Non-Profits and CitizenAudit.org
‘Tis the season for non-profits to raise some serious funds and with a bull stock market, low unemployment, and a stronger economy, charitable organizations should raise large amounts of cash this year. We all want our charitable dollars to help those in need so before you make a donation, it’s important to know where your money is being spent. How much will be used to pay salaries, marketing firms, office space, mailings, traveling, and most importantly, how much is actually going to the recipients of the charity? Read more 
How to Reverse California’s Drought
California’s water drought problem has been in the news daily and although thousands of words have been written about this unfortunate situation, there are still a few left to write. California residents have been asked to turn off their sprinklers, stop washing their cars, use water saving toilets and faucets when in reality, only 5% of water consumption is domestic. Read more
The East Village (in Des Moines)…Really
When most people hear or speak of the East Village, they are referring to the trendy neighborhood in New York City but there is another East Village well worth visiting in Des Moines, Iowa. Known as the Historic East Village, this 6 square block area in downtown Des Moines (on the east side of the Des Moines River) is near the 23-carat gold domed Capital Building (which can be seen for miles).
Originally established as a commerce area more than 150 years ago, the East Village has an abundance of historic buildings that now house a museum, restaurants, cafes, bars, retail stores, an ice skating rink, an outdoor amphitheater and loft-style housing. Read more
Handwoven Cotton Throws
Several years ago, I restored my husband’s great grandmother’s farmhouse in Iowa: a 2-story 900 square foot 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom little brown house that sits on a hill overlooking rolling hills of corn and soybeans. The project took nearly two years to complete but when finished, the “Little Brown House” looked like the little farm house my husband remembered visiting as a child.
With softly pleated green and white pinstriped curtains covering every window, multicolored braided rugs on the old wooden floors, and an upholstered sofa and rocking chair swathed in shades of “sage” and “celery” colored fabric, the Little Brown House was nearly perfect when the final touch was added: a handwoven apple green cotton throw by Nantucket Looms. Read more
Charity Checkout Contributions
In the United States, nearly every retail organization asks if you would like to make a charitable contribution to a good cause at the check out counter. Retailers love it because it makes them look caring (even if it’s on the back of customers) and often gives a tax write-off while charities love it because a lot of money is raised with very little cost (some companies do take a percentage as an administrative fee) while most customers dread it because they feel trapped and shamed into giving and this happens over and over every single day. Read more
The Robert Lambert Fruitcake
It’s that time of year when we are all thinking about decadent desserts so before David Letterman delivers his top ten list of fruitcake uses or the NRA suggests using slices of Aunt Martha’s fruitcake in the next skeet shooting contest, consider for a moment that fruitcake isn’t as bad as the masses make it out to be.
Most people believe there are two truths to fruitcake: people either love it or hate it but nearly everyone would love this traditional holiday dessert if they tasted a fruitcake made by Robert Lambert of San Rafael, California, a man totally dedicated to the art of making decadent, delicious fruitcake that can make even the most vocal critic grin and beg for seconds. Read more
Paddock Post 