Seeking subjects for interviews with Breast Cancer Survivors

This October, What You Can Do and The Breast Cancer Site are teaming to honor breast cancer survivors.  We are looking for people in the greater New York City area who are willing to talk about their experiences on camera.  The philosophy of What You Can Do is to inspire and offer hope, so we plan on featuring interviews that offer support and guidance for others who are going through the process of recovery and healing. 


If you are interested in being interviewed, please contact Alicia at On the Leesh Productions.  She can be reached at info@ontheleesh.com

And remember to click today and every day at thebreastcancersite.com. 

We look forward to hearing from you!
~The What You Can Do team and everyone at The Breast Cancer Site.  

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What You Can Do  is a series of videos that show people how to help some of the world's most pressing social and environmental issues in only one minute.  
Join the conversation at http://www.Facebook.com/whatyoucando

The Breast Cancer Site was founded to help fund free mammograms for women in need — women for whom early detection would not otherwise be possible. Since its launch in October 2000, the site has established itself as a leader in online activism and in the fight to prevent breast cancer deaths.
Read more click here. 

Publicity shoot for upcoming media piece

Today - Jess, Alicia and Matt were in the On the Leesh studio for a publicity shoot with Amanda Blohm.  The Arinella/Rashids are getting featured in upcoming media piece.  Stay tuned for more details.  In the meantime, enjoy some stills from the shoot.

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James McGann sets the light for the shoot

Matt and Alicia deep in conversation

Amanda takes her shot

Alicia looks on

Amanda shoots Matt, Jess and Aria

Matt, Jess and Alicia check the shot

Amanda checks the shot

Production Begins on What You Can Do's September Campaigns

James McGann checking sound levels

What You Can Do  began shooting began today for our September campaigns the Anit-Defamation League and Rachel's Challenge.  We are devoting the month to combatting bullying and promoting kindness and compassion.



Our partnership with the ADL will feature interviews with experts and offer simple ways that you can help combat the issue of bullying and ways to talk to your children about the issue.

James and Amanda Blohm on set

Last year, we partnered with Rachel's Challenge for the 1st Annual Kindness Week, and we were able to inspire 10,000 acts of kindness.  We look forward to the 2nd Annual Kindness Week running the week of September 16th.

Sarah Schwartz, Production Manager

Stay tuned because our campaign begins September 1st.  Be sure to write in with your ideas on how you can help.

Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen: Voice of a Donor Features Alicia Arinella

Alicia Arinella, President of On the Leesh Productions, and Executive Producer of What You Can Do, was recently interviewed for Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen's Voice of a Donor.  

Read below to find out more about Alicia's commitment to helping the organization.  

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FOOD FOR THE SOUL

ALICIA ARINELLA, DONOR, VOLUNTEER, WHAT CAN YOU DO

Voice of a Donor… Alicia

In Soup Kitchen Stories on June 26, 2013 at 3:01 pm

Founder and owner of her own production company, director and producer of 11 short films, one feature film and critically acclaimed series ‘What Can You Do’, Alicia Arinella is not someone who would strike you as being nervous. And yet, as she walked into the soup kitchen to begin her first day volunteering, that’s exactly how she was feeling.

‘We’d been looking for something we could do as an office team and we found the soup kitchen,’ she remembers. ‘I really wanted to help but I’d never done anything like this. I didn’t know what to expect, plus I can be really picky about table manners…’

As fate would have it, Alicia was put on table duty, the role with most interaction with our guests. In the busy flurry of a January morning with over 1,200 meals served, any time to notice table manners was soon forgotten, and in only two short hours, Alicia felt she had a life changing experience.

‘Everyone was just so nice,’ Alicia recalls. ‘Everyone I smiled at, smiled back. People thanked me all the time. The people I saw around the tables were not who I expected to see in a soup kitchen. The whole experience just blew me away.’

Shortly after her morning volunteering, Alicia decided to donate. She sold some books on Amazon and donated the profits to the soup kitchen. As the months passed, she found herself donating more – more money, more time, more attention. A little over a year on, Alicia has made a series of videos promoting the soup kitchen, spear headed several social media drives and continues to be a generous donor. Oh, and she types up work from the writers’ workshop as well.

‘It’s kind of an addiction, I admit it,’ she says, laughing. ‘I just love the soup kitchen and what you guys do. As I got to know it better, I grew to love it more. It’s a well oiled machine that doesn’t feel like a machine at all. I’m proud to be a part of it.’

