He saved a child in the intersection (an ordinary Friday)

Mountain Khakis asked for a 'random act of kindness.' We were definitely not expecting this!

by Scott Bright

What does it take to be bold? Are a small, select group of individuals simply born with a genetic predisposition towards boldness? Some may say yes. But there are others like me who believe boldness is born in the moment. Within all of us is the seed to greatness. I believe a bold action can rise up from within us at any moment. This was the case for me on an ordinary Friday afternoon in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Friday began much like any other day. I woke up, did a couple stretches, checked my email, made some breakfast, and sat down at my computer to get some work done. Today’s agenda: finish the essay for my graduate school application. I sat around for hours typing and deleting combinations of words and sentences until finally, I had nearly reached perfection. I was exhausted and needed a break.

I decided to take a walk and clear my head. It felt great to be outside in a city surrounded by so much life and movement. I eventually reached an intersection where some construction work was being done. There seemed to be a lot of confusion in the area with cars and bicyclists zigzagging around cones. Some pedestrians navigated their way across the intersection in a manner that was similar to the classic videogame Frogger. Ah...just another day in the city.

I personally never liked Frogger, so I figured I would stay put and wait for the walk light to turn green. While I was waiting, a group of school children arrived next to me. In the distance I heard a siren approaching and could make out some flashing lights. Considering the confusion and noise at the intersection, it was actually very hard to hear the siren.

I watched as an ambulance came tearing down the road at high speed. I thought to myself, that doesn’t seem very safe. As the ambulance approached, a lady across the street started yelling in my direction. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but she was extremely animated. I had been so distracted that I didn't notice the traffic light had changed and the green walk light flashed on. At this point, I realized one of the schoolchildren had began wandering out into the street!

This is when it happened. The ambulance was nearly to the intersection and had no intention of slowing down. The child walked naively into the street; her head pointed at the ground. Time slowed down. I am not sure where it came from, or if I was even aware of it at the time, but it happened. I became...bold. I reached out and grabbed her backpack and lifted her back onto the sidewalk. I did not know I had such strength. The ambulance whizzed by only moments later.

A tragedy may have been avoided. Some may think this was a heroic effort. I think of myself as just a common man placed in uncommon circumstances. In any case, a bold action occurred.

I have often thought back on the incident and tried to pinpoint exactly what triggered my boldness on that day. Could it have been the essay I was writing, or perhaps the lady who yelled at me from across the street? Or was what I had for breakfast? No, it couldn’t have been any of these things. It was merely a random act of kindness, and a rewarding one at that.

Challenge: Do a Random Act of Kindness
Sponsor: Mountain Khakis [ See All Actions Here ]
Action:  "I grabbed a kid by the shirt and stopped her from crossing an intersection as an ambulance came tearing through a red light at full speed."

The First Bolder Proposal

[ a proposal story written from both perspectives. See the proposal on Bolder here]

From Jon:
I had been looking for a great way to propose and looked into so many different possible times to ask Tina to marry me. We are pretty active people and like outdoor activities, so I began thinking of all the different outdoor places I could ask. We rented snowshoes and were checking out possible places to go with them when I found images of Trillium Lake. I thought that if we got a nice day, the view would be absolutely picturesque, and it would be an amazing place to ask the girl that I loved to be my wife.

Well that day came, and I had the ring in my pocket the whole day. Nerves were high, but at the same time, I was just anxious to know Tina would one day be my wife (provided she said yes of course!). A little way into the hike, we stopped at a spot where Mt Hood was cascading over the snow covered lake. The sky was perfectly clear and there were very few people around.

We stopped to eat a snack, which typically entails me eating twice as fast as she does. Butterflies got the best of my stomach, and so I was not really hungry, which caused her to question why I wasn't eating. I blamed it on an upset stomach, but the whole time my hand was clenched around the ring box, trying to figure out when I was going to pull it out.

Finally, she was ready to begin moving on, and so I decided it was time. She stood up. I stood next to her and pulled out a small circular piece of green paper and handed it to her. I asked if she knew what it was, and she said "no, what is it?" I went on to remind her that on our first anniversary she had given me a series of coupons: including a massage, a dinner at the restaurant where we ate on our first date, and few other things like that. She also made this little, green coupon. It was supposed to be for me to ask one question, any question, and she would give me an absolutely honest answer.

I had kept that coupon. I had it for quite a while. After about three or four years of dating, I decided I would use it to ask her to marry me when the time was right. I kept it in my wallet all that time until this particular day, when it finally came out. I explained that all to her in brief form, and said I would like to cash in on that coupon. I got down on one knee, pulled out her ring, and asked her if she would marry me. She got very excited and said YES, which made the remaining 5 miles of snowshoeing very exciting.

From Tina:
This was actually our first hike around Trillium Lake and Jon's first time snowshoeing! We've been on Mt Hood many times skiing, but we really wanting to try something different. I'm a graduate assistant at Portland State University's Outdoor Program, so we were able to rent snowshoes there. A friend suggested Trillium Lake would be a great location. That morning I woke up feeling really tired and almost canceled the trip, but Jon kept talking about how it was supposed to be such a beautiful day, so I agreed to go.

