Who are they? Well, they are in a mission to rid woman-kind of happiness-hating inhibitions. They know what most women think on a daily basis.“Really, how often have you thought ‘I’d do this or that’, or ‘I wouldn’t do that or this’, or ‘I’d feel better but for (fill in the inhibition here)’? And one of the things about inhibitions is they come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors…they’re physical, emotional, social, sexual, sartorial. Whatever they are, they totally suck.”

Did you know that some 70% of 12 year old girls don’t think they’re “pretty enough” and did you know  More than 52% of adult women would rather be skinny than have sex. in the words from Off our Chests, “WTF?” RIGHT?Off our Chests is fighting against inhibitions and the things that cause them. Seth and Eva Matlins are the creators of Off our Chests. They created this and are so passionate about it because they have a 5 year old little girl.(What parent would want to see their little girl grow up feeling not pretty!) They want their little girl to be happy growing up and feeling comfortable with herself and not have these inhibitions of self doubt. 

Happiness is an amazing thing. It’s the ultimate renewable resource. The amount of happiness in the universe, unlike energy, has no limit. Some have called the bicycle the most efficient, self-powered creation in the history of humanity, but it may well be the most efficient engine of happiness, as well.

Driven by a healthy obsession with cycling, Dan Austin and his brother Jared have left their tire tracks on many continents. But it was one trip to Cambodia in 2006 that set their wheels of fate in motion. At the end of their trip, the Austins decided to donate their bicycles to an orphanage. But a selfless act that brought happiness to two orphans, the Austins realised, left out 86 other children at the orphanage. Thus began their push for donations to provide all the orphans with that same feeling of happiness, and The 88Bikes Foundation was born.

Each individual donation is $88 dollars, which is the approximate cost of a bike in most developing countries. Each sponsor also provides their name (or the name of a friend, if it is a gift), along with a photo of themselves. Donations can be an entire bike, or even a smaller amount towards the endowment.

 To save on shipping costs, support local economies and supply bicycles that look familiar to the children and are suited to their terrain, 88Bikes sources from local manufacturers and distributors. Its Peru project, however, marked the first time the foundation sent a volunteer on site to develop a bike shop and apprenticeship program to train the children to do repairs. The Austins and Arauz take no salaries and sponsor their own travel and administrative expenses.

Donate to 88 Bikes Foundation 

2. Walk or bike, use public transportation, carpool with neighbors and co-workers, and consolidate any car errands to one or two days per week.

3. Use a clothesline instead of the dryer.

4. Replace paper towels & napkins with cloth. You can make rags out of old clothing, and cloth napkins out of old sheets and curtains. Barter and trade with neighbors and friends.

5. Utilize Freecycle, Craigslist, and other local free exchanges.

6. Shop at thrift stores and garage sales, and arrange clothing swaps with friends and family.

7. Make your own lunches for school and work.

8. Stop buying snacks and take-out food, and instead cook at home.

9. Buy fruit and vegetable seconds and day old bakery items. These are generally significantly reduced in price – often by 50% or more. Generally you’ll need to cook with them right away.

10. Pick your own produce at a local farm.

11. Grow your own food.
Recycle and compost as much as possible to reduce trash collection fees.

12. Make your own cleaning and body products from simple and cheap ingredients like vinegar, baking soda/bicarb, hydrogen peroxide, corn starch, cooking oil, lemon juice, and water. Check out TLC’s 50 All Natural Beauty Products You Can Make Yourself.

13. Unplug or turn off power switches to appliances when not in use, to save electricity.

14. As they burn out, replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs. They cost more initially, but they will save significant amounts of electricity and will last many times longer than an incandescent bulb.

15. Turn off the television and/or get rid of your cable bill, and take up reading, knitting, and walking more regularly. 

Not only that, but GreenAnswers plants a tree for every new member and continues planting for questions asked or answered.

To plant the trees, GreenAnswers has partnered with a non-profit, Trees, Water & People. TWP has been working with communities in Central America for over twelve years to help protect and manage their natural resources. In that time, TWP has planted over 3 million trees that provide fruit, timber, and firewood to the local communities.

Generally speaking, upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.

Though the word may be new, thrift is not a new concept. In fact, up until the 1950s or so, upcycling was actually commonplace. Everything was used until it was in no way beneficial. For example, seed bags were made into clothing, bags, and anything else that could be useful.

Modern-day upcyclers put just about anything they can find to good use. Broken pieces of jewelry are combined to make a new, beautiful necklace. Old t-shirts are made into balls of yarn, and juice packs are made into handbags. Anyone can get in on the movement by examining their consumer habits and finding new uses for items they already have.

Upcycling not only protects the environment from unnecessary waste, but also allows us to add to the beauty of our immediate home environment with attractive, affordable alternatives. Perhaps one of the most impressive benefits of upcycling is that it can fit in everywhere: the home, office, and everywhere in between.

(above from Hipcycle.com website)

Some great sites that sell upcycled products:

Hipcycle

TRASHE Bags

Uncommon Goods

Some DIY upcycling ideas:

DIY ideas @ greenUPGRADER

365 Upcycled, DIY Dresses

Recycled crafts @ Craftgossip.com

Here’s a quick video that further describes upcycling: 

You’re looking for a bank to lend you a helping hand and in exchange you will pay them back (in installments) the full amount, plus interest.

Pretty normal, right?

