An exclusive EcoSalon playlist to be played while wearing your hippest set of shades.

We’re dropping the 4th volume in our Ray-Ban Exclusive series today, which if you have been following along, you know is packed with remixes, mashups and the kind of beats that are made for sunny days. We even threw in a couple of foreign tracks for good measure. 

Ray-Ban Exclusive Volume 4 from ecosalon on 8tracks.

1. Cleam – Mister Lies
2. Nova – Burial + Four Tet
3. Dancing – Omar & Zed Bias
4. Disparate Youth (The 2 Bears Remix) – Santigold
5. Be a Body – Grimes
6. Anna (Moonlight Matters Remix) – Charlotte Gainsbourg
7. Never Let Me Go (Clams Casino Remix) – Florence + The Machine
8. Ström – Bam Spacey
9. Learnalilgivinanlovin’ (Passion Pit Remix) – Gotye
10. Plage (Crystal Fighters Remix) – Felix Cartal
11. Let it Go (The Knocks Remix) – Dragonette
12. Luminary Ones (Denzel Park Remix) – Rebecca & Fiona
13. Raining (House Sheriffs Remix) – Adam K & Kaskade
14. Happiness (The Magician Remix) – Sam Sparro
15. Devil’s Work (Dirty South Remix) – Miike Snow
16. Intro (CRNKN Bootleg) – The xx
17. We Are Young (Alvin  Risk Remix) – Fun. featuring Janelle Monae
18. Heads Will Roll (A-Track Remix) – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
19. Limitless – Sex Ray Vision
20. Action (3LAU Bootleg) – 3LAU
21. Stockholm – (JOhn Dahlback Remix) – Jonathan Johansson
22. ID2 (Pixel Cheese Remake) – Avicii
23. Call on Me (Vitz Remix) – Eric Prydz
24. All That She Wants (DJ Nejtrino & DJ Stranger Remix) – KAFFEIN

The post Music Monday: Ray-Ban Exclusive Volume 4 appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tired of whiny status updates and thinly veiled bragging? Forget Facebook – do these 20 things instead.

Be honest: How many times do you check Facebook throughout the day? Whenever you’re bored, you log in, scrolling through the news feed to see your friend complaining about work for the thousandth time this week, your cousin bragging about her glorious Caribbean vacation and a high school classmate’s cheerful, disgustingly detailed potty training updates. You leave an inane comment on a photo, roll your eyes at your uncle’s misguided Tea Party political posts and log out feeling irritable and annoyed. Why do we do this to ourselves? Facebook can be great for keeping up with friends and family, but there are so many ways that we could use that time that would actually be beneficial to our well-being.

Think Facebook isn’t a big time-sink in your life? Try adding it up. The average U.S. Facebook user logged a rather horrifying seven hours and 46 minutes per month as of August 2011, and that figure has probably risen since then. Imagine if you spent all of that time on something that makes you feel genuinely happy, grounded and relaxed. Here are 20 suggestions, from letter-writing to exploring your neighborhood.

Read a Book

Preferably something that doesn’t involve politics or potty training. There are few things better than getting lost in a good book, and the drama in the storyline will be infinitely more satisfying than the drama of your Facebook friends.

Write a Letter

The internet and ever-increasing postage rates have made letter-writing a lost art. Even those of us who consider ourselves writers are relying far too much on the computer, when writing a personal note in our own hand and sending it by mail would feel so much more authentic.

Take a Walk

Perhaps the fetid air and dim fluorescent lighting of your office have dulled your senses, or you’ve been sitting in front of that computer so long you’ve forgotten, but there’s a whole world out there, and it’s awfully beautiful. Stretch your legs and get some sunlight on your skin and you’ll return feeling energetic and inspired.

Talk to a Stranger

On Facebook we tend to be stuck in our limited social circles, and it’s true that it’s really not a great idea to “friend” any random stranger that sends you a request. But in the real world, there are dozens of opportunities every day for you to meet someone new and interesting. Compliment someone on their outfit, laugh about the long line at the coffee shop or stop that woman who smiles at you every morning when you cross each other on the street.

Cook a Good Meal

“But I don’t have time to cook anything other than microwave soup,” you protest, as you sit down in front of your laptop with that nasty mug of MSG mess. Liar. Not every meal takes a lot of time to prepare. You can whip yourself up a simple meal made of whole, fresh ingredients in the amount of time that you’d normally be staring listlessly at your computer screen.