Like most New Yorkers, Alicia encounters the problems of homelessness and hunger in her daily life, which she finds reinforces her connection with the soup kitchen. ‘Walking through midtown, riding the subway – these issues are ones I see all around me,’ she says. ‘I’ve been given a lot of opportunity in my life. You can think you’re immune to these problems but we’re all only ever a step away from a terrible phonecall that can change our lives forever. It’s so important to give back.’

What You Can Do at the Manhattan Film Festival

This Saturday, June 22nd, What You Can Do's episode - Help Fight Hunger in New York City will be screened at the Manhattan Film Festival. 

If you're in town and want to come and watch us - you can buy your tickets here. We're screening at 1pm at Quad Cinema at 34 West 13th Street in Greenwich Village.

We hope to see you there!

~The What You Can Do Team

Six Simple Rules for a Better Life, an interview with author David Singer

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting David Singer. He is the author of the book - Six Simple Rules for a Better Life. .

Jess's mission with What You Can Do has always been to break down the world's most pressing issues into tangible steps. That's why were were so interested in David Singer's message. His ideas were very comparable to ours. He took the time to answer a few of our questions.

What inspired you to write the book?
Nothing feels better than knowing that I’ve made a difference in other people’s lives. I’ve always tried to help family and friends. I wrote Six Simple Rules for a Better Life to be able to help a wider audience.

You talk about six simple rules. Was it hard to narrow it down?
Six Simple Rules for a Better Life is highly personal and these “rules” have been ones that have worked for me. Most of them are things I think about all the time: be happy, be nice, be organized, and be healthy are long-time parts of my core being. Being happy, nice, and healthy were ingrained in me by my parents. Being organized is something that developed for me as a young adult when I realized how it helped me to be successful, less stressed, and happier.

Being a lifelong learner is something I fell in love with, a happy addiction that I developed after college. And as part of that learning, a big part of which was from reading, I became absorbed by the stories of leaders—people who have made the world a better place.

I had been collecting all kinds of wisdom for many years and when I began to organize it to write the book, everything I wanted to talk about fit into one of the six rules.

Your section "be a leader" fits right in line with the spirit of what you can do. can you talk a little about simple ways that people could be a leader?
When I was writing the book and told a friend about “Be a leader,” he said, “I don’t think everyone can be a leader.” I explained that I wasn’t talking about the kind of leaders that business books talk about, rather the kind that is demonstrated by the people who changed the world, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mother Teresa and that the leadership I was writing about includes making the world a better place even in “small” ways. We all have it in us to be a leader.

Being a leader is about volunteering and taking on responsibility. It’s about setting an example in everything you do at home, at work, and in your community. Getting involved in your community is one of the simplest ways to be a leader. There are so many opportunities, so many places that need your help. And a side benefit is that it’s tremendously gratifying to help other people—possibly the greatest secret to happiness.

One of the things that really stuck with me in reading the book was the idea that it takes 21 days to develop a new habit. Can you talk about that a little for people who may not have read the book?
We live in a world filled with offers for immediate change. “Get rich quick,” “get thin now,” “stop smoking today.” Those quick fixes, when they do work, rarely last. In the same way, we’re encouraged each year to make New Year’s resolutions—grandiose plans, which nearly always fail.

You know how it works—gym memberships spike in January and then those same gyms’ parking lots are empty by February. Instead of creating the once-a-year, New Year’s resolutions type of list, the better way is to create and maintain a running list of goals—an ongoing list of life-improvement ideas.

The key to accomplishing those goals is to then break them down into small pieces, small enough changes that you can stick with them. It takes 21 days to form a new habit, so if you slow down and focus on one new habit every 21 days you can experience many positive changes each year. This slow and steady approach is extremely effective and adds up to the positive changes we all want.

Even if you slow down further (for example, one new habit every month, or every six weeks), you can accomplish a great deal because slowing down to make changes is the secret to making real, lasting change.

One more thing.. Looking forward to more accomplishments is a great motivator and a list of goals is great raw material for our progress. But it’s important that we don’t end up seeing the list of goals as a list of shortcomings. Even someone who would not be officially labeled as a perfectionist could become frustrated by a list of things that they have not yet accomplished—so, it’s important to make a second list—a list of achievements—and to stop and celebrate our progress every day, looking back at all that we’ve accomplished. We deserve it!

