One minute ways for couples to help save the world

We are so excited about the story about What You Can Do in The Nest, an online magazine for couples (check out the article on pg. 9).

There are many fun and easy ways couples can help save the world in just a minute - check out the list and videos below and let us know your ideas at www.facebook.com/whatyoucando!

1) Click to Give Whether you're checking up on your fantasy football team or online shopping, check out www.greatergood.com and click to help issues such as hunger, animal welfare and breast cancer prevention.

2) The Giving Season Celebrate the spirit of giving at your holiday party - ask guests to bring canned goods to donate to a local food bank.

3) Turn Off the Tap Hold a contest to see who's better at remembering to shut off the tap while brushing your teeth to conserve water. First one who forgets has to buy a nice bottle of wine or dessert.

4) Online Buzz for Good Along with posting cute pics of your dog and/or kids, use your social media power to raise awareness for a cause that inspires your passion once per month.

5) Look for the Little Green Frog If it's your turn to grocery shop, look for the Rainforest Alliance's "little green frog" symbol on products such as chocolate and coffee to help preserve our rainforests.

6) Shop Local Also at the grocery store or farmers market, choose local produce when possible to reduce your carbon footprint (i.e. the emissions contributing to global warming).

7) Protect the Night To keep your home safer and help protect the darkness of night (which is crucial for the environment and human/animal health), reduce inside lighting and choose shielded or motion sensing exterior fixtures.

8) Ocean Love Download the Seafood Watch app from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to help choose sustainable seafood at your favorite restaurants.

9) Time to Unplug When heading out of town for the weekend, unplug your electronics (make it easier by using power strips) to reduce energy consumption and your power bill.

10) Start a Kindness Chain Get creative with ideas to spread kindness in your community - cook a delicious meal for an elderly neighbor or help a mom with her groceries at the store.

Halloween Tips and Treats: Part 1 Halloween Party

Trying to figure out a way to make your Halloween greener?

In this episode of The Unstoppable Minute, Jessica, Alicia, Amanda and Cassandra discuss ways to make your costumes and party decorations fun and better for the environment.

Check out our full show on YouTube.

And be sure to check out What You Can Do on Facebook.
Our Pintrest page.
And follow us on Twitter.

For more information about What You Can Do, please visit our website.

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Day 31 of 31 - Happy New Year!

Day 31 of 31 - Happy New Year!

What are your New Year’s resolutions this year?? Thinking of making any green changes? You know we are!

Day 25 of 31 - Green Holiday Party

Day 25 of 31 - Green Party TIps!
Merry Christmas! If you're hosting a Holiday Party, consider some of these green tips.

Day 22 of 31 - Turn down your water heater

For a safer, greener winter season, dial down the knob on your water heater. Watch this video to learn more about this energy-saving tip.

Day 21 of 31 - Go Green Heat

- Save energy this winter with eco-friendly heating tips for your home.

Day 19 of 31 - Doing Dishes

So, you took a trip down memory lane, letting the warm water flow over your hands as you washed the dishes…who hasn’t been there? But the amount of water wasted during that daydream is quite the wake up call. Watch this:

Day 18 of 31 - Conserve Water in Your Bathroom

Entertaining guests at your home this winter? Watch this video to learn a fast and easy way to save water in the bathroom.

Day 16 of 31 - Learn about the Night Sky

Light pollution: it’s what prevents most city-dwellers from enjoying views of the starlit sky. But it also harms wildlife and contributes to global warming. Watch this video to learn how to help protect the night.

Day 14 of 31 - Make Your Holiday Party Green!

Hosting a holiday party? Make it green festivity. Email your invites for starters and save paper and money!

Day 13 of 31 - Rethink your wrapping!

Day 13 of 31 - Give our planet a gift this season! Save money, paper, and have fun using green wrapping paper.

Day 12 of 31 - Carpool to Work

For those commuting to work, consider sharing the ride with friends or
colleagues. Organizing a car pool takes just a moment, but goes the distance in lowering your carbon footprint.