I had absolutely no idea he was going to propose until about 2 miles into the trip. We stopped for lunch, and he barely ate anything. I thought that was really odd because I was extremely hungry! When I stood up to get going again, he got down on one knee in the snow. I was completely surprised!

It was perfect. Sunny, blue skies, and Mt Hood in the background! We asked some other folks snowshoeing on the same trail to take our picture. They were great - they didn't even know us, but they had us pose several times so they could make sure we had a great picture.

We're really excited to be engaged and are planning to get married somewhere in Oregon next fall. We'd even love to incorporate the outdoors into our wedding! A lot of our relationship has been long distance, so it's really wonderful to be living in the same city and have such amazing opportunities to get outdoors. We are definitely planning to do another snowshoe hike this season and want to continue exploring other areas around Mt. Hood and all around Oregon!

Challenge: Plan an active date
Sponsor: Atayne [ See Challenge Here ]
Action: "Our date was to snowshoe a 5mi trail near Mt. Hood - 1/2 way around with an amazing view in the background my finance proposed! Perfect!"

Proof that documentaries work: A year of organic eating

[Foreword: we thought you'd like to know this very important detail. Lynn just broke her wrist and typed her story one-handed. Talk about Bolder! Feel better Lynn, and thanks for taking the time to type your story]

The Year of Eating Organically
by Lynn

My journey of organic eating began almost a year ago and not in a way one might think. One evening, I saw that the documentary film "Food, Inc." was going to be on our local public television station. I thought "hey, this film got nominated for an Oscar, so I think I'll check it out". When the film came on, I had no clue what I was in for and how it would completely change my life. It opened my eyes to the brutal truth of where our food comes from, and it was not what I expected. From the way the animals are treated on factory farms to the actions of Monsanto, I was so shocked by everything I saw that I decided my family would be eating differently from that moment on. We decided to go completely organic, and we haven't looked back.

Eating organically hasn't always been an easy road. It isn't cheap and there are few options when it comes to eating out, but the good outweighs the bad ten-fold. Since switching to organic food, I've lost 20 pounds, I have a lot more energy and my skin looks healthier and clearer. I've never been much of a cook but since going organic, I've had to get creative in the kitchen and you know what? It's been really fun! I started coming up with my own recipes and cooking up things I thought I'd never try.

To help with food costs, we started going to our local farmer's markets where we've met some of the wonderful people who grow our yummy produce. My husband and I even started growing some of our own organic fruits, veggies and herbs (which turns out is a national trend since the recession). That has been so awesome!

You know what else is awesome about this organic eating experience? The sense of connectedness you have with your food when you've learned about where it comes from and had a hand in creating it. To me, that is the real essence of organic living.

The end.

Challenge: Eat an organic salad today
Sponsor: Earthbound Farm [ See Challenge Here ]
Action: "I make an organic salad everyday w/ spring mix, tomatoes, onions, roasted turkey, shredded parm & olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette dressing!"

Karen M's Vegan Anniversary

By Karen M

After having my second child I weighed over 270 pounds. I knew I had to do something. I started a diet and exercise. I journal-ed every calorie that I ate. I took off over 130 pounds and I kept it off by watching what I ate. Last year I met my boyfriend, Brody. He had been vegan for over 5 years. He thought it was very silly that I watched my diet so closely but actually ate food that was not good for me. He explained that people are mislead by only looking at calories, fat, and fiber...He showed me food labels and I was shocked! I started doing some research and found it disgusting that the FDA allows blood and puss to be in the milk I was giving my children. I learned about gelatin being made from animals. BUT, my main concern as I began the journey was the chemicals that I do not need to consume. Half of the things on food labels, I could not even pronounce!

So, it has been over a year now. I can not even begin to explain how GREAT I feel. I have kept all of my weight off without even looking at calories and fat!!! There are soooo many wonderful products on the market that make going vegan easy. Sunshine burgers are wonderful, and are not filled with soy.

It is funny that my only challenges have come from other people. "What do you eat?" "Aren't you starving?" "Don't you miss cheese?" "How do you get your protein?" I have 2 children and believe me, I have to be able to please them at dinner time as well! We enjoy pizza, but with Daiya cheese. No one ever goes hungry at our house! We are so lucky to live in Columbus OH, where the vegan community is supported. We have a bar that serves an all vegan bar menu! Have you ever had deep-fried avocados? Hal and Al's Bar on Parsons Ave has everything from Vegan corn-dogs to sushi---ALL VEGAN! I love that I can go to a vegan salon and not worry about all the nasty chemicals being dumped in my water supply. Thanks Virtue Salon on High Street!

I hope that my story inspires others to take a look at their food labels. Research where your food comes from. I hope that people explore their community to find other people passionate about the environment, who are saying they aren't too small to make a difference! You can make a difference and it feels so AWESOME! Thank you for challenging people Bolder!

Challenge: Eat only plant-based whole foods for a weekend

Sponsor: Sunshine Burgers [ See Challenge Here ]

Action: "2011 is my anniversary of going VEGAN... ONE year down, and a lifetime ahead! Goal this year is to start cutting SOY!"