What's the next step for the book and for you as a writer?
I’ve gotten fantastic feedback about the book. As I said in answer to your first question, my reason for writing this was/is to help people and even if they get only one thing out of reading the book, that’s great (and most people will get more than one.) The other day I was in a dentist’s chair listening to my iPod and I was thinking, “Would Death Cab for Cutie be happy to know I’m listening to their music right now?” I don’t know how it works for them, but I know I would be happy any minute I knew someone was reading my book because I would know I was helping them in some way.

The book has sold quite a few copies, yet it’s far from being a bestseller. I want to change the world, to make it a better place in small ways, and in as big a way as I can. The more people who read my book, the more people I can help to be happier, healthier, and more—and the world a better place. So, spreading the word is the big next step for the book. I’m doing that through social media, word-of-mouth from people like you, and speaking engagements.

I’m writing more than ever now because of my weekly blog posts. I’m enjoying that and will continue to do that as long as I enjoy it and am delivering information that is helping people in some way. I have a lot of other books in my head, and it’s likely that I will publish more at some point. Right now, I’m enjoying the ride of this one, the incredible gratifying feeling of making a difference for people who are reading it.

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To find out more about David Singer, please visit SixSimpleRules.com.

Day 30 of 31 - What You Can Doers New Years Resolutions

Day 30 of 31 - What You Can Doers New Years Resolutions.

Need some tips - look at our ideas.

Check out this Interview with What You Can Do Creator, Jessica Arinella on Halogen TV!

What You Can Do Creator, Jessica Arinella, was recently interviewed by Halogen TV. She talks about how the project has developed over time and what issues inspire her the most.

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What can you do in a minute? Order a pizza? Brush your teeth? Jessica Arinella , founder of What You Can Do, believes you can do a lot more.

Creator of one-minute videos about small and simple ways to make big and meaningful differences, Arinella shows that you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint, alleviate cruelty to animals, protect the oceans or reduce hunger – take your pick, or do them all! (Warning: Doing them all will take four minutes.)

Arinella remembers the day she decided that she was going to start paying it forward; on her blog she wrote that it was not unlike the feeling that she got while watching the polar bears in “An Inconvenient Truth”. At the time, she was gripped by what she calls an “ISD,” short for Impending Sense of Doom.

That sense would eventually lead to a monumental surge of inspiration when she started What You Can Do in 2009.

Halogen TV recently chatted with Arinella to discuss her motivations, which issues hit home the hardest and an easy way to save 25 million trees.

How did you get motivation for What You Can Do , and how has it evolved since its inception?

Jessica Arinella: The motivation for What You Can Do came from a two-fold catalyst in my life. The first part was that I lost my mother to lung cancer. Losing her was a profoundly shattering experience for me, and it brought up that age-old question of “What’s it all for?” I found myself deeply questioning the world, how it works and what my place in it was. For some odd reason I was watching a lot of documentaries during this time. During one especially compelling film, I became so agitated that I left the room and started reading Us Magazine. I kept thinking, if there is nothing I can do about this issue, then I don’t want to know about it. I would rather read an article on Brangelina than confront that overwhelming feeling of helplessness again. Documentaries are so good at illuminating the gravity of the perils facing our world, but they often stop short of showing us how we can help fix the problem. I kept thinking, someone should do something about that! And then it hit me. Wait! I have access to one of the best producers in New York – my sister, Alicia Arinella. I have (albeit limited) production skills! Maybe I could do this.

Every weekday in 2010, we produced a new video highlighting what someone could do to take action on a variety of social and environmental concerns. We now have a website that serves as a toolbox for change and features over 260 videos. Each episode showcases a different one-minute idea to make a positive impact on causes like climate change, hunger and ocean conservation.

What are the issues that really hit home with you?

I care deeply about all of the issues we have covered, but I think the one that hit me most deeply is cancer. But even more than any one specific cause, I am most inspired by the idea of offering people an action that only takes a minute to do.



When we first started making the videos, we honestly weren’t sure there was something you could do in a minute for something as serious as cancer. But we were excited to learn from experts that, yes, there IS something you can do to help fight lung cancer, for example, in just one minute. This is especially inspiring to me because it implies that if real change is possible in one minute, then these problems are potentially solvable.

One of your one-minute videos says 75 percent of the energy used to power consumer electronics is consumed while the product is not in use. Think of how much less coal we could burn if we just unplugged our phone chargers!

