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Make a Snowman with Shredded Paper
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It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?
The last Christmas party I attended at my last job was at a college library and I was in charge of decorations.
A few years before another floor had come up with a giant snowman made with, you guessed it, all the shredded paper from the offices in the library! It filled two large frosty white garbage bags. They were piled atop of one another, to create the head and body of the snowman and attached with tape. And the eyes, nose and mouth were made with construction paper and various office supplies that were never used (there are many of these in a library!). It was almost three feet tall and I loved that snowman. I was inspired
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| (Published: Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:07:31 -0600) |
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Christmas Gifts for the Journal Writer
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I've been writing in a journal since I was ten years old. I have a huge storage bin filled with various types of journals. So far the count is at 50 and counting, which is quite exciting.
Journaling is my favorite way to relax. It's so therapeutic to write down my confusing and troubled thoughts. I write down a lot of happy moments as well, or strange dreams I have at night. I write down wishes and dreams.
When I was grieving, I poured out my heart and soul.
My journals from my teenage years are filled with adolescent nothings, crushes I've had on boys, feelings of being broken hearted and lonely. It's fun t read. I'm always laughing at something.
photo credit http://dailyblogma.com/business/coaching/7-benefits-keeping-success-journal/
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| (Published: Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:17:46 -0600) |
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Christmas Gifts for the Crafter
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We all know somebody who crafts these days. And if you yourself are a crafter you have a list of things you want! Crafting can cause a mess in your house. Unless you have a dedicated room for your crafting, your supplies can literally be all over the place. Scraps of paper can be misfiled in various locations around your house, yet you need that scrap (they don't call it scrap booking for nothing)! And crafters don't like to waste, at least I don't. So let's check out some gifts that crafters would love.
photo credit http://onescrappymom.com/2011/06/lets-get-crafting/
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| (Published: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:55:04 -0600) |
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Christmas is a Time to Give, so Give to a Charity
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It's fun to go shopping and looking at material things you think your loved ones will want. But don't you feel sometimes that your loved ones have all the things they want and more?
It's times like these that I try to remember those that need more than just the newest clothing or video game. Somewhere out there organizations are trying to do good to help people that are in need. Sometimes it's animals that are in need as well.
If you are tired of buying expensive material gifts and want to give something meaningful how about donating an item or money in your loved ones name.
photo via http://www.iradriklis.com/
It's easy.
It's thoughtful.
And it's very necessary.
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| (Published: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:37:22 -0600) |
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Best Gifts for the Young Adult Book Lover
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Looking for the perfect gift for a young reader, teenager or even an adult? You won't go wrong with these amazing books, some that are about to come out in the movies in the next year or two.
Young adult books are filled with action, romance, thrills, suspense and lessons anyone can learn from. It's one of my favorite genres to read and I know anyone who loves this genre will need a few of these books in their collection if they haven't gotten it yet. Check it out!
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| (Published: Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:48:50 -0600) |
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Instagram App = Fun
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Have you ever wanted to make the pictures you take on your iPhone look fabulous and artistic? If your answer is yes, then Instagram is the app for you.
Most iPhone users know that the camera that is built into the phone is not the best. Almost all the pictures come out looking dull and flat. But with Instagram, you can bring the photo back to life.
Instragram is a free app that uses different filters to make your boring iPhone pictures into something you want to look at and share with others. You can make a new photo look vintage and withered. Or you can make it black and white. There is a filter to make the color pop with bolder hues and a filter to tone it down.
Check out my lens about Instragram!
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| (Published: Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:18:19 -0600) |
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Wedding Bouquet Toss Alternatives
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As a single girl, I hated being called to come up to participate in the bridal bouquet toss. It was fine when I was eighteen, even when I was twenty one but by the time my friends started to get married at age twenty-three and on, it got harder being picked on as the "single girl". A lot of my friends felt the same way, especially when catching the bouquet means you would be next.
Maybe you don't want to be next! Or what if you catch the bouquet and remain single-clearly you weren't next, right?
So I've been talking to my friends about alternative ideas to the bridal bouquet toss and here are some ideas we came up with and some I found by scouring the internet.
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| (Published: Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:42:45 -0600) |
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Best "Declaration of Love" Movie Scenes
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I'm in love with LOVE. Some people may find it cheesy and I agree, sometimes it is, but love is that THING that drive people crazy. Everyone is trying to figure it out, what it is, and how to define it. There are books about love, how to's and where to's and songs about love. Then there are movies about love.