Small changes, huge impact - Jessica A transforms her life battle into a personal mantra

By Jessica A

As a recent breast cancer survivor I am especially aware of what I'm putting in and on my body. I've been researching herbal and all-natural personal care products lately. Around the holidays I decided to try making my own moisturizer. Using an old kitchen blender I mixed up two 13 ounce jars full of rich, emollient cream. I gave one as a gift and kept the other; I use it daily! If you would like to make your own, please see my recipe below.

Since making the moisturizer, I've made liquid hand soap, all-purpose scrub, and an all-purpose cleaner. All from natural ingredients. My family is now almost 100% free of toxic chemicals. We are eating all-natural foods, using all-natural products, and wasting almost nothing. We dispose of one bag of trash per week and the rest is recyclable/compostable. I've learned a few small changes can have a huge impact on my family's health and eventually, the health of my community and the world.

Recipe:
2 ounces beeswax
1 cup sweet almond oil
1 cup water
10 drops essential oil

Keep in mind, as you make this, it's thick...like, scrape-it-up-with-your-fingernails-to-apply-it-thick. Heat the beeswax and sweet almond oil until the wax melts. In another container, heat the water until warm. Both mixtures should be warm, not hot! Pour the warm water into your blender and replace the lid. While running the blender on HIGH, slowly pour in the beeswax-oil mixture. You will notice the mixture thickening. Add your essential oil and continue mixing to desired thickness. I used rosemary oil. Rosemary oil is an antiseptic and kills bacteria, as my cream was initially to be used as hand cream I thought those were good properties. Since making it, I've begun using it as an all-over moisturizer and it works wonderfully.

Challenge: Switch to natural skin care
Sponsor: Weleda [ See Challenge Here ]
Action: "I made homemade moisturizer from beeswax, sweet almond oil, water & rosemary essential oil--it's wonderful!"

Not Born to Run: Ben C's Road To Finishing His 1st Marathon

by Ben Crosby

This fall I read Born to Run and was enthralled with the author’s struggle to reconcile his body type with the ultra-athletes he profiled. McDougall is not your “typical” skinny-runner type at 6’4” and 220 lbs, and I was surprised in the way he explored running as more mental preparation than physical exercise. I’ve got a definite love/hate thing going with running myself; after a brief stint as a long jumper in middle school, I’ve never done much besides the occasional cross-training jog. Still, there has also always been something romantic about just throwing on a pair of shoes and going out to get a big gulp of exercise around the neighborhood.

This fall I decided to jump on board when a few other teachers at my school told me they were training for a marathon. The distances look intimidating at first, but it was amazing how following a gradual program (and making a sweet ipod playlist) got me ready to run 26. I definitely had my fair share of knee and tendon pain along the way, especially acute in the month leading up to the run. I thought about bailing (who hasn’t tried to balance fear of failure with the risk of chronic injury?), but ultimately decided to go for it.

Race day was exhilarating, and nerve-wracking. I was hesitant about even showing up at the starting line due to my lingering Achilles injuries and my worry that I would have to *gasp* quit. However, as soon as the start whistle blew, I knew I’d make it. The sense of purpose as 3000 people all set off running with a singular goal (to keep going!) was overwhelming. I chugged water, poached GU packets other runners had inadvertently dropped, and played numbers games to no end as the mile markers ticked up to 26. The breadth of athletes and body types was inspiring; I saw teens, dads, grandmothers, and no end of amateurs like me trotting along in their race-day best.

Crossing the finish line felt amazing; my time wasn’t record setting by any means, but I knew I’d caught the marathon bug. I’m training for the SF Marathon in July with some friends who will be running their first marathons. Can't wait to keep making fitness gains with my friends!

Challenge: Share your Eco/Active resolutions for 2011

Sponsor: Atayne [ See Challenge Here ]

Action: "I ran my first marathon last month...my goal is to to shave 30 minutes off my time for the next one!"

Turning the Corner With a Salad? Boo J's Health Journey

Challenge: Add leafy greens to a meal
Sponsor: Purely Elizabeth [ See Challenge Here ]
Action: Been a while since I've logged on. As a kid I hated greens. This challenge is a good reminder of what I should've been doing years ago.

Boo's Thoughts:
First off I'd like to say that I found Bolder right at the time when I really started taking my health seriously. Although the rewards from the challenges provide a great incentive, I participate in them because it helps me keep on track.

The "Add Leafy Greens to A Meal" caught my eye because growing up I just did not like the taste of vegetables. I was that kid who excused himself to go to the bathroom, just so I could spit up my vegetables. I never had a taste for vegetables and cruised into my adulthood without eating a whole lot of them.

Last year my health came into question and I had to make a decision on how I wanted to live my life. Change my diet and add cardiovascular exercise to my routine or risk getting high-blood pressure and pancreatitis. If I couldn't change things, I was told that I would be put on medication, which I did not want. I knew that my condition could be regulated if not reversed, without the use of pharmaceuticals. The first moment I had, I borrowed my brother's bike and started riding as much as possible. My diet also had to change. So I cut down on fried foods and began incorporating whole grains. Most importantly, being an adult, I put aside my childish prejudice towards vegetables and started making and buying salads.

