Freebie Friday 2.25.11

Worthy Things to Do, Listen To, or View that Won’t Cost You a Dime 

TGIF once again. Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday. The blog is a little lighter than usual on Green tips this week, but there are a few. I’ve tried to include something for everyone.

• First off, a reminder for parents or teachers of doodlers that the registration deadline for Doodle 4 Google (one of last week’s Freebies) — Wednesday, March 2 — is fast approaching. Check out the details here.

• Tax season is upon us! The next Freebie is a Living Green Tax Tip. I hope that you all embrace the concept that much of your unwanted stuff could become another person’s treasure. Those of you who have made donations and are able to itemize your deductions may be able to derive some monetary benefits from having done a good thing. If you are scratching your head about how to assign values to the list of items you have given away, check out the valuation guide posted by the Salvation Army. FYI, small items can always be dropped off at Salvation Army collection points. Their truck will pick up and carry away some, but not all, larger items. Call 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825) to find out the nearest drop-off location or to determine if they are interested in picking up what you would like to donate. 

Many of you are looking forward to the Academy Awards on Sunday night. Since everyone needs to have a little fun, and I’m a movie fan, I’m devoting a chunk of blog real estate to links I’ve found to help you prepare for the evening.

• The official Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences site has a plethora of information to make you well informed, and your evening enjoyable. The site’s Oscar Party Kit offers up recipes, Oscar ballots, and downloadable Oscar Bingo cards.

• At Fandango, you will find a synopsis and trailer for each of the films nominated in the major categories.

• If you are in an Oscar-picking pool and want a leg-up on your predictions, check out this article from The Official Google Blog discussing search trends as a clue to picking Oscar winners. Then visit Oscar Search Trends to see which nominees are being searched most. 

• Print out a ballot here. Good luck! 

• Finally, remember that The Warriors of Qiugang: A Chinese Village Fights Back is available for viewing free online. This Academy Award-nominated documentary tells the story of villagers in China who fought to close the chemical plant that was ruining their way of life. [For more see link originally posted 2.11.11]

Happy last Friday of February. There will be more Freebies on Friday, March 4, and plenty of other things to consider between now and then! Come back soon and please tell your friends.

FYI Why a piñata? Just like a blog link, until you open it, you won’t know what’s inside.