You’ve Got Mail – A Frugal Christmas Fundraiser

Posted on November 25, 2011 by

The Christmas season is officially here, and charitable groups are seeking donations. While there are many worthwhile causes we may want to support, eventually we reach our budget’s limit. If you are trying to raise funds for a cause, this can be a frustrating obstacle. But what if there was a way to help people donate to a charity, get something they truly need, and not spend a penny more than they have already budgeted for their Christmas festivities?

If you’re involved with a church teen or kids group, here is a frugal holiday fundraiser that will do exactly that—raise money for your group and not increase your donors’ holiday spending.

The Christmas Post Office  - Church youth and kids groups can raise money by creating a post office for Christmas cards. Donors bring their Christmas cards for other church members to the kids’ “post office.” The kids collect the cards and then distribute them to the church members. Whatever postage would be paid for the letters is donated to the kids’ post office.

To keep things simple, cards can be sorted alphabetically in a portable hanging file box. In a small church, the kids can easily find the members. (This is also a great way for the youth and adults to get to know each other.) In a large church, a whiteboard or chalkboard can be hung with the names of members who have mail to collect at the “post office.”

To get the most benefit, make sure the kids are actively involved. Don’t simply have the adults do all the work. Kids have great ideas and enthusiasm and will appreciate the money more if they have a hand in raising it.

Do you have ideas for a frugal fundraiser, one that raises money for your group and gives the donors a true benefit? We’d love to hear your ideas and comments below.

Practical Tip of the Day: It’s easy for kids to ask for money, but their projects will mean more if they learn how to earn it.

Speaking of kids and money, read the new It’s My Money post out just this morning at DevoKids.

Posted in Practically Done | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

A Modern Work Frolic – The Christmas Card Party

Posted on November 18, 2011 by

A few years back, I noticed that every ladies gathering I attended involved a sales pitch, a gift purchase, or an expensive meal. Although I loved visiting with my female friends, I wanted to find a better way to get together, and the Christmas Card Party was born.

Here’s how it works: Before the holiday rush begins, ladies gather to address their Christmas cards and share a potluck meal. (Think Amish work frolic. We get a task accomplished and enjoy fellowship with friends at the same time.) Each person brings her holiday cards, pens, address list, and a dish to share. As hostess, I like to make a pot of soup and a batch of mulled apple cider. Then, we turn on some Christmas music and enjoy an evening of work and fun. By the end of the night, we’ve shared in each other’s lives and gotten a big holiday task completed.

To help add a festive touch to your gathering, here are a few links for great holiday drinks:

So, how do you combine work and play? Share your favorite ideas for accomplishing holiday to do’s in fun ways.

Simplicity Tip of the Day- To make the most of your day, turn your work into play.

Enjoy your week and have a great Thanksgiving from Practical Light Living!

Posted in Just for Fun, Relationships | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

On Second Thought – New Uses for Common Household Items

Posted on November 11, 2011 by

I’m a bit of a rebel. Maybe you are, too? When everything we see tells us to buy, buy, BUY, we can take impish delight in creatively using what we already have. Below are some tips for using common household items in new ways:

Pillowcase Fan Blade Cleaners – It can be tough to clean ceiling fans without re-depositing that dust all over our rooms. An old pillowcase will not only remove the dust but also keep it from falling on us. Simply wrap the pillowcase around a blade and slide the dust off. When finished with the fan, take the pillowcase outside and shake out any large particles. After a run through the wash, it’s ready for the next cleaning. There’s no used product for us to throw in the trash, and the dust is out of our homes.

Window Blind Card Holders – Years ago someone recommended keeping a folder of notes, emails, and cards to be an encouragement an on low days. This week I learned an improvement to this method – putting cards on window blinds where they can be seen.  Simply hang the cards between the slats, and we can easily see and read our greetings. With the holidays approaching this is also a great way to display Christmas cards or other seasonal greetings. (To read a great post on the value of handwritten notes and see where I got this tip, check out Heirlooms Come in Hard Copy on the new Christian Communicators website.)

Paperclip bookmarks – Clip together the last 5-10 pages you’ve read with a large paperclip. When you open your book, the clip is always on your left and you are ready to continue reading. Bonus- paperclips never accidentally fall out. Plastic coated clips work well without leaving marks, and a short ribbon can be added to easily see your spot.