I didn't try anything new greens for the challenge, but I am opening up to the prospect of new vegetable combinations. My sister makes a great salad with arugula figs and cherry tomatoes. A friend of mine is really big on chia, so I'd like to make a salad that incorporates that.

My health journey has taught me a bunch of things. One thing that comes to mind is that it is possible to turn things around and the littlest thing, like eating a salad can be the one thing that helps you turn that corner.

It's not impossible, unhealthy, or weird! - Stepahanie S on turning vegetarian (top-voted action)

Challenge: Share your boldest moment of 2010
Sponsor: Bolder
Action: Becoming a vegetarian and actively explaining to others that's it not impossible, unhealthy, or weird. It's an everyday moment!

My husband and I had been making little changes to our diets for about 2 years. We were trying to get into shape and learn healthier habits. We made small, gradual changes, one at a time. First we cut down our portion sizes, then cut out fast food. Our decision to become vegetarians was an understated moment. About 6 months ago, we were talking about food and meat manufacturing and basically just asked out loud why weren't we vegetarians yet? Initially, we were both concerned about health issues. There's a lot of rumors that you can't survive without the meat, and you can't get enough protein and fat. Some simple research debunked those theories pretty quickly and we decided to take the plunge.

We took about a month to transition, which was very helpful. When we started, we were already eating 1-2 meatless meals a week. I rarely ate meat for breakfast or lunch, so it wasn't that difficult of a switch. We did have some leftover meat that we didn't want to go to waste, so we finished what we had. Then we began buying meatless entrées at restaurants and for home-cooked meals. It actually got to the point where I didn't feel like eating meat anymore and I was forcing myself to finish it not to waste money.

As we switched, the hardest part was comparing meals. I would make a recipe that was excellent with meat and it would be terrible without meat. Don't get me wrong, there are so many great foods that you can enjoy as vegetarians! But as a former meat eater, vegetarian meat replacements aren't the same. They are tasty, and in some cases, better tasting. But, comparison to their meat counterparts will just lead to disappointment.

I think the best tip I could give any future vegetarians is know what you're doing it for. I switched for ethical reasons as well as health reasons. Once you tell people you are a vegetarian, they will question each and every reason you have. You have to be solid on them and not waver. Be informed!! When I can give actual studies and solid information to back up my reasons, people are amazed! This is also how I have overcome the perceptions that people have. I have had people tell me it's weird that I'm vegetarian. I think people just don't understand the vegetarian culture, and so they think it's weird. This isn't helped when vegetarians don't bother explaining themselves or worse, get defensive.

When people ask me questions (even the dreaded "what can you eat?"), even though they can get old, I'm excited to explain that it's not weird. We eat pizza, we eat burritos, we eat normal food, just without the meat. Lastly, try to be understanding with your friends and family. It can be frustrating when your family isn't willing to go one meal without meat. Most of this is because of a lack of knowledge. They think they need the protein or that anything vegetarian is just weird. So just be polite and with time, maybe they'll come around. But always remember that this was your decision, not theirs. 

Boldest Action: Laura G warms up Portland

Category: Community
Challenge: Give an environmentally conscious gift
Sponsor: Rainbow Grocery
Action: Turning old t-shirts into quilts for the homeless this Christmas!! :)

Everyday, I walk the streets of downtown Portland and pass several, if not dozens, of homeless men and women. Sometimes I give them my leftover breakfast or lunch. Other times, all I can do is smile, nod, and continue walking. But the fact is: for whatever reason, these people don't have a place to call home. Which to me, is a tragedy.

My project started a couple of months ago while cleaning out my closet at the house I call "home." I found dozens of old t-shirts from my high school volleyball and student government days. T-shirts, that for sentimental reasons, I wasn't able to part with, although I couldn't see myself wearing them again. Buried beneath all the t-shirts was my old sewing machine. A Christmas gift that I once treasured, but was now covered in dust. I grabbed some scissors, began chopping, piecing the t-shirts together, and before I knew it, my first t-shirt quilt was created. I still had dozens of leftover shirts, and thought, "if I have this many, what does everyone else have?" My brother, dad, and friends contributed to the pile, and thus, more t-shirt quilts were born.

When it rains, as it inevitably and often does, Portland is cold. Really cold. And that's coming from someone who grew up in Colorado. If someone doesn't have a place to call "home," the least that I can do is provide them with a little warmth, and hopefully, comfort. I donate each completed quilt to a local homeless shelter, and they distribute them as necessary. The day that I walk down Park Avenue and see a man, woman, or child snuggled up in one of my 'blankeTees,' I'll smile, knowing that someone is a little warmer because of me, and my old t-shirts.

The way I see it, no matter how "bad" of a day I think that I'm having, or how "terrible" a situation may be for me, I can guarantee you that on any given day, someone else has it worse off. And I know that I can't save the world. Not single-handedly, at least. But, like the old starfish story, if I can make even one person's day a little brighter, I've done something. And to me, that's everything.

For more information, please visit: http://blog.lauragrieser.com/ and click on the "Project BlankeTee" tab.

"Be nice to everyone you meet, for they're fighting battles you know nothing about."

