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NOTES FROM PRESIDENT BETTY...
2011 has brought many wonderful changes for The Betty Brigade, and I look back with gratitude.
In January, many of you helped us celebrate our growth atthe open house party in our beautiful new offices at 2008 Hogback Rd. in Ann Arbor.
In October, I was honored to receive the Dorothy B. Brothers executive scholarship, awarded annually to 14 women business owners nationwide.
We are grateful, too, for the many consignment shops and recycling options in Ann Arbor and beyond. They make it possible for us to intensify our commitment to the environment. We now keep track of the tons of items per year we save from landfills when doing home cleanouts and organizing projects.
At the top of my gratitude list are all our wonderful clients, vendors and friends. We appreciate you!
We at The Betty Brigade wish you simplicity this holiday season, much joy and the time to share it with loved ones.
Happy (and Simple) Holidays!
Sharon McRill,
President, The Betty Brigade
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HOLIDAY MEMORIES...
When we reflect on holidays past, the ones that bring a special glow to the heart are rarely the "perfect" ones in which every detail worked as planned.
Remember the squirmy anticipation we felt as kids on Christmas Eve? The excitement and the fun was from NOT KNOWING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN!
Perfection is predictable... and, let's face it -- boring! That's great when you're organizing your file cabinet. But this holiday season, we Betties say, leave room for surprises. You might just make a memory!
JUDY:
"When I was four, I surprised "Santa" in the wee hours. I got to open my presents, but had to go back to bed. I was allowed to sleep with one present, and I chose a small, blue metal flashlight from my stocking. I lined up my other presents across the room, and shone my light on them until I fell asleep."
LINDA:
"My favorite holiday memory is when my Mom burned a tray of 70 little butterball cookies and tossed them, blackened and still flaming, out the back door and into the snow. Dad came in wondering if we'd gotten a rabbit!"
AMBER:
"For 80 years, our family has celebrated Christmas in the house my great-graandfather built in 1928. My favorite tradition is that all of the kids -- and now that includes me and my husband -- have to wait upstairs until everyone is awake, to open our gifts together. When I was young, the kids would all huddle at the top of the stairs, waiting. It was excruciating! Walking downstairs and seeing a room full of presents still gives me that excitement I felt when I was a little girl." |
LUNA'S PET PEEVES
My wagger hasn't stopped twirling since the Betties asked me for some pet safety tips!
Did you know ...
... the holiday season is the busiest time for pet poison center calls? Check out our blog on holiday pet safety.
... pets don't always know what's good for them? Keep us on our regular diet, and
don't give us turkey skin, turkey bones, macadamia nuts, raisins, chocolate, sage, onions, nutmeg... Click here for a more in-depth list from the ASPCA.
... more than three million cats and dogs are euthenized at U.S. shelters every year? Make sure your pet's collar has ID tags, and have a microchip implanted in your pet. Source: HSUS.
... sometimes pets need a quiet place to
rest? The excitement, noise, loud music, extra visitors and changes in routine can stress us out! Make sure we have access to a quiet and comfy retreat.
May you and your pets have a happy, healthy holiday season!
Many licks and wags,
Luna
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GREEN SCENE
with Miss Olive...
I'm dreaming of a GREEN CHRISTMAS, Dearies!
Did you know that between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, Americans toss one million extra tons into the garbage each week? (That's HUMAN Americans, mind you.)
And here are some eco-friendly ideas from my very own Betties!
TED:
"We often wrap gifts in leftover wallpaper. It's never going to be used again, and the best part is, the kids can't see through it!"
JESS:
"Think about carpooling when doing your holiday shopping. Also, don't overdo the food for your party. If you do have
leftovers, send them home with your guests, rather than throwing them out."
Right on, Jess! Did you know that an estimated 28 billion pounds of edible food are wasted every year? That's more than 100 lbs. per person. Putting one less cookie out for Santa reduces his snacks by two million lbs.!
-- Miss O.
CHRISTINE: "Use paper bags to wrap gifts, and have the children decorate the paper with markers, crayons and other craft supplies you have around the house."
SHARON: "I save the extra cards that
don't get sent out each year. Then every few years I send them out as my holiday cards."
JOSH: "Many gift bags are not holiday-specific, so they can be reused many times, as long as they're treated well and protected. A Rubbermaid container works well, for example. Refresh tissue paper by laying it flat under a heavy book for a few days."
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Dearies, those ideas are purrfect! Here are a few more:
* Give a membership, subscription, tickets or gift certificate, rather than a gift in a package.
* In general, real trees are better for the environment than faux firs. Find a place to recycle your tree after the holidays.
* If all homes used LED Christmas lights instead of tradititional ones, we would save at least two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in a month, according to the U.S. Dept of Energy.
* When buying items requiring batteries, get rechargeable batteries -- and a charger.
For more great green holiday tips from the ecologycenter.org, click here.
Robert Lilienfeld is co-author of USE LESS STUFF (ULS): ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS FOR WHO WE REALLY ARE. Click here to see a video of Lilienfeld's monthly TV segment.
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GIVE A
BETTY BRIGADE
GIFT CERTIFICATE!
WHAT WE DO:
* moving coordination
and home cleanouts
* organizing (no job too big or too small)
* event planning
* pet care
* errands
phone: (734) 994-1000
Remember,
WE DON'T CLEAN!
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