Give the Gift of Time

Dec 12th, 2007

Do you stand in front of the displays of handbags, perfume, and jewelry wondering if you’re spending a boat load of money on something your mother will like and use…or just give away at the next church rummage sale? 

We’re become such a consumer-oriented society that it’s difficult to buy a gift for someone . . . that they haven’t already bought for themselves.  To reduce our gift-shopping angst, we ask them to tell us EXACTLY what they want and we buy them THAT.  Or we give them cash.  And they ask US to tell them EXACTLY what we want, or they give us cash.  Wouldn’t it be more gratifying and less ridiculous to give them the gift of your time?

The Center for a New American Dream’s has created a gift card that you can give to your grandmother, your mother, your sister, or your buddy that gives them the gift of your time.  They can specify what they’d like you to do for them. 

download the pdf gift certificate here. 

For more gift ideas and tips for the holiday season and all year round,
check out www.SimplifyTheHolidays.org or call 877.68.DREAM

Weight Loss & Emotional Fitness

Dec 6th, 2007

You’ve probably noticed that you sometimes eat in response to a feeling:  boredom, anger, nervousness, sadness, etc.  If you eat frequently to reduce the impact of an emotion, you could be an emotional eater.  Nutritionists and psychologists who write for Ediets.com frequently write about such topics. 

Today’s newsletter discusses 8 traits of the emotionally fit person.  Rate yourself on each of these traits to see how you’re doing.  The author makes this provocative statement:

Americans are as out of shape emotionally as we are physically and it is making us fat.

If we got into emotional shape we would lose weight . . . a lot of it!

Now there’s a tasty idea.  Find out how emotionally fit you are here