5 Lessons About How To Treat People

Even though I can't prove these stories are all true, I'd like to believe they are. They can teach everyone something. 

Five Lessons About How To Treat People
-- Author Unknown


1. First Important Lesson - "Know The Cleaning Lady"

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.


2. Second Important Lesson - "Pickup In The Rain"

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.

A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.


3. Third Important Lesson - "Remember Those Who Serve"

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "50¢," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "35¢!" she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.


4. Fourth Important Lesson - "The Obstacles In Our Path"

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand - "Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition."


5. Fifth Important Lesson - "Giving When It Counts"

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Green Tips for April

1. Make your own Soap. Learn to make your own soap, chemical residues from non-natural soap go down our drains and impact the environment. Making an all natural soap can be fun and will be better for the environment. Check out TeachSoap.com to learn how to make homemade soap.  

2. Reduce your use of Styrofoam cups and take out-containers. Some studies show that Styrofoam will take thousands of years to break down. Instead of using it, try using paper cups and plates. These are recyclable.

3. Eat what you buy, buy what you need. Many people buy more than what they will eat and waste money and food. Plan out meals a head of time and only buy what you are planning on serving/eating. If you have leftovers use them for tomorrow's lunch or freeze them for another day.

4. Turn down your stove element. When the water starts boiling turn down the element. The water that is roaring boiling is the same temperature as light boiling water. It only requires a small amount of energy to keep water boiling.

5. Switch to digtial music. Not only is it easier to download digital music, but it also saves on plastics, packaging and transport costs, materials and Green House Gas emissions.

6. Reuse office materials. Keep bubble wrap and Styrofoam "peanuts" that can be reused. They may be helpful if you are moving, or doing arts and crafts with kids!

7. Steam clean the microwave. Instead of using chemical cleaners place a mug of water in the microwave and boil on high for three to four minutes. The steam will soften stuck on food, then it will be easy to wipe up with a reusable cloth.

8. Practice green financial planning. When it comes to planning future spending, use your money to buy into green energy investments.

9. Bookworms - try reading e-books! Book-sized digital readers are becoming more affordable, these are easy to carry around and contain dozens of books. This reduces the use of paper, packaging and transport of traditional book publishing.

10. Plan a low carbon wedding. If you are planning on tying the knot, plan for a low-carbon or carbon neutral wedding. For ideas on how to do that, Google "low-carbon wedding".

11. Visit your local recycling centre. Even if you have curbside recycling, visit your local centre and see if they take additional materials such as solvents and paints or reusable building supplies.

12. Wash bottles, cans and jars before recycling. Leaving food remnants in recyclables risks contaminating the rest of the recycling. This could force the entire lot to be thrown out. 

Easy to make Home made fries

These are so easy to make, and taste delicious. They're better than frozen fries, or deep fried and better for you. I made them for two, if you are making them for more just guess at the amount of potatoes! I'd say 2 potatoes per person. I found these on myfridgefood.com, which is an awesome website! You make an account, then choose which foods are in your fridge and it comes up with recipes that you can make! It's amazing. You can also add your own recipes to the website. Try it out!

Ingredients:

5 medium size potatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash potatoes, then cut thick slices. Place slices in bowel and drizzle melted butter on top. Toss to coats potatoes. Transfer to a baking pan. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn every ten minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

These would taste great with Nan Smith's Perfect Pork Chops and some mixed veggies! Yummy!

Best Brownies

My work is having a St Patrick's Day pot luck today at lunch! I made brownies for the event (and put green sprinkles on the to give them a St Patty's day flare). Thought I'd share the recipe! They make delicious brownies!!


Brownie Batter

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa

2 eggs

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt

Directions:
Melt butter in saucepan and mix in cocoa. Remove from heat. Beat eggs. Add all dry ingredients. DON'T STIR. Pour butter mixture over this and mix. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 mins (or until the edges begin to show signs of pulling away from the side of the pan).


Icing
Ingredients:
1 and 1/3 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
3 tbsp butter
1 and 1/2 tbsp water

Directions:

Beat all four ingredients together. Spread over cooled brownies and cut into squares.

