10/15/13

It’s not always possible to bring your own reusable bags with you when you go shopping. When you buy clothes or household items from a retail store, save the heavy-duty paper and plastic shopping bags and use them the next time you bring a donation to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. In addition to needing your donation of clothes, shoes, housewares, toys, sporting goods and decorative items, the stores also need shopping bags. These bags will be reused at the cash registers. While they may not have a tax deduction value, donating shopping bags is one way to help a worthy cause.

10/14/13

Still haven't gotten your flu shot? Get it today and help someone else. Ending today, Walgreen drug stores' Shot@Life campaign will donate a free vaccination to a child through the United Nations Foundation when you come in for your annual flu shot. No appointment is necessary. The life-saving vaccines ensure children in developing countries will receive a vaccination against measles, polio, pneumonia and rotavirus. If you do get a shot at Walgreens, you can also take a photo and upload it to your social media networks with the hashtag #giveashot to get the word out.

10/13/13

During Halloween, many of us choose to decorate a pumpkin with paints. If you choose to paint a pumpkin instead of carving it, avoid spray paints, glitter and indelible inks, which cannot be added safely to a compost pile and makes your pumpkin inedible. Instead, use water-based, nontoxic paints from the craft store; you can mix a little liquid dish soap with the paint to make it spread easily on the pumpkin. Before composting the pumpkin, rinse off the paint in the sink.