I know! We’ve learned so many illuminating facts like that during this project. But our goal is to present these statistics in a way that inspires people rather than just making them feel guilty. For example, the average American can use up to 100 gallons of water a day. BUT, eight of those gallons can be effortlessly saved just by shutting off the tap while you brush your teeth morning and night. If one person made that simple change, he/she would save 240 gallons of water a month! Multiply that and the numbers are staggering. If 100 people did it, we’d save 24,000 gallons of water. With 1,000 people? We’d save 240,000 gallons!

Our one-minute actions don’t need to happen in a vacuum. We are hoping to build a community where we can start to see our individual actions add up to real and measureable change.

Conserving water is a recurring theme on your site. Why is this a major concern?



The EPA estimates that by 2013, 36 of the 50 states will be facing local, regional or statewide water shortages – and that projection is for non-drought-like conditions. The good news is there are countless ways to easily save water. We’ve already discussed turning off the tap when you brush your teeth, but you can also do so when you wash your face or shave. When you are heating up the water for your shower, put a bucket in the tub to catch the run off. You can then use the saved water to refresh your plants or wash your car.

In your opinion, what’s the best way to get people to understand the cause and effect of their actions?

One thing that helps me is to be more mindful of how much of a resource I actually need. Just become aware of how much water is going down the drain when you wash the dishes, or how many napkins you grab for your lunch. And then, start making changes where it’s easiest for you. If a hot shower is your favorite part of the day, don’t make your life miserable by taking it away. Start with something that feels easier. For example, maybe start with turning off the water when you wash the dishes, or make an effort to unplug your electronic equipment when it’s not in use. We recently learned that cable boxes are a huge culprit when it comes to energy drain, so maybe unplug your box at night.

I’ve learned that changing the world doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Know you can make a difference even one minute at a time. Just try it for one week. You will be amazed by what you can do.

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Wanna read the article on Halogen TV click here!.

Alicia Beats the Heat

Whew! What a week we had huh? I am not one for the heat. I get grouchy, blotchy and tired. In other words, I am no fun to be around. AT ALL. In fact, I don't have much patience for the cold weather either. I have about a 20 degree span of comfortability. Anywhere from about 55 - 75 degrees is my ideal. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but once we hit the triple digits? There will be a reckoning!

With heat reaching 105 degrees in New York and a heat index of 115 degrees, last week I gotta say, my first reaction was annoyance! I know it's summer and therefore Mother Nature has license to make it as hot as she likes wherever she sees fit on this continent of ours. I, however, disagree with the adamant and persistent attack that she enforced on us. I mean, we deal with the snow and the shoveling, we shouldn't have to deal with this kind of heat.

And then...as I went to restaurant after restaurant and their lights dimmed and their air conditioners failed cause of power outages, I got scared. Really scared. What was happening? This heat was not normal. Was this global warming? Eh Gads!

I am a subscriber of Green Energy and use a lot of recycled or green products in my home. I also recycle, reuse and reduce as much as possible, but on a recent vacation, I realized that's not the norm throughout this great country of ours. Even in 2011. And that makes me sad. We all gotta pitch in folks. We gotta help to fight these issues in our own homes first. If we want change to happen, it has to start with us.

If this past week freaked you out at all, or annoyed you in any way - consider watching these videos for some ideas on how to help stop global warming. Or please feel free to share ideas of your own.

All of these big changes start with us, we have to do something about it.
Take Action!

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Alicia's Eyes on a Self Portrait

Alicia's Eyes on An Awesome Self Portrait




Have you seen this?

No it's not a Pixar monkey created by really talented animators - this is a real crested black macaque monkey from a national park in Indonesia. Julie stumbled upon the photo on The Huffington Post Green. Turns out this monkey stole a photographer's camera and took some hilarious self portraits including this one which has caused Julie and I to double over in laughter for about two days now.



And it reminded me of this photo that was filling cyber space two summers ago.

Remember this one? Well this couple was on a vacation in Banff National Park in Canada and timed a self portrait when this squirrel had other plans. Brilliant. Still love this photo. (Check out Melissa Brandt's caption at National Geographic Daily Shot. Choose Week 1 August 2009.)

But they both make me think...what would the world be like without these amazing animals? And without our amazing Parks for that matter? We have to protect our wildlife and our wild spaces. There is too much wonder in this world to take for granted.

Til next time, keep our world a green and safe place for everyone.

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An Interview with Rupert Scofield (Part 3)

Here is Part 3 of our interview with Rupert Scofield. We'd love to hear your comments!

Want to get caught up? You can view Part 1 here.

