Posts Tagged ‘charity’

April 25, 2016

Margarita Monday vol. VI

*blogged while drinking mango juice and listening to David Bowie 45’s*

Oh Monday, what can we say about you? For most of us you mean another too long work week. But for some you’re like the sunrise of a new day(or in this case week. With a myriad of new possibilities;a day to embark on missions to complete new goals and reach new heights. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s here. So, to make it a little better here’s a list of seven things to have on your “radar,” one for each day!

#1) perpetualkid.com

Wait a minute, there’s a website full of kitschy gifts and fun things I remember and loved as a kid!? Yup. If you’ve never quite grown up and want to still have some fun in this “grown up,” world consider checking out this website. Best of all it’s not too expensive! So, you can save up your pennies for the weekend or Disney World, whichever comes first.
#2) Anonymous book sending

Do you love books? Is there one in particular that really helped you? Well, send it to some unsuspecting friend! Yup, if it’s something that could benefit someone you know, why not drop it in the mail and surprise someone? It’s even more fun when it is anonymous, because it becomes a gift for both of you. Not only will it potentially drive them nutty because of the anonymity, but the sudden appearance of a mysterious book will very likely prompt them to read it. Therefore, if your intention was for them to read it, mission accomplished! See, Monday is shaping up already.

#3) Pay it backward?

The next time you’re in a line, whether it’s in a car or on foot, buy the persons order behind you! It’s easier to do this anonymously in a drive thru. However, it’s not like you can’t whisper to the barista(or cashier) to pay for the person standing behind you either. This may cost you, but frankly it’s a lot of fun and you could start a chain reaction of kindness! Good deed done for the day? check.

#4) Dr. Caroline Leaf
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Since my brain has become a large point of interest for doctors and me too, finding this knowledgeable Woman has been incredible. Forget the self help books, the gurus, and psychologists, listen to this lady! She has a show on television and can be found online as well. So, give Her a look here.

#5) Five Leaves Cafe, Greenpoint Brooklyn.

What can I say? Good food, Heath Ledger, and Brooklyn. Those words alone should sell you! This place is not only co-owned by the late actor Heath Ledger(before his death) but also pretty cute. The food is also good too. I had the pleasure of having brunch here on a sunny day next to a hoard of hungry hipsters. The service was sweet, the burger was delish, and I loved the location! So, give it a try cool guy(or gal) if you have the chance!\

#6) Siggis Yogurt
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Yogurt, I think I’ve found your perfect form. Not only is this free of all the junk(no high fructose,colors,or extra sugar) but is also a very healthy and tasty treat. Not to mention, it’s Icelandic(Bjork fans rejoice! It also happens to use simple ingredients and not a lot of sugar. Dive in for a thick, creamy, tasty, and protein packed experience. People, just buy it.

#7) Conscious Beauty Products!
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As I gazed into my drawer of old and new makeup products I thought “You only have one face.” I repeat, one face. Therefore you don’t really need 20 different overpriced eyeshadows, 6 high dollar lipsticks, and about 3 different kinds of mixing bases. I may be exaggerating but not really, and you get the idea… Just like fast fashion helps destroy the environment, so does the cosmetics industry. The production and consumption of beauty products has some not so pretty side effects on our world. To name a few, the chemicals in many products get into the environment and break down ecosystems, the waste from the packaging takes hundreds of years to decompose in landfills, and all that stuff going down your drain makes its way into our water systems. Not to mention the sheer amount of money these products cost. Walk into any beauty store and you can easily drop $100.00 in less than 30 minutes. It’s very likely your skin doesn’t want to be assaulted by three different kinds of skincare products in less than a month too. Just like any billionaire company, they make money off of making you think you need more. Some beauty companies may tout ‘natural’ on the label, but guess what? A higher demand for natural ingredients means more mining the Earth to get them fast and cheap. Therefore, certainly not sustainably. If you really want to help the Earth and your pocketbook, just stop buying so much of these pricey products.

And finally, cheers! with this agave margarita. Get the recipe here.

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Drink up!
bleu

April 3, 2016

This belongs to me.

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“I think developed countries – so-called developed countries – should reflect upon the way of living and the waste of energy.”- Hugo Chavez.

