1. Do Something Good – I love that Cool People Care sends me an email every day.  Each weekday, in 5 minutes of caring, they publish a little 99-word diddy that details one thing we can do to make the world a better place. How cool is that? This morning’s feature -  Eco friendly Easter ideas from free trade chocolate to safe, natural, Easter egg dyes.

2. Eat Something Good – Eco-friendly living isn’t just about the environment, it’s also about our bodies and our health. Over at The Gracious Pantry, Tiffany shares the ups and downs of adopting a clean eating lifestyle all while being a mom and full time student studying nutrition. Her easy to follow recipes and non in-your-face style will have you embracing life-affirming, clean eating habits in no time.

3. Create Something Good - Decor Hack’s site says it all. The creators are “fans of mid-century modern design, doing it yourself, and saving money while you do.” From a paint stirrer sunburst mirror to a wood floor mat, these ladies serve up lovely, money & enviro saving ideas every day.

4. Face Something Good – Valana Minerals is one of the few companies to offer 100% natural and vegan cosmetics for women of color. In addition to making earth friendly products, Valana’s owner, Valerie Reed, shares her company’s mission of giving back to the community, regularly donating to organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Heifer International.

5. Join Something Good - Rajeev Kapur founded Greenwala to provide a platform for people to share their stories and to have access to resources, programs and products that enable them to “go green”. The main objective of Greenwala is to provide members with content and opportunities to learn how going green can help save money. Site interaction is rewarded by a point system that helps fund socially responsible programs.

Share your earth-friendly ideas, activities and thoughts here in our comment section or on our Facebook fan page. And, Happy Earth Day!

The earth is what we all have in common.

- Wendell Berry Author, farmer, cultural critic

Five fabulous websites I think you’ll love…

1. Whether you’re a travel buff or just want to make your 40th birthday getaway the trip of a lifetime, Stay.com can help.  Simply type in your destination and Stay shows you city highlights, hotel deals, restaurants, night life and much more. Add anything you’re interested in and Stay creates a personalized, printable travel guide. (Photo: Stay.com’s feature Bar De L’Entracte – Paris)

2. Wakerupper works with any phone in the U.S. or Canada and does just what it sounds like it does. Use Wakerupper to remind yourself of important events, birthdays and appointments or call your kids to get on them about their chores. My favorite use for Wakerupper – schedule a call to get out of a bad date! Type in your message and an automated voice calls and delivers it at the time you’ve scheduled.

3. Tired of the same walking/jogging/running route? Using your iphone, Walk Jog Run utilizes Google Maps and community involvement to map out the best routes in your area. It’s especially handy if you’re on vacation or traveling for business.

4. Ever wanted to know what the inside of that shop or restaurant looks like before you take the plunge? Everyscape provides three-dimensional, photo-realistic visual guides of cities and towns, restaurants and businesses. You can check out local restaurant menus, theater lay-outs, reviews and local attractions.

5. There’s Groupon and Living Social and now there’s The Dealmap. The Dealmap collects local deals from the largest number of sources and make them easy to find via Twitter, Facebook or through their own iPhone app. Dealmap offers deals and discounts for up to 90% off local restaurants, entertainment, attractions, hotels, spas, salons and shops.

Got a fave you’d like to see in a future Five for Friday? Send it contribute (@ )womenatforty.com (remove parenthesis and spaces before emailing.)

In the same email I received the “frittata” message, I got this Five in the Morning list courtesy of Chris’ Human Business Works site and I’ve gotten permission from his people to use it as this week’s Five for Friday. It’s five things you can do in ten minutes and it’s a great way to begin rethinking the way you approach productivity in the new year.

1. Write down the three things you MUST move forward on today. Tape it to your monitor. Add it to a notepad file on your computer. Send a reminder to “noon@nudgemail.com” with the three things in the body of the email. (more about nudgemail – not a sponsor).

2. Write down three things to STOP doing today. Do you really need to be subscribed and reading all those blogs? Which ones could you eliminate? Are there one or two TV shows you could stop watching today and replace with some work on your projects? Write down a few negative things to stop SAYING to yourself, too.

3. Once you finish reading this, send an email to someone you haven’t contacted lately that you value. Make the request/offer to connect with someone and work on a project with them in 2011.

4. Have a nice glass of water. So few of us are drinking enough water. This one glass will help your body flush out bad stuff, push out some fat, and get your skin feeling a little more supple. All for free (well, depending on where you get your water).

5. Go to your LinkedIn profile and double-check what the summary says about you. Is that what you want prospective business partners and colleagues to see? How could you make your LinkedIn profile work for you?

