Pay it forward

International Pay it Forward Day is 

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Pay it Forward Day UK

Pay It Forward Foundation

Pay it forward is an expression used when someone who is done a good deed repays it to others not the original benefactor. The concept is old, but the term is quite recent:

• First use of the term may have been by Lily Hardy Hammond in her 1916 book In the Garden of Delight: "You don't pay love back; you pay it forward."
• The Pay it forward concept was the key plot element in an ancient Greek play from 317 BC called Dyskolos by Menander.
• The concept was described by Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Benjamin Webb dated April 25, 1784:

I do not pretend to give such a deed; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.

• The term "pay it forward" was used by Robert A. Heinlein in his book Between Planets, published in 1951
• In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde's novel Pay It Forward was adapted into a film of the same name, starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment. It describes creating a social movement of doing good deeds to make the world a better place.

You can make a safer world for kids

Every parent, grandparent and carer wants to keep their child healthy and safe...right? Well here is a wonderful resource that can help you make a safer world for children - 

A Parent’s Guide to Keeping Your Kids Alive and Safe

To use the actual guide go here

This informative page has been created by physicians at ACLS Medical Training. It describes some simple steps parents can take to help make children safer including helmet safety, kitchen safety, seat belt and child passenger safety. 

The fun thing is that it is all done through an interactive page that outlines 14 tips you can use to make your world a safer place for children. How to approach a strange dog, how to keep your internet safe, the best placement for smoke detectors in the home are all explained.

This factual addition to your safety knowledge provides useful reminders with links to expert, up to date and more detailed information on each of the topics seen in the image. A Parent’s Guide to Keeping Your Kids Alive and Safe helps make a safer world for kids. 

The good news is that you can help protect children from injury by being informed.  

Simple Life: simple letter of thanks

Are you fascinated by the enigmatic Marilyn Monroe?
Here is a letter she wrote - a charming, short and simple letter that gets straight to the point but shows some of the writer's personality:

 

Transcript of the letter

Mr. Volkmar von Fuehlsdorff
German Consulate General
3450 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles 5, California

Dear Mr. von Fuehlsdorff:

Thank you for your champagne.

It arrived, I drank it and I was gayer.

Thanks again.

My best,

Marilyn Monroe

The Cheapskate Guide

Confession time: I’m a cheapskate. Some would say frugal, which sounds much more positive, but in reality I can be a real cheapskate.

I am fairly frugal (though not always), but sometimes I take it too far: I have T-shirts with holes in them, I never buy new clothes, we’re shopping for a new couch because our current one has holes in it, and I ran my current pair of running shoes until the soles fell off.

However, I have gradually learned to be frugal in many ways that I would recommend to others. I don’t think you should have holes in your couch, and you should definitely replace your running shoes more often than I do, but there are many ways to cut back on spending and live a more frugal lifestyle.

Why live frugally? First, because it allows you to spend less than you earn, and use the difference to pay off debt, save or invest. Or all three. Second, because the less you spend, the less you need to earn. And that means you can choose to work less, or work more but retire early. Or take mini retirements. You have more options with a frugal lifestyle.

I know what I’m going to hear in the comments, because it’s been done repeatedly with my other frugal articles: I have no life. This is boring. I might as well live in a box. You have to enjoy life sometimes.

All of which you might believe, but I believe I do have a life. A great one. One where I spend time with my family, where I have conversations and read and get outside and do things that are fun and exercise and focus on what’s important and spend my free time the way I want. This is a good life. Read this article for more.

So, if you’d like some tips on frugal living, here are just a few, from a cheapskate. I should note that I do most, but not all, of these tips.

