by Vicki O'Dell | Jan 24, 2017 | Make It
Teachers receive lots of lovely gifts for Christmas, Teacher Appreciation Day or at the end of the year. Lots of times it’s things like bath and body products, socks, or a water bottle. Why not put a little extra thought into it – you have plenty of time Teacher Appreciation Week is May 1 – 5, 2017 – and give your child’s teacher something she will really enjoy.
The first order of business is to get to know your teacher. This can be a challenge if you have several children but there are several places online where you can download a “Get to Know Me” questionnaire. But you can also get to know her during parent teacher conference (what is or isn’t in the classroom when you visit?), by asking your kids about her (what does she drink during the day?) or by helping out in the classroom if you are able.
Now that you know the teacher a little better you can plan to gift her with something that is more useful to her. Is she a big coffee drinker? Maybe you can get a mug and a gift card to her favorite coffee place or surprise her by dropping a coffee and a snack off at the school.
Is she saving for a big-ish purchase like a food processor or an Instant Pot? Get together with several, or all, of the parents, and take up a collection to purchase a larger gift.
How about the wine loving teacher? We love this Sangria gift idea.
Many people don’t realize that teachers spend a good deal of their own money to supply the classroom. Why not give him a tumbler full of classroom supplies to see him through the end of the year? A basket with dry erase markers, pencils, Sharpie markers in fun colors, tissue or even a ream of paper.
Even if you are on a tight budget (who isn’t?) you can find out what your child’s teacher likes to drink and gift her a soft drink, soda or pop (whatever you call it in your area) with a cute tag.
Besides teaching teachers do a lot of schlepping. Books, papers, supplies. To the car, the house and back to the car and the classroom. A totally awesome tote bag would be a totally useful gift to help with all of this.
And don’t forget, teachers like to eat too. How about a gift card to a favorite restaurant or a month subscription to a site like Blue Apron. Either one will make her evening easier after a long day at school.
How do YOU show appreciation to your child’s teacher? What gifts have you given that went over really well?
by Vicki O'Dell | Jan 22, 2017 | Make It
No one is quite sure where the taco originated, but it is thought to have started with the Mexican silver miners. Thank you silver miners!
Because who doesn’t love a yummy taco?
But if you are the kind of person who likes to know what is IN your food, or you have an allergy to pre-packaged taco seasoning, we’ve got you covered with this DIY version.
One “batch” is enough for 1 lb of ground beef or turkey, so if you want some to store be sure to make plenty extra. Just store it in a small air tight container and use as desired.
Perfect for camping!
Make Your Own Taco Seasoning Mix
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 tsp. Dried Oregano
- 1/2 tsp. Paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 tsp. Black Pepper (optional)
Mix all the spices together and store in an air-tight container. The optional black pepper increases the spiciness based on your family’s tastes and preferences. If you don’t like spicy foods, simply leave the black pepper out and/or adjust that tablespoon of chili powder down.
The amounts listed above make up about 2 Tbsp. of homemade taco seasoning mix — the perfect amount to replace one store bought 1.25oz packet
Is it easier than you thought? What else do you use taco seasoning for? Let us know in the comments!
by Vicki O'Dell | Jan 19, 2017 | Love It
Work, school, diet, exercise, productivity, grocery shopping, price comparisons, and even personal safety – there’s an app for that! Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a CEO, or a freelancer, if you are reading this, chances are you are a super busy woman. Sometimes it can take all of our energy just to get the basic tasks done each day. But with a little help from our trusty devices, we can turn more days into super productive ones.
Check out our list of 11 Apps for Super Busy Women and be prepared to conquer the world. Or at least your “To Do” list.
11 Apps for Super Busy Women
Most of the apps listed below are available on both iPhone and Android.
Calorie Counter –
Calculates how many calories you’re consuming when you log what you’re eating, or scan the barcode of a food package. Having the energy you need to be a super busy woman starts with what you put in your body. Want to keep up with it all? Feed your body good food. This app also helps when you’ve forgotten to plan dinner and are trying to make a quick, and healthy, last-minute decision.
Out of Milk – Allows you to create and share a grocery shopping list. Because the list is on your phone it’s super easy to update. By sharing it, you and your spouse will know which items have been purchased and which ones have not.
Shop Savvy – Scan the barcode of any product and get all the best prices, both on the Internet, and at nearby, local stores.
Mint – Mint is the free money manager and financial tracker app from the makers of TurboTax® that does it all. Mint brings together your bank accounts, credit cards, bills and investments so you know where you stand. See what you’re spending, where you can save money, and stay on top of bill pay like never before.
Todoist – A beautifully simple to-do list and task manager built for the pace of modern life. Whether you need to collaborate with your team, keep track of your most important projects, or just remember to pay the rent, Todoist is there to help you achieve more, every day.
BrightNest – Keep your home in great shape without breaking a sweat! BrightNest helps you tackle important tasks with our home tips, personal schedule and helpful reminders. From simple cleaning tricks, to interior design ideas, BrightNest delivers everything you need to shape up your home and simplify your life!
EverNote – Intuitive, easy to use and cross-functional allowing you to use it on your phone and desktop. Write, collect and capture ideas as searchable notes, notebooks, checklists and to-do lists. Take notes in a variety of formats, including: text, sketches, photos, audio, video, PDFs, web clippings and more. Use your camera capture to easily scan and comment on pieces of paper, including printed documents, business cards, handwriting and sketches. Attach Microsoft Office docs, PDFs and photos. Organize your receipts, bills and invoices.