I’m putting together some great Five for Fridays for the new year. If you’ve got a suggestion, product or thought you’d like to share, email it to contribute(@)womenatforty.com. (Remove parenthesis)

Only 14 days left until Christmas, but it’s not too late to get great, affordable, eco-friendly stocking stuffers. Here are five that are sure to have people calling you “the eco-friendly elf”…

1. Fabric Journals – These elegantly striped red and orange cotton cover journals include braided string bookmarks  and are handcrafted by Indian artisans. The pages are made of acid-free recycled paper and bound in hand-woven cloth recycled from textile mills. $16 each.

2. Stainless Steel Food Carrier – A far cry from the boring brown bag lunch, this 3-tier Stainless Steel Tiffin Set (a lunch box system that hails from India) is reusable, lightweight, and has a lid with a fold down handle that doubles as a plate. It comes with a sidekick tiffin that’s great for dressings or sauces. Works for both cold or hot food. $24.95 each.

3. Fair Trade, Organic Dark Chocolate Minis – By purchasing certified Fair Trade chocolate you support traditional agricultural practices (small scale, shade grown, and chemical free) and small farmer families who own cocoa and sugar co-operatives in the Dominican Republic and Paraguay. At $9.95, you can even treat yourself to a bag. 40 minis in each bag.

4. Natural Bamboo Eco-Friendly Coaster Favors – This set of four all natural bamboo-green coasters measure approximately 3 1/2” and come in a great bamboo design box with a  natural raffia tie. $25 for a set of four.

5. Holiday Aromatherapy Beeswax Candles – These pure beeswax candles are specially scented and dyed for the holidays. The candles are made with 100% pure beeswax, naturally extracted essential oils, and 100% cotton wicks. The Beehive glasses burn for 40 hours and the glass gift sets for 24. Prices start at $8.

1. This lesson was  WAF’s Facebook‘Thought of the day’ earlier in the week, and although it might sound harsh, it’s true – Hope is not a strategy. Hope is great, necessary, can help us get out of bed on a Monday morning and motivate us to make it through the day, but hope is not a strategy. A strategy is a systematic plan of action. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. So if strategy is the cake, hope is the decorative rose on top – everybody loves the candy rose, but the cake is the main thing.

2. Advice can come from anywhere – and at any time. Lisa Price shared the story from the first year she was in business. Her husband was delivering product to customers on roller blades and they were still selling product out of their home. She was buying some products from a woman who told her that if she was ever asked to speak to students, she should just say yes. At the time a speaking engagement was something that was not only unfathomable, but terrifying. Two years later she was asked to address a group of students at university, and she remembered that woman’s advice and though petrified, said yes. Fast forward to today and several speaking engagements later and despite the current economy, Lisa recently broke a Home Shopping Network record by selling more than $2 million of product in six hours when she debuted Mary J. Blige’s first fragrance.

3. Don’t let your haters stop you from doing what you came here to do. Bestselling author Emily Giffin talked about quitting her job as a lawyer and deciding to move to England to work on her first novel. She recalled being on an elevator with one of the partners who had given her hell while she worked at the firm. He made a snide comment about hearing that she was leaving to “write a book” and scoffed. Emily talked about during the process of writing her book remembering his comment and thinking, “if this doesn’t work, I’ll have to go back there and he’ll know I failed.” Five bestsellers and a feature movie in the works later and it’s pretty obvious she did exactly what she was supposed to.

4. A million dollar idea in $10 shoes – I don’t like networking. Despite my sometimes incessant talking and alleged big mouth, I am a bit of an introvert, choosing to stay home with a good book over a networking event any day. But networking is a necessity so I’m working on getting better at it, but because I tend to hang back and watch people, I learn a lot of these types of events. I watch how people interact and notice the types of people other people gravitate to. One of the things I’ve learned is this – a lot of people will step over a million dollar idea because it’s wearing $10 shoes. Great ideas don’t always come in the shiniest packages or the “best” wrapping. Remember the old saying, don’t judge a book by it’s cover? It’s still true today. The next time you’re at an event, listen to the softest voice in the room, many times she’s the person with the most to say.

5. Do you – It’s become so trite now, it’s almost embarrassing to repeat, but it’s trite because it’s true. No one can or will do you better.  Doubt, discouragement, frustration is magnified when we try to be someone we aren’t. If you find yourself acting, speaking, thinking in a manner that contradicts who you feel you are at your core, stop. If it’s not you, you won’t be able to keep the act up for long and it will show. You might be a small mom and pop out of your garage, or you might be a million dollar enterprise destined for the Home Shopping Network – find your happy and live there.

Read more about Pink’s Empowerment event and its panelists here.