There's nothing like watching a love scene unfold in a movie. I think a good love scene makes you gasp and sigh. It makes the tear ducts in your eyes start to fill, your skin start to tingle, even your heart beats faster and harder. Yet all you are doing is watching a scene unfolding, it's not you falling in love, but you can imagine it is. Everyone wants a little piece of that heaven.
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| (Published: Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:40:35 -0600) |
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Waikiki Aquarium Adventure
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On Sunday, December 4, 2011, my husband and I took my nephews ages 6 and 3 to the Waikiki Aquarium as promised. I had been waiting for a Sunday day off just so we could spend time with the boys and what a great day it was.
We were supposed to go to the zoo, but the boys had come down with colds and coughs and we're getting over it, so we had to go somewhere that was indoors and not too much walking involved. My sister suggested the Waikiki Aquarium.
The last time I went to the aquarium was when I was a child. My husband had never been there and the boys had been there once before. It was a great idea and I can't believe I waited that long to go back.
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| (Published: Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:52:10 -0600) |
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Tis the Season for Christmas Music!
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I LOVE Christmas holiday music. I live in Hawaii and we don't have leaves turning and falling. We don't have major temperatures dropping.
We don't have snow, unless you live on the Big Island of Hawaii and live in the observations on Mauna Kea.
The one thing that gets all of us in the mood is Christmas music!
They play it on the radio, they play it in the stores as you shop. Here are a few of my favorites!
photo via http://viewfrommypew.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html
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| (Published: Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:25:36 -0600) |
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Money Tree Gifts
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Ever heard of a money tree?
Money trees are miniature trees that are supposed to bring you wealth or luck, you get the idea. They make great centerpieces and gifts. And most money trees are made of money.
Not these money trees.
I was looking for a craft to do and came across this idea in a book called It's Your Party published by Ben Franklin Crafts, a crafting store here in Hawaii. It's where I go for my craft supplies and they always have amazing ideas and classes to take. I never took the class for this, but the instructions were easy enough in the book.
Once I started, I couldn't stop. While I was mourning the passing of my first husband, I dove into making these money trees, not with the wish of bringing money to me. Instead of money trees, I thought of these trees as Wishing Trees, because they look so mystical. They remind me of the trees described in the Twelve Dancing Sisters. They are trees straight out of a fairy tale crafted in my head. They are magical to me. I wondered if they would be magical to other people too.
I spent days making trees of different colors. I brought some to work to decorate my desk. The sunlight would hit the sparkling leaves just right and make me smile. Other people saw my trees and were fascinated with it so I started giving them as gifts for Christmas.
At my office job a few years ago, each year we would have a fundraising drive for Aloha United Way, the Hawaii chapter of United Way. To raise money different departments would create gifts baskets that people could bid on and win. One year I wanted to use these trees as part of the gift basket. My team collaborated and we decided we'd make a gift basket with the Dr. Seuss book, "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" as an "Inspiration" basket. I taught my co-workers to make the trees and it was so much fun watching them pick and choose what colors they wanted. They wanted to keep their trees but it was for the basket and for an amazing cause.
So although these are advertised as Money Trees. I think of them as so much more. They are magical trees, wishing trees, I like to call them. They bring people more than wealth in terms of money. They bring wonder and inspiration.
And here's how you can make your own beautiful money tree without using money!
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| (Published: Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:43:03 -0600) |
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Animal Massage
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I've been a massage therapist for ten years and I own two dogs. Most people pet their dogs or cats and scratch them not knowing that they are already doing some massage in those actions. Do you notice how your pet's eyes close ever so slight and their breathing slows down when you give them a good slow scratch? Ahhh, Heaven!
I love massages myself and these days because our pets are like our child or very valuable family member there have been many dog spas cropping up. I could never bring my dogs to one, it's expensive and I'm afraid they'd misbehave plus I could give them a massage at home for free! So lets look at some free tips on how to give a pet massage.
photo via http://www.luxuryvacationsource.com/2010/10/pet-friendly-hotels/
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| (Published: Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:59:47 -0600) |
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My Favorite Young Adult Books
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I am addicted to young adult novels.
I was addicted to them when I was 10 years old and 22 years later I am still addicted to them.
I've read every type of book genre out there, except maybe not so much of the sci-fi stuff and I always come back to young adult novels like it's comfort food. It's the 'mac and cheese' in my home library.
Here are my favorite young adult authors and novels right now!
Photo via http://journalstar.com/entertainment/arts-and-culture/books/article_4d9b34e2-5a1f-11df-aa6a-001cc4c002e0.html
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| (Published: Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:26:44 -0600) |
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5 Free Things to do on Oahu
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Hawaii is an expensive place to travel to and to live here is equally as costly. With gas prices at $4.35/gallon currently, people that live here always try to look for free things to do.
