Day 25 of 31 - Green Holiday Party

Day 25 of 31 - Green Party TIps!
Merry Christmas! If you're hosting a Holiday Party, consider some of these green tips.

Day 24 of 31 - Wear your Seat Belt

Day 24 of 31 - Wear your Seatbelt!
Many of us are traveling today. Make a pact and CLICK IT!

Day 20 of 31 - Happy Hanukkah

What You Can Do is sending the best wishes to you for a very Happy Hanukkah.
May you be surrounded by friends and loved ones.

Day 14 of 31 - Make Your Holiday Party Green!

Hosting a holiday party? Make it green festivity. Email your invites for starters and save paper and money!

Day 13 of 31 - Rethink your wrapping!

Day 13 of 31 - Give our planet a gift this season! Save money, paper, and have fun using green wrapping paper.

Day 7 of 31 - Beware of Phantom Power

Are you brightening this holiday season with beautiful holiday lights? Watch this video to learn more about how not to light up your electricity bill.

Beware of Phantom Power!

A Lenten Question

A Lenten change

As many people do, I celebrate Easter. Today being, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Even though many aspects of my religious upbringing have changed with age, I find myself participating in lent every year. A few years ago, I gave up swearing (not as easy as it sounds). Last year, I gave up sugar. Every slip up cost me $10 and that money was calculated throughout the six weeks and then donated to charity.

This year, however, I wanted to try something different. Lent has always been about giving something up in order to make yourself a better person, but after working on What You Can Do, I was forced to wonder whether giving up sugar really made me a better person. Blood sugar and mood swings aside, I couldn't see how this choice was making an impact on anyone broader than myself and my immediate family and colleagues. What if I really tried to make a difference with my time this year?

So I've decided to do a What You Can Do challenge of sorts. Throughout the next 46 days (when did lent become longer than 40 days?), I will take on a different What You Can Do one-minute action each day. Should be pretty easy to do, in a way easier to do than stopping my mouth or resisting a hot fudge sundae.

I'm kicking it off by turning down my heat to 68o. I thought I was making a difference keeping my heat at 70o, but everyone says that 68o makes the impact, so 68o is the magic number.

I'm planning out my next 46 days, but I'm open to suggestions. Feel free to let me know your thoughts - what do you think could make the most impact in this "one-minute" allotment?

Should be an interesting adventure. I'll be back tomorrow with another action.

'Til then - Alicia

Make a Difference for People this Holiday

Think you can help a person in need in 1 minute? Watch this

Starring - Illiana Inocencio
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: Mercy Corps, www.mercycorps.org

Special Thanks: Sylvia Ross and everyone at Mercy Corps, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Holiday Party

Think you can't Go Green in 1 Minute This Holiday? Watch this.

Starring - Julie Tortorici
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Make a Difference with Your Holiday Tree

Think you can't Go Green in 1 Minute This Holiday? Watch this.

Starring - Jack Halaby
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Meredith Tufaro, Laura Davis and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Holiday Gift Wrap

Think you can't Go Green in 1 Minute This Holiday? Watch this.

Starring - Maria Christina Perry
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited, and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

A Gift for Pet Lovers

Think you can't support a Shelter Animal in 1 Minute? Watch this.

Starring - Damion Fitz
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited, and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information Provided by: Petfinder.com Foundation, www.petfinderfoundation.com

Special Thanks: Lisa Robinson and everyone at the Petfinder.com Foundation, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Students Help Fight Hunger in NYC

Think you can't help fight Hunger in NYC in 1 Minute? Watch this.

Starring - Keanna McGarrell
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited, and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information Provided by: City Harvest, www.cityharvest.org

Special Thanks: Heather Wallace, and everyone at City Harvest, Griselda Garcia and everyone at The New York Daily News, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Gifts That Give More to Animals

Think there's nothing you can do to Help An Animal in 1 Minute?

Starring - Ashleigh Awusie
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistics Provided by: The GreaterGood Network, www.theanimalrescuesite.com

Special Thanks: Rosemary Jones and everyone at The GreaterGood Network, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

The Thanksgiving Dilemma: Answered

The Thanksgiving Dilemma: Answered

There were so many comments about whether or not I should speak to my father about his water usage on Thanksgiving that I figured a follow-up was necessary.

For those readers out there that are coming in late and could use a recap, checkout last Sunday's blog: HERE.

After thinking about it I decided, what better time to talk to my father about his water habits, than on Thanksgiving? You can't get mad at someone on Thanksgiving, right? Isn't that some holiday rule? Feast and peace? So, I did.

I put it to him like this: "So, Dad, I hope you're not too mad about this, but I wrote a blog about how you hand wash your dishes and how I wish you wouldn't leave the faucet running when you walk away from the sink." Then I gave him that statistic from the EPA - which I horribly misquoted - but I believe he got the idea because he agreed to be more mindful! He was totally game and ready to try it out.

After dinner on Thanksgiving, I was happy to hear the faucet shutting on and off. The sound of a constant steady stream from year's passed was no longer. Later on, when I asked how it went, he said he wasn't perfect, but it went pretty well and I've got to say... he looked proud.

So this Thanksgiving, I gave thanks for an open-minded dad who was willing to reshape one of his habits for both the earth and his daughter.

Help Fight Hunger in NYC This Holiday Season

Think there's nothing you can do to Help Fight Hunger in New York City in 1 Minute?

Starring - Jack Halaby
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistics Provided by: City Harvest, www.cityharvest.org

Special Thanks: Heather Wallace and everyone at City Harvest, Griselda Garcia and everyone at The Daily News, James Long and everyone at the FDNY, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Happy Thanksgiving

Think there's nothing you can do to Give Back This Thanksgiving in 1 Minute?

Starring - Tom Morwick
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Help Fight Hunger This Thanksgiving

Think there's nothing you can do to Fight Hunger on Thanksgiving in 1 Minute?

Starring - Ashleigh Awusie
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella


For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Conserve Water this Thanksgiving

Think there's nothing you can do to Conserve Water on Thanksgiving in 1 Minute?

Starring - Nikaury Rodriguez
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: The EPA, www.epa.gov

Special Thanks: Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com

Wear Your Seat Belt

Think there's nothing you can do to Travel Safely this Thanksgiving in 1 Minute?

Starring - Michaela King
Written by -  Jessica Arinella & Julie Tortorici
Shot, Edited and Directed by - Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission

Statistical Information provided by: The National Traffic Safety Administration, www.nhtsa.gov

Special Thanks: Michele Dellinger, and Dennis Arinella

For more information, please visit - www.whatyoucando365.com