They are so yummy! And easy for anyone to make. Don't have an 8x8 pan? Go to the dollar store and buy a tin pan, works like a charm!

Homemade Pancakes

Just in time for Pancake Tuesday! I thought I'd share my mom's recipe for pancakes. Since I grew up eating homemade pancakes, I can't stand a mix from the box. Try these out tonight!

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

3 tsps baking powder

2 tbsp sugar

1 3/4 cups milk 

1 egg

2 tbsp oil

Directions:

Mix wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients. Combine. Measure one cup and grill on frying pan. When bubbles appear flip.

If you decide to add chocolate chips or blueberries add 1/2 cup.

I'll share photos of my pancakes later tonight.

Enjoy!!

Green Tips for March

1. Burning candles emit greenhouse gases! Most candles are made from paraffin wax, which is a byproduct of oil refining. Earth-friendly candles can be purchased or you can make it yourself with soy or beeswax! Here are some websites with instructions: EHow, and Care2.com.These candles are available try Bluecorn Naturals and PureLightCandles.com.

2. Recycle clothes. Buy clothing from stores such as Value Village, and Frenchy's! Re-use can be applied to clothes recycling too. Also - if you can find local vendors whose clothes have somehow been recycled buy there too.

3. Use green and/or recycled building supplies for home improvement. Try using natural paints, and sustainable products such as bamboo. When renovating instead of tossing unwanted cabinets, plumbing fixtures or lumber, donate it so others can re-use them. Cabinets can also be used for storage in other parts of the home!

4. Improve your indoor air quality. By having live plants and a well ventilated home, this can help better the air quality of your home.

5. Understand the impact of your travel choices. Airlines have a bigger carbon footprint than train or bus, so when you can, choose a bus or train over an airplane. Also, try and use public transportation while traveling, you'll get to see how local people live.

6. When traveling, buy local. Support the small, family-run restaurants, businesses and attractions, instead of national or international franchises. Not only will this help the local economy, but you will get to experience something you can't get anywhere but there!

7. Improve indoor office air quality. Buy-energy effieicnt HEPA air filters and open windows (if possible) to improve circulation. Buy non-toxic furniture to aviod off-gassing.

8. Curb the electrical use in your office. Switch off, or put copiers, printers and faxes in "sleep mode" when they're not being used. Encourage your organization to buy energy-efficient machines. Unplug any chargers when they are not in use.

9. Use 'GOOS' paper. Old documents, reports and junk mail that are printed on one side only is called GOOS paper (Good On One Side). Before recycling, see how much GOOS paper you can re-use.

10. Learn about Canadian R-2000 homes. These homes are certified and offer amazing efficiency using 30 to 40% less energy than a regular home! They are more costly up front, but you will save a lot of money in the long-run and the resale value will go up as well! Visit the NRCan's website and learn more about the benefits of these homes.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm not the most experienced cook or baker, but this year I've decided to try my best at attempting to make meals other than KD and Mr. Noodles. So far, I've been pretty proud of myself.

I haven't tackled much baking, but my sister's friend Nicole sent me a recipe for muffins that sounded delicious! I had to try them out. I even went out and bought a muffin pan! The muffins are so great. I really think everyone should try them out! Here's the recipe!  

 

Ingredients:

---

1 cup butter 
1 cup sugar 
2 eggs 
1 tsp vanilla 
1/2 cup buttermilk (can use milk with 1/2 tsp vinager) 
2 mashed ripe bananas 
1 cup oatmeal 
1 tsp salt 
1 1/2 tsp soda 
2 cup all purpose flour 
1 cup chocolate chips (I use 1/2 milk & 1/2 semi-sweet)

 

Directions:

---

In mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar.
Add eggs and vanilla, and mix well.
Add milk and bananas and blend together.
Add oatmeal, salt, soda, and flour until well blended
stir in chips
grease 24 med size muffin cups and fill 2/3 way full
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Let cool for at least 15 min before serving

Find more great recipes at Group Recipes. Thanks to Nicole for sending me this recipe!

