Toys for Tots 2010 - Saturday, December 18 8:30 a.m.

All year long, members of Atlanta Urban League Young Professionals have dedicated their time, energy and resources toward improving our community. However,
there is one last event on our calendar that needs our attention as much as any other.

On Saturday, Dec. 18, AULYP volunteers are needed to team up with Instant Tax
Service’s toy drive in Marietta and Smyrna to assist in toy distribution, crowd control,facilitating raffles and more. Christmas hats and refreshments will be provided.

The event will be from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at 603 South Marietta Parkway, Suite
103, in Marietta AND at 3791 South Cobb Drive, Suite K, in Smyrna. Michael Oden, owner of both Instant Tax Service locations, has personally
donated many of the 1,000 toys and 1,000 books raised to help deserving children- many of whose families are suffering financially this holiday season.

For some of these families, the toys that volunteers hand out to them
are the only gifts they will have under the tree. In 2009, the lines formed by those in need who showed up for the toy drive stretched out the door at both locations. Let’s close out 2010 with our best effort to improve the lives of our friends and
neighbors.

E-mail Ciji Tatum at cijitatum@gmail.com to submit your availability and volunteer location preference.

-Marcus Howard Read more ...

Holiday Soiree 2010

Happy Holidays AULYP Family!

This years' Holiday Soiree was held at the beautiful Atlantic near Atlantic Station. The first question that may come to mind upon arrival is - how could this place have possibly gone unnoticed from my sight while making numerous trips to Atlantic Station? The excitement continued for the night. Once guests walked up to the 5th floor and entered the Clubroom, they were met by AULYP members dressed to impress, as well as great music leading the soundtrack for the event. The space was complete with plush couches, LED televisions and even a movie theatre! The venue proved to provide something for every type, as the spacious main room allowed room for guests to stand, mix and mingle. In the second room, guests sat, relaxed and talked; and finally in the movie theatre, many guests chose to sit and watch some NBA action.

I immediately set my things down to start doing some networking and met a large number of members and non-members enjoying themselves. The hors d'oeuvres were delicious! IF you missed this one, you surely did yourself a disservice. I met new people, reconnected with some old buddies and enjoyed the atmosphere chatting and laughing the night away! The entire event was not about pleasure as we collected toys for Toys for Tots to distribute during the big Toys for Tots event Saturday, December 18 hosted by Instant Tax Service in Cobb County.

The Holiday Soiree was definitely a great way to end the year, and an even better way to kick off all of the great events that are in store for 2011.

- Kimberli Thomas Read more ...

Mingle & Serve 2010!

Making new connections, laughing and sharing wisdom provides happiness that’s indelible. Monday, as in years past, we connected with the residents of Big Bethel Village, a retirement community. The holiday season can sometimes be difficult for seniors and loneliness may cause some to experience a sad emotional state and reminisce of Christmas’ past.

As we sought to empower them, it proved to be just as empowering for us as we talked to the residents and heard their wisdom and empowering stories. Thanks to you and our supporters throughout the year, we provided a Christmas tree and dinner for the residents and had fun playing Bingo, decorating the lobby area and lighting the Christmas tree. Read more ...

Holiday Soiree 2010! December 11

The Atlanta Urban League Young Professionals are closing out an eventful year by throwing a Holiday Soriee - and members, perspective members and guests are all invited!

The fun will take place from 7 – 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 in the clubhouse of The Atlantic, one of Atlanta’s most luxurious residences located at 270 17th St. in Atlanta near Atlantic Station.

“There will be music, light hor d’oeuvres and a complimentary bar,” said Ciji Tatum, chairwoman of AULYP’s Social & Cultural Committee which planned the celebration. “It’s a great opportunity to mix and mingle. It’ll be a festive and chic environment.”

The Holiday Soriee is an annual event that culminates the year-long activities, events and programs to which AULYP members volunteer their time and energy, Tatum said.

Complimentary hor d’oeuvres, dessert and drinks will be served. Drinks are provided by the Atlanta Beverage Company. Bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots and receive one drink ticket. In addition, a $10 requested donation buys three drink tickets.

Dress for the soiree is described as “holiday chic,” meaning athletic gear isn’t appropriate for this event, however jeans jazzed up with a nice shirt or top are suitable.

The event will take place at the club level (level 5). Complimentary parking is available in the parking deck of The Atlantic. RSVP by Dec. 9 to Ciji Tatum at cijitatum@gmail.com


- Marcus E. Howard

Make your own free invite

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'Tis the Season for Holiday Shopping

‘Tis the season for holiday shopping! And one of the hottest items around that has shoppers running to shops, restaurants and malls are: coupons.

But these aren’t your mother’s old-fashioned newspaper coupons. Today’s coupons have gone high-tech and are distributed through e-mails, which make it easier for young professionals to take advantage of savings of up to 90 percent in some instances, from a variety of local stores, eateries, theaters, gyms, spas, getaway spots, and more.

LivingSocial.com is among many “deal-of-the-day” websites, including Groupon, BuyWithMe and 8coupons that have attracted millions of faithful users, particularly young people in urban areas who enjoy the thrill of finding a new deal each day.

In return for offering savings, businesses receive more traffic and opportunities to make new customers.

