It's Time to Recycle

My family has always recycled by using the barrels given to us by our waste management company. We never received any money back, but felt good about recycling. When my husband and I were newlyweds, we lived in San Francisco. One morning a week, we were awakened by the locals going through the neighbors recycling bins to recover any precious recycling items. They were up at 4 a.m. rummaging around and earning money. Pretty clever.

Now, my children have decided that they want to earn money by taking our recycling to the local plant. It may be a reality check for them to see how much is needed to earn even $1, but I think it will be a good experience for them. They can take care of the planet and earn a little money for the Dollar Store (to buy more junk!)

I recently came across an article from Real Simple Magazine. They had some great tips for recycling that I wanted to share:

Aerosol Cans: These can usually be recycled with other cans, as long as you pull off the plastic cap and empty the canister completely.

Crayons: Send them to the National Crayon Recycle Program (www. crazycrayons.com), which melts down crayons and reforms them into new ones.

Crocs: The manufacturer recycles used Crocs into new shoes and donates them to underprivileged families.

Frugal Fryer Fabulous Finds

Okay, so I'm turning 40, and YES, I DYE MY HAIR! Now that I got that out of the way, I want to tell everyone about a great product. It is Clairol's Nice 'N Easy Root Touch Up. It works great in between coloring hair - even if you have highlights. I don't know how they do it, but in just 10 - 15 minutes grays and roots are blended away. It's really amazing and for only $5 - $8 it is a great way to save.

A New Year, A New Decade

I like giving a slogan to each year. Naming a year gives me something to aim for. I must of said "2008 is going to be great" at least 200 times last year. I remember feeling a sense of excitement last New Year's Eve. I believed in my heart, that the year was going to be full of joy and accomplishments. My husband and I did a vision board together (okay, I coerced him a little), but it was memorable, and gave us a positive image of our future. 2008 really was a great year.

This year feels different. There doesn't seem to be the same excitement in the air. We're feeling the pinch of the economic crunch. Jobs are scarce, just like extra income. Our small town newspaper is running about 3/4 of a page in the employment section. Two years ago, it was at least 4 or 5 pages long. Everyone is being frugal. I've always been prudent, and sometimes teased about it. Now I'm just blending in with the rest of the penny-pinchers.

I've been thinking about a slogan for 2009. "2009 - really, it's fine." "2009 - at least it's benign." "2009 - so divine." None of those are working for me. They are kind of depressing, actually. Instead, I've decided to name my next decade. After all, I am turning 40 in two weeks.

Naming a decade is no small matter. It's a commitment, like hair color or Botox. A friend of mine turned 40 recently, and her "campaign" was "good Lordy, I'm forty." To me, that sounds debilitating. I want to embrace my forties. I think I'm going to go with "The Fabulous Forties." It's the frame of mind I desire to embrace. I want to be fabulous, feel fabulous and of course, look fabulous.