Rana's Alphabet Soup

This is an alphabet soup, a mish mash, a hodgepodge, a miscellany kind of place where everything goes and nothing is off-topic.

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Memorial Day Memories

Over the weekend, Anthony and I decided to take a little get away (Sunday & Monday) to go visit his parents in Madison, WI. It's amazing what two days out of dodge will do for you! 

I have to say that I fully enjoyed being on the boat all Sunday... despite it being 95 degrees, Lake Wisconsin felt amazing! My only regret would be choosing a cheeseburger to eat on a particularly busy (and choppy) day on the lake. Anthony tried water-skiing for the first time. 

Yesterday we went to Devils Head State Park, which was gorgeous! Jackson and Maple swam in the pristine lake, Maple happily chomping at the waves. We did get rained out... but it was a beautiful day and I loved being able to see the state park! 

What did you do for your Memorial Day Weekend? 

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Wasteful Packaging Letter

I always wonder to myself (sometimes out loud) why things come with so much packaging! It feels that even the most simple items come with several layers of wrapping. Sometimes, I feel as though I am unwrapping one of those russian dolls... hoping to find the last layer with each one that I pull off. 

"Going Green" isn't just about swapping out your light bulbs, using re-useable grocery bags or driving a more fuel efficient vehicle. These are all wonderful steps, and help to protect the environment. It's important that we all do our part to minimize the impact on the Earth. 

Here is the sample letter that I am sending out. Think of some of the companies that you can send this to:

Date

Addressee

Company Name

Address

City, State, Zip

Dear (Name):

Thank you so much for making (product)!  Your (specific product) is my favorite (product type)!  I've tried so many different (product types) over the years, and have never been this happy with one before.  Thank you!

As a happy consumer of your (product), I would like to mention that I am concerned about your packaging.  Since I regularly purchase your (product), I am very conscious of how much (packaging material) I am (throwing away/recycling) each time I buy    another (product).  I am very concerned about waste, and am sure many of your other happy customers are as well.  Please consider minimizing your packaging!  It would be thrilling if all manufacturers did their part to help reduce waste in the world – and I bet you'd save money too!

I will continue to purchase (product), because it's great, but I urge you to please reconsider your wasteful packaging.  We consumers really do care about these things!

Thanks!

Name

-This letter comes from GreenIsSexy.com a wonderful site that is helpful in taking the next step to being green! 

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Something Little, Everyday.

I'm on one of my missions. It's not a difficult mission, but is surprisingly hard for me to accomplish. The mission is to do something (little) everyday. It doesn't matter what it is, but the catch is that it has to be of some importance. Getting out of bed and making it to work doesn't qualify. The point of the mission is to make the world a more beautiful place for the people that are in it. I have always been the creative type of person. I've painted, photographed, acted and sang my way through many years in the hope of making the world a more beautiful place. I have always wanted to inspire others, and to enjoy life every second that I can. I've written, blogged and cooked up recipes for others to try- hoping to bring people together. I'm finding that in a world that is so consumed by technology (Facebook, Twitter, Email, Text) that people aren't investing in relationships the way that they used to. I think that anyone who really is paying attention to how we communicate could tell you that. To me, it's the tragedy of the time that we are living in. In a world where communication tools are abundant, we are growing more distant from each other. Then I had this idea. Do something little, everyday. Make the world a little cleaner, friendlier, brighter one day at a time. Today is the day. There is no other better day to change the world than today. 

I'm an idealist. I'm also a realist. I think it's best to be a bit of both. I have dreams, and I know the harsh reality of things, too. The ideal, is to inspire the people that I know to join the movement to make the world a more beautiful place. The reality is that it's not going to be easy, and that making the world a lovely place isn't going to be noticed by the majority. People on the other side of planet will never know about it, and chances are that my own neighbors will have no idea. That's alright with me. 

It's a day by day thing. Today... I will say "Thank You" and mean it. I will also say "Hello" to people before rambling off my Starbucks order. I think by really saying hello to someone, you are acknowledging that they are human too. It's a subtle kindness... but it's been long forgotten by our society. We're all rushing and with that, kindness and simple manners have been left behind. 

Tomorrow. I am going to send out wasteful packaging letters to the companies whose product I buy the most often. I will post the template tomorrow that I use. I encourage you to send your own letters. 

I encourage you to do something little, everyday.