A Gift That Keeps on Giving

Home > Gift Catalog > Gift Catalog Checkout > Heifer International Online Gift Catalog - Chicks

Heifer International Online Gift Catalog - Chicks

Chicks: A Good Choice A flock of chicks can help families add nourishing, life-sustaining eggs to their inadequate diets. The protein in just one egg is a nutritious gift for a hungry child. Protein-packed eggs from even a single chicken can make a life-saving difference. Heifer helps many hungry families with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks. A good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year - plenty to eat, share or sell. With Heifer recipients' commitment to pass on the offspring and training, the exponential impact of adding chickens to communities in poverty is truly a model that helps end hunger and poverty. Because chickens require little space and can thrive on readily available food scraps, families can make money from the birds without spending much. And chickens help control insects and fertilize gardens. Order now: http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.2667525/ Recent News: In Tanzania, Omari and Kulwa were struggling to raise a family on just 50 cents a day. With the training and chicks they received from Heifer, egg sales have boosted their daily income to $2, so they can now buy food and still pay school fees. Now, through passing on the gift, all of the children in their village are going to school.

Take a Bite Out of Love

Beautiful Day

Today is a beautiful fall day. The leaves are changing color, the air is crisp and fragrant. It is a sensual day indeed. May you have a safe, happy healthy day. Namaste.

99 Great Tips for Getting Organized

Getting and staying organized isn't easy. If you're struggling to conquer clutter once and for all, our simple 99 organizing tips should help get you started.

We know, we know: getting organized can be easier vowed than done. But even if you’re short on time (and budget), there are dozens of ways you can get your house in order. Here are 99 of our favourite low-cost organizing tips; many of them are environmentally friendly, too!

1 Use old baby-food jars to hold spices. Stash them in a drawer upside down so this recycling trick looks sleek, not cheap.

2 Store all your instruction manuals in one binder in the kitchen or pantry.

3 Collect your takeout menus in a binder. Or stuff them into a Ziploc bag and stash 'em – where else? – in the fridge or cupboard.

4 Use a cardboard six-pack container to carry condiments from kitchen to deck in BBQ-casual style.

5 Keep a tray or basket on the kitchen counter where kids can drop off permission slips and adults can put mail requiring immediate action. A second tray can handle lower-priority paperwork.

6 Don’t waste time constantly topping up cereal-sized food storage containers with dog or cat kibble. Use a metal trashcan to store one bag at a time in rodent-proof style.

7 Use a recharging station to keep your cell phone, MP3 player and other portable device cords untangled and your gadgets fully charged.

8 Can’t find fresh garlic or onions? Keep them in clean knee-high nylons. Hang in a cool, dry place.

9 Post a sheet of paper on the fridge and note groceries and supplies needing replenishing. On grocery day, just grab the sheet and go.

10 Reduce spoilage of fruits and veggies by “rotating” your crops. Put new ones underneath ones that were already in your crisper.

11 Use small jam jars to hold cotton swabs, balls and other essentials inside your bathroom vanity drawers.

12 Use an old wooden stepladder to hold bath and hand towels.

13 Cut the amount of time you spend going from linen closet to bathroom by installing extra towel storage via a hotel-style double towel bar.

14 And a stash of bath towels rolled inside a basket helps, too.

15 Store kids’ bath toys in a fine-laundry bag. Hang from the faucet 'til fully drained.

16 Use a shower organizer and just the basics: mild shampoo, conditioner and a body wash.

17 Stash extra shower products in plastic caddies – one per family member.

18 Keep cleaning products in a caddy, too.

19 Post a sheet of paper in the bathroom and note bathroom supplies that need replenishing. On grocery day, just grab the sheet and go.

20 Assign teens and tweens their “own” towel sets by colour. Sorting laundry becomes super-easy and sharing-aversive kids are content.

21 For the living room or family room, get an ottoman or bench with hidden storage under the seat.

22 Large woven or wooden baskets stash clutter effectively, so stock up.

23 Got kids? Get large tubs that can be used to deploy toys – and quickly move them out of living spaces when company’s coming.

24 Don’t hold on to magazines. Just rip out any pages you want to keep for future reference, keep in a file folder, then recycle the rest.

