George Washington Liked Hemp, So Why Shouldn’t You?

https://abeego.com/collections/reusable-beeswax-wraps/products/variety-beeswax-food-wrap

Some eco-smart Canadians created a completely cool substitute for plastic wrap called Abeego. This hemp and cotton fabric is infused with a blend of beeswax, resion, and jojoba oil. It’s flexible and able to stick to itself, and can seal bowls and wrap cheese, sandwiches, and snacks. It even looks good! Check it out for yourself at abeego.com.

Walking Your Talk (I Am a Bag Lady)

• Keep a compact, reusable bag in your purse for those spur-of-the-moment purchases.
• Refuse a plastic bag for five items or less.
• Fit purchases from different stores into the same bag wherever possible. There’s no reason to have eight shopping bags with only one item in each.
•  Put your cloth bags back in your car as soon as you’re done unloading groceries.

There’s less chance of forgetting them at home that way (and you’ll be one step closer to using them!). Keep them on the front seat, rather than in the trunk. If you see them, you’ll be far less likely to forget them.

National Forgiveness Day

If you have borne a grudge for someone, forgive them or let it go. You don’t need that negative energy in your life. Remember that forgiveness is not absolution; what happened in the past still happened, but forgiveness can relieve yourself of the burden that has been weighing you down. Now you can heal. Our society is also in need of lessons in forgiveness and a dramatic reminder of this can be found in the film and foundation behind unlikelyfriendsforgive.com. They promote the real power of atonement and the art of forgiving, even after brutal acts of violence.

Recycling Saves the Rainforest

Here are some other things you can do to save the rainforest.

• Don’t keep tropical birds or reptiles as pets. Let them live in nature.
• Buy items made of sustainable wood. Hardwood teak and rosewood encourage logging and deforestation.
• Recycle all your cans. Bauxite is mined from the ground in tropical countries and is the source for aluminum.
• Buy local, organic food whenever possible. Conventional agriculture is exhausting our forest’s resources.
• Support any organization that is legitimately working to protect the environment in developing countries and in precious rainforests.

Turn Pain into Gold

https://simoneismith.com/pages/a-sweet-touch-of-hope

Everybody loves LL Cool J, but I love his wife, Simone I. Smith, even more. She is a cancer survivor who decided to give back in style: she teamed up with the American Cancer Society to introduce “A Sweet Touch of Hope,” a lovely piece of jewelry which I proudly rock every day. Not only does it look really good, but this lovely lollipop charm helps raise funds and awareness to help save more lives from cancer, a disease that affects everyone in some way.

In 2004, Smith was diagnosed with Stage III chondrosarcoma-a very rare form of cancer. Her treatment required an invasive surgery that altered the appearance of a beloved lollipop tattoo. “It literally looks like someone took a bite out of it,” she said. After her experience, Smith designed a lollipop line of jewelry that represents her journey to getting well and staying well. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Cancer Society, so Smith’s inspired example can be an emblem of hope for every woman.

Remember, It’s Not All About You

Be punctual. Arrive on time to events. It’s polite and professional, and you don’t want to keep others waiting for you.

Develop More Patience

I love the old-fashioned ideas of virtues, such as kindness and generosity, a lot. I am determined to develop my patience muscle so it gets stronger all the time. Here is a big one for me: to learn to have patience with difficult people. (And realize I may be one myself and not know it!) This is not only a good deed for the person you are exhibiting patience towards, but it is also a good deed for yourself. Imagine that, a good deed for yourself!

For example, when someone pushes your buttons by doing something or saying something rude, you can choose to act with patience and understanding instead of anger. This will benefit you by keeping your blood pressure and stress levels low-which we know are two health issues that many people are suffering from today. My wise woman friend BJ Gallagher ays, “Difficult people are the ones we learn the most from.”

A Friendly Eye

Offer to take care of a neighbor or friend’s home, yard, or pets while they are away on vacation. They will be comfortable knowing their valuables are in good hands.

How You Can Spare the Air

Here are some things that you can do starting today:

• Support our scientists by letting our elected officials know we need fossil fuel alternatives-wind power, solar power, and wave power.
• Choose more Earth-friendly transport, which also reduces smog-causing emissions.
• Recycle, conserve energy, and support the work of Environmental Defense and other environmental organizations.
• Go to environmentaldefense.org and get involved.