Bolder 2010 Year in Review

We embarked in January of 2010 with a simple idea: People's good actions should be recognized. A year later, we reflect on Bolder’s first anniversary. What progress did we make together on that idea? Does it matter? How do we take this idea to the next level in 2011? First, let us be clear: there is no way we could do any of this without YOU. Thank you, every one of you! YOU provide our inspiration.

We know that you don’t pick up litter, go for a run or help a friend just to get a reward from the businesses on Bolder. You do these things because you believe that each small action makes a difference. You are the innovators- the people pushing the envelope of change.

So, what is Bolder good at?

This year, we’ve realized Bolder works best as a platform for communities to mobilize to do something good. Not an easy lesson. It came after many mistakes, false starts, and sleepless nights:). Rather than create our own community, we focused our energies on helping mobilize the communities that all brands have assembled. There’s a good chance you heard of Bolder through your favorite brand’s Facebook page, Twitter account, or email list. Great effort has been made to assemble these online communities, and our goal is to empower them to take action.

Through Bolder, companies rewarded you for the good things you do everyday (and for the ones you’re still working on). Businesses also matched your donations to local causes.

We worked to provide creative challenges and rewards from brands and organizations you care about. Successful challenges came from small clothing companies, local non-profits, and national brands alike – and rewards included discounts, donations, and even free apples. Yum! Your actions and photographs inspired more actions, and we all witnessed the combined results.

2010 Results

Given the massive scale available on the social web, we acknowledge that Bolder is still relatively small. However, we are incredibly proud of the results from 2010!

In 2010, you completed 7972 actions, including cold loads of laundry, bike rides, high fives, homemade meals, compliments, hikes, sweaty workouts, clothing donations, carpools, visits to farmers’ markets and impossibly short showers. Highlights:

-- Nearly 300 people stepped up to take a day off from drinking bottled water in September. If these 300 people make a permanent switch to reusable water bottles, they will keep 109,000 bottles out of landfills each year. Not bad!

-- 596 people washed their clothes on the cold/cold cycle in August. This single, collective act was equivalent to taking 5,364 car miles off the road (a load of laundry on a hot/warm cycle is equal to driving about 9 miles in a car). OR look at it this way: each individual runs 392 loads of laundry a year. By flicking a simple switch you can take 3,528 miles off the road each year, greater than the distance from San Francisco to New York! All 596 people together could save 2,102,688 miles. The math gets absurd very quickly.

The point here is yes, these are still relatively small numbers, but they matter, and what's most exciting - they can scale incredibly quickly. Big change can only happen with small steps.

Real People. Real Stories.

Your stories and photographs inspired us every day. And you voted for the boldest actions, which have been featured on our blog. Some of our favorites include:

“One day while I was cooking, trying to remake a healthier breakfast omelet, it dawned on me that life is about choices.” -Nova R. [full post]

“The girl at the checkout counter at Safeway was so happy I said no to plastic that she announced it over the intercom.” -Jesse M. [full post]

“It actually takes us about twice as long to drive a car to their school as it does to bike there, so it is truly a practical solution!” -Stefan R. [full post]

Does this all matter?

This year, we also tackled the difficult questions posed by skeptics: does all of this really make a difference? We are realistic and think about this question all the time, and while we are convinced that every action matters, it's especially exciting to hear it from you.

- "Since the cold/cold challenge, every time I do my laundry, I switch to the cold/cold cycle. I had no idea that it made such a difference" - Noah

- "Before the 4 minute shower challenge, I was spending 10 minutes relaxing in the shower. Now I'm down to 4-5 minutes. I can look for my leisure time elsewhere." - Scott

So what's new for 2011?

In 2011, we will continue challenging – and rewarding – you in creative ways. We're pushing to make the Bolder experience as rich as possible:

1. Take action from outside of Bolder: We are making it easier to share your actions from different devices and locations. Meaning, you should be able to take action for a challenge where you hear about it. If you hear about a challenge on a brand's Facebook page, we want you to be able to complete the challenge there.

2. Deeper relationships: We are working to help the companies and organizations on Bolder continue to develop deeper relationships with you – and we don’t just mean giving you better rewards.

It helps us to think about the Bolder experience this way. Let's say your favorite airline is Southwest Airlines. Chances are, you have their credit card. Every time you spend money, even when you aren't traveling, you know you are earning rewards for Southwest. Awesome! Now imagine being able to earn those same rewards for your actions- all the great things you're doing in your life.

How is this different? It means getting more brands you care about and keeping them around perpetually. It means working with these brands to support more of your actions. We think these things will help build an even deeper relationship based on your actions.

We cannot do it without you. You can help by continuing to take action and sending us feedback. And if you work somewhere that thinks what we're doing is a remotely good idea, let's talk! We always welcome your thoughts, comments, and questions in the comments section below or at ideas@actbolder.com.

