| Time Well SpentTM
An Eco-Arts & Creative Repurposing, Community Enrichment Center
Monthly E-Newsletter Update
September 2009 |
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Contact Information |
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Nancy Gallant
Founder/Director
Time Well Spent
Pre-Launch Office
89 Turnpike Rd/Rte 1
Office #209
Ipswich, MA 01938
In-Office Hours Vary.
Visits and Drop-Offs are Welcome by Appointment Only.
Cellphone
617.548.6340
(call or text)
E-Mail
nancyDOTgallant
It's my Personal Blog & the Temporary
Cyber-Home of
Time Well SpentTM
Visit
It's my photoblog with samples of the types of products that will be made by eco-artists in the Re-Work-Shop and sold on consignment in the Common Ground, the sales area at Time Well Spent. |
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| Happy Fall! |
I hope that summer, rainy though it often was, allowed time to reconnect with family and hopefully enjoy some down time, time spent just relaxing, and some re-energizing time spent on a favorite pastime, game or hobby. If not, don't dwell on it! Do something to change how the next season plays out....
Indeed ~ just like that ~ fall is in the air, school's back in session, and thoughts (and actions) turn to a fresh start on those projects and goals that might have been taking a back seat over the summer.
If I could make a suggestion as you look at your fall schedule or jot down a daily to-do list ~ Proceed with deliberate intent! Don't slip into the auto-pilot our hectic lives often precipitate. Be aware of the choices that are before you, in terms of how you spend your time and your money. It's your life ~ take control of it, even if just one small step at a time...
One idea ~ Make a commitment to meal planning that minimizes waste and/or incorporates choices that include more local foods as encouraged in the "shop local" article below. It's sure to lead to some healthy (and tasty) choices that leave you satisfied, literally and figuratively.
Another suggestion ~ Decide to get 3+ friends to participate along with you in this month's DeClutter your Business Attire For Good drive. Your closets will be more organized and you'll experience that extra-great feeling that comes with contributing to making a meaningful difference to those in need and helping friends to experience it, as well!
By reminding yourself that you are going to make a conscious effort to be aware of the use of your time, and your money, you will find yourself making choices that better reflect your core values and goals, lifting your self-esteem and increasing positive self-talk in the process, a "cycling up" of good feelings, increased energy and worthwhile actions.
Read on for this month's highlights. Share your own personal goals of purposeful intent for the month in an email reply or comment on my weblog. I'd love to hear from you!
Massachusetts readers can expect a reminder email before the DeClutter For Good weekend. With September already a third over, watch for more exciting info and resources I plan to share in October's newsletter ~ It will be here before we know it! In the meantime, here's to a well-spent September.
Carpe Diem ~
Nancy
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| DeClutter For GoodTM Fall Schedule |
As many of my readers know, DeCluttering For Good is a cornerstone monthly activity at Time Well Spent. For those new to the concept, basically, the third weekend of each month, we collectively declutter on a focused topic ~ getting those things that we have "simply too much of" out of our own way, and giving them to service organizations who can efficiently distribute the donations locally to those in need. Read more about the theory behind, and plans for, DeCluttering For Good by clicking here.
Already on board? Here are the details for this month...
~ September DeClutter For Good Focus ~
~Business Attire~
~For Men & Women, Head to Toe~
~Suits, Pants, Skirts, Shirts, Overcoats~
~Shoes, Ties, Accessories, Handbags, Briefcases~
~Drop-Off Day @ Time Well Spent ~ Sat., 9/19, 10-4~
Reply to this email to schedule
alternative drop-off arrangements.
~ Volunteer to Help ~
Those interested in volunteering to help with this month's DeClutter For Good drive can email a reply to this e-newsletter. It's a great opportunity to check out the pre-launch office in person for those willing to cover some of the drop-off hours. It's also worthwhile community service for teens looking for meaningful ways to meet their service requirements, add to their resume, and learn about the Time Well Spent model. Adult volunteers can help out by driving donations, the following week, to Solutions At Work in Cambridge, an eye-opening experience and a big help to me.
~ Learn More About Solutions At Work ~
Employing and serving homeless and formerly homeless individuals, Solutions At Work has a wonderful dual mission of "helping homeless people advocate for their own needs and breaking the economic chains that bind people in homelessness." Visit the Solutions At Work website or my original blog post about the organization by clicking on the underlined/bold type (those are links for e-newsletter readers that are still a bit new to the internet!). The results post from our first business attire drive is also worth reading to see the empowering results of collective decluttering.
Mark your calendar for future DeClutter For Good drives:
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| Get Outside, Breathe the Fall Air, and Support Local Businesses |
There are so many great opportunities to enjoy the fall weather and support local businesses in the next several weeks. Fresh and crisp, fall is my absolute favorite season... Carve out some time to get outside and experience the changing season, and get to know some local farmers and small business owners in the process!
Personally, on Sunday, 9/13, I will be selling repurposed and upcycled jewelry and other repurpose-inspired (and, I hope, inspiring) products at the Bittersweet Collectibles Flea Market on Route 1 in Rowley.
Click here to learn more about my flea market endeavors, to see pics of some of the eco-inspired products I'll be selling, and for a list of more outdoor fall opportunities to support your local farmers and businesses.
Plan a Sunday Drive Along Route 1A!
And, if you do, be sure to visit me at the flea market! They grill hotdogs by midday and the vendors stay until at least 2pm. Nice weather is predicted for Sunday, so folks will likely hang around longer! Yummy White Farms Ice Cream (they'll sell you 1/2 a kiddie cone that's plenty big if you know to ask ~ maple walnut is my favorite!) and the famous Agawam Diner (three words: banana cream pie) are both a stone's throw away and each is worth the drive on its own merit, locally-owned businesses that have made it to the level of well-known landmarks!
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| Still Wondering What Time Well Spent Is All About? |
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Whether you are new to the newsletter or from my original list, some folks are still wondering just what I am doing with Time Well Spent... and why??!!! If that sounds like you, read on and check out some pics of my space on the weblog. Time Well Spent is an Eco-Arts & Creative Repurposing, Community Enrichment Center. A mouthful! I know... It's a big undertaking, a comprehensive business concept created in service to my mission...
"To help people in the suburbs live
with mindful awareness of the impact
of their daily lifestyle and consumer choices
on quality of life for self, those in need
and the environment."
Bold though it may be, I am convinced the mission is worth wrapping our minds and our hearts around. It is a meaningful mission that motivates me each day. Consequently, more and more, as I spend each day in service to my mission, I reap the benefits of a deeper sense of self, caring about the things that really matter, making mindful choices, and helping those in need and the environment in the process.
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'd like to encourage readers who haven't been to the pre-launch office to click here. The link will take you to my blog post with lots of pics of my office which serves as a prototype of the actual space I envision when the multipurpose center becomes a reality, the physical space where the good work of Time Well Spent will take place.
Thanks in advance for taking just a few minutes to check out the pics that comprise a virtual tour of sorts. Let me know what you think. Post or email questions you might have. I'd be grateful for the feedback ~ It's an easy way you can help me with my mission. I truly believe you will find it to be Time Well Spent!
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"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes." ~ Andrew Carnegie
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