Bright Ideas
Small Actions, Big Impact: Our Top Tips, Brands & Books!
We believe that even the smallest actions can set off a WORLD of meaningful change. In a time when the planet needs us more than ever, it’s vital that we each do our part to help restore, sustain, and help Creation SHINE once again.
Explore our top tips, brands, and books below focused on ways to clean up the Earth, reduce carbon emissions, show kindness to animals, and support wildlife conservation efforts. Together, let’s use our agency to build a brighter world for all!
Make These Part of Your Everyday
Small everyday habits add up to big change! Here are simple ways you can weave sustainability into your daily routine.
- Opt for paper bags when shopping, or better yet, go bagless.
- Pick up litter on walks.
- Turn off lights when leaving a room.
- Unplug electronics when not in use.
- Conserve water by turning off taps while brushing teeth.
- Recycle responsibly (know what’s recyclable in your area).
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Eliminate single-use plastics. These often end up in landfills, oceans, and natural habitats, where they can take hundreds of years to break down and harm wildlife.
- Use tupperware instead of Ziplocks.
- Use reusable glasses and straws and skip the plastic.
- Choose paper bags or go bag-free.
- Choose eco-friendly detergents instead of plastic jugs.
- Use planet-friendly dryer sheets.
- Use reusable paper towels!
Sustainable Home Practices
Mindful choices at home can dramatically reduce your environmental impact.
- Use natural cleaning products.
- Switch to energy-efficient appliances and LED bulbs to lower energy usage.
- Insulate your home to reduce energy consumption – which keeps your house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
- Compost your food waste to reduce landfill waste and create nutrient-rich soil for your garden.
- Install solar panels to harness clean, renewable energy, reduce your carbon footprint, and lower long-term energy costs.
Eco-Friendly Lawn and Garden Practices
Turn your yard into a safe haven for nature – protecting animals, plants, and people alike!
- Skip the pesticides, and protect your soil, pollinators, and local ecosystems by opting for natural alternatives. (Lawn chemicals often wash into storm drains and waterways, polluting rivers, lakes, and drinking water sources, harming both wildlife and people.)
- Wait for warmer weather to clean up leaves; this helps protect hibernating insects like bees and butterflies.
- Create wildlife-friendly habitats by planting native species and installing Pocket Prairies to support local pollinators and wildlife.
Kindness Counts: Easy Ways to Protect Animals
Show compassion for all creatures – big and small – by making a few easy changes. From the tiniest insects to the largest animal species, each has an important job in keeping nature in balance. Let’s honor every creature by treating them with care and respect.
- Use humane traps for lost critters and release them safely.
- Guide insects back outdoors when possible, instead of harming them.
- Install window well covers to prevent animals from getting trapped.
- Choose cruelty-free products to ensure they’re PETA-certified and free from animal testing. (Think: shampoo/conditioner, body wash, cleaning supplies, makeup, toothpaste, household cleaners, etc.) Search your favorite products in seconds on PETA’s cruelty-free database!
Greenify our Diets, Greenify the World
Small changes in what we eat – and what we feed our pets – can make a big impact on the health of our planet, our animals, and ourselves!
- Try plant-based foods to reduce greenhouse gases, improve your health, and decrease the demand for factory farming. Even one day per week helps; give “Meatless Monday” a try!
- Choose plant-based pet products for healthier, eco-friendly options for our furry friends.
- Buy local, and support nearby farms to cut down on transportation emissions.
Eco-Friendly Travel Tips
Greener travel choices can cut emissions, protect the planet, and save you money along the way!
- Walk or bike instead of driving when possible.
- Carpool or use public transportation to reduce the number of vehicles on the road, cut down on emissions and save you money.
- Drive a hybrid or electric vehicle to reduce carbon footprint.
- Limit air travel to reduce carbon footprint.
Shop with Purpose
Every purchase is a chance to make a difference – choose wisely, reduce waste, and help build a more sustainable future.
- Buy high-quality, durable items instead of disposable ones. This reduces waste in the long run.
- Swap clothes with friends or use clothing rental services to reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion.
- Consider shopping second-hand for clothing, home goods, and toys.
Greenify Your Finances
Where you invest your money matters – supporting sustainable funds can drive positive change for the planet and future generations.
- Choose eco-friendly funds and green investments over fossil fuel-backed options to help build a cleaner, more sustainable world.
Help Your Community SHINE
When we come together, small acts create big change.
- Organizing a community clean-up is a powerful way to beautify your neighborhood, protect local wildlife, and inspire others to care for our shared spaces. Interesting in partnering with SHINE on a community project? Click here!
- Share what you have learned with friends and family members!
- Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram @ABrighterWorldForAll when using one of our tips!
Eco-Friendly Habits for Kids
Teaching children to love and respect Creation from a young age helps create a brighter, more sustainable future for all.
- One of the best ways to teach children to respect and honor nature is by spending time outdoors!
- Help children understand why conserving resources like water, energy, and land matters. (Remind them to turn off faucets while brushing their teeth and lights when leaving a room.)
- Teach children to be kind to all of God’s creatures. This includes not squishing bugs, especially while outdoors. Remember, every living thing plays an important role in our ecosystem.
Track Your Impact Now and in the Future
Understanding your carbon footprint is the first step toward making greener choices. These top-rated apps make it easy -and even fun – to track your daily habits, measure your environmental impact, and find new ways to live more sustainably.
