Green Tips For Hip Moms(Sep 18, 2011)
Whether youre a hippy from way back, or just riding the trend of the times, Green is definitely in. Savvy moms win cool points and save cash by being eco-conscious and teach kids important life lessons about caring for the planet.Go Green for Lunch Ditch boring brown bags and send your kids off to school with a lunchtime statement. When you pack your kids lunch in eco-friendly food containers, like those made of cloth or stainless steel, you ease your deliveries to the landfill. As a bonus you might also save you a pretty penny when you stop buying those disposable containers. There are many chic steel latch tins available that come in an assortment of colors, and the hand latch even transforms the tins into the cutest lunch pail. Not only are these reusable containers a style statement, theyll keep your perfect PB&Js from getting smooshed. Your child will appreciate not having to eat mush for lunch and you can be satisfied in reducing your childs exposure to harmful chemicals found in plastic containers. insulated tiffin bagsGive Rewards for Recycling When in doubt, money talks. Encourage your kids to earn their allowances by participating in green chores like recycling. Theyll find out early that being green can be easy on the wallet! Home recycling services are still picking up speed in some parts on the country, so you might not know what your local municipality offers. And if you are really a penny pincher, you might even get a couple bucks out of your recycling habit. Some recycling centers will give you cold hard cash for turning in clean cans or bottles. Contact your local recycling centers to find out their policies.Donate & Buy Second Hand When you and your family are done with items, like clothing, toys, or furniture, donate the items to an organization of your choice. Check out many national organizations that take donations, and give back job-training opportunities. There might also be a local cause that could benefit from your lightly used items. Let your kids in on why donating is a good thing and tell them how people will benefit from their generosity. But theres a flip side to the secondhand scene. Also teach your kid early not to be ashamed of owning secondhand items. Thrift and vintage shops are a fun way to get something unique. Take advantage of the fact that many retro styles are in fashion right now. And the bonus: Your dollar will go a lot farther than at the mall!Secondhand shopping is great for furniture, too. Do you really want to drop $200 on that Pepto-pink dresser your 5-year wants? There are plenty of ways to indulge her creative spark without breaking the bank on furniture you probably wont use for many years. Skip the department store and purchase a sturdy piece of used furniture at your local thrift store or antique shop. Customize the piece with a new paint job or a change of hardware. The time you spend on the project together will good ol bonding time away from the TV.Make Quality a Priority Being green doesnt have to mean giving up glamour (thank goodness). A hip, eco-conscious mom knows that quality over quantity means you get to treat yourself and your children to high-end, well-made items. Instead of getting a lot of cheap or trendy things that will have to be replaced often, go for the good stuff in classic, durable styles. Add spice and personal flair with a few choice items from inexpensive sources like the aforementioned thrift or consignment shops. When you buy luxe, you might have to spend a bit more upfront, but youll see the savings over time, as youll have to buy less often. Its also great opportunity to show your children the importance of taking good care of their belongings so that they can be used and loved for years. But buyer, beware! Theres a fine line between paying for quality and paying for label names. Browse various online forums to read up on products and find out what other customers think. stainless steel lunch bowlsWhether youre a hippy from way back, or just riding the trend of the times, Green is definitely in. Savvy moms win cool points and save cash by being eco-conscious and teach kids important life lessons about caring for the planet.Go Green for Lunch Ditch boring brown bags and send your kids off to school with a lunchtime statement. When you pack your kids lunch in eco-friendly food containers, like those made of cloth or stainless steel, you ease your deliveries to the landfill. As a bonus you might also save you a pretty penny when you stop buying those disposable containers. There are many chic steel latch tins available that come in an assortment of colors, and the hand latch even transforms the tins into the cutest lunch pail. Not only are these reusable containers a style statement, theyll keep your perfect PB&Js from getting smooshed. Your child will appreciate not having to eat mush for lunch and you can be satisfied in reducing your childs exposure to harmful chemicals found in plastic containers.Give Rewards for Recycling When in doubt, money talks. Encourage