Spirit of Service

Please join the free Spirit of Service networking event on Thursday, March 5th at MJ O'Connor's, next to the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

At this free networking event ORGANIZATIONS will:
- promote their cause and upcoming volunteer opportunities.
- vet young professionals for their advisory board and various committees.
- join, encourage, and promote an era of responsibility.

At this free networking event INDIVIDUALS will:
- discover opportunities for community involvement in Boston.
- meet other individuals of integrity and selflessness who embody the Spirit of Service.
- learn what it's like to join executive boards, advisory boards & young professional committees.
- join, encourage, and promote an era of responsibility.

This Spirit of Service event is an opportunity to make a commitment to our communities, an opportunity to get engaged, and an opportunity to help solve our most critical problems.

Support on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is coming up and it should be about the people we love. But we should also find the time to support those others who can't do that themselves.

This Valentine's Day, add a cause to your circle of loves with the Allumonde charity ring.

The Allumonde charity ring shows your commitment to helping others. 19% of the proceeds goes to the charity of your choice and 2% goes to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

Starting at $25, the ring comes in acrylic, stainless steel, titanium-coated stainless steel in gold and black, sterling silver and 18k gold. Order your ring at the Design21 website.

Every ring makes a difference!

Happy Hour Benefit for Friday Night Supper

Tomorrow, OYFP and Boston Cares are joining forces to provide support for Boston's Friday Night Supper Program, which provides nutritious, home-cooked meals to homeless and hungry people of Boston in a safe and dignified environment every Friday night.

Come out to Brownstone (111 Dartmouth Street) from 6-8PM for this benefit. Tickets are $20, that includes two drinks and appetizers. 100 percent of the ticket sales go to Friday Night Supper!

We have over 45 RSVP's on the Facebook page. Want to see who's going to be there?

Got Library Card?

I have one. This past saturday I went to my local library and got my very own library card. The librarian was very helpful with all my questions (what are late fees, what are other policies I should be aware of, etc.). It was rather exciting to have a library card again, probably because I always enjoyed going to the library as a kid.

I really don't know why I haven't gotten a library card over these past five years. When I first moved to Boston for grad school, I read too many textbooks to be interested in leisure reading. Then when I moved into the working world, I started a library within my work and all the people from my department dontated their old books to share with others in the office. I would occiassionally buy books to fill in ones I wanted to read, that no one from my office owned yet.

Now that I have read all the books in my work "library", I made it a goal of mine to get a library card this year. The money I save from not buying any new books will be set aside and saved and at the end of the year I plan on donating it to a cause. Plus if money is tight, and you are trying to cut down on your expenses, it's FREE! Provided of course you return your books on time.

Additionally, the cool thing about getting a Minuteman Libray card is you can use it in 35 other community libraries. From Acton to Woburn, my free little card will let me read to my hearts content. You can even return a book you got from one library in the Minuteman libray network to another libray in the network.

If you don't have a library card, what are you waiting for?

Related Posts: National Sign Up for a Dang Library Card Month , Public libraries are your friend , Volunteering at Lunch: It's reading time!

Shopping Thriftily

I feel as though I'm constantly being bombarded with messages about how I "need" new jeans, or I simply "have to get" that new stylish top. Well, gosh darn it, I'm tired of spending money! And I'm trying to increase my minuscule nest egg, just in case my secure job becomes not so secure. Not to mention I'm trying to consume less overall in order to be more environmentally friendly.

However, I still like consuming. I do. It's fun to get new stuff, or at least 'new to me stuff.' Some of my favorite places to pick up trendy deals are:

Urban Renewals, Allston, MA
Think Goodwill, yet not, because it's not actually Goodwill. But it could be one. They have a ton of clothes here. You're not likely to find any of that cool vintage stuff you always hope thrift stores have, but I did get a fantastic dress there that served as the basis for my mermaid costume. They do have a fairly good selection of home goods. I picked up some great baskets that I use for storage. The other great thing about this place is that it's open until 8 PM on Thursdays, and open Saturdays and Sundays.

Nearly New Thrift Shop, Brighton, MA
This place is actually in a church (see their sign on the right) and helps them raise money for churchy things, like giving groceries to people who can't afford them. They're only open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM, but it's a wonderful Saturday morning expedition. This place seems to get a lot of stuff from older people. Some nice woman's donated sewing supplies jump started my button collection. I have also gotten quite a few random plates here, which I enjoy.

