of kindness.

• If you are donating canned foods to a food drive or food bank, make a list, watch for sales and, use coupons to increase your donation. You can often double the donation by smart purchasing, and who doesn't love a deal! 

• Donate blood. It costs nothing but is always in need.  http://www.blood.ca/centreapps/internet/uw_v502_mainengine.nsf/page/Home

• Give the gift of time. Volunteer in your neighbourhood, a local school, church, seniors home, or charity.  http://volunteer.ca/

• Sign up to drive someone to their cancer treatment. Isn't fighting the disease enough, without worrying about how to get to your treatments, or taking the bus.  http://www.cancer.ca/en/get-involved/volunteering/ways-to-volunteer/drive-people-ab/?region=ab

• Offer to put up or take down Christmas lights up for a senior, or if they no longer drive offer to take them grocery shopping, or to an appointment.

• Bake some cookies or treats and deliver them to someone who has mobility issues and doesn't get out.

• Shovel the snow for someone! Especially a senior, or a Mom with small kids or baby that can't easily get out.

• In the Spring, offer to take someone to buy some flowers for their garden, and help them plant them. For someone with mobility problems, making their home special is special!

• Mentor someone: share your skills, talents, and expertise. Help with a resume. Practice interview skills. Tutor a student. Teach a senior to use the Internet, Email, or Skype. Being connected can make all the difference in ones life.

• Babysit or Seniorsit and give a tired, overworked caregiver a break. A couple of hours can be so important to managing stress and coping.

There you go! A bunch of ideas for giving that cost so little but mean so much. 
If you have ideas that might be added to the list, or experiences of your small "not so" random acts of kindness, please share them with me in the comment season. I would love to hear about it!

Yep, just Cathy thinking out loud about not so random acts of kindness.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT FRIDAY FEATURE: WORTH THE READ JAN 17, 2014

I read cool informative posts and articles about business, social media, marketing, networking, and the like all the time. I'm a bit of a junkie when it comes to this type of thing. So I thought I would share one said post or article every Friday, and maybe send you into your weekend with some food for thought. 

Dear Social Business and Brand Leaders: Value My Time and I will Value Your Brand via Pam Moore, The Marketing Nut

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud Friday Feature: Worth the read.

Step One: Admit You Have A Problem: I'm addicted to Business & Marketing posts and articles.

Step One: Admit you have a problem.
I admit it. I am addicted to reading and understanding Business, Marketing, Branding, Human Resources, Corporate Culture, Industrial Organization, and Social Media posts, articles, and documentaries. I read articles about image, and hiring, promotion, content, and costumer service. I watch TED talks about it, joined You Inc. subscribe to Smartbrief and CB Blog, and participate in all sorts of small business, entrepreneur, and relationship building twitter chats such as #RBChat and #MomBizMondays. as well as UPS, Dell, and Visa Small Business chats.
I know what you are thinking, what is so strange about that? I am just eager to further my career and "brand" myself. I would agree had I not been and continue to be a Stay At Home Mom for more than 18 years with no plans whatsoever of returning to the work force. I have not hired, trained myself or anyone else, served, promoted or marketed myself, a product or service in years.

All that being said I feel I can add some real value in these conversations, and have real insight. I listen, observe, question, research (via all those articles, posts, infographics), all sorts of people, brands, and PR reps about how they hire, market, and train. I plant ideas and prompts into conversations to see where they can lead. I listen to friends and family who are working, watch documentaries, the news, social media, and links shared on LinkedIn. I mull over this stuff for days, link and share that which should be linked or shared. I question that which should be questioned.

I am often a sounding board for ideas, and issues my working friends and family have. I give a different perspective. I am creative both in an artsy way, and the way in which I think. Sometimes I use this knowledge I have acquired to convince a school council if you cook and bake it they (aka parents) will come, and single handedly organized a pot luck for 400 people. I told you if there was food they would come. Oops, my bad it was 2 potlucks, 2 years in a row including giant media boards (10 of them) of school activities and areas of interest ( Just Saying....). Luckily for me in the second year Jazzy6178 aka Elaine was my partner in crime. This collaboration only heightened the flow of creative ideas, making Potluck Part 2 an even bigger success, and calling for a bigger venue. This included the addition of science fair projects, music by the members of the band and guitar club, and an information scavenger hunt (answers to be found on the media boards), for prizes donated by local businesses. 

More recently I started to share and interact on social media and this blog, which as you may have guessed, has done nothing but further my addiction. I am a sharer and linker in real life, I always have been. For this reason I have often played the role of the unofficial source of information; aka the knower of things. It is a recurring theme in all parts of my life both personal and professional. So many of the lessons learned in life apply perfectly to the business world, because in the end it all comes down to people.
Step One: Admit you have a problem.

Some interesting Links:
Smart Brief - SmartBlog on Social Media 
YouInc.com Blog
Jeff Bullas,com
Collective Bias CB Blog
Ted Talks 
If you have some great blogs, websites, or links to feed my addiction please share them with me in the comments section. Thanks for visiting! 

Yep, me Cathy thinking out loud about stuff.

WHAT TO WATCH WEDNESDAYS #W2WW This weeks recommendation on what is good to watch! #1

I'm regularly having conversations on social media and in real life with friends and family about what TV shows, or movies are good to watch. So I thought why not share once a week, on Wednesdays (aka #W2WW) the recommendations I have, or one that has been shared with me.  If you have a recommendation please feel free to share them with me in the comments section!

This week Watch Wednesday I am recommending a series I watched on Netflix called:

 Covert Affairs 

(43 episodes/3 seasons) 2010, 4/5 stars, 14A

"When CIA operative Annie Walker is yanked out of training and thrust into duty, she realizes she's being used as bait to lure a villain from her past." 

(via Netflix Canada)

I thoroughly enjoyed this series, humour, action, even some romance, without being too deep and meaningful made this series perfect Saturday viewing and a nice alternative to a movie. 

I rated this 4/5 :-) faces. I hope you like it!

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out l0ud about what to watch.

Note: I have not been compensated for this post in any way. All opinions are my own, and the purpose of this post is merely to share with my readers.

LEARNING: LESSON NUMBER 2: I learned how to add labels & tabs to my blog.

My "LEARNING" for 2014 continues, today I learned how to add labels and tabs to the top of my blog home page. 

BEING GREEN, FOOD & BEVERAGE, MY OPINIONS,
 REVIEWS, TRIPS & TRAVELS 

I would love it if you would check it out. 

I can't wait for to see what is next!

Yep, just Cathy thinking out loud about my blog.

Great #GreenIdea - Make Pot Scrubbers From Mesh Produce Bags #ItsSoEasyToBeGreen

Make Dish and Pots Scrubbers From Mesh Produce Bags

The first time I did this was out of necessity. I was camping and had no way to scrub the pots, so I took mesh bags from produce (onions, potatoes, oranges) and tied them into knots to give me a ball that I could easily hold to scrub with. Although not pretty it did the trick. 

The following use the same idea but look much nicer a ball of knotted bags. 
Plus they save you money, and reuse, and recycle something that would otherwise end up in landfills.

via Northern Nest Blog

via Crafting A Green World 

via Mrs. Green Blog

Don't forget to put these to work in the bathroom or on outdoor patio furniture. OR

Why not make some as a hostess gift. Perfect for post party clean up.

You can find more Green Ideas 
under the blog BEING GREEN tab or check out my 
Recycling and Green Ideas Pinterest Board

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about being green.