Nan Smith's Perfect Pork Chops

My Dad's parents, Nan and Pop, live in Newfoundland are both great cooks. Together they work in the kitchen really well, not only do they make great pork chops, but they make the BEST turkey dinner you'll find.

On top of the hill behind
my grandparents house in Holyrood

Nan and Pop live in Holyrood, NL. Nan grew up in the small fishing town of Gaskiers, in St Mary's Bay. Pop loves to tell people he grew up in Victoria, BC and when they ask if he's from the west coast he says, "No, Victoria B.C - Behind Carbonier!". Pop always says he and Nan are real Newfoundlander's because they were Newfoundlander's before they were Canadians! Both can remember when Newfoundland officially became a part of Canada.

If you haven't had the chance to visit Newfoundland, you really have to, pictures don't do it justice. It is one of the most beautiful places with the friendliest people in the world! I am slightly biased because half of my family lives in Newfoundland, but trust me, Newfoundlander's are like no others. They're the best.

My brother, sister and I all have our favorite dinners that Nan makes. I love turkey, my brother loves a roast and my sister loves pork chops! Today I am going to share with you how to make Nan's pork chops!

Ingredients:

Pork Chops (6)
Onion (1)
Mushrooms (to taste - 6ish)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)



Directions:

Chop up and fry onion and mushrooms, add pork chops after a few minutes. Brown pork chops, add salt and pepper.

Once pork chops are browned evenly on both sides, place in pan with sides add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with tinfoil and bake on 375 for 1 hour. If using "fast-fry" pork chops 45 to 50 minutes will suffice.

I can guarantee you will love these pork chops. I don't like onions and mushrooms, but you need to have them with these pork chops, together they make them taste delicious! Usually we have mashed potatoes and corn with it. Tonight Scott and I had mashed potatoes (with cheese, bacon bits and a little sour cream mixed in), mixed veggies (corn, peas, beans and carrots) and ceaser salad! It was great.

I invite you all to try out this recipe, let me know what you think!

Green Tips for February

1. While brushing your teeth turn off the water. You can save approximately 95 L of water a month just by following this simple task.

2. Suggest sustainability ideas to implement at work. Suggest some ideas at work to make your workplace more sustainable, ways to save energy, water, recycle, re-use, save office supplies! This could also save money. Check out these tips to make your office go green, how to make your businesses greener, how to inspire change at your office and making a more sustainable office (see list on the right-hand side).

3. Reduce amount of water in each flush. If you have a toilet that was installed before the early 90's then there is probably more water being used than needed. Look into putting a water displacement device in the tank.

4. Wash dark clothes and colours in cold water. This saves both energy and money, it also keeps the clothes' colours more vibrant.

5. Get rid of unused 'electronic gizmo'. Clocks that have digital timers, power chargers or standby modes are sucking energy (called 'phantom electricity') when it is not being used. When devices are not being used, unplug them.

6. Winter heating: allow sunlight in during the day for passive solar heating then close the blinds at night!

7. Buy energy saving appliances. These are often rated 'Energy Star'. Compare the energy savings when shopping for appliances. Some dishwashers and washing machines will also save litres of water per load!

8. Find out where your energy comes from. Check with your electric company, more energy is generated from coal - the fossil fuel that is the biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the world!

Stay tuned for more green tips next week, until then stay green!

Must Reads.

Anytime is a good time to start reading. I have some must reads on a list and some novels I plan on reading in the near future. If you're looking for a good book to read anytime, here's your list.

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,
2. The Girl Who Played with Fire and
3. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - By Stieg Larsson.

After dropping three books off to his publisher Larsson found the elevator not working, so he had to walk up several flights of stairs. When he got to the top he had a heart-attack and later died. He was unable to see his three books become an international phenomenon.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is set in Sweden and is about an unlikely couple collaborating to try and solve a murder mystery from 40 years ago.  I finished this book in 4 days and spent as much time possible reading it. The second and third were as great as the first!

