Great Rainy Day Activity!

It's a beautiful summer day here today, but we have had so much rain so far this summer, Mom is certain that we will have more rainy days this month than we'd like. Sometimes the rainy weather gets Mom down and she doesn't feel really productive on those days. I just found something that she can do on at least one rainy day and it's not only good for her, it's also good for the environment.

Mom gets a lot of catalogs in the mail. Some of them she wants to receive, but most of them she doesn't. She is always talking about contacting the companies that send her the unwanted catalogs but she never does. Now she doesn't have any excuse for the unwanted catalogs that the mailman delivers because the people at Catalog Choice have created a system that Mom can use to stop receiving the unwanted catalogs. It's like a one stop shopping site to stop the catalogs. What a brillant idea!

Catalog Choice is a project sponsored by the Ecology Center. According to the Catalog Choice website, their mission is to reduce the number of repeat and unwanted catalog mailings, and to promote the adoption of sustainable industry best practices. This is great not only for consumers but also for merchants because it them millions of dollars in manufacturing and shipping costs. They also save millions of trees because fewer catalogs means less paper means more trees.

So how does it work? This is so easy, even a pug could do it! Simply log on to www.catalogchoice.org and fill out their online registration form using your name and primary mailing address. You then find and set mail preferences for your catalogs, using the Catalog Choice search facilities. Catalog Choice then contacts the catalog providers on your behalf, requesting that your preference be honored. It can take at least twelve weeks to process your request, after which time your mail preference should be in effect. How cool is that? Mom made one purchase from the American Girl company a long time ago for my cousin and she still gets their catalogs all the time. This catalog is on the top of her list to stop.

Did I mention that this service is free? It sure is. It is funded through several foundations and funds via the Ecology Center. There is no cost to you so there is no excuse not to do it. You don't have to wait for a rainy day to stop those unwanted catalogs, but don't waste another day receiving catalogs you don't want. Mother Earth thanks you in advance for saving her trees and other natural resources. I thank you in advance for doing the right thing.