The Global Effects of Giving and Serving

I recently decided on the title and topic of a final paper I'm writing (which is also the title of this post) and I'm excited to be able to research how I can also help to change the world through giving money to various organizations and giving my time to help others.

It's an interesting thought that people need the goodwill of others to survive, but I guess if that's true, then I'd love to be a person that can help. I don't know how much all of my other plans of change will really make a large effect on anything, but at least I know that I've changed the life of one person, Clara, through the support I can give to her.

Homemade "SmartWater"

I was recently given a suggestion to solve my SmartWater/Reusable Water Bottle problem. After my last post, I was initially thinking that I could start buying the large SmartWater bottles, and then keeping it with me in a reusable bottle during the day. However, this is not a very economical solution, because I already buy the 1 liter size bottles, which go on sale at Publix at least once ever six weeks for $1/liter. This is a very good deal, SmartWater or any other bottled drink. Also, 1 liter is a size that is not too large to carry around yet also a nice amount of water. So, that plan went out the window quite quickly.

So, the suggestion I was given was to make my own "SmartWater" by adding electrolytes to purified water. SmartWater is actually made with Vapor Distilled Water, but that isn't the essential part of SmartWater that I need, so it can easily be replaced with purified water from a PUR pitcher that I already own. And then, I was able to find a recipe online for a "rehydration drink," which is full of electrolytes. This recipe can be found online, through WebMD. The only warnings given with this recipe are to be very precise in the measurements, because they can be harmful otherwise, and also to not give to children.

The recipe is as follows:

• 1 quart (950 mL) water
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) table salt
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) salt substitute (potassium-based), such as Lite Salt or Morton Salt Substitute
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar

I will likely give this a try, but not until my current supply of SmartWater runs out. As I stated before, the 1 liter bottles go on sale every few weeks, and I currently have six or so bottles in my pantry. So, I will make updates accordingly as my SmartWater supply diminishes and I start my Homemade "SmartWater" challenge.

First Update on Personal Changes

For my personal changes, I wanted to use reusable shopping bags, use reusable water bottles, eat out less, and don't buy drinks at restaurants. And here is the progress on those four fronts:

I've recently bought several reusable bags, and have been pretty good about taking them to Publix one my weekly trips. However, I'd like to get better about having them with me, because I will have spontaneous Publix or Target visits throughout the week, and will always have to use plastic bags.

Unfortunately, the reusable water bottle plan may have to be somewhat dropped. I am borderline hypoglycemic and anemic, and have mostly switched from drinking water to smart water, because of the added electrolytes. The reason this affects my reusable water bottle plan is that I buy smart water in plastic bottles. However, I do always recycle these bottles, so at least that is a bit of positive help.

I've always cooked dinner two to three times a week, as well as having sandwiches for lunch some days. However, I'm working on cooking more nights a week than that, and cutting out buying lunch out, because that often turns into fast food meals.

I also have only had water at restaurants since my first post. This is helping Clara, and I will post more about her soon, including some pictures that she has drawn and mailed me.