The Keys to Kindness

If you are like me, you can end up with so many old keys you end up looking like a janitor! Find out how you can unlock some goodness ay keysforkindness.com. Donate your old keys to help fight Multiple Sclerosis.

A Very Very Very Fine House

Volunteer to help build a house through Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org), a nonprofit organization that builds and repairs houses so that families have a safe and affordable plave to live. 

Moving and Grooving

Moving? Use clean sheets, pillowcases, and towels to pack breakable items like dishes and framed artwork. The soft material will help cushion your breakables, reducing or eliminating the need for bubble wrap. As an added bonus, linens and kitchen items are usually among the first things you’ll need to unpack at your new place, so using one to help pack the other means you’ll find everything you need in one box. Clever, eh?

For Services Rendered

Send a letter to someone in local law enforcement, the Coast Guard, or serving overseas that gives thanks for their hard work and dedication to our country. It’s simple and will be greatly appreciated. Go to LetsSayThanks.com for inspiration.

True Love Does Not Require a Diamond

Precious gems and metals leave a horrific trail of pollution and human rights abuses. Not much more needs to be said about this one without getting into some seriously depressing territory, but we cannot discuss jewelry without acknowledging that many people pay a steep price in order to mine, produce, and export all those shiny little rocks we coyly call “a girl’s best friend.” There are so many ways to show your love and no suffering should be involved. Ever.

Just Say No to GMO

Buy organic heritage seedlings whenever you can. Most fruits and vegetables have an incredibly diverse range of varieties, but we typically only see one or two different kinds in the grocery store. By choosing to grow heritage plants we can preserve that diversity and give a big green thumbs down to monoculture. 

Making the Most of a Rainy Day

Get a rain barrel:

*Install the rain barrel at least six feet from your house. Locating it near an area you’ll be watering the most makes for convenient use later

*Ensure that your rain barrel has an overflow at least as large as your inflow-for example, if you have rigged it so that water is collected directly from your eaves’ trough downspout, your overflow valve should be as large as your downspout as well. This will allow your rain barrel to get rid of excess water as fast as it collects it, which might be necessary if you live in a city with crazy, unpredictable weather like my brother does.

*If you are using the rain barrel to water your garden, consider using a soaker hose. You can attach the hose to the rain barrel and then run it through your garden so that it covers the area you’d like. Now, every time you see a rain cloud, you’ll get really excited!