DIY Life

The year is coming to a close. The next few weeks I'll be busy with shopping, planning, and parties. Before I know it Christmas will pass, and a new year will be just days away. Gina Trapani put together this great list last year of all the geeky and regular tasks to tie up the year. If you followed her suggestions last year, you probably had a smooth one. If you didn't, start now. Adding these 6 items to your to-do list will help and end 2007 on the best possible note and kick off an organized 2008.

1. Get your free credit report
2. Book your last doctor/dentist appointment of the year
3. Make your tax deductible purchases and donation
4. Max out your RRSP contributions
5. Review your data backup plan
6. Rotate and archive your files

The original post has some important detail about each item on the list. She offers helpful tips, including the filing cabinet makeover. I hope you find these tips as useful as I did.

Have you ever been in the position where you'd like to give some money to a charitable organization but you don't know which charity will make the best use of your donation? Do you know if a particular charity serves your financial intentions? In the past, it was quite difficult to determine the relative value of an investment in a charitable organization. In the information age however, you can now research individual charities with ease to make a comfortable decision about who you're going to send your money to.

Charity Navigator is a website dedicated to researching and reporting on the monetary performance of charitable organizations large and small. Sites of this kind are extremely valuable and Kiplinger.com names Charity Navigator as one of it's 25 Best Web Sites for 2007.

Knitters are notoriously into giving to charities. Other than the normal altruistic reasons for donating, I think knitters particularly enjoy creating items for recipients who really appreciate them. I know I do.

Red Scarf Project 2008 is a program set up by the Orphan Foundation of America to send Valentine's Day gifts to college-bound foster youth who have aged out of foster care. They are braving university life to better their lives without the emotional support of a family.

Last year, Now Norma Knits advertised the Red Scarf Project on her blog and the response was overwhelming -- so much so that OFA has had to scale back the initiative and put stricter guidelines. Norma has setup another site and a raffle to encourage people to donate.

Details for donating are after the jump.

For the last ten years Guideposts magazine has provided a way for knitters and crocheters to make life better for needy children the world over. Through the Knit for Kids program Guideposts provides a way for crafters to make a difference through what they do best.

Knit for Kids collects sweaters made my people just like you and sends them to children around the world who are facing a cold winter without the benefit of a sweater or coat to help them keep warm. Knit for Kids is a way for the average crafter to reach out and help those that need it most.

There are four downloadable patterns (pdf) available if you want to be more consistent but you can also use your own pattern if you have one you love to make.. There are also instructions on how and where to send your finished sweater.

Keep in mind that kids the world over love vivid colors so if you want to make a sweater the more colorful the better. For those of you that don't knit or crochet, Knit for kids also needs donations so there is a way for everyone to help.

Knit for Kids accepts kid's sizes 2-10 for the most part but will take larger sizes for older kids. They do not accept infant sizes. For more information and pictures of kids who have received sweaters please check out the Knit for Kid's website.