1. Go with one car. Many families have two or more cars. Besides your house, your car is probably your most expensive item. If you can do with one, you should. My wife and I both work, and we have six kids, and yet we have learned to manage with one car.
2. Go with a smaller house. Just because you can afford a larger house, doesn’t mean you should live in one. Live in as small a house as you can and still be comfortable. I don’t mean you should live in a one-room apartment with a family of four … you know what I mean. You can save thousands a year with a smaller house. Many times, if you get rid of a lot of clutter, you don’t need a large house.
3. Go with a smaller car. Again, you can save thousands by going with a smaller car. A car instead of an SUV, for example, is a big savings. Be comfortable, but don’t overdo it. You’ll save a lot on gas this way too.
4. Rent rather than own. This will probably spark a huge debate, as it always does. The thing is, just don’t assume that buying is the better investment. If you calculate the interest you pay on a mortgage, the cost of insurance and maintenance, buying is often much more costly than renting … and if you rent, save money, and then invest the difference, you can actually end up well ahead in the long run. Now, it’s not a given, so do a comparison, factoring in all expenses. Here’s a more in-depth article.
5. Look for used first. If you need something — I mean really need it, not just want it — see if someone you know has one that they don’t use or need anymore. Send out an email to family or friends, or just ask around. You might be surprised. I was about to buy a printer, and then found out my mom just bought a laser printer and didn’t need her old inkjet … saving me close to 100 smackeroos. If no one you know owns one, try freecycle.org or craigslist.org. Then look to buy used, at garage sales or thrift shops. You can find a bargain if you look around.

This is just the first 5 tips from Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. There are 45 more! We will post some each Friday for our day of frugality.

Recycled Art

Creating good things that are unique and visually inspiring from materials that may have otherwise been thrown out is what these artists are all about. Look at these treasures made from trash...

Recycled Art from an exhibition at Napa Valley Museum

Giant Spiral by Rob Petit made from old mobile phones.
Rob creates only with phones and sometimes incorporates light.

Roman Party Dress by Janet Cooper

 

Moth and Butterfly sculptures by Michelle Stitzlein
who has been creating sculptures with recycled materials since before 2000

Being Happy in Unhappy Circumstances

It seems that every day life is getting more and more difficult.  We no longer have to turn on the TV to hear stories of heart ache anymore.  Talk to any of your friends, family, or neighbors and I’m sure you’ll find hard times have hit closer to home than we are used to.  Yes, hard things are happening.  But that doesn't mean that we have to become hard.  
I believe that we can be happy even in unhappy circumstances.  How?   In the book “The How of Happiness” Sonja Lyubomirsky states that 50 percent of a given human’s happiness level is genetically determined (based on twin studies), 10 percent is affected by life circumstances and situation, and a remaining 40 percent of happiness is subject to self-control.  Isn't that interesting!  Only 10 percent is affected by life, and 40 percent is subject to self-control.  I find that amazing, and contrary to popular belief.  If that is true, then we do have the ability to choose to be happy.  So, how do we do that?   
Here are a few things I believe will help us to be happy in unhappy circumstances.  
1. Help Others.  Feeling down about yourself or your life?  The best antidote for that, in my opinion, is doing something for someone else.  Seriously, it's like magic!  While we are helping someone else our own sadness disappears.  And it's not just by doing grand acts, small acts of kindness are just as helpful.  A familiar quote says, "if you see a friend without a smile give him one of yours.”  Sometimes that's all it takes. 
2. Be optimistic.  The definition of optimism is "A tendency to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation."  Sometimes it's hard to "expect the best possible outcome", but I like that second part, dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation.  Ahhh, dwelling.  We are all prone to dwell on things now and then.  Why not embrace it by dwelling on the good instead of the bad!  See the good in situations.  Look for it.  Write it down.  Be thankful for it.  Tell others the good things going on instead of the bad.  If you can make that a habit, you'll be much happier.  "I can complain because the rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because the thorn bushes have roses", J. Kenfield Morley.  Be an optimist!
3. Don't give up.  Take a break, have a cry, call your best friend, but DO NOT QUIT.  The following poem always helps me find the strength to carry on.
 When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit...
 Success is failure turned inside out.
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit.
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
Author Unknown

Don't give up.  You are strong.  You can get through it.  Believe in yourself, and have faith.  I believe that by helping others, embracing optimism, and not giving up our sorrows can be replaced with joy.  Good luck to those of you facing hard times.  It is my hope that we can all find happiness, even in the midst of trials.
 Your optimistic friend,
Maria @ focusedonthepositive

Maria is a quirky Canadian and an optimistic mother of two. She currently lives in the U.S. with her family and is the creator of Focused on the Positive, a blog about positivity. 

Frugal Friday: How to get discount magazines

I know it would be more frugal to not buy magazines at all but sometimes I am struggling for gift ideas, especially for the men in my life and I think magazine subscriptions do make great gifts. There are so many magazines for all ages and if you are struggling for ideas, there are so many topics that might appeal.

Eating well is an award winning health magazine that is now only $5.00 for a whole year's subscription.