Apparently the "Millennium" Series was supposed to be a ten book series. Larsson was almost finished the fourth book, which is in possession of his partner of almost 30 years. I haven't heard if she has made any comment about having the book finished and published. 

4. Damaged by Pamela Callow. Callow came to my Persuasive Writing class at Mount Saint Vincent University winter 2010 to give us a reading. I was instantly excited to read her book, not only because it is set in my hometown Halifax NS, but it instantly hooks you. Visit Pamela Callow's website to learn more about Damaged, Indefensible and the other books to come in this thriller series.

5. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. Patterson is know for his exciting thrillers, but this time he switches it up to tell the love story of Matt and Suzanne. Using many elements from his previous years of writing thrillers, this love story turns into a book that becomes hard to tear your eyes away from. Read it for yourself, such a great book.

6. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. This is Albom's story about his reconnection with an important college professor before his death. This novel is filled with passion and life lessons. A real thinker.

 7. The Shack by William P. Young. The Shack is Mack's story and battle with faith, family and life itself. Even for someone who is not religious, this is a wonderful story.

8. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner should be read by everyone. This is a heartbreaking story of the life of a young man from Afghanistan, who eventually flees to America.  Seriously, read it.

9. Tell It To The Skies by Erica James is a novel that starts in present day Venice Lydia's home for years, but she is taken into her past after a reminder of the place and people she had left behind many years ago. This novel is a story you want to keep reading until the very end.

10. 19 Minutes by Jodie Picoult. This novel tells the story of a high school shooting at Sterling High. It infuses the lives of the adults and teenagers in Sterling, New Hampshire to get over the tragic deaths and understand a misunderstood boy.

Some of these books have been since made into movies. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is in the works in Hollywood.There are so many other books I've loved! Check out my 'What I'm Reading' section to the right to see the last few books I've read!

Any other suggestions for great reads?

Turkey Apple Burgers

When I first read the recipe for turkey apple burgers I thought they sounded yummy, but my boyfriend who is a big double cheeseburger lover thought they were going to be gross. He did try them and loved them! As did I. They were delicious. I've sent the recipe to a handful of people to try out. This recipe is quick and easy to make and can be made in the winter or summer. Definitely try them out!

Ingredients:

Lean ground turkey                                     1 lb.
Large egg, fork-beaten                                1
Finely crushed soda crackers                       1 cup
Finely chopped onion                                   2 tbsp.
Small garlic clove, crushed                           1
Red apple, with peel, finely diced                 1
Chopped fresh parsley                                 1 tbsp.
Salt                                                              3/4 tsp.
Pepper                                                         1/2 tsp.

Directions:

Combine all 9 ingredients together in a large bowl. Form into 6 to 8 patties. Broil 4 inches from heat, 10 minutes per side, or grill over medium heat on BBQ.

 Try them out and let me know what you think! 

Roasted Pepper Sauce

If you want a new pasta sauce to try out, this one is awesome! I totally recommend it, I made it for the first time a week ago and it was really great! I am going to try it with some other colour peppers as well. Since I'm a student I think it will be whichever pepper is on sale. After having the sauce I don't think I would use green peppers because it is nor as sweet, however the original  recipe recommends all coloured peppers.


Ingredients:
Large red peppers                                       5
Chopped fresh sweet basil                           2/3 cup

Hard margarine                                            1 tsp.
Garlic cloves, crushed                                  2
Green onions, sliced thinly                            6

All-purpose flour                                          1 1/2 tbsp.
Skim evaporated milk                                   13 1/2 oz. or 385 mL
Dried oregano                                              1/2 tsp.
Dried thyme                                                 1/2 tsp.
Salt                                                              1 1/2 tsp.
Ground pepper                                             1/2 tsp.

Place peppers on baking sheet with sides. Broil 3 inches from heat for 30 minutes, turning several times until skin is blackened. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel off skin and discard seeds, reserve juice.

Put peeled pepper, reserved juice and basil into blender. Process until very finely chopped.

Melt margarine in a non-stick skillet. Saute garlic and green onion until onion is soft.

