The holidays are all about celebrating acts of giving, making it the perfect opportunity to make your gift giving smarter this season. There are so many amazing businesses out there that give back when you purchase one of their products. These companies are tied to doing good somewhere in the world every time a purchase is made. Read on for my 4 favorite gifts that give back – and if you hurry you can still get these goodies by Christmas.
1. Warby Parker Glasses Eben and I both wear glasses and love the stylish, affordable frames from Warby Parker. For every pair of glasses that you buy, a pair is donated to a person in need. If you don’t wear glasses, that is alright – Warby Parker also offers fantastic sunglasses.
2. Feed Bags I have been familiar with FEED Bags for a very long time – I remember first seeing them in Whole Foods back when we lived in Georgia! FEED Bags come in a huge selection of styles and sizes and with each purchase a portion of the proceeds go towards feeding the children of the world.
3. TOMS Shoes Most likely you are already familiar with TOMS shoes – for every pair you purchase a pair is donated to a child in need. With a great selection of shoes for everyone on your list, TOMS is the perfect holiday gift!
4. Bogo Brush Every year I stick a toothbrush in the holiday stocking – this year I will be stuffing a brush from Bogo Brush! Bogo Brush is another company that donates a product to a child in need – in this case, an eco-friendly toothbrush made from waste – because a healthy smile is a happy smile.
It’s no secret that our choices can greatly impact the environment. However, while recycling can definitely reduce your carbon footprint, there are other methods you can use to help the environment and combat climate change. That said, here are a few unexpected ways you can help the environment.
1. Use Eco-Friendly Servers for Your Internet
You may not give much thought to your internet needs. After all, we’ve all heard that a digital lifestyle is a lot better for the environment than one based on manual operations such as printing out materials. If you’re already cutting back on the waste you produce by making printouts of things and opting to send them online; you can take things a step further. This is by making sure that the servers you use for your internet needs are eco-friendly.
A simple search online should point you toward some eco-friendly servers that have based their operations on sustainability. Keep in mind that the global web hosting services market is forecasted to grow from $102 billion to $321.5 billion by 2025. You should use a server with 480Gbps and advanced DDoS protection for the best experience. You can search for these qualities in the server that promotes green living in order to enjoy good internet without leaving a large carbon footprint.
2. Reduce Pollution by Fixing Your Car
Another way to reduce the carbon footprint you’re leaving on the environment is to fix your car. When your car is running in good condition, it will not only be a lot more efficient, but it will also produce fewer emissions. This is why making sure that your car is in good shape is important for the environment. It’s a good way to hit a number of goals all at once, as you can be sure that you’ll enjoy having a car in great running condition, and so will the environment.
To this end, keep in mind basic car maintenance steps, such as changing your oil every 3,000 miles or as per the manufacturer’s recommendations. You should also have your car serviced at regular intervals so that it’s easy for you to spot any potential issues long before they get out of hand.
3. Shop for Local Produce
Last but not least, you should consider shopping for local produce. Doing this will make you travel a shorter distance to get the produce you need. In this way, you can help ease the demand for produce that needs to get shipped from a long distance away. You’ll increase the demand for local produce and support local producers while enjoying a shorter commute to get your produce.
This will see you use your car less often or on shorter trips, which you can even get done by walking or using a bicycle, both great alternatives for green living. When doing this, you’ll inadvertently lower your carbon emissions and support local farmers who will be motivated to keep producing healthy produce for you and like-minded individuals. Local produce leaves a smaller carbon footprint in its production, so this is going to be an additional benefit for the environment. You’ll eat fresh and healthy produce that will keep you healthy and decrease your dependence on commercially-produced greens that may not be as healthy for you.
In these three unexpected ways, you can reduce your carbon footprint. You’ll make a welcome difference to the environment as well as to your life. You’ll also set a great example to the people around you. With such habits of green living, it may be possible to improve the state of the environment.
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Public transportation plays a significant role in our society today. People in large cities around the world rely on buses and trains for convenient and affordable travel. Additionally, many methods of public transportation have embraced new technological advancements in order to attract more people. If you’re still unsure about moving away from private travel, here’s a look at some important benefits of public transportation.
Community Asset
Many state government leaders believe that public transportation improves community relations. Public transportation also helps promote an active lifestyle. Riding public transportation likely means that you have to walk to your nearby stop, which is a form of exercise to help you stay in shape. Health experts recommend that people perform at least 15-20 minutes of physical activity every day. You could fulfill that requirement simply by riding public transportation on a regular basis.