Alicia's Eyes on Wildlife - Florida Panther

Alicia's Eyes on The Big Cats.

Okay - let me start off by saying, I have witnessed the experiment in my psychology class about eye witness accuracy. My professor was talking, someone comes in to interrupt, then leaves. My professor continued lecturing as if nothing happened. A half hour later, he asked us what the person who interrupted us looked like. It was hard to remember. Was she wearing a white shirt or a white jacket? Was her hair brown or dark blonde? Glasses or no? Most people got it wrong.

Now, I know I have an excellent memory. My friends are always impressed and somehow stupefied with the things I can remember. It is kind of freakish, but I look at it as an asset. I'm quite proud. I got the eye witness test right. Nailed it!

However, and this is a big HOWEVER, I am not sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw a Florida Panther at our hotel in May. I remember it clearly. Jess and I were standing on the balcony and we were looking at the ground towards the pool. This is a great site to people watch, but that morning we didn't see people, we saw a BIG CAT sauntering down the path and disappearing under the porch.

The first thing I did, after making sure that Jess saw what I saw and I wasn't hallucinating from the heat, was call the front desk. The woman who answered seemed to be familiar with said cat although she didn't offer specifics. When I said, "I know this sounds insane, but I just saw a cat the size of a labrador walking from the pool under building 3." Her reaction was more of a 'bummer' than 'this girl is bonkers.' I truly admire southern politeness, but this was a stretch - even for the south. I had the distinct impression that she knew what I was talking about and what I had seen.

So Jess and I started doing research. What we saw was large and tan with a black tipped tail. So far so good. No pointy, furry ears which would indicate a bobcat. Panthers' habitat can be wetlands or drylands. They are good swimmers and can go from wet to dry easily, but they prefer cover or woodlands. So, maybe it wasn't a panther? Also they are estimated to be very endangered. So what would they be doing at a resort in Florida? I know we all need vacations, but I started to think my love of Friday Night Lights and Coach Taylor's Panthers caused my mind to create visions. I started doubting myself.

And then I went online and found this website. Right under this picture (which is very similar to the cat we saw) were these words - This "Palmer Ranch Panther" has been determined to be a panther by a professional wildlife photographer that photographs panthers. Last sighting of the Florida Panther was in 2010 but it was only 19 miles away from our hotel. I think that it's entirely possible that my panther friend could have walked up the beach and found a nice and cozy home under the resort's porch.

What do you think? Did Jess and I see a Panther or were our eyes playing tricks on us.

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To help protect the big cats - watch this.

Alicia's Eyes on Vacation

Whew. Its been a long time since I've written anything. Confession time, I was on vacation and it was awesome!

For the past 25 years, my family has been going to Long Boat Key, Florida. It's such a beautiful place with white sand beaches, great restaurants and shopping and wonderful people. This year we got to go for two weeks, and it was a huge treat.

The hotel where we stay is called the Long Boat Key Club and they have always been interested in sustainability and the environment. However, this time, I noticed that they received Florida's official "Green Lodging" certification which means they are recognized as one of the premier environmentally conscientious lodging facilities in the state. They are also the first resort and club in the Sarasota area to be awarded the "Green Business Partner" certification by Sarasota County. And their 291- slip, deep-water marina, is recognized by the State of Florida as a "Clean Marina", based on their commitment to implementing and maintaining environmentally friendly business practices. What a great place for the What You Can Do creator and producer to spend two weeks vacation. Not only is the place beautiful and peaceful, but you don't have to feel badly about negatively impacting the environment.

Over the next few blogs, I want to talk about the trip - about wildlife, the night sky, food and going green. Stay tuned for more.

And if you're going on a vacation this summer consider an ecofriendly one!

Alicia

The 46 Day Action Plan - Numbers 41-46

If you've been following along with my 46 day challenge, and want to take part, I've been posting the ideas over the past few days. We're fans of simplicity over here, and this takes out all the guess work; therefore, it limits the excuses. I've already posted ideas 1-40 in previous posts but here are the last 6.

Here are numbers 41 - 46.

41. Support a Native American Family
Sign up for The Adopt-a-Native Elder Program and help supply food and medical supplies to Native Americans.



42. Protect the Night
Prior to May of last year, I didn't realize how important natural darkness is to our health and environment. Download these guides to learn out why - Since this is an issue that I didn't realize even existed, I'm guessing some of you may be unaware too. I'm using my minute today to share these 4 print outs - 1. Wildlife, 2. Energy, 3. Safety, and 4. Human Health from The International Dark Sky Association.