25 Toss dirty socks into mesh fine-laundry bags. Orphaned socks will be a thing of the past.

26 Dollar store plastic caddies are perfect for grouping cleaning products upright in cabinets – no tipping!

27 Recycle old plastic shopping bags. Store them in an empty Kleenex box ‘til you need them.

28 Store batteries in plastic berry baskets until you’re ready to drop them off at the recycling centre.

29 Ditto for compact fluorescent bulbs and orchard fruit baskets.

30 Big, busy family? Paint one entire wall in your mudroom in chalkboard paint so everyone can easily leave messages for one another.

31 Keep one basket per person in your mudroom or front entrance, so everyone knows where to drop off/find their personal on-the-go essentials like keys, bags, homework etc.

32 Designate a back-to-car zone by your entranceway, and put anything there that requires returning to the trunk – i.e. reusable grocery bags, empties – so the next person to use the car will remember to bring them.

33 Remove the front and back from a picture frame and string rows of wire across the centre. Hang it or lean it against the wall and hook earrings onto each wire.

34 Use an old dressmaker’s dolly to hang necklaces and hook earrings into.

35 Shopaholics can put those pretty boutique bags to use by hanging them on the wall or arranging them on a shelf, where they can store scarves and belts.

36 Do a card run – birthdays, holidays, new baby etc. – once a year and store cards in a file tote.

37 Use ice cube trays to hold clips, erasers and other desk-drawer essentials.

38 Use an old wooden stepladder to hold books.

39 Use white address label stickers to label what each cord in a power bar is for.

40 Paint an oversized canvas in one bold colour and hang it from the wall. Pin a rotating collection of your kids’ artwork on it.

41 Post a sheet of paper on your bulletin board and note office supplies that need replenishing.

42 Use a canvas over-the-door shoe organizer to organize small kids toys and art supplies.

43 Those ubiquitous Danish butter cookie tins can be both an art project and art storage unit for kids. First let your child decoupage it. Then use it to hold crayons and pastels.

44 Post those novelty basketball rings above anything you want your kids to slam dunk stuff into rather than the floor: garbage cans, laundry baskets, etc.

45 For preschoolers too young to use hangers with ease, install a low bar in the closet and simply drape dresses and pants across it to keep them wrinkle-free and easily accessible.

46 Have your child plan their wardrobe one school week at a time. Store outfits within five stacking cubbies or on five combination hangers (hangers with a bar and clips to hold pants as well as a top) to streamline their morning routine.

47 Keep sheet sets organized by folding and storing the fitted sheet, flat sheet and pillowcase inside the second pillowcase.

48 If you don’t want to buy stacking shoeboxes, recycle the cardboard boxes your shoes came in by cutting out a panel at one end for visibility and ventilation.

49 Install a closet organization system: it’ll pay itself off with time and aggravation saved!

50 A well-lit wardrobe is easier to keep organized. Install a Solatube, skylight or adequate artificial light for your needs.

51 Don’t limit closet storage to hangers. Hang hooks on the door for frequently used items.

52 Tackle that kitchen junk drawer problem head on. Today. Purge, edit and keep things in place with a drawer organizer. 53 Are you a piler, not filer? That’s fine, just keep piles of paperwork organized by using folders and write-on clips. 54 Recycle leftover gift-wrap ribbons by using them to tie up extra electrical and other cords in your utility closet. 55 Dedicated tie, belt and scarf holders are closet must-haves. 56 Upgrade your address book for a classic Rolodex. They’re retro-chic and easy to keep updated. 57 Buy a framed corkboard, hang it in the kitchen and pin up favourite recipes, clipped from magazines. 58 Make space by putting your CDs in organizers, by genre. Recycle the jewel cases or put them into storage in the attic. 59 Or, purge your CD clutter once and for all by having your CDs converted to digital files at riptopia.com. Sell or donate the used CDs. 60 Buy a hotel-style hairdryer that can be installed on the wall to save space, time and energy in a small bathroom. 61 A pot-lid holder puts the vertical space behind a cabinet door to good use. 62 A wrap-organizer does the same, creating the perfect spot for plastic wrap, aluminum foil and waxed paper. 63 Organize vanity essentials on a vintage tray. Très organized and très chic. 64 Use an extra wine rack to hold rolled-up magazines. 65 Use cutlery trays in your drawers, but to save even more time, stash everyday flatware in a countertop caddy. 66 Shrink-wrap out of season clothes, blankets and duvets to save space while storing. 67 You’ll never fit sheets back into those reusable vinyl zip pouches they were sold in, but you can stash cloth napkins in them. Use one pouch per set and label the quantity with a Sharpie. 68 Buy 10 pairs of the same gym socks, to minimize sorting. 69 Do the same for your hubby. 70 Do the same for his dress socks if he can get away with always wearing the same black ones during fall/winter at least. 71 Stash kids’ art supplies on a lazy Susan so everything is easily accessible. 72 Organize household bills in an accordion file with month-by-month pockets. 73 Hold onto paint chips, fabric swatches and brochures from your last redecorating session. You never know when you’ll need to reference them. Store them in an accordion file. 74 On your mudroom wall, hammer in two nails, then string wire between them. Provide clothes pegs and have your kids hang their wet mittens and gloves to dry overnight. 75 Banish tiny piles of coins and start saving in style. Get a designer piggy bank and keep it by the entranceway, laundry or kitchen—wherever you’d like to dump your change.

