Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could do something simple like change your attitude for a weekend and it might change the world we live in for the better?

Earth. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; NASA

Of course, there’s a long list of things we can be doing to improve our world, but what about three whole days of no blame? Meaning, for three days we won’t find fault in anyone, including ourselves. Because, really, does it actually matter whose fault something is? If everyone is willing to fix the problem, then what does it matter how it happened? This weekend is all about putting our energies into fixing and finding solutions as opposed to blaming and finding fault.

I like this notion. I like to think that a change in my attitude for a few days could really encourage others to change theirs. Why not? Worth a try? The least it can do is give me perspective, which never hurt anyone, that’s for sure!

If you’re intrigued, visit www.weekendofnoblame.info.

Fingers crossed!

Here’s a nifty idea hatched on the East Coast that I hope will soon head its wagons west …

Greenbean Recycle (or “GB Recycle,” as all the cool kids call it) is an innovative approach to keeping cans and bottles—both plastic and glass—out of garbage cans.

Image by Benoit Rochon via Wikimedia Commons

The gist:

• Recycle a can in a vending-type machine
• Get an instant deposit in your Paypal account
• Learn the energy benefit of your one simple action

The Greenbean machine will happily keep tabs on recycling competitions between you and friends, too.

Photo by Jarrod Jones, MIT Department of Facilities

“When users see their names on a leader board, they are more engaged to come and continue recycling,” says inventor Shanker Sahai. “Recycling is a boring chore and sometimes you don’t know how your effort makes a difference or even if it is recycled and re-used, so by showing a user that even one bottle or can makes a difference in real time, the user is encouraged to keep recycling.”

And, hey, the Greenbean makes fun crushing sounds.

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Run through a quick mental list of all the “stuff” you own …

Now, which of the items you cataloged do you cherish?

You might name the quilt your grandmother stitched by hand,

The Old Quilt by Walter Langley via Wikimedia Commons

your lucky boot laces,

a seashell charm given to you by your toddler.

From chipped plates to wedding dresses, the one thing that most of our cherished possessions have in common is the fact that there are stories behind them.

In other words, it’s not so much the item that matters, but the history it holds.

This realization fueled the founding of Madesmith, a unique branding agency and distributor of gorgeous goods—jewelry, clothing, shoes, skin-care products, and home goods—handcrafted by artisans in the U.S. whose stories are an integral part of the entrepreneurial process.

Madesmith founders Sheila Iverson and Sumeera Rasul believe that stories are vital to crafting connections between consumers and the real people who make the things we buy, transforming shopping into a more mindful experience than we commonly get at the local discount store where cheap merchandise is often made thousands of miles away.

“When you shop at Madesmith, you’re not just buying a mug; you’re making a connection with the 28-year-old ceramic maker Clair Catillaz,” explains Patrick James of CoExist. “You’re not just buying a kitchen knife; you’re understanding the link between the hobby of a 29-year-old actress and the life’s work of her blacksmith father.”

Photo courtesy of Madesmith.com

Every week, Madesmith shares stories of makers and designers who produce handmade objects sustainably. “We know that you appreciate old-fashioned craftsmanship just like we do, and through these stories we aim to bring you closer to the makers, their locally made products, and the process,” says Sheila Iverson. “Get to know who makes the thing you use, and how it’s made.”