Combine flour and evaporated milk in a small cup. Stir until smooth. Add oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Add to garlic mixture, along with pepper puree. Heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is boiling and thickened. Serve immediately. Makes 4 1/2 cups of sauce, enough for 4 servings.

1 serving: 155 calories, 11 g protein, 1.6g total fat, 1 162 mg sodium, 4g dietary fibre. 

The first time I made it I halved the recipe and it made 3 servings. It was delicious and I recommend it to everyone! Serve over whole wheat pasta.

Green Tips of the Week - Jan 31

1. Insulate everywhere. By making sure that your entire house is insulated including but not limited to the roof, attic, floors, walls and basements this will help keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Plus it with save some money on heating too!

2. Battle germs and mold with a green disinfectant. You can buy some in stores or even make your own with common household products. Mix a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide with two parts water in a spray bottle and use on areas to be disinfected.

3. Go for a walk. Instead of watching TV or booting up the computer every time you're bored take a walk outside! It will also be good for you and the planet.

4. Cut down on dish-washing. Designate yourself a glass for your drinking water or other beverages each day or use a refillable water bottle.
5. Shorten your shower. If you shorten your shower by a couple minutes you could save over 500 L of water/month. Showers use half the water a bath does!

6. Test your Toilet. Put food colouring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have yourself a leak! If you fix it, you can save over 4,000 L a month!

Did you know?
Fossil fuels for example coal, oil and natural gas are "non-renewable" because they took million of years to form. Hydroelectricity, wind, solar, tidal and wood-biomass energy are "renewable" forms of energy.


Check back next week for some more Green Tips!

Yummy Spaghetti and Meat-sauce

Something I think is important is a good spaghetti recipe. Who does like spaghetti? I mean I can understand why some people are sick of it, after growing up and having spaghetti every Wednesday night. But once you get past that spaghetti is a quick and easy meal. You can make it the day of, or ahead of time and freeze the sauce! I've done both with the following recipe and it works out great! :) Hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 can beef broth
3 cups tomato sauce
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow or orange pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper (or to taste)

1 package of dry spaghetti, cooked and drained

Preperation:
1. Brown the beef with onion and garlic in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Drain excess fat.
3. Add beef broth. Simmer.
4. Add the next eight ingredients (switch to a deep pot).
5. Mix well.
6. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Serve over hot spaghetti with garlic bread.
** Optional - If someone doesn't like chunks in their sauce, blend the tomato and peppers to make a paste.

Green Tips of the Week - Jan 24

Here's this week's list of sustainability tips!  Go and make your life more green!

1. Eat meat-free meals once a week. Meat makes a person's eco-footprint much bigger as it takes more resources. However, chicken makes the smallest eco-footprint of all meats.

2. Reuse water. Collect the water used to rinse food like fruits and veggies, then re-use that water to houseplants! You can easily collect water in the summertime - just get some buckets to collect rain water.

3. Try to be "carbon neutral". Air traveling and driving all have GHG effects.  "Here's how it works: if you add polluting emissions to the atmosphere, you can effectively subtract them by purchasing carbon offsets. Carbon offsets are simply credits for emission reductions achieved by projects such as wind farms, solar installations, or energy efficiency retrofits. You can purchase these credits and apply them to your own emissions to reduce your net climate impact." - Check out more from www.davidsuzuki.org.

4. Install a water-efficient showerhead. If your shower fills a 4L bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace the shower head with a water efficient model. At Canadian Tire you can get a "low-flow showerhead" for as low as $5.99.

5. Plastic #2, #4 and #5. These are the safest kinds of plastic to reuse. Then you can check and see if #1, #3, #6 and #7 are recycled in your province! Check out About.com's information about recycling plastics.

One last fact: Canadians and Americans are the heaviest users of energy in the WORLD, on a per capita basis.

Now head back into your daily life and go green :)

Green tips of the week- Jan 15

Here are some Green Tips for this week!