Top-Voted Action: Mema harvests her water directly from the sky

Category: Education
Challenge: Share how you get your clean water
Sponsor: MiiR Bottles
Action: All of our water comes from rain water, straight from the sky!!! W/conservation we don't have to purchase any water for our home at all

Everyone that lives in rural areas with no municipal water get their water directly from the sky! The sky is our water source and here's how it works: first it has to rain and the rain comes right off the roof and into our gutters (which have gutter screens over them to keep the big particles out). The water runs down spouts to underground pipes that take it to our cement cistern (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistern). From there, the water is pumped up to a pressurized holding tank in the house. Finally, the water travels through a house filter and is split off to hot water streams and cold water streams. Psshweew! Still with me? We use this natural, rain water just like any other water, with the exceptions of drinking and cooking. For that, we buy water in bulk at the store each week, which we keep in a water cooler system in our kitchen.

When I was growing up and used this cistern system, we drank the water out of the tap just as you would in the city, with no worries. But now that I am grown, and more info is out there, I choose to drink the filtered water that has been sanitized. We also never cleaned out the cistern when I was a child. I suppose it stayed clean by natural bacteria doing their job. In some of the new construction they are using plastic holding tanks and a sanitation system that puts chlorine into the water. I prefer no chlorine.

So what happens if the water gets low? Great question. We haul it in. We only have to get water hauled in once in a great while. This last summer, we had very little rain from June until late October, so we had to have rain hauled in twice. Because of that reality from mother nature, we utilize all the water saving devices out there! Low flow, oxygenated shower heads. Low flow faucets. Low flow toilets (with the toilets our saying is, "if it is yellow let it mellow, if it brown, flush it down"). The list goes on.

One thing I would love to add to the house is a gray water system that kept the gray water (water generated from activities such as laundry, dishwashing, and bathing) separate from the black water (water from toilets) so that we could use it for watering flowers and trees. However, our state does not allow for that because they stipulate gray water be treated before it is released back into the environment.

This is my water story. I hope you have enjoyed getting a peak into rural living and our connection to the most natural source of water… rain itself.

Boldest Action Winner: Brian S - don't brush off the easy challenges

Category: Environment
Challenge: Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth
Sponsor: Nature's Gate
Action: I have been bold twice a day for 25 years!

The call to turn off the tap while brushing your teeth was challenged on Bolder the day that I turned 25. I might have brushed off the challenge (pun very much intended) as too easy - doesn't everyone turn off the water while polishing the pearly whites? But then it hit me - I have been acting bold every day, twice a day, my entire life. That is BOLD!

This challenge isn't about just doing it once. It is about forming a habit that you will take you through your next 25 years. In fact, all the challenges posed on Bolder shouldn't be viewed as a temporary change to snag some awesome rewards. Changing your habits is the way to make people notice and change the world!

(we agree Brian, congrats!)

Boldest Action Winner: Jerred R extracts himself from the grind with a 76.2 mile hike!

Category: Health and Fitness
Challenge: Go for a hike

Sponsor: Oboz Footwear with Trees for the Future
Action: Hiked the 76.2 mile Foothills Trail in South Carolina in 5 days. What a great experience

My hiking/camping buddy Jeff and I decided to do the Foothills Trail in SC because we had always talked about doing it but just never did. Well, at 39 years old we decided that we had better start doing some of the things we have talked about because we are not getting any younger. So, we got together one Saturday afternoon and started planning the hike. We decided to hike the trail in 5 days only because of limited time off from work that both of us could get. I would recommend to others to take longer because we did not get to stop and enjoy nature as much as we would have liked due to time constraints.

Hiking the 15 miles per day had some challenges to it. Both of us are probably in the best shape of our lives due to both us starting a running program about 12 months before the hike but carrying a 30 pound pack and climbing up and down some of the terrain took the energy right out of you. Also, after the first day, my feet went south and if it were not for the "mole" skin and tape, I don't think I could have made it. I had one of the best experiences of my life out on the trail. Even though I was struggling with my feet for most of the trip, I really had a "mountain top" experience with nature. All the cares of my life seemed to wash away and I just enjoyed being outdoors. Actually, I was depressed for a couple of days when I got back home from the hike. Funny how life can grind on you and you not even know it until you are removed from it. As we came out of the woods at the end of the trail I felt a real sense of accomplishment and exhilaration at having completed this journey. It is an experience that I will never forget and am wanting to plan an even longer trip next time. I hope others will be inspired and will take on a "bold" act themselves.

Pictures of the Week (12/6-12/12)

Laura G turns old bagel/bulk food bags turn

into doggy bags for this little girl!

[LunchBots Challenge]

Michelle D cleaning green after Turkey Day!

[Seventh Generation Challenge]

Matt M takes a picture of his local water source, the

Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite

[MiiR Challenge]

Robby S crafts a ski mannequin out of his newly gifted

jacket (that came from a donation pile)

[Rainbow Grocery Challenge]

Jen O in the process of designing fitness plans for family members for her holiday gifts. In the research phase!

[Rainbow Grocery Challenge]

Boldest Action Winner: Mat R flies high on fives

Category: Culture and Community

Challenge: High five someone for a job well done
Sponsor: Whole Foods Palo Alto
Action: 30 pull-ups on a work break. REALLY? Matt deserved a flying high five for that sweet pump up!