76 Tired of that circa-90s cast-iron pot rack? Move it from the kitchen to the garage or potting shed and use it to keep garden tools organized. 77 Get – and use – a garden hose caddy. 78 Edit your hangers. Choose: wire, plastic or wood and unify the hangers in every closet. 79 Use pillboxes to stash your earrings and rings when traveling. 80 Use a soda-can dispenser in the fridge so you can access your pop easily without tipping. 81 Use a wall-mounted broom and mop holder, or tie ribbon loops on the end of poles and hang them from hooks in your closet, garage or utility closet. 82 Make a party kit. Stash napkins, extra glassware and plates, votive candles and holders, extra vases, cocktail picks and other necessities in an old wine crate and pull it out pre-party or pre-holiday entertaining so you don’t waste valuable cupboard space. 83 Use a binder to store all medical records and information for everyone in your family, including each pet. Use dividers for each family member and include plastic pouches or expandable pockets to contain receipts and tiny record cards. 84 Stash awkward, easy-to-misplace necessities (extra hairbrushes, lint roller) in decorative reusable tote bags. Hang them off a doorknob in every room. 85 Burn digital images to CD once a month so you’ll never lose them if your computer (gasp!) crashes. Or print them ASAP! 86 Store photos in archival-quality, acid-free boxes until you have time to organize them in albums. 87 Get a heavy-duty paper shredder for peace of mind – and efficient shredding without risk of overheating. 88 Place your shredder where you intercept daily mail. If that’s the kitchen, so be it. 89 Put a small plastic caddy in your gym bag so you can manage hair care and skincare products without dropping anything. Excess water will just drain out. 90 Stop losing lock combinations and computer passwords once and for all. Jot everyone’s codes and combinations down in a notebook and store it in your family’s fireproof lockbox. 91 Store reusable shopping bags one inside the other. 92 Always keep one cute, foldable shopping tote in each of your heavy-rotation purses so you’re never caught without. 93 Avoid the last-minute drugstore run by always having a kit of your favourite travel-sized toiletries (and common OTC meds like allergy pills) packed and waiting in your suitcase. 94 Get a gift-wrap organizer and stock up on a year’s worth of wrap and ribbons, or ready-to-fill bags and tissue. 95 If perishables regularly go to waste in your fridge, start planning weekly dinner menus. Just buy ingredients for those meals, plus lunch basics. Post the menu on your fridge so you’re on track. 96 Mount a magnetized knife rack to a wall in your utility closet or basement, to keep your most commonly used screwdrivers and wrenches handy, not buried in the toolbox. 97 Donate your battery-powered emergency flashlights and stock up on windup models so you never have to worry about replacing batteries. 98 Stop stressing over the emergency preparedness kit the Canadian government recommends all families have. Just make one and get on with your life. Visit getprepared.ca to learn what to put in it. Stash it in a rolling suitcase so it’s mobile in case you have to be, too. 99 Plan a closet cleanout once per season. Less mess makes staying organized a lot easier.

How Pumpkin Pies Are Really Made

Happy Halloween

I Love You

What a beautiful idea to share love with others! I love how symbolic this photo is.