Just so you know, ownership is an illusion. Because, we can’t take anything with us when this life reaches its final chapter. Therefore, this means you are pretty much a custodian of inanimate objects. The question is, how big of a custodian job do you want? The more stuff you have the bigger the burden. So much of our time(and life) gets eaten up by working for, shopping for, and paying for said items, and then taking care of it all! After I nearly died these inanimate objects lost nearly all their value to me. I began not only going through the loads of things I owned but also giving away and selling much of it. I no longer found as much value in objects as I once had. Simply put, you assign value to things, they don’t assign value to you. Our culture is unbelievably wasteful to the point of insanity. I still marvel at the hoards of things that occupy giant shopping malls. What happens to it all? Where does it all go? Furthermore, do we really need any of it!? Just watch the video below. Also, avoid regular trips to Forever 21, H&M, and the website Modcloth.com!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI1vlX7OdLM&w=560&h=315%5D

A designer purse will not make you happier, just as no inanimate object was going to restore the physical functions I nearly lost in my body. Therefore, I saw no point in becoming a collector of things that would only burden me. At some point I even questioned a bewildered friend, what the point of saving money was. Since it really didn’t serve me at the time or hold as much value anymore. When you nearly lose everything, lets just say your perspective changes a bit. The continual dance that people do, to obtain and maintain essentially useless objects became very unnecessary to me. Instead of petitioning for a better environment, perhaps we should quit dumping tons of unnatural materials into the Earth. Our time would be better spent on experiences that create incredible memories, rather than objects that cause us grief. Additionally we could use our resources to help another person either financially or with our time. Now that is something very worth doing!

Go minimal!

bleu

February 17, 2016

Help

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“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?”

-Brian Tracy.

Sometimes We can’t do everything and have to humble ourselves. After a lifetime of being stubborn and independent, having to ask for so much help was altogether humbling and produced a great patience in me. Before I was injured I did everything when and how I wanted to. However, in the hospital and after I had to have assistance and help with nearly everything. Not only was I not used to asking for help but it was painful having to wait so long(or seemingly) for everything. I even needed help to cut my own nails! I have never been all that patient, but now I had no choice but to be patient and gracious when things weren’t done how I’d normally prefer them. It was not only difficult having to ask and then wait, but it made me feel set back as well. We live in a “I want it now,” society. Therefore, waiting to do anything(especially everyday tasks) was excruciating. We all need help sometimes, but never to this extent. To ask for so much help was not only humbling but a great teacher of patience. Imagine having to wait to do what you want, when you never really had to. The experience of this was not only a lesson but highlighted the fact that We are definitely spoiled by convenience. Most of all in my times of need little human Angels popped up everywhere. This was not only a lesson in patience and humility, but community too. We all need each other more than you realize. In fact after being put into such a situation, it was clear to me that we’d all be better off if society valued the servant roles as much as the master roles. In our pursuit for control we miss out on the beauty of a shared human experience. How much easier and full of love would life be, if We all helped each other rather than only ourselves? After being in a place of so much need I now understand the importance of serving and helping others. I actually look out for and forward to opportunities to help someone. As well as look back at the times I had them and didn’t. To share in the life and joys of another, even a stranger is more fulfilling than living selfishly. For each person that went out of their way for me, they made my day better and it was done for no personal gain. All of these small acts of kindness are woven into a larger tapestry that creates our experience of humanity, and all of humanity is better when We share it.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWP6Qki8mWc&w=420&h=315%5DIt’s a lesson I wish I would’ve learned sooner than later. For, had that happened I would have spent so much more time sharing my life with others who needed help at that moment. In doing so and giving of yourself, you gain so much more than what you give. Don’t wait too long to realize this but the sooner you begin the better!

Go, Angel Go!

bleu

March 14, 2015

Love is all You Need

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”

― John Lennon.

Through what has been a harrowing journey, I think one of the many bigger things I have learned is that if you have a choice, when you choose love you can’t lose.

As you probably already know, we are all connected like the synapses of our brains, paper chain dolls, and even the cosmos. Much like them we too, shine on.

I rarely like to ask for things, but plainly put,(Donate button on the right please) I need your help fellow humans.

This request stems from my journey in learning how to walk again from being half paralyzed.Early on in rehab, I used to pretend I was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge(not an indoor track rife with grandmas and grandpas)for motivation. However as I have gotten better, regained my balance, and amped up my determination I want to make this daydream a reality. Because when things are bad you can push through them to the other side. As a demonstration of this I want to walk all 1.1 miles of the bridge with friends and family to celebrate life, raise stroke awareness,and inspire others to cross their own bridges in life My hope is to do it in the Fall, but if funds won’t allow it will have to wait.Thus, if you will each raise up your hands, I could crowd surf safely across them to the stage.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3qvosHHcWc&w=560&h=315%5D

Love&Cheers,