Whether you are kama'aina (locals) or a short-term visitor on vacation, here are 5 things you can do on Oahu for free!
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| (Published: Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:08:06 -0600) |
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Wedding First Dance Choices
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The first dance is the introduction of you and your groom as Mr. & Mrs. It is a very important aspect of the wedding reception. It is also the moment you and your husband can share an intimate moment in a day that was filled with chaos. You can hold each other and block everyone out for just a moment.
There are many options for a first dance and I had a hard time picking the first dance song because I love music and so my groom has decided on it. Actually he insisted on it, which is rare. I'm still on the fence but since I can't pick one, we'll go with his suggestion.
Here are some different options for a first dance song.
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| (Published: Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:05:41 -0600) |
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Oprah's Lifeclass
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I miss Oprah! And I'm so glad she's back with her Lifeclass series.
I didn't know what to make of her new show which isn't like her old talk-show. It's about lessons taken from her old talk-show which is actually really great! She had some fantastic shows and this is just a second take on them, a study of the lessons learned from the different episodes.
So are you going to join her "classroom"? I already have.
photo via http://www.ohboyohboyohboy.com/2011/10/oprahs-lifeclass-oprahslifeclass.html
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| (Published: Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:17:22 -0600) |
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Toontastic App
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I love creating stories for my nephews who are ages six and three. My husband and I have made them paper books using photos, Adobe Photoshop and lots of printer ink. But because we put so much heart into it, the joy we see on my nephews faces is payment enough for our hard work and collaboration.
My husband gifted me my first iPad for my wedding present. Soon after my sister, mother of my nephews, got her own iPad after seeing how much fun I was having with mine. She found an App for the kids called Toontastic. They had a blast showing me what it was all about and now we make our own cartoons on the app.
photo via http://findebookreaders.com/blog/tag/cartoon-maker/
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| (Published: Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:05:46 -0600) |
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Wedding Processional Music
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As my wedding approaches I've gone back and forth over what song to walk down the aisle too. If we had a string quartet I would have chosen Canon in D. I love Beethoven, but a lot of his stuff sound so sad, except Ode to Joy.
I've been weighing my options and here are some of my selections.
Photo via http://www.weddingandsongs.com/wedding-songs-ceremony-2/
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| (Published: Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:10:34 -0600) |
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Teenage Crush
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Teenage movies from the eighties my favorite movies to watch, still. Especially movies done by the master, John Hughes, who captured high school life in the eighties down to a science (even though I wasn't a teenager in the eighties
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| (Published: Sat, 22 Oct 2011 19:01:01 -0600) |
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Costume Fun
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Needing some new ideas for Halloween costumes this year? Tired of wearing scrubs and calling yourself a nurse? Is the black dress and witch routine old news? How about trying some of these ideas this year.
photo via : http://7art-screensavers.com/happy_halloween.shtml
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| (Published: Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:47:56 -0600) |
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Teaching Blind Dog New Tricks
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Nani-Girl has been diagnosed with SARDS since March 2011 and since then she's had her ups and downs.
After being on steroid treatment and getting somewhat of her life back, she acquired a fear of going down the stairs because she has had a few tumbles since going blind.
Since April we've had to carry her down the 15 steps we have in our house because she was afraid to go near them.
It is now August and she can go down the steps all by herself.
It took patience, coaching and no fear from me and from her. It's amazing to watch a dog who is blind get over her fear. I wish I could let go of my fears as easily as she does.
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| (Published: Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:22:37 -0600) |
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Mother's Day at Etsy and Amazon
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Mother's Day is a few weeks away and if you are still scrounging around for some gift ideas, you've come to the right place. I'm going to list a few gift ideas from Etsy.com on this lens.
As I've said time and again, I LOVE Etsy.com. Their items are unique. So if you want to get your mom something you can't find in the mall, then check out Etsy.com for many gift ideas for that special mom of yours.
She only deserves the best!
Photo via: http://www.myliberty.ca/mothers-day-the-movie-theatre
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| (Published: Fri, 22 Apr 2011 01:57:14 -0600) |
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twentyfour64
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I wanted to feature these guys not only because the lead singer's sister is my best friend but because they are a talented group of guys from Hawaii and trying to make their dreams come true.
The dream?
Reaching millions with their music, by singing about their love and relationship with Jesus.