43. Help Brighten the Day of a Child Living with a Chronic Illness
Donate to Angelwish's Wish Program and bring a smile to the face of a child living with chronic illness.

44. Donate Your Frequent Flyer Miles to Service Members and Their Families
Through Fisher House, you can donate your frequent flyer miles to service men and women who are undergoing treatment from injuries from combat.


45. Support and Visit Your Park
Visit a local park and vow to do your part to leave it cleaner than how you found it.

46. Adopt a Manatee
Sign up to Save a Manatee and protect these amazing animals.

And that's it.
Please let me know if you take part in any of these ideas. I'd love to hear.
thanks!
Alicia


....more to come....

The 46 Day Action Plan - Numbers 31 - 40

Okay, we're getting there. I've already recapped items 1 - 30. Next up, another ten ideas that I featured in my 46 day challenge. If you're interested in participating in any of these, here's a comprehensive list of the next 10 items with links on how to get started.

Here are numbers 31-40.

31. Show Shelter Animals Some Love
Donate to the Petfinder.com Foundation's Vaccination Fund and help keep shelter animals healthy and therefore more adoptable.

32. Dishwasher Dilemmas
It was sad to report that my dishwasher is on her last legs. I'm looking to get an energy efficient model, but based on my post - I got a lot of great suggestions in how to deal with the problem. Would repairing be the better fit?

33. No one should be Hungry
Play the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana's online game Hunger 101 to put yourself in the shoes of someone who is struggling to find something to eat.

34. Shop Responsibly
Through Green America's Green Pages program, you can search for companies and products that are sustainable.

35. Offset your footprint by Planting Trees
Donate to American Forests' Global ReLeaf Program. For every dollar donated, they will plant a tree.

36. Give Cancer the Bird
I asked our What You Can Do community how many people have been directly affected by cancer. I wanted to start talking about this disease, and share information with each other. And oh yeah, I HATE CANCER.

37. Get Yourself Fire Safe
Check out some Safety Brochures from the FDNY's homepage and get yourself fire ready.

38. Buy a Double Duty Gift
This year for my sister's birthday - I bought her a gift through the GreaterGood.org. Their Gifts that Give More Program you can purchase a variety of gifts to help people or animals in need. I donated to help the relief effort in Japan.

39. Text to Help Fight Domestic Violence
Text “HOTLINE” to 85944 and you donate $10 to The National Domestic Violence Hotline.

40. Support Your Local Animal Shelter
After your "daily click" at The Animal Rescue Site follow the link to vote now. Then you follow the instructions to vote for your favorite Petfinder.com shelter.

Logon tomorrow for the last 6 ideas
Thanks
Alicia

The 46 Day Action Plan - Numbers 21 - 30

I didn't realize it while I was doing it, but compiling all these actions - they really total up to A LOT of ideas. So again, to recap, I'm putting a list together of my 46 day challenge topics in case you want to join in.

Here are numbers 21-30.

21. Adopt a Soldier
Visit Soldier's Angels to give thanks to a service member by sending them weekly letters and monthly care packages throughout their deployment.




22. Protect the Honeybees
Jess is very happy to report this was our most popular post. Plant items in your garden that attract honeybees.

23. Make a Kid Smile
Support therapeutic horseback riding by supporting organizations like - Pal-o-Mine Equestrian.

24. Support Green Energy
Visit Defenders of Wildlife's Gulf Page you can sign a petition urging President Obama to reinstate the ban on offshore drilling.

25. Choose your Seafood Wisely
Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program to make sure the seafood you are eating is not in danger of overfishing.

26. Pick Restaurants that Help Fight Hunger
If you're visiting New York City, pick a restaurant partner through City Harvest to visit a restaurant that is committed to fighting Hunger in New York City.

27. Adopt an Acre of Rainforest
Visit Rainforest Alliance to adopt an acre of rainforest, play games and learn about these precious resources. Be sure to buy products that carry their Rainforest Certified Seal .

28. Help Haiti's Children
The children of Haiti are still suffering from the earthquake of 2010. Visit Mercy Corps Gifts to find a list of gifts to help people in need. I opted to Plant a Tree. Remember these are great gifts to give for Birthdays, Mother's Day, and Father's Day.

29. Help At Risk Youth
Through the OneCause program, I was able to buy my father a gift on Amazon and make a donation to The Home for Little Wanderers.

