| Time Well SpentTM
An Eco-Arts & Creative Repurposing, Community Enrichment Center
Monthly E-Newsletter Update
November 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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| November Greetings! |
Ready or not, here they come... The holidays, that is! If ever there is a time of year that calls for mindful awareness and attention to our daily lifestyle and consumer choices ~ choices about how we are spending our time and our money ~ this is it!
After thoroughly enjoying Halloween ~ a "living in the moment," one-day celebration of family, candy, neighbors and innocent fun ~ I've been struck the last 4 or 5 years with an annual November 1st sense of foreboding...
This generalized dread is a far cry from the eager anticipation I had for the cornerstone holiday months when the kids were younger. Along with my three children, those holidays grew and grew and grew...
Now that I am quite a bit older than the early parenting years, a tad wiser (I hope), and a bit more aware of how I spend my days, I am more measured with my attitude (and my actions) toward all that November and December entail. I am starting to look forward to spending the holidays in a way that reflects and enhances those values and traditions I hold most dear.
How about you?
Plan now which traditions you want to honor this year and which you might give the year off. Some activities can be more appreciated when celebrated every-other year. There may even be some traditions that are ready to be permanently retired and/or replaced with something more in tune with your current priorities.
Read on for all of this month's highlights including details of the November DeClutter For Good BOOK drive and an opportunity to spend an afternoon of your time helping out with me on November 11th at Cradles to Crayons.
Here's to a well-spent and gratitude-filled November.
Carpe Diem ~
Nancy
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| Volunteers Needed to Help @ C2C |
Cradles to Crayons sent along word of a shortage of helpers in their volunteer-driven distribution warehouse, affectionately known as The Giving Factory. Click here to read their request.
I've signed up to bring 15-20 volunteers to help fill orders for children in need in Massachusetts. Our volunteer shift is Wednesday, November 11th from 1-4, a nice way to spend an afternoon that may be open on your calendar.
Can you help? Just email a reply and I'll send all the details along. Definitely time well spent. | |
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| November DeClutter For GoodTM Donation Drive Focus |
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Focusing your de-cluttering efforts on one topic at a time and contributing toward a collective drive for a worthy recipient organization is manageable, empowering and rewarding... Please join us this month as we strive to reach our goal of 1,000 books donated...
~ BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS ~
Donations will be given to
~ Drop-Off Day @ Time Well Spent ~
~ Saturday Nov. 21, 10-4~
Reply to this email to schedule
alternative drop-off arrangements.
Forward this email to local service organizations that might benefit from some of the donations and encourage them to get in touch with Time Well Spent.
Learn more about community service opportunities for teens.
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| "Touring" Time Well Spent ~ The S.O.S. Resource Library |
Time Well Spent is designed as a multi-use center for collaboration and creativity, an inspiring place where our collective clutter is repurposed even as we find a renewed sense of purpose in our own lives. It's a comprehensive and original concept, so a great deal to take in, admittedly...
In an effort to break it down and provide details a little at a time, I'm using the e-newsletter to focus on one area each month, giving a brief overview and directing readers to posts and webpages with more details.
With our DeClutter For Good focus on books this month, it makes sense to share details of the S.O.S. Resource Library...
The S.O.S. Resource Library is the space within Time Well Spent for shared resources and shared ideas. Books on topics from how-to and self-help to good business practices to relationships and inspirational biography will be shared here, along with the latest magazines and catalogs. The source of the books and such is, of course, our collective clutter. Think of all that we can clear from our own overcrowded bookcases and magazine holders, along with the paper that can be saved on behalf of the environment, as folks cancel subscriptions, opting to check out their favorite periodical at Time Well Spent.
With transparency a cornerstone value at Time Well Spent, please note that a small selection of books that suit the library's needs are sometimes kept from the donations to the DeClutter For Good drive. The vast majority are given to More Than Words and other recipient service organizations.
Also available for shared use in the S.O.S. Library will be a printer and basic office supplies. Solo-preneurs typically working from home can enjoy the benefits of their home office, minus the time-eating distractions of home, in the S.O.S. Resource Library. To take the concept of shared resources a step further, the S.O.S. Resource Library will be a great place to share of ourselves ~ just the place for meet-ups and book clubs, support groups and hobby circles.
I already have over 300 books in the library, these from my own collection, with about 50 more to add from donations over the past year. Check out the list of books currently in the S.O.S. Resource Library on LibraryThing.com. It's a very cool site and free for collections of up to 200 books. Warning to book-lovers ~ You may find yourself creating your own LibraryThing profile and book collection!
I hope this has helped to provide a better, general understanding of The S.O.S Resource Library. For those interested in a more detailed description, click here when you are taking a coffee or tea break and want to spend your time well online...
As always, your feedback and questions are welcomed and encouraged!
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| How I am Spending My Time... |
Becoming a social entrepreneur is about walking the walk even more-so than talking the talk... With props to Andrew Wolk of Cambridge's Root Cause, I'm following an "action-while-planning" approach to my business start-up, spreading the word, clarifying my purpose and fine-tuning my plans as I bootstrap my way along. My vision and passion are the two key elements I bring forward in service to my values-based mission. Here's a glimpse...
Meeting ~ With students at Bentley University, my alma mater, where helping Time Well Spent with Web 2.0 possibilities is a group project for one capable group of students.
Bootstrapping ~ My way along, earning a few dollars selling my own upcycled creations at the Essex Clamfest.
Blogging ~ About Blog Action Day 2009, along with 13,601 fellow bloggers. The power of the internet is amazing!
Tweeting ~ Via my new Twitter account. Follow me at NancyTWS. Don't fret ~ I'm not tweeting about what kind of tea I'm drinking (though, if you are wondering, it's fair trade from NH-based White Heron Tea). I'm sticking with business-related tweets that go out generally once every day or so...
In the upcoming weeks, I will be...
Participating ~ In an organizing committee meeting for the Massachusetts Chapter of the Social Enterprise Alliance. Our first meeting is at GoodWill's Boston office, a chance to learn more about their good work.
Showcasing ~ Time Well Spent at the annual North Shore Women in Business Showcase, November 12th, 3:30-7:30 @ the Danversport Yacht Club. It's free of charge, open to the public and features many fabulous local businesses, including products for sale ~ an opportunity for great local holiday shopping and networking!
Speaking ~ In early December at the first anniversary luncheon of Dinner With the Girls, a growing group of women on the North Shore who gather for organic networking and shared philanthropy. I am honored and excited, and just a bit nervous!
Donating ~ Some of my hand-made, one-of-a-kind, upcycled jewelry to Red Cross of MassBay's Holiday Auction. Donating isn't always about money. It can be time, talent, creations or clutter! We know all about that at Time Well Spent.
Attending ~ The Massachusetts Conference for Women on December 10th from 7:30am-5:30pm. This uplifting event is not just for businesswomen. If you go, wear comfy shoes (though stylish, of course!) and bring a notebook... They have an active Linkedin group worth checking out, as well.
Searching ~ For a business partner, funding and a location to bring Time Well Spent from pre-launch to reality in the coming months. Leads and positive energy are welcomed and appreciated!
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"Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential." - John Maxwell
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