1. Host a clothing-swap. My sister and I do this a lot, as do my best friend and I. If you are sick of some of your clothes, go through your closet and put the ones you don't want anymore aside. Tell some of your friends to do the same, then get together and swap clothes! It's a great way to get new clothes (new-to-you) and be sustainable. Any leftovers can be donated to Big Brothers and Big Sisters!

2. Reduce your carbon footprint. There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint - this includes using your car less or buying a more fuel efficient vehicle.  You can calculate your carbon footprint here: http://tiny.cc/49cd1

3.  Always carry reusable bags. This is one I really want to start working on, because Scott and I always forget our reusable bags at home! Some reusable bags fold up and fit in any size purse great. Invest in a few of those and you'll always have a bag on hand! Plastic bags can take from 50 to 1,000 years to decompose!!

4. Use biodegradable detergents for your laundry and dishes. Many chemicals used to make detergents "more powerful" cause damage to our Earth. By using biodegradable detergents we are helping out the Earth! It's also a good idea to use vinegar and water to clean the kitchen and bathroom. Vinegar acts as a cleaner for pipes, so not only will it clean those spaces but it will help clean your pipes also!

5. When printing documents - use recycled, non-bleached paper.  The number of trees cut down can be reduced and the chemicals used to making paper so white can also be reduced. Staples sells recycled paper, check it out: http://tiny.cc/qv7jj.

6. Buy local! For all of you who had Mrs. MacDonald for grade 12 geography can't you remember her telling us, "Local, local, local". She always tried to drill in our head how fantastic it was to buy local. Now I totally understand this reduces the shipping because it is not coming from far away! And we are able to support our local farmers.

Here are your tips for the week! Try them out and let me know how they're working out for you.

Green Tips of the Week

I have a new desk calendar in my living room which gives daily sustainability tips. So I have decided to share some of the best tips weekly!

1. Make a resolution to 'go green'. Read books about going green, follow blogs, or research information about being sustainable.

2. Stay fit by jogging, biking, walking or skating outdoors. By spending time outdoors you will develop an appreciation for nature. Since it is winter one often finds it harder to get outdoors, so skating, skiing or sledding are great ways to keep fit while spending time outdoors.

3. Wash your clothes in cold water. Not only will this save money but, lower energy consumption reduces greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere. However, things like dishcloths and towels should still be washed in hot or warm/cold water.

4. Repair your clothes. Instead of throwing out clothes that have gotten a hole etc., repair those clothes. Extending the life of your clothes makes it so you "buy less, save money and put less demand on the environment". If you can't sew, try and learn or find someone who can help you out.

5. Drink tap water, not bottled water. In North America most cities have water that is just as good - or better than - bottled water. This also reduces the plastic waste that is filling up our landfills. If you are on a well and do not want to consume your water - try buying a filter to attach to your tap.

6. Use baking soda as a cleaner. Not only can baking soda help your fridge stay fresh, but it can clean the tub, the toilet or even your carpet and rugs! By using baking soda instead of harsh chemical cleaners it is better to send those down the drain. Also, by sprinkling baking soda on carpet, rugs or your fabric couches and letting it sit can help clean it!

7. Compost! Composting naturally breaks down organic matter, not only does composting reduce what goes in our landfills but it also can provide soil for a garden!

Try these out and next week I will post more tips to make your life more sustainable!

Videos that make me smile

I often spend time watching videos friends post on facebook and twitter. I thought I'd share some of my favorites and then ask you to share in the comments below some of your own favorite videos I may have not seen or forgotten about.


Recently my sister showed me this video and it makes me happy every time I watch it!

 

If you are like me and love animals - especially elephants you'll appreciate this next video.

For holiday/ animal lovers!

Someday this kid may hate his Dad for this - but really I think he should embrace it.

This next one is amazing, but I wonder if the elephants enjoy painting - or if it is something they HAVE to do.

The biggest regret about my life is that I'll never have a dog.

Baby monkey. That is all. Now watch.

Here's a classic:

Makes my heart melt <3

Now I've shared some of my favorite videos, do you have any that I may like? Hope this made your day a little bit brighter :)