Higher Fuel Quality
Using public transportation reduces your carbon footprint for several reasons. These types of vehicles use more eco-friendly fuel sources, for one. Public transportation vehicles receive high marks for utilizing electric resources as fuel. The vehicles are also more fuel efficient than other vehicles that also rely on gas. Less fuel is consumed utilizing public transportation compared to driving a public car on the road.
Mass Appeal
Public transportation is a major asset to people who live in urban and rural areas who don’t have the ability to drive on a regular basis. Public transportation helps people reach their intended destinations to complete tasks when they would be immobile otherwise. To that end, research shows that over 95% of public transportation buses are equipped to accommodate people in wheelchairs. In that sense, public transportation helps ensure that no one is left behind.
Stimulates the Economy
Supporting public transportation helps improve the local economy. When you use public transportation, you’re supporting the workforce and small businesses in the area. Perhaps you decide to shop at a local store near your bus or train stop. Popular transportation systems also stimulate the local community’s workforce. This helps create more jobs and also makes it easier for people who don’t own a vehicle to make a living.
Public Transportation Is Eco-Friendly
Recent data shows that traveling using the most common methods of public transportation (bus or train) is more environmentally friendly than driving your own car or flying. For reference, with a full tank, helicopters can usually fly around two and a half to five hours before running out of fuel. Public transportation can help you reach your destination way more efficiently. It really can’t be said enough; utilizing public transportation is a great example of green living practices.
Minimizes Traffic
Getting stuck in traffic is every person’s worst nightmare. Traffic jams also have a negative impact on local infrastructure. However, turning to public transportation is a potential solution. Public transportation can help reduce wear and tear on highways and other roads because there are fewer vehicles on the road at once. Utilizing public transportation also reduces the likelihood of potential traffic jams.
Reduces The Risk Of Serious Accidents
Driving requires all of your attention. However, many drivers have caused accidents because they were talking or texting while driving. Driving under the influence is also a major issue. Even for a first DUI offense, penalties can include license suspension, fines, community service, mandatory attendance at an alcohol program, mandatory overnight incarceration, and the required installation of a car ignition locking device. Relying on public transportation allows you to relax and avoid being overwhelmed by the pressures of driving. You won’t have to worry as much about evolving road conditions or the behavior of other drivers on the road.
Helps You Save Money
Public transportation also helps you save money in the long term because you aren’t spending as much money on fuel every month. Driving less frequently can also lower your car insurance premiums. Plus, many public transportation programs offer loyalty rewards programs to help you qualify for future discounts.
There are many advantages to using public transportation. Consider switching over to help support your community and the environment.
Fall is right around the corner, and that means it’s back to school for children, teens, and young adults across the country. For parents, that means it’s time to handle getting lunches packed, balanced breakfasts on the table, and sleepyheads out of bed!
I always get a wonderful nostalgic feeling from the end of summer, back-to-school time. It always reinvigorates me and makes me excited to try new things and make changes in my life, even though my own schooldays are long past. I think part of this has definitely been from raising Eben!
Watching him go through the process of starting a new grade each year has been so rewarding and inspiring (and now, he’s applying to Graduate School, can you believe it!) I always want to support him and his efforts at school, and part of that means making sure he’s well fed and properly fueled so his brain can do all that learning each day (at least until he leaves us!)
One of the things I like to try and do each year is come up with new types of healthy snacks. Kids always seem drawn to any kind of single-serving snacks and fun foods—just think about those awful packaged varieties that your kids have probably begged you to buy while shopping. Packing the same things all the time gets boring and doesn’t offer much variety in terms of vitamins and minerals, which only eating a broad diet can do.
If you’re stumped for new ideas when packing lunches, here are some of our favorites, which I’m sure your kids will love, too:
Fruit Skewers: Use whatever fruits you have on hand (melons, apples, clementines, grapes, etc.) and stick bite-sized chunks onto wooden skewers or reusable plastic or metal skewers if you want to be extra eco-conscious. These colorful snacks are fun to eat and easy to share with friends at school!
Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter & Pretzels: This fun, dippable snacks make eating healthy nut butter a breeze. Eben loves these so much he had already gone through the package of them before school started! Like a healthier version of Nutella, these snacks feel like an indulgence, but they’re made from high-quality, all-natural ingredients with a focus on sustainability. Definitely a winner!
Fruit and Vegetable Chips: Whether you choose to make these in the oven, dehydrator, or buy them from your local health food store (such a variety is available these days!), fruit or vegetable chips are a great way of making healthy eating fun and delicious for kids. The possibilities are endless: apples, sweet potatoes, kale, zucchini, eggplant, all with any combination of flavored salts, herbs, and spices.