Pet An Animal

There’s a reason why animals are often used for therapeutic purposes. Just petting an animal can lower your blood pressure and make you feel less stressed. Call your cat over for a cuddle, spend a few minutes playing with your dog or make a visit to the animal shelter just to brighten a homeless pet’s day.

Call Someone You Love

Oh, look at that, your cousin Sarah just announced her pregnancy on Facebook. Instead of just “liking” her post, why not give her a call? Sure, Facebook makes it easy and convenient to keep up with everyone, and can actually save time and foster more interaction with your friends and family. But it’s not a total replacement for phone calls and face time (whether we’re talking in person or FaceTime, copyright Apple Inc.)

Read Something Smart

The internet is chock full of gossip sites, bad news and trolls who would just love to ruin your day. But there are plenty of blogs and websites that offer inspiring, intelligent and thought-provoking articles. Take fifteen minutes to read something that will make you say “wow” in a good way. A few notable ideas include The Atlantic, This is Colossal, GOOD, and, of course, EcoSalon. (You knew that was coming, right?)

Make Yourself Laugh

Then again, if reading celebrity gossip makes you smile, go for it. Indulge in some low-brow humor. Laugh at other people’s horrifying AutoCorrects, snarky takes on bad fashion or semi-literate cat photo captions. And if you end up at The Onion, Funny or Die or Cracked, make sure your boss isn’t around, because you aren’t going to be able to control yourself.

Write Down Your Thoughts

When’s the last time you took a moment to write in a journal, or even just scrawl a few thoughts on a paper napkin? It doesn’t have to be something that you dedicate yourself to every day; just writing out what’s on your mind can sometimes provide clarity and perspective that can help you solve problems and move forward.

Catch Some Culture

We’re all more interesting and well-rounded when we’re exposed to arts and culture on a regular basis. Get out and see a play, go to an art opening, join a book club, enjoy an improv group or sample your region’s local specialties. Isn’t that more fun than staring at a computer screen?

Do Yoga

Even if you’re at work. Just a few minutes a day can make you feel more limber and relaxed. Yoga Journal has six stretches you can do at your desk, and none of them are the sort of thing that will have your co-workers raising their eyebrows. If you’re at home, get yourself a beginner’s yoga DVD and give yourself some quiet time to focus on your own well-being.

Organize Your Desk

If you instinctively avoid the right side of your top desk drawer because you know you left an orange in there about six months ago and never retrieved it, it’s about time to tackle that. It’ll make you feel so much better. Even if you’re not quite at the five-year-old candy bar and moldy fruit level, simply organizing your papers and making everything look nice and tidy can be a relief.

Take a Class

If you’re like the average person and really spend eight hours a month on Facebook, you could easily take that time to learn something new for two hours a week. Check out the continuing education courses at your local community college or other learning opportunities in your area. You could be learning how to knit, play an instrument, salsa dance or write poetry.

Volunteer

That same eight hours would be a huge boon to any number of organizations in your community that are hurting for help. Wildlife rehabilitation centers, animal shelters, litter clean-up groups, homeless shelters and activists for causes of all kinds would love to have you dedicate four hours of your time, every other week.

Have a Picnic

Even if you aren’t going any farther than the little park down the street, getting out for a picnic feels like a mini vacation. Make yourself something fun, like a bento box or a romantic meal for one. Hey. You deserve it.

Catch Up on Email

Chances are, your inbox is practically overflowing with unread or unanswered messages, whether they’re from friends and family members, or just junk. Take a few minutes to go through it and respond to those that deserve attention, drop all of those newsletters you want to save into a separate folder and unsubscribe from the unwanted junk mail. You’ll feel less stressed within minutes.

Do Something Creative

Don’t say you aren’t the creative type – you have it in you, whether you let yourself believe it or not. Even if you’re just doodling, scrapbooking or adding some pretty garnishes to a meal, it’s good for the brain and the soul.

Explore Your Neighborhood

You drive through it every day, and you think you know it, but unless you’ve taken a nice, slow walk through it with your eyes wide open, you haven’t really discovered it yet. There could be a nature trail you don’t know about, a perfect bench for reading or some berry bushes just begging to be harvested (and urban foraging is fun!)

Meditate

Put on some noise-canceling headphones, play relaxing, repetitive music, close your eyes and relax your body. Focus on your breath until the chatter in your mind fades away. If it helps, visualize a calming place, like a mountaintop, a secret garden or the sea. Once you learn to clear your mind, meditation can be your best defense against the irritations of everyday life.

