Get ready, get set, go shopping the Friday after Thanksgiving! Based on accounting terminology where black ink shows a positive profit margin on ledger sheets, retailers have named this biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday. Here are some tips for making the most of this shopping opportunity.

1. Do your homework. Shop the items you are interested in before you head out Friday morning. Compare existing prices and product details as not everything advertised as a sale is one.

2. Read the newspaper. Get an early edition of your local newspaper and read and clip ads and coupons.

3. Share the experience. Coordinate with friends or family members. Divide and conquer and you can cover more ground and more sales with far less effort.

4. Cover yourself. I’m not talking about bringing a blanket for your wait in the cold for the store to open, although that might not be a bad idea. I’m suggesting you bring the copy of the newspaper ad or print out paperwork that will help you justify pricing and product specifications. Beware the bait and switch.

5. Befriend. While standing in those lines, coordinate a divide and conquer plan rendouvousing at the cash registers. Chances are you are not the only one there for a particular sale item. Ask those leaving the store if it is still available, preventing you from waiting in a line for a product you’ll never get to buy.

6. Protect. Know the store policies before you buy. Can it be returned? What if the price is lowered even further later?

7. Exit strategy. Once you’re in your next step is to get out and onto the next store. Have your money or credit card ready and do whatever you can to help speed the check out process. This is not the time to ask for a price check!

If, however, this shopping frenzy isn’t worth the effort, consider placing gift cards in holiday cards this year so others can enjoy the experience of the after-Christmas sales!

Kellan Lutz plays Emmett Cullen, big brother of vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) in the movie, Twilight. A participating celebrity in our Cards for a Cause holiday card charity campaign, Kellan signed the back of his chosen card design with proceeds from the sale of it going to his selected charity, the Royal Family Kids’ Camp.

This is the card design he chose:

In November 2008, before the movie released, Kellan confessed in an interview his interests in autographs. “His autograph is elaborate, with each letter fully formed,” said the article. “I like signatures,” confessed Lutz. “I remember growing up just having fun doing it for no reason. I liked practicing.”

Back then he would actually spell out his name, “unlike Robert Pattinson who takes a shortcut by just signing his initials,” claims the article. But Lutz did admit that he knew he’d be doing conventions and events eventually which would require him to sign a minimum of 600 and “wow, it took me an hour to do 50. So I might have to get creative.”

Well, I kinda like his autograph! Take a look at it here and see what you think!

This coming Sunday, June 21, is Father’s Day! No matter how you choose to celebrate the day, a nice Father’s Day card is always a welcomed surprise. From funny to mushy, it is nice to remember your father, grandfather, father-in-law or any father figure with a lovely card during this annual event.

Father’s Day greeting cards are a great opportunity to let someone know how much they mean to you. Even if just a father figure, a heartfelt, handwritten message is a very personal expression of love sure to be treasured. Often these cards are displayed for weeks to come and may become keepsakes.
Don’t forget to honor your father this weekend!

You can have fun and easily make a very special envelope all by yourself. All it takes is a piece of paper, scissors and some glue along with your creative imagination!

Begin by finding a sample of the size envelope you want to make. Carefully pull it apart so that it becomes a flat template or pattern for your specially made envelope. Don’t worry if it doesn’t come apart perfectly. Next, find a colorful piece of paper that will become your new envelope. Wrapping paper, scrapbooking paper or even pages from magazines work well. Or, color your own piece of white paper with your own unique design. It is even more special if the design is on the front and the back of the piece of paper.

Now lay your pattern on top of your new piece of paper and trace around the edges. Cut along your traced line. Next, look at your pattern and mark the fold lines on your new piece. Fold the sides in and the bottom up, gluing the flap carefully so that you can still slide your card into the open envelope. Remember not to glue the top flap down until you have your contents inside!

Once you have made a few using a pattern, you will be ready to create envelopes for any size letters or greeting cards you wish! You can affix mailing address labels or leave blank spaces for addressing if you’re coloring your own paper. Experiment with different sizes, styles and paper and have fun using recycled materials to make earth friendly envelopes too!

Almost every day we receive envelopes in the mail that we don’t use and throw directly into the trash. They may come with bills that we pay online or in junk mail that we may not even open. Rather than discard these unused envelopes, here are some suggestions for re-use.

1. Use them to collect your grocery store coupons for your next trip to the store.

2. Write your shopping list on the outside of the envelope.

3. Organize your receipts by collecting them each month in recycled envelopes so you’ll have them easily accessible for comparison when your credit card bills arrive.

4. As mini file folders, you can label the envelope and collect magazine or newspaper clippings or photos inside. For example, keep an envelope for easy craft ideas, keeping the instructions inside.

5. Use envelopes as dividers and shoeboxes as file drawers. Label the envelope and put contents inside or between.

6. Keep recipe clippings organized. You can label the envelope so that appetizers are in one envelope, desserts in another, or keep all chicken recipes together at least until you have time to properly add them to your more formal filing system.

7. Envelopes make great dust or crumb collectors. Hold one under your next drilling project to collect the loose particles.

8. Many envelopes can be reused simply by marking out the pre-addressed information and putting a blank white sticker over the area or gluing a piece of white paper securely in place. Your postage stamp will cover the presorted mailing indicia.

9. Recycled envelopes make great bookmarks. Cut them to a slimmer size if you want to.

10. Use them as scratch paper. You can take it a step forward by trimming them to leave the adhesive on one edge so they end up being sticky notes.

You can always add them to the recycling bin but I’m sure we’d all like to hear any other ideas you might have for repurposing envelopes!