I once met a spiritual guide who was on a mission to help others. He would walk around and approach those whom he thought were in need. I asked him, "do people get angry when you approach them"? He said, "some do, but it is more likely that the people I approach are happy that I did. One lady just lost her husband. Another time, a guy I approached had just asked God to help him come off drugs and I appeared 5 minutes later, he took this as a sign from God to come clean.  I find that most often, everyone is looking for a little extra loving care and appreciate a moment of kindness from a stranger. Even smiling at someone who looks upset can change their mood for the better" 

Give love, get love.

Rainy days

Rainy days bring beautiful art to you from nature. Enjoy the beauty of rain.

Thank you

When is the last time you said thank you to someone? I would like to thank you for reading my blog. Without readers, there would be no blog. I am grateful to have an audience.

How to Attract & Enhance Postive Energy

1. Ground — Clear out all unessential energy from your aura by visualizing a grounding cord from the base of your spine to the center of the earth. Let go of all your worries and fears about the future and frustrations with the past. When you have let go of all that, you can feel what is real, right now.

2. Assess Your Energy Centers — Once you've grounded, chances are good that your first chakra is open and all negative energy is swirling away. Look at your next chakra up, the second chakra, and feel how your body feels there. If you are tense, allow those tensions to drop down to the root chakra and drop away. Continue up all seven chakras, feeling how your body feels and letting go of tensions as you find them.

3. Meditate — Whether you practice a traditional style of meditation or simply take regular breaks from the pressures of your daily routine, all such relaxation provides you with much needed stress relief that gives your aura a chance to recharge itself.

4. Energize — Visualize your energy field growing and expanding with love. Remember all the people, places, and things you have loved the most and who love you the most, and bask in the radiant light of that love!

5. Seal Your Aura — Since you don't want to lose your new-found sense of energy body balance and power, you can now benefit from visualizing that your energy is your own and not to be taken by others. While sitting down, cross your ankles and gently press your fingertips together, reinforcing your visualization that your energy is your own.

6. Rest — Get enough sleep every day. A general rule of thumb is that if you awaken naturally of your own accord (without need of alarm clock or someone else awakening you) and feel refreshed and well rested, you've gotten enough sleep.

7. Eat a Balanced, Nutritious Diet — Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains.

8. Naturalize Yourself — Spend time (as much as possible) outdoors in natural settings. Breathe fresh air; feel the earth beneath your feet; wriggle your toes joyously in grass, sand, and water! Children who often play outdoors usually have very bright auras, and their playful attitude helps keep them young and healthy. The earth has tremendous restorative energy that she shares generously.

9. Exercise Your Physical Body — Do whatever regular exercises you feel comfortable with that help you maintain and develop your strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular systems.

10. Watch and Minimize Your Drug Consumption — Minimize drugs (alcohol, stimulants, psychedelics), with exception of those recommended by your physician.

Loving Kindness

Sending you all warm, happy thoughts. May your day be filled with love, happiness and joy.
Have a super Sunday.

Journal of Solutions

Are you ever in a situation where you are having difficulty with something or someone and would like to deal with it politely or easily? Here are some issues I have had to solve lately. If you want to post me your issue in the comments section below, I would be happy to respond.

Situations like this can be draining. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, here is how to take back your positive energy:

Solution for a demanding friend who expects you to spend too much time together:
You can schedule as much space between visits. I had a friend who wanted me to spend every waking hour with her. She would ask what we were doing for the rest of the week, and I told her I could meet up on Saturday. Once Saturday came, we had a good time. She said we should get together again soon, I told her, " I am busy this week and next weekend, but I am around on the following weekend."
This friend figured out that I love spending time with her, however, she found another person to go out partying with her every night of the week. Meanwhile, I ended up with more free time for yoga, cooking, swimming and meditating. Now when I see my friend, we enjoy each others company as our time together is limited.


Solution for a chatty coworker:
Wear headphones if you can. If not, ask another coworker to come interrput the coversation each time she sees the chatty coworker interrupting.
If this chatty coworker is hovering in you office, ask her to walk to the printer or supply office with you, which then escorts her out of your office without being mean. When there is a pause in the conversation, tell her you will talk to her later.