Stonyfield Organics YoKids Squeezers: This squeezable yogurt is both healthy and tasty. Eben loves the Cherry and Berry flavor pack, and they never come home uneaten when I pack them in his lunch! As with all of the Stonyfield products, they are organic certified by the USDA and made with pasture-raised milk.
Nuts and Seeds: I buy organic nuts and seeds in bulk at Costco and pack them in Eben’s lunch every day. They are the perfect snack to grab right before a big test or for an after-lunch pick-me-up!
Homemade Granola Bars: Unlike their store-bought counterparts, when you make granola bars at home, you don’t need to add any processed sugars and can control exactly what goes into them. There are endless healthy granola bar recipes online, and I guarantee at least one of them can be made with whatever you have in your cupboards right now!
What about you? Do you have any favorite back-to-school snack ideas that your kids devour? Or any packing secrets or life-changing products you can’t do without? I’d love to hear about them—the more inspiration, the better!
Many families struggle with common health conditions they can handle without going to the hospital. While prescription medications are important, their costs can increase in the long run. It’s important to consider the alternative in this case: embracing “green” treatments. Understand that these treatments use natural approaches to address common health conditions you may have. This guide explains which natural treatments and ingredients could help set you up for a healthy life.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is among the plants with effective medicinal properties you can use to treat common health conditions. In alternative medicine, aloe vera can treat skin abrasion and alleviate joint pain. The anti-inflammatory properties in the plant are also vital in treating arthritis pain. Aloe vera is also important to people struggling with osteoporosis and low bone density. More than 52 million people are struggling with osteoporosis and low bone density in the United States alone. With aloe vera as an alternative treatment, addressing health conditions and enabling healing can be easy.
Chamomile
Addressing common health conditions naturally goes beyond the physical symptoms you see. It is possible to address your mental health issues in this way as well. Chamomile is a common medicinal plant used to treat anxiety and enable relaxation. The plant is also effective in reducing inflammation and swelling and treating wounds. When added to tea, it helps soothe the mind, making it possible for you to relax and concentrate more. Chamomile is a plant you can grow in your home and enjoy the related benefits. Use the flowers to get the expected medicinal results faster.
Traditional Diet
Besides breastfeeding, you effectively address dental health issues in your child by embracing and encouraging a traditional diet. A meal with plenty of fat-soluble vitamins and healthy fats is crucial to dental health. Did you know that one out of every three orthodontic patients in a dental care clinic is an adult? It is important to consider traditional diets as they help address dental health issues in adults and children. As a parent and homeowner, encouraging your family to eat avocados, pasture butter, fermented foods, and fish is important for their dental health. Reach out to nutritionists and dieticians to know more about vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and collard greens that contain high calcium content to add to your traditional diet and address your dental health issues.
Garlic and Ginger
As you look for ways to get the best natural treatment, know that adding garlic and ginger to your diet is beneficial. While garlic is widely used for cooking, the medicinal benefits are great. You can use the compounds found in garlic for antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory needs. Know that garlic is effective in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Ginger is effective in easing motion sickness and nausea. Like garlic, you can effectively use ginger as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. Understand that you reduce medical needs and costs by embracing and encouraging natural health in your family.
Perilla or Stinging Nettle
The little-known perilla plant is effective in the treatment of people struggling with allergies. Note that this plant has antidepressant properties you can effectively use to alleviate asthma or allergic rhinitis symptoms. You can also use the plant to treat different skin conditions, helping you avoid costly prescription medications. While it is the belief that allergic rhinitis or asthma can spontaneously go away, medical reports and statistics show that the likelihood of positive results is only 1% per year. For this reason, embracing alternative medicine remains beneficial. You can conveniently use stinging nettle leaves as an alternative treatment to alleviate allergies or asthma. Studies show that you can benefit from stinging nettle’s antioxidant, astringent, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Embracing “green” treatment is an effective way to achieve your health objectives without spending much. You can grow most of the plants, vegetables, and herbs in the garden in your home and enjoy the benefits. By learning more about natural treatments, you easily address common health conditions and care for your family.
The holidays are all about celebrating acts of giving, making it the perfect opportunity to make your gift giving smarter this season. There are so many amazing businesses out there that give back when you purchase one of their products. These companies are tied to doing good somewhere in the world every time a purchase is made. Read on for my 4 favorite gifts that give back – and if you hurry you can still get these goodies by Christmas.