EatingWell 

Amazon Magazines offers thousands of discount magazine subscriptions, spanning many topics. They include bestselling magazines like:

• National Geographic 
• Family Circle 
• Fitness 
• Esquire and more.  

Or you can shop by favourite topics like:

• Fashion 
• Science
• Sustainable living magazines 
• Handyman Magazines
• Home and Garden Magazines 
• Craft and Hobby Magazines

Check out the magazine gift ideas for mothers, dads, kids, family, and friends. Don't forget to tell everyone to pass their magazines around after they have read them so they have a longer life.

Shopping ‘swap-style’ for National Recycling Week

Imagine a time when new shoes and new outfits come for free. Well, the time is now. Easy on the environment and painless on your purse, The Big Aussie Swap is happening as part of National Recycling Week 2012, and it’s a chance to clean out your cupboards and get ‘shwapping’.

 This year, National Recycling Week is running from 12 – 18 November and to celebrate, Australia is hosting its Big Aussie Swap Party.

The Big Aussie Swap is an ideal way for Aussies to trade unwanted items, instead of ruling them out as rubbish. Participants exchange their unwanted goods such as clothes, books, CDs and accessories for tokens that can then be used to ‘purchase’ pre-loved products that have been brought along by others.

Swap parties promote the perks of reuse and recycling and are great for the environment, but they’re also a fun and interactive way to refresh your robes and cleanse your collections for free, making it a budget-friendly alternative to buying new.

“Diverting items from landfill and giving a new life to products you no longer need is one of the easiest ways you can do your bit towards a healthy environment,” says Janet Sparrow, Recycling Programs Manager at Planet Ark. “Swapping just one suitcase (20kg) of clothes saves enough energy to run a TV non-stop for 1.7 years.”

Australians around the country are invited to initiate a Swap Party, and can refer to the Big Aussie Swap Survival Guide produced by Planet Ark. The Guide includes an array of tips and tricks for hosting a successful Swap session.

“There’s something special about pre-loved items, and Swaps are becoming a real trend around the world because they are so easy to arrange,” says Sparrow. “Just decide on the kind of items you’d like participants to exchange, organise a time and place for the party, and invite colleagues or friends to bring along possessions they would like to trade.”

Planet Ark founded National Recycling Week as a community education campaign in 1996, with the aim of bringing a national focus to recycling and minimising waste at home, at work and in the community.

To find your nearest Big Aussie Swap event, to download Planet Ark’s Swap Party Survival Guide or for more information about any of Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week initiatives, visit RecyclingWeek.PlanetArk.org or call the National Recycling Hotline on 1300 733 712.

National Recycling Week 2012 is made possible by major sponsorship from Tetra Pak, with supporting sponsorship from The Aluminium Can Group, the Australian Packaging Covenant, Century Yuasa, and Cartridges 4 Planet Ark.

Something to live up to

   Charles Bukowski

Died	March 9, 1994(1994-03-09) (aged 73) San Pedro, California, U.SA.
Occupation	Novelist, poet, short story writer, columnist

In 1986 Time Magazine called Bukowski a "laureate of American lowlife".

Found quote/graphic at http://wanderlusttt.tumblr.com/

National Parks

Cape Le Grande National Park, Western Australia

National parks are amazing places where you can relax and enjoy nature or be more active with walks, talks, tours, camping, hiking, riding, canoeing and swimming. They have a variety of natural resources to explore over large areas. Do you make the most of your National Parks?National Parks around Australia protect many landscapes - rainforests, bushland, marine wonderlands and deserts. Parks protect our unique biodiversity including flora such as lichen and mosses and trees and animals including frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals.

"Australia is home to more than one million species of plants and animals, many of which are unique. About 82 per cent of our mammals and 93 per cent of our frogs are found nowhere else in the world." NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service

EARLY CHILDHOOD NEWS, BLOGS and COMMUNITY

EARLY PLAY AUSTRALIA is a great place to visit if you have young children or work in this area.

Here you will find many good blogs by teachers and parents in a variety of styles and subject matter and news items about early childhood in Australia.

• Find out how to conduct a Nature Treasure Hunt at Bowerbird Blue



• see what Males in Early Childhood is up to



• read reviews of books for babies at Australian Picture Books



• contemplate design, thrifting, aspergers and sewing at squiggly rainbow



• find ideas for outdoor fun, including gardening with kids and parachute games, at 52 days to explore.



