New Years Resolutions - YES OR NO?

Hi,
Firstly, I really want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and not to sound too corny but I urge everyone to grab 2012 like never before and do something with it!

I am sure everyone has differing opinions on New Years resolutions but for a large number of others they can bring a certain stress! Stressing about eating the right food, that you promised the world you would embark on! Stressing about not getting to the gym 3-4 times a week, not quite giving up the cigarettes, the list goes on! To be honest, if I did smoke and wanted to stop, I wouldn't keep endangering my health JUST so I could stop on 1st January!

On the other hand, its a good way to give yourself a kick up the backside and look at what you can change or improve in your life! Personally, I have decided on just a few small things to work on like 1) drinking more water - that I CAN do! No. 2) Accessorising - making more of an effort when getting dressed to go out. (sometimes it is easy to get swapped down in running a house, job, toddler and husband and we know how much work the latter is!) and no.3 is something I am sure we are ALL guilty of and that is overworking and tiring ourselves out. To be the best person I can, I know I need be rested, happy and content.

Whether it is drinking more water, learning a new skill, chilling out more or just being more appreciative, have you decided to change anything from now onwards?

Fairer FOOD!

20th Dec - Wow! Well Christmas is drawing near, and food is on mind!  As well as buying Fair Trade decorations, cards, gifts we can also get Fair Trade food and ingredients to cook or bake yummy food for Christmas.  Even one or two Fair Trade ingredients is a great start! 

We just had Mulled White Wine with some Fair Trade ingredients. TOASTY AND SPICY!! Shortbread with FairTrade sugar and Fair Trade cinnamon or spices! Or try an alternative to Christmas pudding - Frozen Christmas Pudding ! Even if you can't see specific fair Trade recipes that you like, you can just substitute even one ingredient with a Fair Trade one!

Whatever we do, LET'S MAKE IT A FAIRER CHRISTMAS!

Cheers,
Pam

MORE IDEAS FOR A FAIRER CHRISTMAS

As well as filling shoeboxes with delightful goodies for a shoebox appeal, there are loads of ways of helping those less fortunate than ourselves! I just did one Google search and found some great events.

 Crisis UK is a national charity for single homeless people, you can donate or volunteer this Christmas! Just click here

Shelter Scotland show us many ways in which we can help this Christmas time from "festifying your FaceBook" to having a carol service!

Christian Aid shows us how we can help transform the lives of some of the world's poorest families and help lift them out of poverty!

These are just a few ideas I found online and these only took 30 seconds to find.  So if whether you have tins of food, a spare hour or a spare fiver, there are so many ways you can help those less fortunate!

GREAT SIMPLE IDEAS FOR A FAIRER CHRISTMAS!

Hi all,
I just wanted to share some ideas to help us all have a Fairer Christmas this year and you may even save some money into the bargain!!

Not sure how many people have heard of Shoebox Appeals but they are a great way to help people in need particularly at Christmas time. They don't cost much to fill but provide children and adults alike with much needed basics.

There are many churches who have shoebox appeals at Christmas but there are also organisations such as Samaritans Purse who give lots of information about making up shoeboxes, what to put in them and where to drop them when done!

Did you know.....?

What do THESE beads have in common with THIS football??

The word is Jabulani!! Did you know ----Jabulani means "rejoice" or "celebrate" in Zulu and it is the name used for these gorgeous vibrant handmade beads. This distinctive beadwork is a trademark of South Africa's proud heritage.  It was ALSO the name given to the 2010 FIFA match ball.  

Con-fused Arts have one funky bracelet for sale that uses these gorgeous Fair Trade handmade beads. Check out www.facebook.com/ConfusedArt for so many individual Fair Trade pieces of jewellery.

CLAN (the small tasks add up)

Well just wanted to let you know about my experience at CLAN Cancer Support centre last Friday.  I started off that day feeling a little bit sorry for myself, had a bit of a cold and felt tired.  I even thought it amusing that I finally had a few hours to myself (child-free) and yet I had volunteered my "services" to CLAN Cancer Support Centre.  I was very glad I did and felt a lot better when I left the place!

A couple of months ago, the first time I was inside the CLAN building, I fell in love with it! An ex-church building that was finally being used for a constructive purpose!  When I saw Daybreak advertising Donate a Day, CLAN instantly popped into my mind and I e-mailed them straight away. When I arrived at CLAN, I was welcomed with warm faces and smiles, a feeling of peace and calmness (even though some of these people were battling cancer). The time flew by as I unstuck labels, laminated, guillotined, stuck, more sticking, writing ON stickers, assembled cards & envelopes in plastic.  All in all, nothing took great skill but these little things meant members of staff could keep focussed on other tasks.

What you may think is not very much in terms of help may be a godsend to someone else who just can't seem to get to that small task. As you may know small tasks build up and after a while can seem unsurpassable. I challenge us all, if we get the chance, to give an hour , two hours to a charity. I was touched by how grateful CLAN were to my tiny little giving of time.

Pam
Con-fused Arts