However, what if that bank was YOU? What if poor students and entrepreneurs from across the world told you why they needed a loan, how it would help them and were willing to pay you back (with interest)?

Interesting concept, huh?

Well, that’s exactly what Kiva.org is – a crowd-sourced micro-lending website/platform service that allows individuals (like you and I) to lend money to extremely low income students and entrepreneurs across the globe.

To get a visual of how a Kiva loan really works, check out this inspirational video “Fistful of Dollars”, created by Kieran Ball (a Kiva Fellow):

A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan

Want to become a lender? Register through the Kiva website and get started on giving.

Let Love Bloom

Surprise your Valentine with a beautiful bouquet — just be sure it wasn’t grown at the expense of the environment. Flowers that bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal come from farms that curb deforestation, conserve soil and water, provide habitat for wildlife, and protect the rights and well-being of farm workers. You can find certified blooms at Whole Foods Market, Sam’s Club, Trader Joe’s and Costco.

Give a Sweet Treat

Farmed on over 18 million acres of tropical land, some 40 million people depend on cocoa for their livelihoods. Make sure the chocolate you buy contains cocoa grown with respect for people, wildlife and the environment. Click here to see 5 sustainable sweet treats you can find at the grocery store.

Massage

There’s nothing more romantic and inexpensive (and green) than a massage from you. Dim the lights, get out the soy candles and the essential oil. Spend quality time kneading out those nasty knots from your partner’s tense muscles. It not only saves about $120 for an hour massage, but who knows what will a great massage will lead to?

Buy a live plant

It may not be a dozen red roses but a live plant will live so much longer than a dozen red roses. And it will detox indoor air quality, making it a healthier gift.

Romantic Picnic

Depending on where you live, you can easily pack up a nice little basket and go off to a place where you’ve never been before and have a real picnic. Nothing fancy or exotic. Just good old lunch basket with some wine and cheese and your charming personality will do just fine. If the weather doesn’t permit an outdoor picnic, why not on the living room floor?

Make a music CD

Do they drive to work? Do they run with their iPod? Make a collection of meaningful songs for their iPod or record them on a CD. Include songs that will make them think of you, songs that will make them run faster, songs that will put a smile on their face when they drive to work, and songs that will make them want to come home faster.

Get Away From It All

Rekindle your love on a romantic getaway. Find stunning and sustainable destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean on SustainableTrip.org — a database of tourism businesses that conserve natural resources, protect plants and wildlife, and support local communities.

Give and You Shall Receive

Make a $35 donation to the Rainforest Alliance before Valentine’s Day, and receive complimentary DOVE® Dark Chocolate bars stamped with the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal. You can ship the bars directly to the one you love, and notify them with a 2012 Valentine’s Card — yours to print or email after your donation is complete.

Narrated by Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons, this “mockumentary” video, hammers home the stark reality of California’s plastic bag pollution situation.

Learn more at http://www.healthebay.org

You can make the difference.

The mission of Climate Ride is to inspire and empower citizens to work toward a new energy future. They use sport as a means to change lives and build an effective, citizen-based sustainability movement.

Designed for cycling enthusiasts who are also concerned about the environment, Climate Ride 2011 runs from New York City to Washington DC and promises to be a fun and meaningful adventure for everyone involved.

Connecting two of the most important cities in the US, the five-day ride departs from a Manhattan ferry and ends at an exciting rally held on the steps of the Capitol building in DC. More than just a standard road tour, Climate Ride unites more than 150 riders who are committed to the sport – and to furthering sustainability while preserving the environment.

A bicycle tour such as this one is the perfect way to draw attention to the many issues surrounding climate change, since cycling is the ideal carbon-free mode of human transport. Riders participating in the event will experience a variety of fun cycling challenges and gorgeous scenery, while also receiving the opportunity to learn from a number of dynamic speakers. At 60 to 80 miles per day, the ride is tough but not overwhelmingly so for seasoned riders, and everyone is given the entire day to make it to the next destination, as well as access to help from the Climate Ride support team.

Next Climate Ride events: Climate Ride NYC-DC- May 19-23, 2012 and Climate Ride California Sept 9-13, 2012

For more info: http://www.climateride.org/

They walk among us.

We all know one. We admire their tenacity, their determination and their leadership abilities. They amaze us with their capacity to make informed, mature decisions. Their passionate desire to make the world a better place to live is truly inspirational. The agents of change I am talking about are not heads of state, corporate CEO’s or even executive director’s multi-national charitable organizations.

They are teenagers.

I consider myself very lucky to have one such teenager in my family. My cousin Mallory and her friends believe that they can make a difference in their community and they aren’t letting anyone stop them from helping those in need. From organizing winter clothing drives to anti-bullying campaigns, these girls are taking charge and showing adults, including myself, just how it’s done. They shatter the stereotype of disengaged teenagers who are selfish and uncaring. And they are not alone. There are teens around the world that demonstrate that they care enough to work to right the wrongs they see in their communities. These youth are challenging the status quo and making a real difference in the world.

Regardless of age, it’s not easy to influence change. One organization that is supporting teens in achieving their goals is Do Something. The aim of Do Something is…

“to inspire, empower and celebrate a generation of doers: teenagers who recognize the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action.”

According to the organization, only 23% of this generation is actively volunteering in their community. They are working to change that statistic.

Check out some of the youth that are doing something in their communities.