Hanukkah and Christmas bring joy, giving, feasts, time with family, oh and a lot of trash! Many of you know the scene: corners of the house filled with boxes, empty wrapping paper tubes sticking out of your trash barrel, decorative paper adding an extra layer to your floors and miles of ribbon. But before you begin the task of clearing the house of all holiday remnants and packing up the décor, you can actually put the festive trash to good use. Much of your holiday trash is actually a treasure when it comes organizing things and stowing away your holiday décor safely! Follow these four simple tips to reuse holiday past, clear the clutter, and be kind to Mother Earth as we enter a new year!

In the season where most kids are thinking about what they will be getting as gifts, Khloe Thompson is giving to others. At the young age of 10, Khloe has already dedicated the last two years to serving her community by distributing her homemade “kare bags” filled with essential toiletries to homeless women as part of her Khloe Kares Project. Since she began this project, her mission has been to make the world a better place by showing all of her neighbors, especially those in difficult situations, that they are loved. This simple but powerful endeavor has inspired many around her and has earned her recognition as a GoFundme Kid Hero. However, Khloe believes the most valuable reward she can receive is a warm hug from the women who she helps.Together with the help of her grandmother, Khloe designs, sews, and … Continued

Have you ever wondered how “The Bachelor” moves into the mansion each season, or if the home your favorite movie is set-in is just a set? These magnificent houses are often not sets, but are private homes the production company rents from the homeowner for filming.As you can imagine, there are a lot of moving pieces to transform someone’s home into a movie set. Detail management is key. It takes a specialized synchronization of activities. First, the homeowner’s belongings are packed up and moved out. Then, the location managers take over, setting up the home for the movie; music video; or reality or scripted TV show. After the director calls it’s a wrap, the set furniture and props are wrapped up, protected and moved out. The homeowner’s belongings are moved back in, unpacking and setting up their furniture and knick-knacks … Continued

Did you know that 40% of food in the United States is wasted? With so much waste it seems almost impossible to imagine that 1 in 6 individuals still lacks adequate access to food. What is even more surprising is that in Los Angeles approximately 1.4 million people live with food insecurity. Rick Nahmias has found a simple solution to this disparity by connecting surplus produce to those suffering from food insecurity in Southern California. He founded a non-profit organization called Food Forward to tackle this task.In January of 2009, Food Forward was just a tiny seed of an idea in Rick Nahmias’ heart. As a local resident of Southern California, Rick saw much of the fruit on his own neighborhood trees go to waste every year. Along with some friends and volunteers, Rick harvested unwanted fruit from his neighbors’ fruit trees, then drove the produce directly to … Continued

One of the most difficult and trying times in life is losing a loved one. When losing a parent the grieving process also often includes the horrendous task of sorting out and moving the cherished belongings from their home. I have experienced it and it is a roller coaster of emotions.Not only is there the task of sorting through a home lived in for decades, there are the deep emotions that come from saying goodbye to a lifetime of belongings and a well-loved home full of treasured moments. It is not easy boxing up memories. The organizational and physical tasks associated with planning and implementing such an emotional move can be overwhelming for the entire family. That’s why it’s okay to ask for help. Sometimes, someone outside the family can be just the right figure to assist all of you … Continued

First up are the experts in keeping your little people pumpkins safe. They may have “boo” in their name, but there is nothing scary about Boo Boo Busters. As a leading professional childproofing service, they know a thing or two about keeping your kids safe. Next, are Halloween safety tips for your pets from Dr. Anthony George, doctor of veterinary medicine and certified veterinary acupuncturist. He has been taking care of all kinds of pets for over 20 years and his tips are sure to keep you furry friends from howling at the moon.

When Sloane Davidson decided to start a family, she chose to move back to her hometown of Pittsburgh so she would have the support system of family and friends. A support system is a luxury most of the 3 million refugees in the U.S. no longer have after being displaced from their homes and separated from their families and friends.Although Sloane had almost two decades of nonprofit and international development experience, moving back to Pittsburgh allowed the new mother to explore how she could make a difference in the international community. In the midst of political turmoil after the 2016 election, Sloane’s new mission became clear when she volunteered to host a Syrian refugee family for Thanksgiving. She discovered just how little support these refugees had after they were settled by local resettlement agencies.After sharing her Thanksgiving experience in a viral blog … Continued

In the US, there are an estimated 14,000 pet rescue groups and shelters taking in approximately 7.6 million cats and dogs annually. Of that figure, 2.7 million cats and dogs end up euthanized each year. In late 2013, Yoko founded DOGzHAUS RESCUE, a non-profit dog rescue organization. DOGzHAUS not only rescues dogs from animal shelters – prioritizing those who are on the brink of being euthanized – but allows owners, who can no longer keep their dogs, to surrender their dogs to DOGzHAUS.The DOGzHAUS RESCUE team works to find permanent, loving homes for their rescued dogs with qualified owners. They also educate the public about the benefits of adopting dogs from shelters and rescue organizations, and help raise awareness about the importance of the spaying and neutering of dogs. Last but not least, they provide instruction on proper dog care and … Continued