Hey Jude

I'm gonna take a break today from my usual cheerful and upbeat rants here, and let you in on a great way to start out your year doing something "green", while doing something decent for your fellow mankind. I almost never make New Year's resolutions, because I tend to break them by the 2nd. But over the past few months we've started to do more volunteering in our community, or anywhere that we can help, and plan on carrying it on throughout the year. We've already volunteered serving Christmas dinner to retired & disabled veterans and have plans set up to clean up a stretch of highway this spring. But the most inspiring of all is how we witnessed the effects of good deed-doing in our 10 year old son who's currently working on an original Star Wars-themed board game so he can visit sick kids in the hospital and play with them. So believe me when I say your actions leave a bigger imprint on others than you can imagine!

I'm sure most of you have long since taken down your holiday decorations- unless you're some of my classy neighbors who are rockin' both Christmas and Valentine's Day decor at the same time- sometimes with a little Halloween still in there, no less. Awesome. But if you happen to have xmas cards still loitering around, don't throw them out! There's a way they can be upcycled and not become useless landfill fodder!

St. Jude's Ranch (the organisation that cares for abused, abandoned and neglected children of all races and faiths from child abuse) are currently accepting all your used all-occasion cards until February 28th. So they don't have to be Christmas cards. Have used birthday cards, Hanukkah cards, get well soon cards, congratulations on your divorce cards, etc. that you don't have the heart to chuck? Great. Those work too!

The children and volunteers participate in making new cards out of your used ones by removing the front, taking off the back that has the writing on it and attaching a new, blank back. The result is a brand new, upcycled card which they then sell in packs of 10 for $10.00.

If you'd like to donate your used cards to St. Jude's Ranch, send them to:

St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005