Mat's Thoughts:

Giving out high-fives means recognizing the affect that people have had on my life. It makes them feel good, it makes me feel good. When two hands meet at such a high velocity and with such ferocious enthusiasm, it makes a satisfying slap that can only be described as pure joy. Why wouldn't you share that with someone? And why wouldn't you choose to share that with someone who did something great? Seeing a company like Whole Foods encourage me to thank someone seemed like a no-brainer, and thanking ME for thanking someone in my life was just like icing on the cake.

While normally I don't go around giving out "flying" high-fives to everyone I meet (though I definitely should), the metaphor of giving someone a high-five is an ideal that resonates strongly with me, especially at this time of the year. Regardless of it being the holidays, the end of the year always presents me with a time to look back and reflect on how my year has gone. When I truly take a moment to think about it, I often find that my life has gone well because of the kindness and hard work of the millions of people I interact with on a daily basis. Whether it be my friend inviting me to dinner, my postman delivering my mail, or my coworker helping me out that one day when I was struggling at work, there are so many people in our lives that deserve to be recognized for the help and kindness they have offered me.

You might think it's the concept of paying it forward, but in reality, to me, it's about paying it back. People do wonderful things all the time, selflessly and endlessly, and a palm-stinging thank you seems to be a small price to pay for such great work. So go ahead, try it. Put that hand way up in the air, take a running start, jump up, and say thank you to someone who deserves it this year.

Boldest Action Winner: Brittany S discovers new recycling frontiers

Category: Environment
Challenge: Start recycling something new
Sponsor: Tom's of Maine
Action: I have tons of old CD's that I don't want anymore. Instead of selling them or throwing them out, I'm going to recycle them :)

Spring cleaning came a little early for me this year. My room has been a chaotic mess lately, all my stuff still in boxes from my big move a few months ago. One weekend, I decided enough was enough and completely cleaned and reorganized my room. When all was said and done, I had a pile of things that I was looking to get rid of, including a stack of old CDs and DVDs.

A few days later, I came across a challenge on Bolder. The challenge was to start recycling something new. I rattled my brain and thought, "what do I have an abundance of that I could recycle?" I remembered that about a year ago we had some old disks lying around at work and a coworker of mine had decided to recycle them. So I talked with him, did some research, and found a place in my area that recycled CDs and DVDs. Recycling old disks had never crossed my mind before! I was so happy to find a new way to be environmentally friendly. I've been vegan for 2 years now, so I love finding new ways to recycle or help the environment in any way.

Boldest Action Winner: Nova R. betters her life with small choices

Category: Health and Fitness
Challenge: Eat an organic breakfast
Sponsor: Stonyfield Farm
Action: My remake on blueberry muffins: organic flour, egg whites, stonyfield yogurt (vanilla) & lots of blueberries as the star of my show. YUMMY

Nova's Thoughts:
I am constantly playing with recipes to make them healthier. There are many reasons behind my doing so (health & fitness is important to my family and my son is a picky eater). But ultimately, it's because I LOVE to cook! I am passionate about cooking and discovered I'm pretty good at it too.

In trying to settle into be domesticated, I started cooking after I got married almost 12 years ago. I baked and cooked according to family recipes, cook books, and TV shows. After giving birth to our son, the weight gain didn't come off so easily. Also In 2004, we found out that my mother's health was worsening. She had diabetes at a young age and it was now affecting her blood pressure. Even her kidneys were in renal failure. Some of the complications my mom experienced could have been controlled or even avoided through changes in nutrition and exercise.

In January 2008, my husband started working out. And although I didn't join him, I began modifying how I cooked for our family. One day while I was cooking, trying to remake a healthier breakfast omelet, it dawned on me that life is about choices. I was choosing to make something healthy. And at the rate I was going, my health could potentially take the same path as my mom's health took. So I became determined to make some changes. I jumped on our treadmill, and I began to lose weight. After some weeks of treadmill workouts, something inside of me said, "see if you can run." I hadn't run since high school but I thought, why not? So I gave it a shot, but I couldn't run a quarter mile without it hurting. My breathing was off and it just flat out hurt. But I was determined to run again. So in the weeks to come I found myself working towards running a mile without stopping. After a couple of weeks, I did it! I ran a full mile without stopping! I was so excited that I accomplished what I set out to do.

So fast forward to present time 2010: I've lost 35 pounds, and my husband and I have kept our weight off. I am now training to run a marathon in 2011. Never in my dreams did I think I'd be training to run a marathon. My mom moved in with us this year and it was a delight to show her how I could prepare healthy food that tastes great-even my picky eater will eat (he especially loves the muffins I make). Unfortunately, my mom passed away on September 3, 2010 and I will dedicate the marathon I run to her.

In the last year I got involved with a non-profit running group where I help mentor others through the ups & downs as they begin to learn how to run. I hope that I can inspire them to cook healthier, too. I am so thankful that I realized I have a choice. And if life is about the choices I make, then I choose to be healthy for me and my family.

The attached picture is of my mom & me at a 5K race this year. I got to push her in her wheelchair.

Boldest Action Winner: Heather H makes a full recovery, using pedal power!

Category: Health and Fitness
Challenge: Bike to Work
Sponsor: Zambikes
Action: I started biking to work after I recovered from some back problems, I'm now into touring, don't own a car, and I've never been healthier!

