Giving Back

Times are hard right now and there are lots of people, families and animals in need of a helping hand. Charitable donations are always needed but even more so in times of crisis. With the economy as it is and many parts of our country being devastated by natural disasters, now is a great time to not only say thanks for what you have but to also give to those in need. Here is some general information on how to get started if you are interested in making donations of time, items or money.

• Give to an established charity. Find a charity with a proven track record. There are a lot of bogus groups out there that label themselves as "charities" and just take monies from unsuspecting philanthropists.
  
• Budget your donations. Work your donations into your monthly/annual budget just as you would any other payment.
• Keep good records. Most donations are tax-deductible but receipts are required for this. A canceled check or credit card statement for gifts of $250 or less is acceptable documentation for the IRS. For gifts over $250, a receipt from the charity will need to be provided to the IRS as proper documentation of your charitable gift.
• Volunteer! In additional to financial support, giving your time and skills to a local charity organization can be just as beneficial to the cause of your choosing.
  
• Consider donating unused or outgrown clothing and household items to a charity in your city. What you may see as an outdated sweater can be a source of warmth for someone who is in need.
• The website www.charitywatch.org is a great site for getting more tips on donating in addition to providing a listing of reputable charities that can use donations. Worth checking out before opening up your pocketbook.

Hope this helps to put you in a giving frame of mind. It's always good to help other because we never know when it will be our turn to need it. Until next time, keep it clean!!

First Day of Fall

Today is the first day of Fall! It's my favorite time of year. The air is crisp, mornings and evenings are cool and the colors of the leaves start to change from green to beautiful autumnal shades of gold, red and orange. Welcome to the Autumnal Equinox!

On the Autumnal Equinox, the sun is right over the Earth's equator and there are equal hours of day and night. From now until the Vernal Equinox, days will remain shorter and than nights. The longer nights aren't such a great thing but that is even more reason to make the most of the daytime hours we do have!

Fall is a great time to go for hikes outdoors. It's always nice to get some fresh air and most trails are beautiful when the seasons change. Be sure to take your camera along! If you are a gardening enthusiast, Fall is the perfect time to plant fall bulbs so that you will be able to enjoy a wide array of Spring flowers! Tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils are all good options. And don't forget to plant some garlic! Farmers markets are full of apples, root vegetables, pumpkins and gourds. Try picking some of those items and incorporating them into new recipes. It's always good to try new things!

Hope you are as excited about fall as I am! Until next time, keep it clean!!

Blog

Azuma Leasing has one. Lots of businesses and organizations have them. Someone you know may have one. They can be funny, serious, provide valuable information or just be random thoughts or ideas. I'm referring to blogs. Blogs are basically online journals with commentary, ideas, information that is updated regularly. Blogging has gained popularity with the increase in the use of social media like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and others. There are even things called "blogathons" where a large number of people get together and blog about blogging. The term "blog" is an abbreviation for the term "web log". Generally, most blogs follow the same general format and include the content itself, an archive of older articles, a place where people can leave comments and list of links to related websites or blogs called a "blogroll". You can find blogs about almost every subject online.

Blogging itself has many incarnations. Some people do video blogs, photoblogs that contain only photos and audio blogs known as podcasting. There is also a form of blogging called microblogging where people just make very brief postings. Blogging has become very popular and as of February 2011, there were 156 million publicly posted blogs. The "blogosphere" is the collective community of all existing blogs. There is even a day called Blogday that is held on August 31st. This was established by blogday.org as a way to get fellow bloggers to interact with each other. On this day, bloggers share 5 blogs with others so that previously undiscovered blogs can be read.

So if you are interested in specific hobbies, causes, activities, schools, etc., swing by their website and see if they have a blog for you to read. You may even be inspired to start a blog of your very own!

Until next time, happy blogging and keep it clean!!

Friday! Friday! Friday!!!!

Happy Friday! TGIF!!! Ever have one of those weeks where a lot has happened but when you go back at the end of the week to replay all of the events in your head, it's a blur? That's kinda how this week was. We have had a busy week here at AZUMA Leasing (and we like it that way!).

After such a hectic and stressful week, I'm sure we could all use a little R&R. Looking for something fun or relaxing to do this weekend? There are so many options! The theater, parks, shopping, staying in and watching movies - all are good options to take one's mind off of the whirlwind that was the previous week. Local newspapers and news websites are a couple of places to look if you are needing ideas for some weekend activities in your area.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!. Until next time, keep it clean!

Labor Day

Who doesn't love a three day weekend??? I know I do but have you ever wondered why we have the Labor Day holiday? Here is a little bit of info about it! Labor Day is observed the first Monday in September. It is a tribute to acknowledge the social and economic achievements of our nations workforce. Its a celebration of the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Our reward for working hard and making our country great! The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday September 5, 1882 in New York City and was set up by the Central Labor Union. By 1894, Congress passed an act declaring the first Monday in September the official national holiday.

Nowadays, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. But there is no reason to not get out and enjoy some Labor Day activities in your community. There are parades, picnics, carnivals, fun runs and so much more! Enjoy your long weekend everyone! Until next time, keep it clean!!