Photos: photosteve101, jumpinjimmyjava, herrylawford, gamene

The post 20 Things to Do Instead of Being on Facebook appeared first on EcoSalon.

What? You want more already? If 20 Things To Do Without Spending A Dime just wasn’t enough, and you’ve worn our Economy-Conscious Dating Guide thin (nice work!), check out these tips. I’ve racked my brain for even more things you can do without money, because even in penny-pinching times, you deserve to have fun. So grab this handy guide, alone or on a date, and do something free!

Photograph your meals. Find out just how appetizing (or not) your food really is. You can do two things with this: lose weight or make art.

Whistle at the birds. Nothing chauvinistic about this. I mean whistle at real birds, when you’re at the park or taking a walk in the woods. Learn to imitate the birdcalls and see if you can get them to talk back to you. Extra points if you do this on a date. Totally cool.

Strip poker. Need I say more?

Make a time capsule. Gather a few small trinkets and mementos related to your current life and write a some lines about what you’re doing now and where you aspire to be in the near future. Put everything in a glass jar and bury it in the yard (or in the back of your closet). Now mark your calendar to dig out this treasure in a year.

Be a photographer. Even if you don’t think you have the skills, act as if! Every trip to the laundromat or the market can become a chance to scour the seemingly mundane landscape for little bits of beauty. With the ease and instant viewing of digital photography, what have you got to lose?

Visit a friend. Pretty simple. Chatting over tea in the living room costs nothing and nourishes your soul.

Write a letter. Remember snail mail? I hope you haven’t lost the art. Track down someone’s mailing address, and use colored pens on funky stationary to write the most wonderful letter you can imagine. Delight in their surprise at receiving your artistic love on paper.

Start a blog. About anything! The more specific to your life, the better. Whatever you do the most is what you can share the best with the world. Blogs are not irrelevant, as some people might have you think. Recent world events have shown that social media matters. From now on, we are the media.

Go for a full moon walk.

Write secret love notes and plant them in your honey’s medicine cabinet, underwear drawer, pillowcase, tote. If you’re single, write “secret admirer” notes and hide them around the office so everybody thinks they’re the recipient of a sweet crush. Just make sure you don’t get caught!

Pick an assignment from Learning to Love You More.

Sit on a park bench and feed the birds. This is what I call kickin’ it old school. Extra points for cloud gazing. Extra extra points if you do this on a date.

Learn exotic phrases in your favorite foreign language (the library, my favorite free place, is the best resource for language books and CDs). Tape the phrases up around your house and learn them well enough to pepper them into daily conversation. Impress your friends, and better yet, impress yourself!

Re-imagine reality with a friend. Simply pick a place you’re not too thrilled with and verbalize what you’d prefer. “If I were Queen of the World, I’d take that noisy intersection, tear up the pavement, use the chunks to build raised garden beds and plant my favorite vegetables. Let the drivers get out and walk.” Kids are great at this kind of thing; let’s take a hint. Besides, we can’t recreate our world if we can’t dream it up first.

Perform random acts of kindness around your neighborhood. Weed your neighbor’s garden on the sly, or pick up some trash. Leave an anonymous bouquet of flowers for the new mom across the street, or a small bag of groceries for the elderly lady whose husband recently died. This is a great idea for a date as it’s a good indicator of the merit and integrity of your love interest.

If you live anywhere with sand, build a sand castle.

Volunteer to walk dogs at the Humane Society. A happy dog provides instant gratification and it’s a fun thing to do with your sweetie on a beautiful day.

Swing in a hammock. Do nothing else. No reading, no texting, no tweets on the iPhone. Just swing and look up at the branches, the birds, the clouds. Continue for at least one hour. Bliss, at no cost!

Write poetry. Good poetry. You are not too cool for poetry, I promise, plus it’s not as easy as you think. Use the wild freedom of ee cummings for inspiration and do the English language (or any favorite language) proud.

And of course, finally – and it bears repeating – give someone a hug!

Images: notsogoodphotography, ginnerobot, henryvoll, Vincent Boiteau, aussiegall, Axel Bührmann, modomatic, Linds , TomK32, L*u*z*a*, lilivanili, kirtsykat, DeaPeaJay, unojofuerte, molly darling, Ana Santos, Sister72, timsnell, Paul L. Nettles, jurvetson, kalandrakas

The post Summertime and the Livin’s Easy: 20 (More!) Fun Things to Do for Free appeared first on EcoSalon.