My Personal Top Song of Each Month!

January... Bruno Mars - Grenade 
February... Katy Perry - Firework 
March... Lady Gaga - Born This Way 
April... Jessie J - Price Tag 
May... Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull - On the Floor 
June... Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo - Give Me Everything 
July... OneRepublic - Good Life 
August... Anjulie - Brand New Chick 
Septmber... Selena Gomez - Love You Like a Love Song 
October... David Guetta ft. Usher - Without You 
November... LMFAO- Sexy and I Know It 
December... Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris - We Found Love

Donating and Recycling in One Nifty Package!

I love getting presents, heck who doesn't!? But what I don't like is the amount of garbage that the packaging leaves behind.

You buy a tiny little USB stick and it's in a plastic sleeve... which is in a plastic container to display it... which is in a box.... which is covered by wrapping paper.

While there's not much we can do about how companies package our goodies, we CAN recycle. Last year in the US alone there was 71.6 million tons of waste just from packaging! That's insane!

There's a new recycling program that I think is really neat! Garnier is sponsoring the 'Personal Care and Beauty Brigade' campaing through TerraCycle.

What it is... you mail in your used beauty lot such as shampoo bottles, lipstick containers, make-up packages etc. and they recycle it into stuff like cutting boards and bike racks!

PLUS! For each item you send in, you'll receive either points for a charity gift OR cash for the charity or school of your choice!

It's FREE to join and THEY PAY THE SHIPPING!

So check it out for yourself! www.terracycle.net

A Note from the RCMP

The busiest retail season of the year has already begun and with an increase in financial transactions comes an increase in opportunities for fraud artists. This year, keep your holiday shopping joyous by taking a few extra precautions.

Shopping in person:

• Even though you will be rushed and thinking about a thousand things, try to remain alert to your surroundings.
• When paying with a credit or debit card, never lose sight of your card. Whenever possible, swipe your card yourself rather than giving it to the cashier.
• Always shield your PIN when entering it. Don't be embarrassed – you're not insulting anyone.
• Do not keep a written record of your bank PIN number(s) or your social insurance number in your wallet or hand bag.
• If you suspect anything unusual when using a point-of-sale terminal (pin pad) or an ATM, do not use the machine and report it immediately to the police or the financial institution.

Shopping on-line:

• Shop only from your home computer and equip it with the latest web browser. Using your home computer is much safer than shopping at a terminal in an internet café or library.
• If you plan to buy something, go directly to a store's website by manually typing its address into your web browser. Don't click on links in an e-mail message even if you know who sent it.
• Verify secure connections. When shopping on-line, do not enter any financial information if you see a broken-key or open padlock symbol on your Internet browser. This means the transaction is not secure and could be intercepted by a third party. When the key is complete or the padlock is locked, your browser is indicating a secure transaction.
• Consider using a reliable third-party payment company such as PayPal, a credit card with a low credit limit or a single-use payment card.
• Unlike secure order forms on a web site, e-mail messages are not private. Do not send confidential personal or financial information by e-mail.
• When browsing auction sites or unauthorized retail websites, be cautious of drastic sale prices on sought-after designer items and popular electronics. The legitimate goods are rarely discounted.
• Monitor your bank and credit card and statements on-line. Electronic statements allow you to review your purchases and payments as they happen rather than waiting until the end of the month to review your paper statement. Immediately report any discrepancies to your bank or to the company that issued the credit card.

Other tips:

• Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery and do not leave pieces of mail lying around your residence or office.
• Shred or otherwise destroy pre-approved credit card applications, credit card receipts, bills and any documents containing personal information when they're no longer needed.
• Do not provide personal information such as your SIN, date of birth, credit card numbers, or PIN over the telephone or via e-mail. There are more secure methods for providing this valuable information when it is legitimately required.
• Avoid mail or telephone solicitations disguised as promotions. Criminals involved in this type of scam typically offer you an instant prize or an award for the purpose of obtaining personal information, such as your credit card numbers.

This holiday season, be a Scrooge with your personal information. If, despite your best efforts, you feel you've been victimized by a scam or a fraud, you should report it immediately to the police service of jurisdiction in your area.

Fighting Off Colds

It seems people are succumbing to sickness faster than Winnie the Pooh eats honey these days. Everytime I'm near someone sneezing and hacking I'm afraid I'll be next!

So this holiday season, stay away from a nasty cold by following these steps.

* Wash Your Hands frequently and if you're drying up like a prune, keep a little bottle of lotion at your desk or in your purse.

*Use a humidifier. Scientists say the moisture captures viruses and then falls to the floor.

*Skip That 2nd Wobbly Pop. Those holiday beverages impair your white blood cells ability to combat viruses for up to 24 hours after!

* Sleep More (no need to ask me twice!). Not enough sleep produces proteins in your body which trigger cold symptoms.

* Lastly, Eat Your Fruits and Veggies! They help to keep your immune system pumping.

I Keep Losing Things

If you're anything like me, you would have lost your head a long time ago if it wasn't attached! Ask my mother, all my life I've misplaced things which have lead me to missing the bus, getting locked out of the car, and having my house look like a tornado swept through it.

A while ago, I read an article on how to stop my annoying habit of losing stuff, and so far, it's working! (OK maybe not on Black Friday when I locked myself out of my car, but that was at 6am with no coffee.)

So if this article has helped me, maybe it can help ya too! Follow these steps.

* Make a mental image. Your brain remembers images better than anything else, so take a mental snap!
* Use your cellphone alarm to remind you to start packing up early for lunch, the kids, at the hotel... wherever... (plus with the alarm on, you'll be able to find your phone!)
* Place items together. Like your umbrella with your shoes or scarf beside your purse.
* Put it to music. Everytime I leave the house I do a little dance and say wallet, keys, phone, glasses.
*Lastly! Carry less crap! Make sure everything you take along with you is necessary... dump the rest!