LastPass Password Manager – LastPass is a password manager and password generator that locks your passwords and personal information in a secure vault. LastPass autofills web browser and app logins for you, and generates new, secure passwords instantly.
Dropbox – is the place for your photos, docs, videos, and other files. Files you keep in Dropbox are safely backed up, and you can get to them from all your devices. It’s easy to send large files to anyone, even if they don’t have a Dropbox account.
Circle of 6 – Circle of 6 is a personal safety app for everyone. Winner of the 2011 White House and HHS “Apps Against Abuse” Technology Challenge, and Winner of Avon Foundation for Women/Institute of Medicine “Ending Violence @Home”. This app will give women piece of mind knowing they can tap twice to let your circle know where you are and how they can help. Great for women with teenage or college-age children. You just might sleep better knowing that if your kid needs you they can contact you immediately.
Pomodoro Timer Pro – The Pomodoro Technique® was found in the 80’s and it continues to be one of the most popular time management techniques being used today. The Pomodoro Timer Pro is the ultimate weapon in your battle with time. You can add multiple tasks, their time estimates, see their history, and much more. You can always clearly see how much time you have left. The style of this app was inspired by the original pomodoro “kitchen” timer.
Did we miss your favorite app? What apps make life easier for you? Which ones can’t you live without?
by Vicki O'Dell | Jan 16, 2017 | Love It
It’s easy to say that to want to help others, but it can be overwhelming, and confusing, to decide which charities are worthy of your donation.
Which charity deserves your hard-earned dollars?
Personally, I want to know which charities spend less money on overhead, and spend more on their actual programs.
You might want to know which charities align with your personal belief system? Do they discriminate against people of color, or the LBGTQ community?
Which charity works with a cause that is close to our heart? Saving animals, helping the homeless, providing aid after natural disasters or helping women and children?
Before making a donation, it’s a good idea to do some research on the charity you are considering donating to. The websites of charity watchdogs, (the biggest three: CharityWatch, Charity Navigator, and BBB Wise Giving Alliance) can be a huge help in determining where to send your dollars. Collectively, these watchdog groups evaluate thousands of nonprofit organizations based on how they collect and spend their money, how transparent they are to the public, and how well they’re governed.
Although each watchdog has its own system for assessing charities, they all use similar criteria. For example, CharityWatch says that for a group to have a satisfactory rating, at least 60 percent of its spending should go to the charity’s programs. To get the top rating, 75 percent of a group’s expenses must be used for its programs, and its fundraising costs cannot exceed 25 percent of the money it raises. Of course, funding the fund raising efforts equals more funds to distribute, but some charities do better than others.
Determine what is important to you as a donor and then do some research. But just in case you are super busy we did a little research for you. Here are three charities in some of the major giving categories that have ratings on all the watchdog sites linked above.
Charities by Category
Animal Welfare – Animal Welfare Institute, American Bird Conservancy, PetSmart Charities
Blind and Hearing Impaired – Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Hearing Health Foundation, National Federation of the Blind,
Cancer – Breast Cancer Research, Cancer Research Institute, Multiple Myeloma Research, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund
Child Assistance, Protection, and Sponsorship – Children Incorporated, Compassion International, Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
Human and Civil Rights – American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Center for Community Change, Fund for Global Human Rights
Environment – Conservation Fund, Earthjustice, Earthworks,
Health – American Kidney Fund, Hearing Health Foundation, Guttmacher Institute,
Mental Health and Disabilities – Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Arc of the United States,
Veterans – Homes for Our Troops, Hope for the Warriors, The Mission Continues,
NOTE: Not one of the bigger charities for Police and Firefighters received a top rating. In fact, some of the larger of these charities made the WORST charity list. Donor beware! If supporting police and firefighters is a top priority for you consider donating locally. When the firefighters have a “Fill the boot campaign” or the local police have a “Fill the cruiser” campaign.
If you don’t see a charity listed it means 1) it wasn’t listed on ALL THREE watchdog sites, or 2) we missed something.
Keep in mind that just because a charity is LARGE does not mean it is one you will want to donate to. United Way Worldwide is only rated on two of the above watch dog sites. It’s a tricky charity to rate because you are actually giving money to an umbrella organization consisting of nearly 1,800 local United Way agencies in over 40 countries all over the world. Most of your donation stays in your local community, supporting charities you designate, while a portion is used for administrative expenses and fundraising. Since each local United Way has its own unique expenses, you have to look to your local organization to determine just where your donation goes.
Make sure you research any discriminatory giving practices by a charity. For example, the Salvation Army is openly homophobic, posts anti-gay messages on their website, and gives money to lobbying efforts focused on undermining the LGBT community. In fact, this organization is so homophobic that in 2004 they threatened to close NYC soup kitchens that were serving same-sexed couples. Supporting a charity means supporting their entire message, so be sure that the charity you choose aligns with your values.
Take a look at KIVA. They loan money to small business women around the world, and have a great rating on one of the watchdog sites, but isn’t listed on the other two. Word of mouth sets this one apart, as people seem to love that they can loan money directly to a woman in another part of the world (you even get to decide WHO to loan to) and you will get emailled updates as the loan is re-paid. Once it is paid, you can get your money back or loan it out again.
Consider supporting your local food bank. Feeding people in your own county or city is a good goal.
Hopefully, if this article doesn’t help you narrow down WHO to donate your money to, it will help you decide what is important to you. Most importantly, though, we hope it helps you to see that research, research, and more research are the best way to feel good about your charitable contributions and to make sure your donations are treated wisely.
Do you donate money to charities? How do you determine which charities to donate to?
