Antique Photos

by Meredith

We went to Storm Lake, Iowa this past weekend to celebrate my Grandma's 90th birthday with her family. One of my gifts to her was a photo board made up of many family photos from her past.  When I started, I asked Gram if she had any old pictures tucked away and she dug up a box from the basement filled to the brim with old family snapshots.  One problem - many didn't have names on them!  Her and I did the best we could despite my lack of knowledge and her aging memory, but in the end I think it turned out pretty well.  My challenge to you now is if you're interested in this same thing, ask your elders ahead of time to go through their old pictures and write down names and relationships statuses!  The earlier you do this the better.

Pinterest

Have you heard of Pinterest, another new social networking sight gaining popularity? If not, check it out. It's pretty cool!

Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board networking site that lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. It's nice if you want to design a room, plan your wedding, organize recipes or pick places you want to visit. Further, you can check out other people's 'boards.' This is a great way to see what other people enjoy and find those with similar interests.

Cool PR/Fundraiser Idea From Minneapolis Based United Way

A new fundraiser website lets donors grin while giving. In a way you can call it a way of "turning that frown upside down."

The Happiness Exchange website shares depressing statistics - "32 percent of people living in poverty are children," and "1 in 5 American adults can't read enough to get by" - and allows donors to replace them with a smiling video or photo of well, you.

I heard about this fundraiser being managed by the United Way of the Greater Twin Cities and thought it was a neat idea. The site, (http://www.happyexchange.org/) allows donors (it's attracted those who are pretty tech savvy) to post a snapshot or snippet of their grinning faces over a sad fact that they are helping change with their gift. Further, the idea is that benefactors can 'look around' and see other fellow givers, resembling the title sequence of the classic show "The Brady Bunch" in which anything but good cheer was frowned upon.

Know of any other neat fundraisers? Please share!