How LivingSocial Works
BUY. Get in on a deal of the day that interests you.
SHARE. Whenever three of your friends buy the same deal using your link, you get your deal for free.
WAIT. Within one business day your deal will be ready.
PRINT. Simply follow your deal’s instructions to redeem it.
SAVE. Enjoy a range of discounts in your area.

In this economy, every bit of savings helps and every dollar saved is another dollar to spend on gifts for those special in your life.

Living Social - www.livingsocial.com
Groupon - www.groupon.com

- Marcus E. Howard Read more ...

Travel Tips for the Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the things you are most thankful for, which perhaps explains why so many people take to the highways and airways to spend time with loved ones during the holiday.

Young professionals are no different. Many of us in metro Atlanta hail from elsewhere and will be traveling to our hometowns to give thanks, and of course, eat. AAA Auto Club South projects that 1.2 million Georgia residents will take a trip of 50 miles or more this year, 11.2 percent more than last year. It’s the first increase since 2007.
More than 1.1 million travelers are expected to travel by automobile.

If you’re jetting out via plane, here are a few tips that we retrieved from CNN.com, written by Jessica Ravitz.

Book your flights wisely It's easier to travel on weekdays or the actual holiday. Changing tickets is simpler, too, if you booked through the airline. If there are multiple flights to your destination, try to book the earliest one. In case of cancellations or delays, you'll be better positioned to hop on the next.

ID and label everything Have proper photo ID for you and your family members, and current passports if you're leaving the country. Include contact information, most importantly a phone number, inside and outside your checked luggage, just in case you and your bag go separate directions.

Visit the TSA's website You may think you know the drill, but take a minute to double-check at http://www.tsa.gov/. Learn the rules for flying, what to expect while going through security and what you can pack, especially when traveling with gifts or food.

Don't check what you can't live without If you must have certain medicines, certain outfits or a certain floppy-eared pink bunny for a certain someone to go to sleep, plan to carry it on, rather than risking lost bags. You may also be on your own, too, for in-flight blankets and pillows, so plan in advance for your comfort. And don't forget diapers and formula or milk if you have babies.

For the greater good, though, don't carry on everything Flight attendants say delays are a direct result of the number of bags with which customers fumble. If you're slowing everyone down when you board, consider checking a bag.

Bring money If your flight is canceled or delayed for reasons that can't be controlled by the airline, you're on your own for a hotel room and food.

Pay attention to where you're walking Read the signs and remember that if you go through a restricted door unintentionally, you -- yes, you -- will be shutting down the entire terminal.

Check the gate monitors Your boarding pass might not be accurate, especially if you printed it hours earlier. Also, listen for announcements that might alert you to changes once you're at your gate.

Eat or grab food to go before you board Full-service meals on domestic flights are a thing of the past. But go ahead, enjoy those pretzels.

Don't assume you'll finish your work on the plane In-flight wireless connections are free on Delta, AirTran and Virgin America flights this holiday season, but the service is not available on every plane and doesn't always work.

Accept what you cannot change Customer service agents do not make the security rules, nor can they make a late plane arrive faster. Once airline workers have closed the gate, you're not getting on that flight. Tantrums won't do anything but earn you stares.

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Holiday Ideas for the Busy Professional

As the holidays fast approach, it’s easy to understand how a young professional can become occupied with visiting friends, parties, family and other obligations, in addition to working daily.

However, there are at least two companies in Atlanta, owned by a pair of sisters, that cater to the busy professional who doesn’t have a lot of time to search for just the right gifts.

Mari’s Sweets and To The Nines are owned by Mari and Candace Sawyer. Mari’s Sweets is a bakery that delivers the most delicious cupcakes, cookies and delectable goods. It's great for offices and sending to others. To The Nines designs invitations and cards that can be quickly formatted to send electronically.

The sisters know first-hand what it means to be busy. After baking nights while also working other jobs, they established Mari’s Sweets in 2006. The bakery and dessert catering company sells cupcakes, layer cakes, gourmet cookies and other goodies. It delivers within 24 hours throughout metro Atlanta. All ingredients used, including butter, sugar, flour, etc., are real.

“We can accommodate most special requests and since we bake from scratch we can create just the right dessert for our customers,” said Candace, the younger sister.

“Mari has always been gifted in the kitchen. Holiday cakes for friends became holiday cakes for co-workers then we got a large scale order from our older sister's company for 22 cakes and we've never looked back.”

The Sawyers entertain a lot and became fed up with online invitation services that failed to deliver their invitations or required creating an account to view. To The Nines was then born. It’s an invitation studio specializing in electronic invitations that don’t require a subscription or importing contacts, and also offers high quality, traditional printed work.

At this time of the year, the company creates many holiday greetings for business and personal use. Creating invitations take just a few hours if initiated from a template. Custom work can take a few days.

Prices start at $35 for electronic invitations. Printed items begin at around $50.

“There aren't a bunch of steps to complete so once you send details, we get started,” Candace mentioned. You can send your customized invitation or greeting to as many people as you like, as frequently as you need to and without hassle.”

For more on Mari’s Sweets, visit www.MarisSweets.com, e-mail info@marissweets.com, call (770) 649-9283 or find them on Facebook under: Mari's Sweets Atlanta.

To contact To The Nines, e-mail: 29invitations@gmail.com, call (404) 635-6162 or find them on Facebook under: To The Nines Invitations.


- Marcus E. Howard

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