You know that nagging disappointment of an abandoned New Year’s resolution? With how 2020 went, a lot of our resolutions went out the window in the most spectacular way.

From reading everything on your ever-expanding book pile to getting fluent in a new language (I mean, it’s not like any of us will be traveling to a new place anytime soon). I wouldn’t blame you for slamming the breaks on unrealistic promises.

My word for 2020 was levensmoed, a Dutch word that translates as courage for life. This year, I’m going with levenslust, the Dutch equivalent of the French joie de vivre, or zest for life. I want to live life from a place of pleasure and joy.

Why not focus on your intentions on feeding your levenslustor on being more kind? To yourself, to the people around you, to the environment you live in.

(Don't get me wrong, you can still get to reading those books, you’re just not giving yourself a deadline.)

You know how I feel about trees and giving back. It’s an important part of our journey beyond jewelry. We’ve planted over 30,000 trees so far with our partners Trees4Trees and Eden Reforestation Projects. The count is increasing by the day. Gardens of the Sun isn’t the only one. More and more businesses are doing something to fight for the environment, for our future.

In line with being more mindful and showing more kindness, I’m giving a shout out to other amazing businesses you can support. Whether you’re looking for wine or makeup, you can contribute to various tree-planting projects around the world.

What does alcohol have to do with trees, you ask? Well, a bottle of vodka emits 2.5 kg of carbon. This carbon emission usually comes from glass production, transport, and the vodka production itself. Sapling Spirits stays local to reduce their carbon emission. It uses 100% British wheat, distilled four times with charcoal filtered, deionized water. 

They plant a tree for every bottle, and you can find your tree code on the bottle itself. Track your tree online as you kick back, and relax at home.

Trees planted: more than 15,500

Partners: London-based Trees for Cities, UK Agroforestry Food and Forest

Website: https://saplingspirits.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saplingspirits/

Buy a tee and they’ll plant you a tree. San Francisco based Amour Vert established their own supply chain for end-to-end sustainability. Amour Vert works with mills to develop soft and luxurious, ethical fabric. 

They're also working on reducing carbon emission by keeping most of their production process local.

Trees planted: more than 300,000

Partners: American Forest

Website: https://amourvert.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amourvert/

Think search engines only have an impact online? Ecosia is stepping up to show you exactly what your internet escapades can do. For roughly every 45 searches, Ecosia earns enough to plant one tree. With over 15 million users, Ecosia has planted trees in 15 different countries, including Indonesia. 

They believe in uncompromising transparency. Every month, they’re transparent about their expenses through their online report.

Trees planted: more than 111,500,000

Partners:Multiple

Website: https://www.ecosia.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecosia/

The Organic Skin Co has everything you’d want (or need) for your skincare and makeup routines. Their unparalleled commitment to sustainability gets them on this list. The Organic Skin Co. counters damage done by the beauty industry by planting a tree for every product sold. 

They’re also reducing waste by providing refillable makeup palettes!

Trees planted: more than 400,000,000

Partners:The Eden Reforestation Project

Website: https://theorganicskinco.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theorganicskinco/

Have you ever weighed your daily amount of waste? From shampoo bottles to toothbrushes and cotton pads, it can get pretty gnarly (and not in the ‘rad’ sense). Zero Waste Cartel is on a mission to help you go zero waste. 

Whether it's from cotton mesh bags or organic shampoo bars, Zero Waste Cartel has it all. Together with One Tree Planted, they plant trees in Brazil, Indonesia, Rwanda, and more.

Trees planted:more than 30,000

Partner:One Tree Planted

Website: https://zerowastecartel.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerowastecartel/