A guide to giving birthstone's this year for Christmas

Giving birthstones make a special personalized gift for all.

Precious stones & jewelry are wonderful gifts that sparkle & shine with unique timeless beauty & make a special personalized gift family & friends will remember forever. Birthstones ground & amplify celestial energies. Each of the twelve signs of the zodiac has traditional crystal affinities. Some from the birth month, others from the planets of the sign.

Use the chart below to find your friends & family's birthstones.

Capricorn(Dec 22 - Jan 19)	Jet, Onyx, Amber, Azurite, Carnelian, Fluorite, Garnet, Green & Black Tourmaline, Labradorite, Magnetite, Malachite, Peridot, Quartz, Ruby, Smoky Quartz, Turquoise, Aragonite, Galena.
Aquarius    (Jan 20 - Feb 18)	Aquamarine, Amethyst, Amber, Angelite, , Blue Celestite, Blue Obsidian, Boji Stone, Chrysoprase, Fluorite, Labradorite, Magnetite, Moonstone, Atacamite.
Pisces       (Feb 19 - Mar 20)	Moonstone, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Beryl, Bloodstone, Blue Lace Agate, Calcite, Chrysoprase, Fluorite, Labradorite, Turquoise, Smithsonite, Sunstone.
Aries           (Mar 21 - Apr 19)	Ruby, Diamond , Amethyst, Aquamarine, Aventurine, Bloodstone, Carnelian, Citrine, Fire Agate, Garnet, Jadeite, Jasper, Kunzite, Magnetite, Pink Tourmaline, Orange Spinel, Topaz.
Taurus        (Apr 20 - May 20)	Emerald, Topaz, Aquamarine, Azurite, Black Spinel, Boji Stone, Diamond, Kyanite, Kunzite, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Rose Quartz, Rhondonite, Sapphire, Selenite, Tiger's Eye, Topaz, Tourmaline, Variscite.
Gemini       (May 21 - Jun 20)	Tourmaline, Agate, Apatite, Apophyllite, Aquamarine, Blue Spinel, Calcite, Chrysocolla, Chrysoprase, Citrine, Dendritic Agate, Green Obsidian, Green Tourmaline, Sapphire, Serpentine, Tourmalinated  and Rutilated Quartz, Tiger's Eye, Topaz, Variscite, Ulexite.
Cancer(June 21 - July 22)	Moonstone, Pearl, Amber, Beryl, Brown Spinel, Carnelian, Calcite, Chalcedony, Chrysoprase, Emerald, Opal, Pink Tourmaline, Rhondonite, Ruby, Moss Agate, Fire agate, Dendritic Agate.
Leo              (July 23 - Aug 22)	Cat's or Tiger's Eye, Ruby, Amber, Boji Stone, Carnelian, Chrysocolla, Citrine, Danburite, Emerald, Fire Agate, Garnet, Golden beryl, Green & Pink Tourmaline, Kunzite, Larimar, Muscovite, Onyx, Orange Calcite, Petalite, Pyrolusite, Quartz, Red Obsidian, Rhondochrosite, Topaz, Turquoise, Yellow Spinel.
Virgo           (Aug 23 - Sept 22)	Peridot, Sardonyx, Amazonite, Amber, Blue Topaz, Dioptase, Carnelian, Chrysocolla, Citrine, Garnet, Magnetite, Moonstone, Moss Agate, Opal, Purple Obsidian, Rubelite, Rutilated Quartz, Sapphire, Sodalite, Sugilite, Smithsonite, Okenite.
Libra          (Sept 23 - Oct 22)	Sapphire, Opal, Ametrine, Apophyllite, Aquamarine, Aventurine, Bloodstone, Chiastolite, Chrysolite, Emerald, Green Spinel, Green Tourmaline, Jade, Kunzite, Lapis Lazuli, Lepidolite, Mahogany Obsidian, Moonstone, Peridot, Sapphire, Topaz, Phrenite, Sunstone.
Scorpio     (Oct 23 - Nov 21)	Topaz, Malachite, Apache Tear, Aquamarine, Beryl, Boji Stone, Charoite, Dioptase, Emerald, Garnet, Green Tourmaline, Herkimer diamond, Kunzite, Moonstone, Obsidian, Red Spinel, Rhondochrosite, Ruby, Turquoise, Hiddenite, Variscite.
Sagittarius(Nov 22 - Dec 21)	Topaz, Turquoise, Amethyst, Azurite, Blue Lace Agate, Chalcedony, Charoite, Dark Blue Spinel, Dioptase, Garnet, Gold Sheen Obsidian, Labradorite, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Snowflake Obsidian, Pink Tourmaline, Ruby, Smoky Quartz, Spinel, Sodalite, Sugilite, Wulfenite, Okenite.

