Well here I am again...

It has been a long time.
The Blog and me just don't seem to be good friends. Not sure how I can improve our relationship but I will try once again.

This time there is a real purpose behind it. I have a new project.

It's easily explained:

NO SHOPPING UNTIL 31st OF DECEMBER 2010

Does that sound like a good idea to you? Well it does to me.
Even though I wouldn't say I am the biggest shopper in the world. I don't get myself into trouble by shopping more than I can afford or by using my credit card, or overdrafts, but I still believe I have too much. Shopping or more particularly fashion has been taking up too much of my time over the past years. I spend too much time wondering what to wear, how to combine clothes, which shoes, what else might I need, searching on Ebay, online shops, real shops, shopping centres, etc. All that is time I could have spent doing more sports, reading more books, enjoying more time with my dogs, etc. Some might say that fashion is a hobby but that's what it is not too me. I like fashion and I don't want to completely write it off but I want to put it back in it's place: a couple of minutes per day and a few shopping days per year.

Instead I want to focus on other things that have been left aside for too long such as going the gym regularly, reading more (it currently takes me about 3 months to get through one book!!!), and something that I particularly want to focus on is: getting active in a non-profit organisation.
The latter is something I have always wanted to do, ever since I did my internship in the humanitarian but somehow it fell way back in my list of priorities. The fact that I work 8hrs a day with a 3hrs commute doesn't help, but it shouldn't stop me.

Today I came across an American non-profit corporation that seems like one of the best ideas I have seen in years! The 1 Economy corporation tackles different social issues, one of them being: bringing broadband to low income households, thus allowing them to use all the advantages such as applying online, anytime access to your email account, searching for health and living advice, and any sort of information you might be after. Check it out here: One Economy

But this is not all of it. Another part of the corporation is "the beehive" which claims to be "the ultimate source for the help you need everyday".
It allows you to fill your tax return for free, gives health tips, unemployment advice and advice on how to create an outstanding CV, free homework help for kids in English and Spanish, and helps with housing.
You can check it out here: The beehive

This is already quite a lot but 1 economy doesn't stop there, it has some more to offer: 247 Townhall is a community forum where all matters can be discussed anonymously.
The next site belonging to 1 economy corporation is: Ziproad which is concerned with tutoring and helping kids.
The last and personally almost my favourite is: Pic TV which is a public Internet channel and features a series called "Diary of a Single Mum". The series is the winner of awards for Best Indie Soap and Best Guest Actor from the Indie Soap Awards 2009.

Diary of a Single Mom is a web based original series that chronicles the lives and challenges of three single mothers and their families trying to get ahead despite obstacles that all single mothers face, such as childcare, health care, education and finances. The series is produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Robert Townsend, renowned for such films as Hollywood Shuffle and Meteor Man and written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Cheryl L. West.

Diary of a Single Mom stars Monica Calhoun (The Best Man) as Ocean Jackson, a single mother of two striving to keep her family afloat while working to fulfill her own ambitions of finishing her GED, going to college and opening her own business. Along her journey, she befriends and joins forces with two other single moms, Lupe (Valery Ortiz – The N’s “South of Nowhere”), a mother juggling different fathers for each of her two children while facing health concerns that will change her life and Peggy (Janice Lynde – “Letters to Dad”), a once married, wealthy 50-something who suddenly finds herself widowed, broke and guardian to her only grandchild. Together, the three women search for support and faith as they strive to triumph over the challenges of everyday life.

Could be cheesy but it's not.

It's a shame I do not live in the US as I would try and volunteer. There isn't much I am good at, but helping improve CVs is one thing I believe to be good at and that I actually enjoy. But since there is no comparable organisation in the UK I will have to continue searching.