Check out Quaker Oats’ new online application called “Create Your Day.” Visit quakeroats.com/createyourday and fill in the blanks (think Mad Libs) to make a story about your day ahead. For every story created, Quaker will donate $1 to Share Our Strength (up to $25,000), a nonprofit working to end childhood hunger in the U.S. After you’ve completed your story, you’ll be able to share it with friends (or just e-mail it to yourself) and then print a $1 off coupon for any Quaker oatmeal product.

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Posted by Emily Hendricks Turnier, associate editor

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With the recent news about Haiti, now is a good time to get around to a chore you may have been putting off for awhile—cleaning out your closets. According to Soles4Souls, a charity that sends your old shoes to those in need, Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unworn shoes around the house. Sound familiar? If you have gently worn shoes you never wear anymore, drop them off at a participating location or ship them to one of the charity’s U.S. locations. You can even make it a community event, with their new Project Haiti campaign. Learn more about it here.

While money is needed most in relief efforts for Haiti, this is an easy way to help in addition to your monetary donation. Also, it’s terrific motivation to get cleaning, so get started now!

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Still have that stash of extra Halloween candy sitting in your pantry? Send it to our troops! At HalloweenCandyBuyBack.com, find a participating dentist office near you who will pay you $1 per pound for your leftover sweets, and will then ship them to U.S. soldiers overseas—so they can snack on the treats, too. All out? Make a financial contribution instead (and get a tax deduction).

Posted by Melissa Fiorenza, Associate Editor

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Photo by circler, Flickr

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Almost every weekday, the first thing I do when I turn on my computer is donate to some worthwhile organizations. How can I afford to do it? It’s free! (Well, sponsors pay for it.) Just go here and click through the tabs at the top—by doing so, you can help feed the hungry, give money for breast cancer research, literacy and for the rainforests, plus provide food for rescue animals. Consider it your good deed for the day!

Posted by Elizabeth Blake, Senior Style Editor

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Want to do something good that won’t cost you a dime? Log on to letstalkperiod.com, then click on “Click Here to Give Hope.” Enter your e-mail and zip code and Seventh Generation will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. In all they are going to donate $22,000 to represent the 22,000 women who are expected to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year.

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Posted by Betsy Stephens, Health Editor

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Gratitude journals go digital with Gratitude Stream, an ongoing list of positive thoughts sent in from people all over the world. Write what you’re thankful for—or just read other people’s thoughts—via the free Gratitude Stream iPhone app or online at http://tinyurl.com/nx499k. These activities can boost your happiness. Submissions are posted on a Twitter account (twitter.com/GratitudeStream) for all to enjoy.

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Posted by Emily Hendricks Turnier, Associate Editor

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For every Sunnan lamp purchased in IKEA stores, IKEA will donate a Sunnan lamp to children in developing countries in conjunction with a UNICEF program. The lamp, which runs on solar cells, provides light for children who were previously unable to read, write and draw after sundown due to lack of electricity. The lamp retails for $19.99 and comes in five fun colors. Your whole family can not only enjoy this affordable, eco-friendly lamp, but also know that it supports children.

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Posted by Dwyer Paulsen, Associate Home Editor

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Donate an article of gently-used men’s, women’s or children’s clothing to an Elder-Beerman department store and they’ll give you a coupon for 20% off a single item. The store will pass your donations on to Goodwill. Learn more about the program here, and find a store near you at elder-beerman.com.

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Posted by Emily Hendricks Turnier, Associate Editor

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What’s not to love when saving money also means helping others? Gap Inc., which includes the Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, are offering a coupon that gives you 30 percent off any purchase.  For each time you use the coupon, Gap Inc. will donate 5 percent of what you spend to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You can use the coupon as many times as you like until August 2, so get shopping – it’s for a good cause, after all!

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Posted by Megan Friedman, All You intern

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On my ongoing quest to find inexpensive or free ways to give back, I nearly forgot one of the most basic forms of generosity that directly saves lives: giving blood. I guess I’m not alone; less than 10% of Americans donate blood annually, and of those who don’t, most say they “never thought of it” as their reason. But each donation can save three lives, and this summer—the season in which most blood shortages occur—I encourage you to take part.

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