Solution for a controlling coworker and you need to bring the control back to you:
Sit at the head of the conference table whenever possible, get off the elevator or walk through the doorway first to establish youself as being in charge, sit in silence when the controlling coworker has been rude or demanding as this will let him feel the impact of his actions. Some other solutions include times when this person has spoken out of turn, so instead of acknowledging what he has said, simply carry on by saying relevant to the conversation, "so what I will need is to get those numbers from you by Tuesday afternoon." You can also sit next to you boss in meetings or gatherings, this guy might think you are under your bosses wing and stop trying to control you.

Solution for a boss who won't listen to your ideas:
Let him think your solutions are his idea, or present him with various options and let him decide. For example, if your boss is a jerk about granting vacation, and you want time off around Labor Day, ask him if he would prefer if you took a few days before or after the Labor Day weekend off.

Solution for someone who is nosey:
When this person gets in your face wanting to know something, assure this person that they don't want to know and then quickly change the subject. This creates a diversion. For example, if this person asks you what you and your best friend were just arguing about, tell her, "oh, it was not argiung, we were just debating something. So, what have you been up to lately?" or something to that effect. The point is to create a lack of interest in the area she was probing, and quickly turn the conversation back to her. If not, she will drain your energy by going into details of your personal life to make herself feel better, which is a definite energy zapper!

Someone who puts you on the spot asking you for something:
Simply say, "let me get back to you on that". Or, if you are comfortable saying "no", remember that the word no is a complete sentence! If your friend is asking for help moving, and she bailed on you during your last move, simply tell her "I have other commitments". You do not need to elaborate further. Your other commitments do not concern her.

When two friends get in a fight and try to stick you in the middle:
Tell them, "I love you both and I am not getting in the middle of this".

What kind of awkward situations are you facing that you need help resolving? Send me a comment and I will respond.

Sun Makes Art

I love how beautiful this photo is. It is almost as if the sun is making art in the sky intentionally. I love the way the sun is a reflection in and of itself.

It has always amazed me how the sun rises and falls each day without fail, or how the waves continue to roll without ever turning off. Namaste!

Karma

Karma is a beautiful thing.

Whatever we do lays a seed in our consciousness, and one day that seed will grow.

Unconditional Love

Love your pets. They love you unconditionally and expect very little in return - food, water, shelter and a few cuddles.

Irrelephant

Anything unrelated to elephants is irrelephant!

Recycle More, Trash Less

One day in the near future, we will live in a world where we recycle more than we trash.

Take a Bite Out of Love

Love may or may not make the world go round, but it sure makes life sweeter.

Qigong

Qigong is the Mandarin Chinese term used to describe various Chinese systems of physical and mental training for health, martial arts and self-enlightenment.

Qigong or Chi kung (an equivalent term derived from Wade-Giles Romanization) is an English Romanization of two Chinese characters: Qì (氣) and Gōng (功). 

The dictionary definition for the word “qi” usually involved the meaning of “breathing”, “air”, “gas” and “vapor” but it can also be used in the context of describing the relationship between matter, energy and spirit. 

The dictionary definition for the word “Gong” (功) is that of achievement or results. The two words are combined to describe systems and methods of “energy cultivation” and the manipulation of intrinsic energy within living organisms.  

There are many forms of qigong originating from different segments within Chinese society. The traditional Chinese Medical community uses qigong for preventive and curative functions. The Chinese martial arts community considered qigong training an important component in enhancing martial abilities. 

The religious community, including both Taoist and Buddhist traditions, uses qigong as part of their meditative practice. 

Confucian scholars practice qigong to improve their moral character. Through the forces of migration, tourism and globalization, the practice and the promise of qigong has spread from the Chinese community to the world.

Qigong meditative training involves visualization or focus on specific ideas, sounds, images, concepts or breathing patterns. Qigong is considered to be part of alternative medicine, with positive effects on various ailments. 

Qigong is said to promote well being, protect the body from negative energy of self and others, and increase positive energy in the body and positive thoughts in the mind.

Mantra

Mantra: I am surrounded by warm glowing light. I am safe, happy & healthy. We are dancing with joy.

Girly Quote

So simple, so well said. Fate and faith are good that way!

Chillaxing

Welcome

Thank you for checking out my blog. I will keep these blog posts interesting, happy and fun.