JouleBug: A user-friendly app that helps you track sustainable habits, earn badges, and build eco-friendly routines.
Earth Hero: Offers personalized climate action plans based on your lifestyle choices, with tips to reduce your impact.
Oroeco: Connects your spending habits to your carbon footprint, showing you how everyday purchases affect the planet.
…among many others!
Our Top Planet and Animal-Friendly Brands/Products
Small swaps, big impact! Check out our favorite eco-friendly products that make sustainable living easier (and more fun!)
- Favorite Plant-Based Brands: Morning Star, Impossible, Beyond Meat
Wondering if your favorite products are cruelty-free and free from animal testing? (Think: shampoo/conditioner, body wash, cleaning supplies, makeup, toothpaste, household cleaners, etc.) Visit PETA’s website for a quick and easy search!
Eco-Reads: Turning the Page Toward a Brighter Tomorrow
Whether you’re curious about reducing your carbon footprint or want to dive deeper into environmental activism, these books offer the knowledge and motivation to make a real impact.
Sean Slaikeu2023-08-01Shine Marketing and Communications has worked with me on many aspects of my school marketing plans. We have worked with Megan on assessment of our marketing plan, evaluations of our social media platforms, we have created videos for marketing our school, and she has trained my staff in various social media marketing strategies and design methods. The money spent on this will pay dividends for years to come. Through all of this it was a lot of fun as well, Megan makes learning easy and creates products that make a lasting impact on clients, families, students, and more. Saint Rose of Lima Catholic School and this principal are happy to work with Megan and Shine Marketing!!
Joann Meyer2023-07-26SHINE Marketing has been a great asset to our business. We've seen an increase in school inquiries and Megan has been kind enough to teach us a few tricks along the way! We appreciate her knowledge of the current trends and dedicated follow-through on all of her work. Thank you SHINE!
Rachel Johnson2023-07-24SHINE has been an outstanding resource for our organization! Positive, informative, encouraging, and effective!
mary davini2023-07-22SHINE Marketing & Communications does OUTSTANDING work. Megan is warm, engaged, dedicated, organized, brilliant, and professional. I work for a local school and came into my marketing position there with little experience. We were lucky enough to get a Marketing audit done by SHINE and the things I learned in just that small amount of time were incredible. She had carefully and thoughtfully planned ways to boost our school's awareness, guide us to a wonderful brand standard, and set us on a path to success. I have also been blessed to attend multiple training sessions led by her via webinars and in person and I am always impressed and blown away by her knowledge and creativity. She knows how to make your brand stand out and get noticed in the best way. She has taught me SO MUCH and I honestly think of her as a role model for marketing standards. Thanks in large part to all of SHINE's guidance and the tools Megan has given us as well as taught me, our enrollment for next year has increased significantly! I would recommend SHINE Marketing & Communications to ANYONE!
Claire Shea2023-04-11I have worked with Megan as a School Marketing and Communications Director, and now as the Founder of SHINE. Her work is truly exceptional. She employs data-driven strategies in conjunction with her masterful knowledge of social media algorithms, marketing trends, and insane talent in design/visual media. At a university level, public and private schools have invested in marketing and media for years; nevertheless, K-12 schools have lagged in their funding and direct approach. SHINE Marketing is the answer to K-12 school's dreams. She knows the market, she understands the science, and she's got the wisdom to navigate both with incredible kindness, ease, and leadership.
Annemarie Vega2023-03-08Megan is phenomenal to work with! I have benefitted from her expertise through collaboration with two different organizations and cannot recommend her enough. When you work with Megan, your goals become her goals. She is dedicated and hard working. She is creative and innovative. Working with Megan makes you and your school better!
Jessica Trygstad2023-03-04SHINE Marketing and Communications is my go-to creative agency. I’ve been fortunate to work with SHINE on videos, social media and PR. From vision to execution, Megan produces excellent work that I’m always thrilled to showcase. Megan’s industry expertise and creativity are unmatched — I can count on Megan to stay on top of trends and best practices. Megan takes the time to understand clients’ needs and then brings projects to life. She is communicative, astute and cares about every detail. Megan’s professionalism, high standards AND passion to deliver the best set her apart. She is a true partner and a gem!
Kathryn Bestor2023-02-27SHINE Marketing & Communications is the best in the business. Megan pays incredible attention to detail, is extremely organized, friendly, and helpful. She is truly passionate about marketing and communications and her passion is contagious. Megan's excellent work ethic and energetic personality make working with her rewarding and fun! Her professional support, guidance and expertise are unmatched. Simply put, SHINE is AMAZING!
Paul Dieltz2023-02-27SHINE marketing is awesome. SHINE reached out to our school about a video we had posted on social media. Megan offered to help us advertise this video even more. She helped us get on the local news and on a popular educator website. This really spread the word for us. When she sent me some ideas for advertising this on our social media they were much better than what we usually do with our social media. I would definitely ask for her help getting on local media and with social media in the future.
Monica Steinmetz2023-02-25Absolutely the best marketing and communications partner! SHINE has collaborated with our school in enrollment and development, providing us with strategies to grow our schools and thrive in the community! Megan understands our mission; she creates with our vision and targeted audiences at the forefront of her ad designs. She offers strategic planning, recommendations with best practice, and customer follow-up. On top of SHINE's excellence, she is an amazing communicator, prompt in production, and fun to work with! Go SHINE!