Heather's Thoughts:
Looking back on it now it seems I have always been a cyclist. I rent bikes when I travel, I grew up always having a bike at hand, it turned into the trusty back-up to get to work when I had the transit blues. Over the years I learned to take not just my bike, but my ability to ride, for granted. That is until my world was shaken up by a back injury, a slipped disc, which left me thinking my next wheels would be attached to a chair. I spent the better part of 2007 on the couch trying to figure out how I got there. Wasn’t I too young to have this happen?!

After spending way too much time in doctor’s offices, I was finally on the road to recovery and had to accept some fault for the situation. Somewhere along the way I had stopped moving! I spent the better part of my days on my ass whether it was on transit, at the office, out for dinner, watching a movie… I had become, gasp: lazy! Realizing a full recovery was within my grasp, it didn't take long before I saw the answer- sitting on the patio, covered in dust and cobwebs. I figured my office wasn't very far, not even 4 miles, I could easily bike that on nice days.

That was spring of 2008; I was recovering from what had threatened to be a permanent disability when I got back on my bike. It was innocent enough at first, biking to and from work on sunny days, maybe an evening jaunt around the seawall or a ride to a friend’s house. Within a matter of weeks public transit started to feel so incredibly squishy and what was that smell?! I naturally turned to my bike more and more often. I become addicted to the fresh air, the freedom, but most of all the daily reminder that I can, and like to, move!!

Two years later, I'm living daily life on my bike and I’ve never been happier. Cycling isn’t just a mode of transportation but it’s my hobby, my entertainment, it makes a bad day better, it provides challenge and comfort simultaneously. I can't imagine a healthier or more fun addiction to have!

Boldest Action Winner: Christian H's amazing story of swimming with seal pups in AK's Bering Sea!

Category: Health and Fitness
Challenge: Play Outside Today
Sponsor: Mountain Khakis
Action: I swam with seal pups in Alaska's Bering Sea!

Christian's Thoughts:
How I made it happen: This summer I was studying abroad in Mongolia, and one of my professors was from Alaska. She was talking about swimming with seals in October, and invited me to come and join. I called her up in October once we were back, and said, "Were you serious?" She was. So I bought a plane ticket.

I was on the island of St. George, in Alaska's Pribilofs. It is one of the largest Northern Fur Seal rookeries, and the rookeries are protected, so trespassing is not allowed. I swam on a different part of the island that is not concentrated with seals like the rookeries are, and on that particular day there were over 100 baby seals feeding along the coastline. I donned a drysuit, hood, gloves, and booties, grabbed a snorkel, and jumped in the surf! (Carefully, so I wouldn't scare them) The dive was amazing- sea urchins lined the rocks, and colorful sea stars the size of dinner platters hid in crevices I wasn't bold enough to explore. Extended anemones waved as I swam past, as the swells crashed over me. I kept a lookout for orcas, and big waves. For some swells I dove as deep as I could and grabbed a large rock, and the waves crashed overhead.

After being in the water for five minutes, the seals grew curious and swam very close to me. Some even swam between my legs, and approached my mask, gazing at their own reflection in my mask.

With all amazing experiences, it didn't last long... The freezing water (literally) seeped through nearly every seal, and after about 20 minutes I called it a day.

During my stay on the island, Orcas often fed on baby seals on the same beach I swam with them, so being in the water was pretty exciting (my lack of killer whale sightings was a good thing!)

I had the opportunity to swim with the pups again on the last day I was there. It was just as amazing.

Boldest Action Winner: Tim C's epic year - 365 days of running and beer!

Category: Health and Fitness
Challenge: Play Outside Today
Sponsor: Mountain Khakis
Action: Going for a lunchtime run. I'm on Day 9 of a running streak, and I'm trying to run 365 days in a row from my 29th to my 30th birthday.

Tim's Thoughts
Maybe I’m having an early midlife crisis.

I recently decided that for the last year of my 20s, I should probably do something epic. I didn’t know what that should be, so I asked for suggestions on my DailyMile, Facebook and Twitter profiles.

I heard a variety of ideas, from entering the Hood To Coast relay to running 29 marathons to doing a 50K race. They all sounded appealing, but my birthday was coming up fast, and I had to decide on something.

In the end I went with Jim‘s suggestion to start a run streak and drink a beer each day. This was straightforward and required the least amount of planning and financial commitment. It also leaves the door open for a marathon, ultra or something else special during the course of the year.

I jumped in and got started right away, beginning with mile repeats on the track and Abita Save Our Shore afterward. My 365 day journey was off and running. And drinking.

So why am I doing this? The past year has been so insane, I needed something to follow it. My daughter arrived, our house was flooded, and our house was saved. I feel like I need a victory lap of sorts for surviving.

People have asked me if I have any parameters for the streak. The answer is, not really. As long as I run a mile a day, I’ll be happy. So far I’ve run between 3 and 11 miles on each of my first nine days into the streak. I can’t say that I feel too much different from when I started a week and a half ago. The biggest thing is it takes away your excuses. Whereas before I would just take a day off if I was feeling lazy, that’s no longer an option. It forces you to be accountable.

Are there any beers I need to make sure to try or race I should check out in the next 365 days? I have 356 days to go, and I’m open to all suggestions.

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