Happy Thanksgiving, xtra xtra friends! We hope you’re having a wonderful holiday with friends, family, football, and food!

We have a lot to be thankful for at xtra xtra. In only a few months, we’ve redesigned and relaunched our website, formed an exciting partnership with Boston.com, and hired some fantastic interns, and now we’re working hard to make the site the best that it can be. We’re thankful for all of these successes, but we’re especially grateful for your support and enthusiasm for xtra xtra. We couldn’t do it without you!

Here are a few of the other things we’re thankful for on this holiday…

• Steph is thankful for… “Incredible friends and family, the abundance of laughs that come from said friends, living in Boston, Microsoft Paint, and Bravo TV”

• Jamie is thankful for… “My amazing family, Dunkin Donuts coffee, my Mac <3, and online shopping (and my Job for funding the hobby!)”

• Cooley is thankful for… “Friends and family, Mom’s squash casserole, my baby niece, and of course Glee and Community! ”

Happy Thanksgiving!
The xtra xtra Team

Remember Captain Planet? He was the blue-tinted superhero from the 1990s who was devoted to green initiatives. It seems like we could really use his help these days.  A recent BP document revealed that as many as 4.2 million gallons of oil could be pouring into the ocean each day after the oil rig explosion in April, and efforts for conservation have taken the center stage in conversations around the world and across the country.

There’s a saying that we should take care of the environment since it’s the only one we have, and it’s certainly true.

If you’re eager conserve, here are a few other sites that are helpful and useful while also being friendly to the environment.

• ThredUp—Kids grow up fast, and that means they need lots of new outfits. ThredUp can cut the strain on your wallet and the environment. Members can share and trade clothes for boys and girls based on size, and it’s affordable since a basic membership means you only pay for shipping and handling. Share your kids’ closet and make good use of someone else’s gently worn clothes. It saves resources and money!
• Snapfish—Photos are a wonderful way to remember an event, but you often end up with prints you didn’t really want. Snapfish lets friends and family choose the images they wish to print. This is a conservative way to keep people in the moment without wasting paper and ink. (You can also share images with the whole community on xtra xtra.)
• Earth911—Want to recycle but not sure of where to start? Earth911 can help any family find a more sustainable lifestyle with simple steps. Key in your ZIP code and find local recycling centers, and find tips and news about how to recycle everyday materials. This site has interesting links, events, and articles that will get you excited about giving back.

What are your favorite websites and resources for sustainable living? We’re always eager for tips, and we’d love to share them with our friends and followers! We’ve also mentioned that xtra xtra’s free milestones are a great option since they’re completely paperless. Pixels last forever, and it’s easy to share online rather than printing out dozens of announcements.

Remember that your actions and words make an impact. Blogger Meredith O’Brien kept count and realized that her three kids were sent home with more than 2300 pieces of paper in one school year. Recognizing that impact we’re making on the environment will help us reach a point where we can say “Stop the waste,” so we hope you’ll join us in helping businesses, friends, and even family members find ways to cut back and save the environment.

If you’ve seen the latest images from the Gulf of Mexico, you know that recovery is going to require many hands and donations. The Better Business Bureau has listed approved organizations and charities that are giving back. If you’d like to make a contribution towards one of these efforts, find the list of organizations here.

Till next time,

CH

An unforgettable athletic milestone might be happening tonight as the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers meet for Game 6 of the NBA Finals. As a Boston-based company, we’ll be wearing our green and white, but here are a few fun facts about the C’s and their age-old rivalry with the Lakers.

• The first Celtics/Lakers finals matchup took place in 1959. The C’s clinched victory and defeated the Lakers—then based in Minneapolis–with a 4-0 lead.
• The Celtics have set a lot of records. In the 1959 playoffs, William Walton “Bill” Sharman set the record for most consecutive free throws after making 56 baskets in a row.
• Celtics coach Red Auerbach holds the record of winning the most NBA Championships with one team. He led the Celtics to 9 national titles. Phil Jackson, who currently coaches the Lakers, has won 10 championships (6 with the Chicago Bulls and 4 with the LA Lakers).
• In 1962, Lakers player Elgin Baylor scored 61 points against the Celtics and set a record for most points earned in an NBA finals game. They may have won the game, but the Celtics won the series (4-3).
• In 2009, the NBA renamed the NBA Finals MVP Award and called it the “Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.” This is interesting since Bill Russell, one of the most famous Celtics players ever who led the team to 11 national championships, never own an MVP award in the finals.
• Celtics guard Ray Allen set a new record for most 3-pointers scored in a game during Game 2 of the ____ Celtics/Lakers series. He scored 27 points with 9 3-point shots.

Game 6 starts at 9 PM EST tonight. If you’re in the mood to make a difference, find out how you can help the Boys and Girls Club of Boston while you’re watching the game. Lakers fans are welcome, too.

Till next time,

CH