30. Help Protect Our Fishes
Play Go Fish on the Ocean Conservancy's website to learn about the state of fish in our oceans.

Logon tomorrow for ideas 31 - 40.
Thanks!
Alicia

Alicia's Eyes On... A Top Ten

Hey everyone. Alicia here again. We got such great feedback on my 46-day challenge, that we decided to start different series on our blog where the What You Can Doers can talk about various issues and ideas that matter most to each of us.

Starting today, we're going to launch my series corner called, Alicia's Eyes. To kick off the blog, I've decided to write about my love of lists! I love a list. I love a count down. Basically, I love anything that I can scratch off after completion. The satisfaction is wholly rewarding to me. Last year, my dad and I completed our goal of setting foot in all 50 states and I savored the feeling of crossing each state off that to-do list as we went. This year we're starting a new list: Visit all the National Parks.

List lovers usually enjoy hearing about other people's checklists and I'm no exception. I especially love reading other people's top ten lists. When a viewer wrote in mentioning his Top 10 Zoos to Visit, I knew it would be a fun thing to share. Part of the joy of list making is getting people talking - did we include the right things? Is there a random addition on there? Was something outrageously excluded? Not all people agree on what should be on a top 10 list, so let's get talking.

I thought this was a great list to start with because it involves one of our favorite things over here - Wildlife Conservation. I have visited 4 of the zoos mentioned: The Bronx Zoo, The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Animal Kingdom and The Phoenix Zoo. I have always wanted to get to the San Diego Zoo (especially since now they have the Safari Park , but I haven't made it out there yet). No worries - it's on a list of places to visit, so I'll get there someday.

Though it's not a huge zoo, as I mentioned in my Earth Day Blog, one of my favorite things to do in New York is to visit the Central Park Zoo and watch the sea lions while sharing an ice cream with Jack. I just love watching the animals. I also love the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I could sit and watch the sea otters for hours. Jack and I are planning to make a trip up to the Bronx Zoo soon. I haven't been there for a few years, so that'll be fun to visit and I promise to report my adventures after I go.

So what do you think? What makes a good zoo? What would be included in your top ten zoo list?

Please let us know!

Thanks!
Alicia
more to come....

The 46 Day Action Plan - Numbers 11-20

Okay here's part 2 that lists my 46 day challenges. If you came a bit late to the party, don't worry - I'm recapping it for you. We're all about simplifying stuff over here, so if you want to follow my lead, just look at this list and pick what you want to do.

Without further ado, here are numbers 11 - 20.

11. Help Support Women and Children
Donate to your local women's shelter. I visited the wish list for Doorways for Women and Families and donated a baby monitor and some diapers.

12. Magazine Swap
Instead of throwing out your magazine, use them for craft projects, donate them to schools or office waiting rooms. If no one wants them, be sure to recycle them.

13. Spread the Word about Clean Water
Post a photo from charity:water's website to your social networking page to let your friends know that people all over the world are in desperate need of clean water.

14. Erase Hate
If you want to help erase hate in this world, consider signing up for Kindness Cards through Rachel's Challenge or purchase anErase Hate T-shirt from The Matthew Shepard Foundation.

15. Test Your Fridge
Put a piece of paper in the door to your fridge and shut it. Pull it out. If it comes out easily, there's probably something wrong with your seal and you may need to replace it to help save energy.

16. Wear Your Seat Belt
In one of my most moving actions, I shared Christopher McDonough's story and ask you to join me and making any passenger in your car (either with you driving or riding) vow to wear his/her seat belt.

17. Help Someone's Dream Come True
Through Dream Foundation's Adopt a Dream Program, you can help grant a wish to someone who is suffering from a terminal illness.

18. Help Your Car Save Gas
By removing excess weight from your trunk and following these tips from US Department of Energy, you can help save gas.

19. Stop Getting Junk Mail
Interested? Visit - The Do Not Mail List and get rid of the junk! The trees will thank you

20. Spread the Word about Human Trafficking
Consider joining The UNODC's Blue Heart Campaign to help raise awareness for this issue.

Come back tomorrow for items 21 - 30.
Thanks!
Alicia

The 46 Day Action Plan - Numbers 1-10

For those of you have come late to my 46 day Challenge posts, I figured I'd take the work out of it for you. After all, we're all about the one-minute movement here. This way you can see what ideas I took on, and how you could follow my lead. One stop action if you will. Since 46 is a rather large number in list form, I'm breaking it down in groups of ten.

