Dear Claire,

Thanks so much for sharing the recipe for your bake sale brownies. The challenge in my household will be making sure enough of them actually make it to the bake sale! And then of course comes the other challenge of working off the calories!

I’ve come across a solution, though, in the form of an app that I’ve just downloaded to my phone, called Charity Miles. When you walk or run or cycle, the app tracks your activity and then for every mile, a donation between 10 and 25 cents goes to a charity, depending on the activity. The money comes from corporate sponsorships, and there are several charities to choose from (the Alzheimer’s Association is one of them, as well as the Nature Conservancy, Habitat for Humanity, Autism Speaks and several others). I thought it was a fabulous idea to encourage you to exercise (which as we know has a positive effect on mood and happiness) and to make a difference to others at the same time.

For me it’s the perfect time to try this, as the good weather starts to kick in and we head out for cycle rides and walks in the park. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Happy summer!

With love,
Sam