I can't say Christian music is the genre I listen to the most. I'll be honest and say it's not. But I can appreciate their musicianship. These guys are talented with a capital T.
Junior Tubera, their lead singer has a voice that could make the angels cry. The whole band is talented, you can tell when you listen to their music or watch their videos on youtube! These guys can rock out. I've been to a few of their concerts when they were just starting out here in Hawaii.
They have been on a journey: from a small town called Kalihi on the island of Oahu, in a church on 2464 N. School Street, to the state of California
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| (Published: Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:39:55 -0600) |
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My Zazzle
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After learning about Zazzle on Squidoo, I have decided to take the plunge and create my own Zazzle store called HopeWishDreamLove! It's a fantastic site which allows you take your designs and photos and create items to sell. It's as addicting as Squidoo! It's a dream come true to use the photos I love to take and place them on tote bags or make note cards like I've always wanted to do.
The store also ties into my blog Hope, Wish, Dream and Love, four words I really believe in and live by. Check out my blog and my Zazzle store!
Blog: Hope,Wish, Dream and Love
See my store at Zazzle
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| (Published: Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:18:40 -0600) |
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The Forever Puppy: Sky
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Sky is a Siberian Husky/Malamute who is four years old going on five. She is active, affectionate, vocal, loves to complain, will sing if prompted and will speak if asked. She's beautiful but very hairy and sheds everyday to my frustration. Sky is a dog that makes me smile every ten minutes.
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| (Published: Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:11:21 -0600) |
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SARDS in Dogs: The Story of Nani-Girl
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SARDS stands for Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration.
My 9 year old female terrier mutt dog, Nani-Girl was diagnosed with it two months ago. One day I noticed she didn't move when my larger dog Sky, went to swipe her on the head while they played. At first I thought it was her old age, but soon we saw her walking into curbs and then not wanting to walk outdoors at all.
There is not much information circulated on the internet about SARDS and my vet had only 4 cases of SARDS in her 20 years of being a vet. Nani-Girl was her fourth one in one month. Here's an overview about a condition that almost killed my dog a few days ago.
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| (Published: Mon, 04 Apr 2011 01:45:14 -0600) |
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Ebook Benefits
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I am a book lover and I love my hardcover and paperbacks. I was a manager in a university library for five years and saw the many changes occurring with books and magazines as print goes digital.
I have used a Kindle before but wasn't as satisfied in my reading experience as reading a real book. But because I have such a craving for information and books, sometimes it's more convenient to by an ebook from the Kindle. I don't have to go to the store and buy the book. I can buy it from home.
At times, I would buy the ebook if I can't wait to go to the store and if I absolutely love the book, I will then get it in print as well. I'm spending twice the money for the same book! Bad for my wallet, but I am a book addict like other people are shoe addicts.
Now I have an iPad and I love it! I have the Nook, Kobo, and Kindle apps on my iPad, which is fantastic-I feel I'm not only limited to reading books on the Kindle, I can use whichever app I want and I can build a library on my iPad.
I will still buy print books that I need for my physical library, but my house is small and I can't buy too many books. My fiance is also a book lover, so we have decided to have a digital library on our iPads and a physical library for the books we HAVE to get in print.
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| (Published: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:43:59 -0600) |
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Outdoor Wedding in Hawaii
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Most people would automatically assume a wedding in Hawaii would be outdoors and why not? The weather is always almost perfect. Nature is surrounding you and what more could you want?
If you want a large outdoor wedding in Hawaii, it can get pricey.
There are ways of cutting back on costs but the difference between an outdoor wedding verses a wedding held indoors is that you have to bring everything to an outdoor venue including: tables, chairs, lights, etc
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| (Published: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 13:09:28 -0600) |
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Giving to Good Causes
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In the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that occurred in Japan on March 11, 2011, it's a good time to remind everyone about donating and giving to organizations that are doing good deeds.
Many of these non-profit organizations depend on the donations of ordinary people in order for them to help those that are in need.
I have been giving to various charities and organizations over the years and it feels good to do so. There is nothing like the feeling of having done a simple thing like donating used clothing and knowing your stuff can be put to good use by others. Or donating your time rather than wasting it at home watching t.v. all day!
Not all charities ask for money although, it would be a big help to have money to run the organization, but sometimes all they want is your time or hand me downs.
Volunteering is free. All it takes is a will and desire to help someone in need.
Below are a list of organizations I have devoted time and money to over the years.
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| (Published: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 05:47:15 -0600) |
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| ( Source: http://www.squidoo.com/xml/syndicate_lensmaster/YolandaLacar ) |
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