• catch up on what is happening at playgroups and childcare and preschools

VIVID FESTIVAL

Have you seen the Sydney Vivid Festival? 'Get along little dawgy' as it's only on until the 13th June.
You must see the Opera House, from 6pm any night and Customs House and Fire Dance at Campbell Cove.

Our family favourite was the large stone, colonial facade of Customs House which turns into overflowing water, fire, glass, mercury and hundreds of abstract designs. We stood spellbound for 20 minutes.

AUSTRALIAN FILM "TOOMELAH" SELECTED for CANNES

CONGRATULATIONS IVAN - "TOOMELAH" has been SELECTED FOR OFFICIAL SELECTION - UN CERTAIN REGARD - in the 64th CANNES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL of 2011

Toomelah is the new feature film from Australian director, Ivan Sen. It is his second film to be released since his debut film "Beneath Clouds". It played in competition at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival, where it won the "Best First Movie Award". The film is set entirely in the remote Indigenous community of Toomelah, located on the NSW, QLD border. It was created as a mission during the 1930s, bringing together Gamilaroi and Bigambal people from the surrounding area. Continue reading...

"To be honest, the Cannes invitation was a huge relief. Toomelah is a pretty unique movie, which was made in a very unorthodox way. I try not to get too carried away about festivals, but Toomelah the community, is my family's home, and I'm so proud of them all. I'm related to almost everyone there, and almost half the population pops up in the film. It will be an honour to take the movie and cast to Cannes. One of them has never been on a plane before, and the lead actor Daniel, has only been as far as Brisbane." Writer/ Director, Ivan Sen.

Ivan Sen was raised in Inverell, New South Wales, Australia. He graduated with a degree in photography at Griffith University in Queensland. He studied filmmaking at the Australian Film Television and Radio School, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Directing in 1997. Throughout the late 1990s Sen worked on numerous short films, before making his feature film debut with Beneath Clouds in 2002. The film follows two teenagers, Lena (Dannielle Hall) and Vaughn (Damian Pitt) who hitch-hike together to Sydney. It won Sen global acclaim, winning a Silver Bear at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival, Best Director at the 2002 Australian Film Institute Awards and screened at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, Sen has subsquently written and directed a number of award winning documentaries. His documentary Yellow Fella screened in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.

The science of happiness

Positive psychology is not just amateur self-help. It is a serious scientific discipline based on solid, empirical research.

The Happiness Institute, in Australia, puts the principles of positive psychology into practice by providing key strategies and action plans, amongst other things, that can help us all live a happier life.
Did you know it has been proven that optimistic people are much less likely to die of heart attacks than pessimists?

Good Art - A picture tells a thousand words

Good Morning,

Have you ever thought about why you like a particular artwork?

If you walk around any art gallery you will hear people saying "I like that ", " Oh wow, I like that one! " We all have done it.

Lately it dawned on me that the common link in the kind of art I admire is that the artist creates a world. It may be a strange idiosyncratic world, a kooky world, a raw edgy world, a romantic world or a mysterious world but it makes me want to find out more about the place...the place that the artist has created... and the good thing is I can visit that place in their creations. I can travel to new lands without leaving my house.

I admire these artists. Yes we all create - food, letters, our persona, our home, our lifestyle some create children but to create another whole world now that is seriously good.

Here is a short list of artists I am enjoying for this reason:

Eric Frietas and his amazing, moving, metallic world
Eric Orchard illustrates story books and comics amongst other things.
Greg Spalenka ancient world mystical illuminations
Tod Seelie photographs the everyday with an edge
Kinuko Y. Craft romantic fairy tale story world

They all have amazing sites too as you would expect from artists.
If you are a visual person, like me, here are some of their worlds. But I am not going to tell whose is whose - you will have to visit their sites to find out.
(If any one cares to identify them all correctly in comments I will send you a prize!)

" No great artist ever sees things as they really are... If he did, he would cease to be an artist. " comment by Oscar Wilde (please excuse him his use of the masculine.)

• OPENING ILLUSTRATION BY ERIC ORCHARD

Good things come in small packages

Making things with our hands is good for the soul
These things are just so cute and just ooze goodness. Little felt gnomes and pixies in purses and handmade felt animals.
Shannon also is generously good - showing us all how to create many of her good things: beautiful fleece birds
peg doll flowers