If you’ve got a Five for Friday you’d like to share, email me at contribute(@)womenatforty.com, and it could be featured in a future post!

The Artist’s Way calls this time an Artist’s Date, but you don’t have to be the next J.K. Rowling or Picasso to find these excursions helpful. All they involve is spending an hour away from the noise and bustle of every day life to focus on just about anything else. There’s nothing to buy and no agenda to follow. It’s just you, your thoughts and an hour of exploring something new. To get you started, here are five suggestions for your own artist’s date. A few caveats – turn your cell phone off, leave your wallet at home, make the artist’s date with you, and only you, and try to do it at least once a month.

1. Empty Church – Have you ever been inside a beautiful Catholic Church? Alone? Believer or not, the architecture alone is enough to get your mind off your problems for a while. Many church doors remain unlocked during weekdays. The next time you drive by one in between errands, run inside and sit for a while.

2. Antique Market – While you can find some great deals at an antique market, some of my best artist’s dates have involved simply strolling down the aisles of one of my local antique markets. Wandering the aisles and looking at and touching some of the pieces is like a living history lesson. My trick for not buying – I only bring $10 or less with me.

3. Farmers Markets – My love affair with the farmers market is legendary, but you don’t have to love cooking to enjoy visiting one. The one I visit is an international market with foods and spices from all over the world.  A day at the farmers market represents people watching at its finest, and you might leave with a great idea for your next dinner party.

4. Book Store – It’s hard to say which I love more, farmers markets or book stores, but if we’re clocking hours spent, book stores win hands down. Roam the aisles scanning current best-sellers, biographies or books you wouldn’t typically buy.

5. Cemetery – Full disclosure: This is one I have yet to try. But Kalin’s Cemetery Tour post planted a seed, and I’ll definitely be checking one out in the future. One thing’s for sure though, you will not catch me there after dark!

If you’ve got a great idea for an artist’s date, or for a future Five for Friday, email me at contribute(@)womenatforty.com.

1. From the Do You Edition - Personalize your pop! Personalized soda bottles are a great treat for your 40th birthday party. My Jones lets you choose from flavors like berry lemonade, green apple and vanilla bean, and then adds text and images of your choosing. A 3-pack sampler kit starts at just $3.99.

2. From The Facebook Edition -  Revolution of Real Women – is a global movement advocating the empowerment of females in reclaiming their freedom of individuality, self-esteem and unique beauty. Why do we love RORW? This was a recent Facebook status “Skinny isn’t out. Curves aren’t in. One type of body isn’t more REAL than another. The ‘in’ body is the one YOU were born with.” Who can argue with that? You can follow RORW on Facebook or check out images of real women on Flickr. Update: They’ve recently re-launched their website. Check it out here.

3. From the Women Blogger’s Rock Edition - If you’re a member of the curly girl club (or your daughter is), then you’ll love Curly Niki’s natural hair site. In Niki’s words, her site was created “to inspire, educate and motivate people that wear their hair naturally–be it curly hair, kinky hair, or wavy hair.” Curly Niki provides techniques, product reviews and a vibrant online community of natural hairistas.

4. From the Free City Adventures Edition – Rome, Italy – A girl can dream can’t she? And so can you! Ok, so technically it’s not a destination in the U.S., but Rome is definitely on my bucket list. But after paying for airfare and room & board, I’ll need all the freeness I can get my happy little hands on. For starters, I think I’ll visit The Pantheon. Built in 27 B.C., it’s the oldest standing domed structure in Rome. Then I’ll take a stroll through the ruins of what was once the commercial, governmental, and religious center of ancient Rome – the Foro Romano, or the Roman Forum.  A trip to Rome wouldn’t be complete without a visit to The Trevi Fountain.  Inspired by Roman triumphal arches, The Trevi fountain is the largest and most famous Baroque fountain in Rome. And since tradition has it that throwing a coin into the water guarantees your return to Rome, I’m planning on throwing at least 10 in there!

5. From the Be A… Edition – Be a peacekeeper - PeaceKeeper “cause-metics” is the first cosmetics line to give all of its after-tax, distributable profits to women’s health advocacy and urgent human rights issues. Their ideals include supporting slavery free labor, fair wages and cruelty free products. Their product line includes eco-friendly nail polish remover, lip gloss and lip paint. Check out PeaceKeeper “cause”metics and don’t just look beautiful – do something beautiful too.

Have a suggestion for a future Five for Friday? Email me at contribute[at]womenatforty.com.

