You’ve see the headlines:

• New Year, New YOU
• 10 Resolutions Ridiculously Successful People  Make
• Your Best Year Yet-365 Healthy Living Tips
• 100  Things You Need to Start Doing Right Now

New Year’s resolutions--why do they never seem to work? Most of the time we feel like failures or end up rolling over our goals into the next year.
I think we’ve got the wrong idea about New Year’s resolutions. Friends, a resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something. Usually something that is voted on, something for which you’ve weighed the pros and cons. There is something finalizing about a resolution-a formal decision you’ve made.

HuffPost blogger Kayla Matthews talks a bit about why not to make resolutions, and I think she’s onto something when she says, “Make Goals When the Time is Right.”

It’s all about readiness for change. The right intentions, motivations, and circumstances have to be present for someone to really make a long-lasting change in their life. If you know losing 50 pounds isn’t realistic, take a baby step. A non-New Year’s resolutioner (yes, I made that term up) would say, “I am going to work at walking every day. I know I won’t some days, and it’s okay. It’s a big change for me, but I’m working up the courage to lose weight. This is my process and it is what works for me, with where I am, and with my current situation.”

Didn’t that feel better than listing a daunting bullet point: “Lose 50 lbs by 12/31/16.?”
Let’s allow for some wiggle room, because life is going to throw us curveballs and lemons and all sorts of miscellaneous headaches. We adapt, we cope, we work with it.

Now, of course goal setting is healthy! No is denying we should work at becoming better versions of ourselves. Some people thrive on rules and deadlines…but what happens when things don’t go quite as planned? Take care of yourself, however that looks for you. Be kind to yourself--I truly believe that is the best thing you can accomplish in 2016.

Cheers to a kinder 2016! 

For years, Twist Office Products has been doing a toy drive for the Children of Aunt Martha's Children's Shelter.
 
The children receiving gifts are children receiving services at the Children’s Reception Center. They range from age 0 – 17, and are referred by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, local police, the juvenile justice system or other child welfare agencies.
 
Many of these children are entering the child welfare system for the first time.  These will be the only gifts they receive this holiday season. Twist is excited to say the toys from the drive were delivered this morning, and nothing fills us with more holiday spirit. 

We wish you a very merry holiday season, from our Twist family to yours. 

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There are a few things you should consider when shipping perishable goods to make sure they arrive intact.

• Tip 1: Choose recipes that will withstand shipping conditions including loading and unloading, vibration and temperature changes. Biscotti, sugar cookies, shortbread cookies and bar cookies are generally good choices. Candies, such as caramel popcorn, peanut brittle and truffles, can also ship well.
• Tip 2: Pack goodies snugly in plastic wrap, foil or decorative tins to prevent jostling. Place cakes in a tin or rigid plastic container. Secure bundles and seal containers with Scotch® Expressions Tapes to keep them closed tightly and looking festive.
  

• Tip 3: Wrap bundles with cushioning material, such as Scotch™ Cushion Wrap. Pack them in a sturdy shipping carton, such as a Scotch™ Mailing Box, which offers strong protection. Fill in empty spaces in the box with crumpled newspaper, additional Scotch™ Cushion Wrap or plain air-popped popcorn so goodies don’t shift and crumble during shipping.
• Tip 4: Make sure that liquids, such as oils and vinegars, are tightly capped. Reinforce caps with a strong tape, such as Scotch® Heavy Duty Shipping Packaging Tape. Seal bottles in a plastic bag before packing and cushion them well.
  
  Tip 5: Perishable foods should be packed with cold packs designed for cool shipping and sent via next-day service.

​We would like to thank our good friends at 3M, Scotch Brand for sharing these tips with us on their blog
http://www.scotchbrand.com/3M/en_US/scotch-brand/tips-uses/holiday-shipping/

One time, my office holiday party, which I lovingly referred to as "forced family fun," turned out better than I expected. For that day only, the entire office turned into a mini-golf course, with each department hosting their own unique hole and quirky obstacles. My coworkers got into it and got creative, and bonded. Now isn't that what the holidays are all about? 

Theme/atmosphere 
First, you must choose a theme. The theme can be indicative of the atmosphere you want at your party.  Choose a holiday movie and set the scene! Or decorate your space to look like with a simple, but splendid winter theme. Maybe you want a dressy black and red affair! Just make sure it's filled with holiday spirit! 

Now, the 5 G's... 
1. Grub. If it's a more casual atmosphere, have each person bring their favorite holiday baked good. Or host a cookie exchange--each guest brings a dozen cookies and takes home a variety  of at least a dozen! 

2. Giveaways.Think about drawing for door prizes-everyone loves free stuff. It doesn't have to be big; a bottle of champagne or company T-shirt are just as fun to win as anything. 

​3. Games & contests. Healthy competition, like my aforementioned mini-golf office experience, is always a good idea. Ugly sweater contest? Gingerbread house making competition? Name that (holiday) tune or (holiday) movie are fun, too! 

4. Give back. Have your coworkers band together to collect cans to donate to a local food pantry; better yet, volunteer together! When regular employees or volunteers are traveling for the holidays, places like animal shelters or homeless shelters need extra help. 

5. Gift swap. White Elephant exchange, anyone? There are many variations, but the best types involve stealing other's presents. We played a version of this at my old office's holiday party and it would last a couple hours! Add in the holiday fruit punch and beverages and you've got yourself some laughs--and a random gift you never knew you needed! 

Oh, and the 6th G---don't be a grinch. 

Keeping track of dates and time is important if you want to beat the holiday rush, but equally important is taking advantage of some time saving shortcuts.
​Here are some tips sure to help.
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Addressing Made Easy
You can make short work of long mailing lists by using Avery Address Labels and free easy-to-use programs such as the Avery Wizard for Microsoft® Office or Avery Design & Print Online to create professional looking, custom-printed address labels in minutes. Visit avery.com/templates to find out more.
 
Check Your Zip Codes
Don’t let an incorrect zip code send your mail in the wrong direction. If in doubt, just go to www.usps.com and click on Look up a ZIP Code. Once you’ve got your mailing list in order (with full addresses and correct ZIP Codes) use the Avery Wizard or Avery Design & Print Online and get step-by-step instructions to mail merge your mailing list and print onto labels in minutes. If you don't have a spreadsheet with all of your names and addresses, you can start with our pre-formatted files for Microsoft® Excel or other database programs.
 
Reuse those boxes
Got a used box that would be perfect for something you need to ship, except it has its original shipping labels or other markings all over it? No problem. There’s no need to scratch off the old labels—all you need are Avery Shipping Labels with TrueBlock® Technology and free Avery Templates to format and print the new shipping address. You can also make old boxes look like new by covering up old markings with Avery Brown Kraft Shipping Labels. And because Avery Shipping Labels completely cover up everything underneath, your packages look neat, legible, and professional.
 
Avoid Post Office Lines
Why go to the Post Office when you can calculate and print official USPS postage right from your own PC? You can print postage using popular Avery 5160 Labels and Avery 8160 Labels at www.avery.com/postage, powered by Stamps.com. For new customers, check out the special introductory offer (valued at $100).