Sometimes it's hard to be good.  Like when you've sworn off sweets and suddenly find yourself in front of Sprinkles or Dylan's Candy Bar. Other times, not so much. Take searching the web. Heard of GoodSearch? If not, let me introduce you.

GoodSearch is exactly what it sounds like---a search engine that allows you and me to help raise money for our favorite charities, schools, or non-profits with just the click of a mouse. It works like any other search engine---simply head to their site and search the Internet like you always do. That's it! It's powered by Yahoo, so you get great results every time. There's even a GoodSearch toolbar that you can download to make sure that you never miss a donation.

Fifty percent of the revenue generated from the sponsored search advertisers is shared with the organization you've chosen. Overall, GoodSearch estimates that a penny is generated by each Web search. That may sound like chump change, but it adds up fast. Find out more about GoodSearch here and the nitty gritty on how they make it work.

GoodSearch.com
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Sometimes I wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Sometimes I scowl instead of smile. I tend to be a glass is half empty kind of gal, but I'm optimistic that I can change. But it's a process and since I'm not there yet, sometimes I need a reminder that things will be A-okay.

So a new item on my wish list is the Don't Worry Mug from Rock, Scissor, Paper, a sister/sister stationary company out of Los Angeles (I mention this because their So Cal upbringing influences their mod, colorful designs). Like Brynne Cogorno's notecards that grow, Rock, Scissor, Paper's lineup of mugs, coasters, and stationery are all you need to brighten your day.

Rock, Scissor, Paper
11851 Glencrest Drive
San Fernando, CA 91340
Tel 818-361-1142
info@rockscissorpaper.com
Don't Worry Mug, $14.00, 3 3/4" tall x 3" diameter, dishwasher and microwave safe

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P.S. - Have a school, team or non-profit fundraiser coming up? How about nixing the sugar habit that typically goes along with it. Contact Rock, Scissor, Paper for details on how you can fundraise with them instead.

Image via www.rockscissorpaper.com

Aside from bills and advertisements, I hardly ever get "real" mail anymore. If it weren't for my subscriptions to Sunset and Runner's World, I might forgo checking the mail altogether. But I'm hoping that the hit letter writing has taken is just cyclical---that one day we'll all wake up with great penmanship and remember how much fun it is to hold a handwritten note in our hands.

To help us on our journey is Brynne Cogorno, owner of Backward Prints, an eco-friendly stationary line that I came across at the Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach, CA. I *love* Brynne's notecards. They have an organic, homemade quality to them (not only in the look and feel of the paper, but in the artwork as well). And the designs are happy. Whether they're robots in love or those Matryoshka dolls you'll remember from your childhood, they simply make you smile and want to send a note to someone (anyone, really).

Brynne's cards are 100% biodegradable and recyclable. And given some sun, water, and time, they grow. Isn't that something to write home about? I think so.

Backward Prints
www.backwardprints.com
beezi@me.com
949.275.1926
Individual cards are $3.50 and up or $20 for a 6-pack of 3.5"x4.25" cards (yes, youu can mix and match!)
Available at her online store and etsy.com

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Image via backwardprints.com