How To Create The Easiest Thanksgiving Dinner Ever

Quick & easiest Thanksgiving dinner for eight


Even if you've never made a turkey or only have one child-free arm to stir the gravy, our step-by-step plan will make you seem like a Thanksgiving pro. The secret: Prep most of your dishes the day before the meal so you can focus your energy on the turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Our delicious menu feeds eight adults and a couple of young kids, but feel free to buy a bigger turkey and double the side dishes if your family is larger. Then gobble up all the compliments!

Grocery list for the easiest Thanksgiving Dinner

Make grocery shopping a snap. Print this organized list of everything you need to make our complete Thanksgiving menu and take it with you to the store.

Produce

• 1 bag celery stalks
• 2 shallots
• 1 bunch sage leaves
• 1 bunch thyme
• 1 bunch parsley
• 2 lbs. green beans
• 5 large oranges
• 3 pkgs. (10 oz. each) cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 8 sweet potatoes

Dry Goods

• 1 pkg. (12 oz.) seasoned whole wheat croutons
• 6 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1 container (12 oz.) honey
• 1 bottle cinnamon
• 1 bottle (17 oz.) balsamic vinegar
• 1 bottle canola oil

Baking

• 1 box (18 oz.) cake mix, yellow or white
• 1 can non-stick cooking spray
• 1 lb. box powdered sugar
• 1 box cornstarch

Meat

• 1 pkg. (12 oz.) nitrate-free turkey bacon
• 15 lb. turkey

Dairy

• 1 container (15 oz.) part-skim ricotta
• 1 stick butter
• 1 container (6 oz.) plain Greek yogurt
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

FEEDING AMERICA ~ How they fight hunger...

The second annual Ameriprise National Day of Service will be held on November 18, 2011.

Ameriprise Financial and Feeding America are proud to join together again this holiday season to help fight hunger in our communities.

The second annual Ameriprise National Day of Service will be held on November 18, 2011 as more than 6,000 Ameriprise executives, employees and financial advisors will be collecting, sorting, and packing food at Feeding America member food banks and hunger-relief agencies at nearly 90 food banks in 44 states across the country.

In addition to their tremendous volunteer efforts, the Ameriprise Financial Challenge provides a 1:1 match up to $500,000 (four million meals) in support of Feeding America’s Thanksgiving appeal to provide food to the millions of Americans at risk of hunger, including nearly 20 million children and nearly three million seniors. The campaign runs from September 6 through November 30, 2011. Learn more about the program on the Ameriprise Financial Challenge page. 

Feeding America is pleased to partner with Ameriprise on this important mission, to provide the gifts of food, comfort and hope to the millions of families who need our help this holiday season.

For more information on the event happening tomorrow please go to the following site:

http://feedingamerica.org/how-we-fight-hunger/our-partners/promotional-partners/ameriprise-volunteers.aspx

American Censorship Day!

Today, Congress holds hearings on the

first American Internet censorship system.

This bill can pass.

If it does the Internet and free speech will never be the same.

Join all of us to stop this bill.

If this law passes, sites like Tumblr and Facebook could be shut down for letting users post freely. Join the protest to stop it.

Website Blocking:
The government can order service providers to block websites for infringing links posted by any users.

Risk of Jail for Ordinary Users:
It becomes a felony with a potential 5 year sentence to stream a copyrighted work that would cost more than $2,500 to license, even if you are a totally noncommercial user, e.g. singing a pop song on Facebook.

Chaos for the Internet:

Thousands of sites that are legal under the DMCA would face new legal threats. People trying to keep the internet more secure wouldn't be able to rely on the integrity of the DNS system.

For more information on Internet Censorship Day please visit:

http://americancensorship.org/