Day 8 of 31 - Traveling Green

The holidays are certainly a time for travel and vacation! It only takes a minute… to help the environment by using these energy saving tips on your next trip.

Day 7 of 31 - Beware of Phantom Power

Are you brightening this holiday season with beautiful holiday lights? Watch this video to learn more about how not to light up your electricity bill.

Beware of Phantom Power!

Day 5 of 31 - Remember the Rainforest

Remember the Rainforest while making your purchases -

It only takes a minute to help save the world’s rainforests. Watch this video for tips from The Rainforest Alliance.

Day 4 of 31 Days of Green - Conscious Buying Tips

It’s holiday shopping season! Before your next trip to the mall, check out these quick, effective one-minute ideas for greener spending choices.

31 Days of Green continues with a Tip to stay Warm

Looking to start a fire this weekend? Why not try this tip instead? Make your own fire logs. It only takes a minute and they'll keep you warm all winter. Also, save your ashes to compost in the Spring. The provide great nutrients for the soil.

31 Days of Green - Rethink your holiday tree!

Looking to get a holiday tree this year? Well why don't you try something different. Join us and let’s save trees this holiday season! Consider a live tree, or think Charlie Brown. Save money, and our forests!

Alicia Beats the Heat

Whew! What a week we had huh? I am not one for the heat. I get grouchy, blotchy and tired. In other words, I am no fun to be around. AT ALL. In fact, I don't have much patience for the cold weather either. I have about a 20 degree span of comfortability. Anywhere from about 55 - 75 degrees is my ideal. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but once we hit the triple digits? There will be a reckoning!

With heat reaching 105 degrees in New York and a heat index of 115 degrees, last week I gotta say, my first reaction was annoyance! I know it's summer and therefore Mother Nature has license to make it as hot as she likes wherever she sees fit on this continent of ours. I, however, disagree with the adamant and persistent attack that she enforced on us. I mean, we deal with the snow and the shoveling, we shouldn't have to deal with this kind of heat.

And then...as I went to restaurant after restaurant and their lights dimmed and their air conditioners failed cause of power outages, I got scared. Really scared. What was happening? This heat was not normal. Was this global warming? Eh Gads!

I am a subscriber of Green Energy and use a lot of recycled or green products in my home. I also recycle, reuse and reduce as much as possible, but on a recent vacation, I realized that's not the norm throughout this great country of ours. Even in 2011. And that makes me sad. We all gotta pitch in folks. We gotta help to fight these issues in our own homes first. If we want change to happen, it has to start with us.

If this past week freaked you out at all, or annoyed you in any way - consider watching these videos for some ideas on how to help stop global warming. Or please feel free to share ideas of your own.

All of these big changes start with us, we have to do something about it.
Take Action!

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Alicia's Eyes on Vacation

Whew. Its been a long time since I've written anything. Confession time, I was on vacation and it was awesome!

For the past 25 years, my family has been going to Long Boat Key, Florida. It's such a beautiful place with white sand beaches, great restaurants and shopping and wonderful people. This year we got to go for two weeks, and it was a huge treat.

The hotel where we stay is called the Long Boat Key Club and they have always been interested in sustainability and the environment. However, this time, I noticed that they received Florida's official "Green Lodging" certification which means they are recognized as one of the premier environmentally conscientious lodging facilities in the state. They are also the first resort and club in the Sarasota area to be awarded the "Green Business Partner" certification by Sarasota County. And their 291- slip, deep-water marina, is recognized by the State of Florida as a "Clean Marina", based on their commitment to implementing and maintaining environmentally friendly business practices. What a great place for the What You Can Do creator and producer to spend two weeks vacation. Not only is the place beautiful and peaceful, but you don't have to feel badly about negatively impacting the environment.

Over the next few blogs, I want to talk about the trip - about wildlife, the night sky, food and going green. Stay tuned for more.

And if you're going on a vacation this summer consider an ecofriendly one!

Alicia