This week’s Five for Friday – a hodgepodge of stuff I like. I think you’ll like them too…

1. See Jane Work – Even if you hate your job, or especially if you do, your office work space should be your own little oasis. See Jane Work offers cute, stylish office supplies that are bound to brighten up even the worst Mondays. They’ve got calendars, desk accessories and even an eco-friendly section. Speaking of Jane…   (Photo: See Jane Work Desk of The Month)

2. Be Jane – A community for all women, beginners to industry professionals, who are interested in doing their own home-improvement stuff. Be Jane focuses on home improvement from a woman’s perspective, showing them the “how-to” that gets the project done and the “how-it-will” enhance your life.

3. Shhhh! – Your Secret Gift makes it easy to send an anonymous gift. Whether it’s a quiet thank-you to the colleague who always has your back, or the friend you’ve wanted to be more than friends with for a while, Your Secret Gift allows you to send gifts completely anonymously – if you choose to. You can also send a message explaining why you’re sending the gift.

4. Eco-friendly Pink -  During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month women everywhere show their support by buying pink ribbon products. Ironically though, some of these products contain chemicals that are both harmful to the environment and have have been linked to cancer. Ecofabulous’ guide to eco-friendly pink ribbon products shines the spotlight on products that are both eco-friendly and supportive of the cause. Check out their list of products here.

5. Minimize me -  Well, my stuff anyway. Minimus is the king of all things travel and individual-sized.  The site has more than 2,000 travel-sized and individual sized products in stock, including more than 100 kits and gift sets. It’s a great site for planning that next road trip, romantic getaway or if you just like looking at cute miniatures.

1. Remember those plank exercises for your core? Try watching a night of TV balancing on The Gaiam Balance Ball Chair. The chair provides toning and shaping for your core while helping to alleviate the aching back and legs that comes from sitting at a desk all day. It’s designed for people between 5-feet and 5-feet 11-inches tall, weighs 13 pounds and has a 300lb weight capacity. The Balance Ball Chair retails for around $80. Happy balancing!

2. Oolong Tea – This traditional Chinese tea has been shown to aid the body in burning fat. Oolong should be prepared with 180 to 190 °F (82 to 88 °C) water (not boiling) and steeped 3–4 minutes. Premium quality Oolong can be brewed repeatedly and, unlike other teas, improves with reuse.

3. Hot Stuff – Studies have shown that eating a single spicy meal can raise your metabolism by up to 25%, with the spike in calorie burning lasting for hours. Peppers like jalapeno, habenoro, cayenne and even just plain black, boost your metabolism by increasing your heart rate. One note, add the heat to healthy foods, I don’t think it helps much if you’re eating a heaping plate(s) of spicy pork.

4. Pasta – Well, some pasta. If you’re going to eat pasta anyway, why not eat the kind that’s high in fiber. I’ve been cooking with Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta for a couple of years now and trust me, you can’t taste the difference. Each serving has 7grams of fiber and is enriched with Vitamin D. Click here to get a $1 off printable coupon.

5. A serving is in the eye of the beholder – A can of soda should be one serving, shouldn’t it? But it isn’t. Neither is a “bowl” of cereal. If you, like I do, consider a serving size to be whatever fits on your plate, that could be part of the problem. The Perfect Portions Digital Scale is a food scale and calculator in one. It lets you track the calories, carbs, sugar, fiber and sodium in what you eat, and just as importantly helps make sure you’re eating the proper serving size.  The scale retails at around $50.00.

Got a suggestion for a future Five for Friday? Send it to contribute@womenatforty.com.

1. Cold Stone Creamery – After a hot 40th birthday bash, cool down with a free birthday treat from Cold Stone Creamery. Register for their Birthday Club and they’ll email a coupon redeemable at your favorite Cold Stone location.

2. Caribou Coffee -  Join the Caribou Coffee club and a few days before your birthday they’ll send you a coupon for a free beverage at any one of their locations. Click here to find the Caribou closest to you.

3. Discovery Cruise Lines wants to wish you a Happy Birthday by offering a free day cruise to the Bahamas during your birth month. The birthday passenger travels free with the purchase of one full priced adult day cruse. The one day cruises cost around $130 and include Las Vegas rules casino, games, shows, all you can eat buffets, a pool & sun deck, and more.

4. Firehouse Subs – Happy Subday to you! – Just visit any participating Firehouse Subs on your birthday, show them your ID and receive a free medium sub. Click here to locate the Firehouse Subs near you.

5. Moe’s – Welcome to Moe’s! If you’ve ever been to Moe’s Southwest Grill, you’re familiar with their greeting. But did you know that when you sign up on their site, they’ll send you a coupon for a free Birthday Burrito? They even promise a nice surprise just for signing up.

If you’ve got a few fab finds you’d like to see in the Five for Friday, email them to contribute@womenatforty.com. It may be featured in a future Five for Friday post!