your kids to earn their allowances by participating in green chores like recycling. Theyll find out early that being green can be easy on the wallet! Home recycling services are still picking up speed in some parts on the country, so you might not know what your local municipality offers. And if you are really a penny pincher, you might even get a couple bucks out of your recycling habit. Some recycling centers will give you cold hard cash for turning in clean cans or bottles. Contact your local recycling centers to find out their policies.Donate & Buy Second Hand When you and your family are done with items, like clothing, toys, or furniture, donate the items to an organization of your choice. Check out many national organizations that take donations, and give back job-training opportunities. There might also be a local cause that could benefit from your lightly used items. Let your kids in on why donating is a good thing and tell them how people will benefit from their generosity. But theres a flip side to the secondhand scene. Also teach your kid early not to be ashamed of owning secondhand items. Thrift and vintage shops are a fun way to get something unique. Take advantage of the fact that many retro styles are in fashion right now. And the bonus: Your dollar will go a lot farther than at the mall!Secondhand shopping is great for furniture, too. Do you really want to drop $200 on that Pepto-pink dresser your 5-year old wants? There are plenty of ways to indulge her creative spark without breaking the bank on furniture you probably wont use for many years. Skip the department store and purchase a sturdy piece of used furniture at your local thrift store or antique shop. Customize the piece with a new paint job or a change of hardware. The time you spend on the project together will good ol bonding time away from the TV. tiffin boxesMake Quality a Priority Being green doesnt have to mean giving up glamour (thank goodness). A hip, eco-conscious mom knows that quality over quantity means you get to treat yourself and your children to high-end, well-made items. Instead of getting a lot of cheap or trendy things that will have to be replaced often, go for the good stuff in classic, durable styles. Add spice and personal flair with a few choice items from inexpensive sources like the aforementioned thrift or consignment shops. When you buy luxe, you might have to spend a bit more upfront, but youll see the savings over time, as youll have to buy less often. Its also great opportunity to show your children the importance of taking good care of their belongings so that they can be used and loved for years. But buyer, beware! Theres a fine line between paying for quality and paying for label names. Browse various online forums to read up on products and find out what other customers think.
Financial crisis forces Serena to cut back on glam(Oct 11, 2011)
Even multi-millionaire athletes are not immune to the global financial crisis, with Serena Williams admitting she was cutting back her spending on designer handbags and glitzy jewelry."The bag I'm carrying now is worth $12," a laughing Williams told reporters at a news conference ahead of the Australian Open on Saturday. "I have really cut back."It's low tide for me. I'm not out there buying crazy things," added the 27-year-old, who has earned almost $22 million in career prize money and reportedly makes close to $10 million a year in endorsements.Not that the second seed for the year's first grand slam is totally cutting off her discretionary spending on luxuries -- she downloads digital music, television shows and movies to her computer to help relax during tournaments."I love to watch to TV," she said. "I'm terrible for the whole music and movie industry because I download movies and television shows."I'm obsessed with 'Desperate Housewives' and can't wait for Monday to download the next episode."GRAND SLAM FOCUSWilliams, who was looking fitter than she has for a number of years at Melbourne Park, begins her campaign for her fourth Australian Open title against China's Meng Yuan and said the grand slam tournaments would continue to be her focus this year."I'm definitely aiming myself at grand slams. I want to play my best tennis in the majors."The tour kind of restructured itself with so many big tournaments like in Madrid and the Asia/Pacific area. So with the new exciting tennis, I think I would want to play well at those tournaments too."Williams said she felt the standard of the women's game had improved in the six years since she dominated it, winning the 'Serena Slam' in 2002-03 when she simultaneously held all four grand slam titles."I think everyone is playing better."A lot of the girls now, especially when they play against me, and probably Venus too, they went to beat the best players and say that I was able to beat them, or me," she said."I feel like sometimes, when people play me they play extremely hard, which actually makes me a better player."I would hope I have improved after five years."(Editing by Martin Petty)