So here you go...Numbers 1 - 10

1. Turn down the heat to 68〫
I still can't believe I hadn't done this one sooner.

2. Set your internet browser page to load onto the GreaterGood's click sites, and click every day.
The Animal Rescue Site, The Hunger Site, The Breast Cancer Site, The Veterans Site, The Child Health Site, The Literacy Site, The Rainforest Site

3. Spring Clean Clothing Swap
Instead of throwing out old clothes, accessories or household items - consider swapping them with your friends. It's a green tip that gives you a new wardrobe!

4. Give the Gift of Sight
If you have old eyeglasses lying around - donate them to Lions' Club International's Recycle for Sight Program.

5. Share Coupons
When you're doing your weekly coupon clipping, look for coupons for local shelters. For instance, you can send a local shelter coupons for pet supplies. Just remember to check with your local shelter first. You can also do this with women and children's shelters.

6. Show someone you care
Take a minute to write an elderly friend or family a letter to let them know you are thinking of them.

7. Symbolically Adopt an Animal through Defenders of Wildlife
Simply visit the Wildlife Adoption Center to pick an animal that you would like to adopt. Remember these make great gifts for the person that has everything.

8. Support After School Programs
Contact your local representatives to tell them to keep funding After School Programs. Let them know this issue is important to you. Click Here to find out how to find your representative and to view a sample letter.

9. Become a Micro Mentor
Ever want to give back a bit of the knowledge you've learned through the years. Mercy Corps has a program that teams you up with someone who is starting out in your field of expertise. You can offer your advice to someone when they need it most. Visit Micromentor.org to find out how to get started.

10. Turn off your power strip
Another one I can't believe I didn't do regularly. The Department of Energy estimates that 75% of the energy used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.

That's it for now. Check back tomorrow for numbers 11 - 20.

Thanks!
Alicia

The Past 46 Days - What I've Learned

To be honest, when I started this challenge, I wasn't sure I would complete it. Not that I didn't believe in what I was doing, far from it. But I'm the person who, in the past, had a built-in back up system for falling off the Lent wagon. For every slip up, I would charge myself $10 in the past and donate that money to charity. So, did that mean I would donate $10 to charity for every day I missed in this challenge? What if my challenge was already donating to a charity? Hmmm, my backup system might not have worked...

Well, surprisingly, I've made it. It's Easter which means the end of Lent and the end of this 46-day experiment. Honestly, the hardest part of the whole thing, was picking which programs I wanted to participate in. We've teamed up with close to 90 organizations and from that list, we have featured several different programs within those organizations. How could I narrow it down to 46?

Here's how I did it. I picked issues that meant the most to me. From animal extinction to cancer awareness, these are issues that I support wholeheartedly. If I was going to commit one minute every day to an idea, I wanted it to be something that I'm passionate about. I also was particular about not picking ideas that I already implement in my life. For instance, we've done a number of videos highlighting green ideas. If it was an idea that I already do, like using the back of paper as scrap paper, or using my left over water to feed my plants, I didn't want those actions to count. This left room for other ideas.

So what did I learn?

#1 I have more time than I thought I had. When you break down this challenge into one minute actions over a long period of time, it becomes attainable. It's not as overwhelming and harder to put off or avoid.

#2 I have finally crossed things off my to do list. For instance, I wanted to adopt a soldier since we filmed our video about the program, but always had a host of reasons why right now wasn't the right time. Now I'm signed up and have already written three letters. I look forward to continuing the correspondance as her deployment continues.

#3 My sister was right. Shhh, don't tell her that - as her little sister, I have to retain a certain amount of resistance to her ways. But her advice was true. As I mentioned in my exchange on Ode Magazine Commit to Making an Impact, Jess said to me - "Lent is a great time for a busy person (i.e. me) to slow down and reflect on life." It was more meaningful and important to me to take on this challenge than to withhold chocolate, caffeine or sugar from my diet. She is very wise, and I'm very grateful to her every day. This picture (taken by accident I may add) - encapsulates how I think of her. She is the captain of this What You Can Do Ship, and I'm honored to hold the camera.

She's my parents' greatest gift to me ♥. (Don't tell her I told you that either).

#4 Like George McFly says in the greatest movie of all time, Back to the Future. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. And that's how I'm going to think of this project from now on. If we want to make a difference, we can.

Even if you only have one minute, there is something you can do about it. Be the change you want to see in the world, come on let's show them What We Can Do!

~Alicia