Plastic Bowl Greenhouses – Home improvement stores sell a variety of seed starter kits with clear covers and black plastic bases, but we can get free versions by collecting large plastic containers (16 or more ounces) from sour cream, yogurt, whipped cream, and other products. Poke a few holes in the bottom of the container, add a coffee filter to keep soil from leaking out the holes, and fill with soil. Once the seeds are planted and watered, cover the container. If it came with a clear lid, use that. Otherwise, cut off a soda bottle that matches the size of your bowl, and voila – a free seed starter kit. FYI – use extra lids or a tray to catch any excess water from the holes in your bowl.

For more tips on using or re-using household items, check out:

RecycleThis – a UK blog on how to re-use or recycle all kinds of items. Readers can submit questions about what they are trying to re-use.

FreeCycle – a non-profit organization who’s website helps connect people looking for and willing to give away free items. Website is organized by city.

So, how do you use things around your home in unexpected ways?

Simplicity Tip of the Day:  Consider the wisdom of this motto our grandparents knew by heart – Use it up. Wear it out. Make do or do without.

Posted in Organizing and De-Cluttering | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Grandma’s Tools – Treasuring Our Inheritance

Posted on November 4, 2011 by

Part of the reason we choose to live practically and light is to free us from the burden of things and release us to the richness of relationships.

Years ago when my grandmother passed away, I inherited many beautiful things that I enjoy to this day. However, I also was given items I knew I would never use. For a long time I kept these pieces, and they plagued me.

I felt guilt over not receiving them with joy. I worried what my mother would think if she learned I no longer had them. (Would she notice? Would she ask?) And wasn’t I being wasteful by not using these perfectly functional pieces? They became a weight to my spirit, and they clouded the memories of my grandmother.

Eventually, I gave away what I wouldn’t use. Part of me felt relief and part still felt guilty. My actions seemed like a betrayal of my grandmother, but then a wonderful thing happened. I began using her crochet hooks.

My grandmother did beautiful work with a crochet hook—doilies, blankets, baby clothes, intricate tablecloths. She was amazing, and as I began to use her tools, I began to think about her differently. I remembered the times she worked the same design. I remembered the joy she had in giving to me the same style blanket that I would now make and give to someone else. My guilt vanished and a new connection to my grandmother emerged.

If you’re dealing with loss, or know someone who is, and the burden of things seems to be overshadowing the relationship, consider these steps:

  1. Keep the items you truly love.
  2. Keep one or two items you may not use but are unique to your loved one. (We have a violin form used by my husband’s grandfather. We’ll never use the form to make a violin, but it is a fascinating reminder of who his grandfather was.)
  3. Look for a tool you can use that reminds you of your loved one. Did she like to cook? Keep her monster mixing spoon or her whisk. Did he like to work on cars? Keep his wrench set or his tire pressure gauge. Find something you can use and keep it. Every time you use it, you’ll feel a connection.
  4. Finally, know your loved one wouldn’t want to weigh you down. People who truly love us want only what is best for us. They wouldn’t want us to keep a lot of things we can’t use. Give the other pieces away to charity and enjoy the treasures you have.

Do you have some tips for dealing with loss and the burden of things? How have you coped? What did you decide to keep and why?

Practical Living Tip of the Day–Keep family traditions alive or rediscover them by learning the skills of your ancestors.

Posted in Relationships | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Starting Their Day Well

Posted on October 28, 2011 by

My husband works long hours at a stressful job. Sound familiar? So, I like to start his hectic days by doing things that will make him smile.

In our house, that means making him peanut butter toast with green grape smiley faces. You may think this breakfast sounds more appropriate for a 1st grader than a highly educated engineer, but we all have an inner child in us. The day he did a Mud Run, his toast had a stick figure runner, which he laughed about for weeks.

We’ve also been known to leave notes to each other on mirrors that don’t appear until the steam from the shower fills the bathroom. At other times, I’ll start my car and find a CD set to a song he wants me to enjoy on my way to work.

Taken individually, none of these actions may seem important, but they set a pattern. Each one says I think about you, I love you, I want you to do well and have a wonderful day.

Simplicity Tip of the Day: Pick someone you love and for the next week start their day by doing one tiny act that will make them smile. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes in you and that relationship.