People here are nice, clients are mostly older folk also in the building to get groceries. The other day I tried to pay more than what she wanted to charge me ($2, I offered her $5 since I only had a $20 bill), but she insisted on giving me full change. I wanted to be like, "LADY! It's for CHARITY! And I have a TON of buttons and lace here!" But I didn't make a fuss.

This weekend I'm planning on dropping off some stuff to help replenish their stocks, and help raise money for their food pantry.

Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA
When my library fines overwhelm me and I'm feeling extravagent, I visit the basement of the Brookline Booksmith where they sell used books. Last time I was there, I picked up a huge oversized version of Curious George. Hollah!!! I also managed to buy a book I had already read. Dang. At least it was just $7 down the tube, not $20.

Craig's List Free Stuff
It's what it says. Free. Sometimes it's shit, sometimes it's not; sometimes it needs repair; and sometimes it's just chock full of nada. The "for sale" listings sometimes have good stuff, but often it's overpriced.

Freecycle
It's free, it's stuff, it's all in the spirit of reusing.

ShopGoodwill.com
The only Goodwill store I know of that has its own online shopping interface!! What fun! Any items you purchase will come from far-away Santa Ana, CA.

The Curb, At A Location Near You
Yes, I have been known to pick up stuff off the curb. One man's trash, another man's treasure! Keep your eyes peeled on trash day. The redeemable can/bottle gatherers will likely leave the furniture for someone a little more ambitious. I have a great little chair I painted red that I picked up off the curb in good ole Somerville.

Of course on snowy days like today, you could always snag someone's annoying "parking spot saver."

Where's your favorite place to get deals?

Related Posts: Composting in an apartment; Moving? Donate your items; Spring Cleaning Part Deux
Photo courtesy of romaryka.

oh hay now!

So, still walking to work and still noticing some strange paraphernalia as I peruse the streets of Boston. Over the past few weeks I've noticed some hay bales behind a couple of the benches in Boston Common. I would hope other people notice the strange things I do, as they aren't really hidden, but some people are on a mission on their way to work.

Anyway, I'm not really sure why the hay bales are there or who might be using them. I would assume an animal over a person, right? I know that I've seen some horses trotting around but since I only walk through in the morning and later in the afternoon/evening I might not see the horses who might be eating this hay. I never see any hoof prints though and if the hay is there for horses, they might not appreciate the snow capped bales.

I don't know. It confuses me. It's been there for awhile and we haven't really had any large happenings since First Night and the hay was placed there afterwards, I think, so the only other possibility is that it's keeping the ground warm. Or, according to Wikipedia, hay can also be fed to guinea pigs and rabbits. Maybe people bring their pets to the Common to be fed? Hey, times are tough...Pigs can also be fed hay, but they don't digest it very efficiently and I don't think we have many pigs in Metro Boston.

Oh, and the TV at the end of my street is finally gone.

Related Posts: Guide Horse?; Talking Trash; Let it Snow; Please shovel your sidewalks
Photo courtesy of Christina K. herself.

No cancer showed up on my pathology reports

I am giddy with excitement. My oncologist shared with me yesterday, that my pathology report (done after my mastectomy) showed NO CANCER left in my breast tissue or in my lymph nodes.

NO CANCER!

I still have to go through radiation therapy and that's fine. But right now, I'm grateful that the steps that have been taken thus far worked well. Better than even my doctors imagined. Basically what it means (to my understanding) is that I've gone from a girl who had breast cancer tumors of a large enough size and in multiple locations that the surgeons did not want to operate out of fear of either spreading the cancer throughout my body or having to remove so much of my body that I might have been left disfigured. So, we opted for a course of chemotherapy first with the hopes that it would shrink the tumors sufficiently that surgery could be done easily and with no disformity.

There was no cancer seen in my breast or in my removed lymph nodes. So the course of action worked spectacularly. I am still going to go through radiation to ensure that there isn't even 1 cell of cancer left. And then I move on to hormone treatment for 5 years.

I am excited. I am so very hopeful. I hope that for others who are going through this -- they find hope and strength in the possibility that my new prognosis can be theirs very soon.

I will now start working on improving my strength and getting myself back to 100% so that I can return to work, return to socializing and start travelling. :)

My birthday is coming up and dammit I'm celebrating.