Posted in Relationships | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Progress – In Trashy Little Steps

Posted on October 21, 2011 by

It’s amazing how one little change can lead to progress in multiple areas.  Years ago, we started recycling, and this decision produced benefits we never anticipated.

At first we used an old trash bin for plastics and a milk crate for papers. This system was functional and practical – we already had both so there was no expense – but this arrangement left much to be desired. Despite cleaning, the trash can perfumed our garage, and its great size made it hard to transport.

Photo courtesy of IKEA. Our recyclables center was $9.99 at IKEA and well worth the splurge.

We then upgraded to an official recyclables center, a lightweight metal stand with three detachable bags. This center was clean, attractive, and easy to pack in the car. And because it had a third bin, we began collecting our plastic bags.

Fast forward a little further. We noticed how many soft drinks we were consuming. (Those bottles can pile up fast.) This led to us drinking more water and homemade decaffeinated tea. We started reducing the number of processed foods we ate—fewer sodas, canned goods, and prepackaged products. Fresh foods don’t come in a lot of wrapping, so our overall trash diminished, and we got healthier.

And now we come to today. This morning we purchased a garden composter. I know there are less expensive ways to compost our waste veggies, but I’m terrified of snakes, so ground compost piles are definitely out.  Also, I wanted something that was easy to move and rotate. Now, our veggie scraps and eggshells will have a new final destination –in the bin of our little black compost spinner. (The seeds I collected for next year’s garden just shivered in delight!)

Did you catch all that? Let’s recap the benefits that came from one simple decision:

  • A healthier family
  • Better (and eventually free) compost for our raised bed gardens
  • Less overall trash we are producing
  • Materials being recycled and not ending up in a landfill
  • Money saved because…

We may be cancelling our trash service. With so little trash there’s just not much for the trash man to do. This week, he had one measly bag from us. How great is that!

So where have you made progress or where would you like to start?

Living Light Tip of the Day: Make one positive change today and stick to it. You never know where it will lead, maybe someplace wonderful you can’t even imagine.

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The Gifts of Shopping

Posted on October 14, 2011 by

How would you like to keep in touch with family and friends better, enjoy holidays and birthdays more, and save some money along the way? You can do it. Just try shopping for your Christmas and birthday gifts all year long. That’s going to accomplish those wonderful things? It can, and here’s why:

Keeping in Touch with Family & Friends – Being on the watch for gifts all year round makes us more mindful of our family and friends. If we see a gift for someone, we may immediately know its perfect, but other times we’ll realize we aren’t sure because we haven’t seen or talked to that person in a while. This prompts us to reconnect with our friend. Even if we choose not to buy the gift, we’ve given them a present of our time and attention.

Enjoying Holidays & Special Occasions More – When we leave shopping to the last minute we suffer unnecessary stress. I used to attend far too many birthday and holiday parties frazzled because just a short time earlier I was rushing to buy something for the gathering.  That kind of shopping was no fun.  But, when we have gifts ready and waiting for us, we can arrive at gatherings excited to spend time with our loved ones, open to what they are sharing, and able to share ourselves in return.

Saving Time  – When we shop for gifts regularly, we greatly reduce our trips to the store. Instead of driving around town looking for a present, we can do this shopping in the course of our everyday errands. Then, when the date for that special occasion arrives, the only trip we have to make is down the hall to our closet.  Suddenly our time saver has become a gas saver, which leads us to…

Saving Money – Of course, shopping all year around can help us find some great deals. A sale in late summer may yield a perfect gift for someone with a November birthday. There are other benefits, too. My husband and I save money by looking for gifts whenever we are on trips. We search for items unique to that area. This opens our possibilities to presents that would be too expensive in our hometown or not available at all. As an added bonus, this practice keeps our overall household spending lower. We know we are going to purchase a gift sometime, but by getting it on a trip, we enjoy the thrill of shopping without buying frivolous things for ourselves just because we are on vacation.

So, even if your next special occasion is months away, try looking for gifts the next time you’re at a store. You never know what you’ll see or which loved one will come to mind.

Simplicity Tip of the Day: Consider redefining multi-tasking as doing one thing well and gaining multiple benefits.

How do you reduce stress at the holidays? We’d love to hear your tips.

Posted in Gift Giving, Multi-Tasking | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments