My book on Green Building and Remodeling

My book on Green Building and Remodeling is available for pre-order. It will be out January 9th! I'm so psyched. It's a great way to start off the new year. Not many of us can build a new house in this economy, but how about green remodeling the one you have? Whether you have $50 or $50,000 there are things you can do that can start paying off for you now. Reap the rewards of being environmentally conscious -- save money and do good for the environment! Don't know how? We'll teach you step by step!

Click here to place your order!

Thanks!

So, what's been going on!

I took a break from this blog because I was busy working on two books which will be out later this year, but now I'm jumping back in. Some good news:

1. I'll be a contributor soon for one of my favorite blogs, www.ecorazzi.com and I'll keep you posted when that starts.
2. Upcoming interviews on this site include: Curt Schilling and his wife Shonda (Curt graciously donated an autographed baseball for a local event to I was helping with to raise money for a patient with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Kassie DePaiva from One Life to Life, and G.W. Bailey (remember him from Police Academy?!) and several more!

What else is going on -- well, while I was away, some celeb news landed in my email:
Remember Maureen McCormick, most known for portraying Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch? She's been busy helping poor children in Zambia, Africa through Children International, a nonprofit humanitarian organization based in Kansas City, Mo. (* To read more about Children International, visit www.children.org.).

Model Cindy Crawford has been working on behalf of pediatric cancer. Check out the article here.
Sadly, Cindy lost her brother when he was only four years old to leukemia. I'm hoping to get an interview with Cindy soon.

Folk singer Pete Seeger is doing a benefit concert for New England farmers. He's amazing. I had the privilege of talking with him for a half-hour for an upcoming book on what musicians are doing to change the world (he's a neighbor from my neck of the woods!). He's such a dedicated man, especially to music and the environment. I hope one day to print the interview here as an excerpt from the book. In the meantime, read about the concert here.

It's nice to be back! LOL

Today, I ask for help for a friend

In this column, I talk about celebrity-do-gooders, but as you all know, helping out starts at home. This time, I'm asking for help for a writer friend of mine. Lori Hall Steele is an amazing freelance writer. She's been sick with a 'mysterious' neurological condition. At first the docs thought she had Lyme Disease, and she's also been tested for other conditions too, including Guillian Barre Syndrome. They are still trying to find out what's wrong. Lori can't work anymore. She can't write anymore because she's THAT sick. As a matter of fact, I just took over one of her projects.

You know what the kicker is right? Her insurance company has denied all coverage due to a pre-existing condition (you listening presidential candidates?????). Lori is tapped out financially and doctors are still searching for a cause to her condition. Her friends, like me, are trying to help with fundraisers. Whatever you can do, we'd greatly appreciate it. I know you don't know Lori, but just know that this donation is helping Lori directly --- no organizations, no overheads, no committees -- it goes straight to Lori. Can't help financially? Spread the word please.

Read this article in the Grand Traverse newspaper to find out more.
Another friend of mine, Kristen Hains, has posted this on her Facebook page.

This time it's personal. Can you please help?

Lisa

What are YOUR faves up to?

They volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters: “CSI: NY” fans know Hill Harper as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, reclusive coroner who walked away from a promising surgical career after the traumatic loss of two patients. Harper is also has been a Big Brother for eight years, who graduated from Brown University and earned his law degree and master’s in public administration from Harvard. When not appearing on TV or on stage, Hill volunteers at BBBS of Los Angeles and the Inland Empire and is speaking in schools and community centers throughout the country about mentoring as the way to help young men realize their dreams. He shared his concern for troubled boys who are failing and the positive effects of having role models in his recent appearance on Oprah. "Mentoring is the key,” Harper emphasized. “…If a young man has a positive male role model in his life, his chances for success and his education achievement far outweigh those that don't."

Troy Aikman, the star of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys in the '90s, is helping to attract more mentors to Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Troy remembers how important his mentor was as a child, so today, he's starring in a new public service announcement, or PSA, for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Angela Park LPGA will donate a portion of her winnings to Big Brothers Big Sisters, and will also meet with children from local Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies at various stops along the LPGA Tour. Park will also host her own golf clinics and be featured at Big Brothers Big Sisters events and in their public service advertisements throughout the season.

The Judges Are Serving Time... doing good things. Do you watch the judges on television? Judge Glenda Hatchett serves as national spokesperson for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a non-profit volunteer organization that trains volunteers to represent abused and neglected children and help them navigate the court system. Judge David Young sits on the board of both the Miami-Dade Humane Society and was just named to the honorary board of the Gay American Heroes Foundation. Judge Maria Lopez sits on the board of the Cuban Artist Fund based in New York City.

Sports Stars are Donating Time and Money: Milwaukee Brewer and 2007 Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun pledged his $10,000 Rookie of the Year bonus money to Habitat for Humanity! (In this day and age of huge sportssalaries, this is cool. -- lisa) "I knew I was a part of something special at the Jimmy Carter Work Project,and as I came to know the partner families and meet the other volunteers, I couldn't help wanting to do more," said Braun. "I am fortunate to make a living doing what I love and if I can help Habitat build more homes and change more lives, that is a greater gift than any bonus I could receive." Ryan Braun (L), Milwaukee Brewer & Honorary House Leader with Jonathan T.M. Reckford (R), CEO of Habitat for Humanity International at 2007 Jimmy Carter Work Project in Los Angeles Hannah Teter (pro snowboarder): Olympic gold medalist from the Green Mountain State of Vermont who's family makes their own brand of syrup for personal use. Following her gold medal performance at the 2006 Olympics, Hannah decided to bottle the family syrup, brand it Hannah's Gold, and form a partnership with World Vision to help underprivileged children in Africa.

Chris Paul (NBA All-Star and BOWLER! (I'm a bowler too! -- Lisa): Born/raised in Winston-Salem, NC, Chris learned the valuable lessons of lending a hand and giving back to others from his late Grandfather/best friend. He hosts the "Chris Paul Winston-Salem Weekend" as the major fundraising initiative of his CP3 Foundation which is designed to give back to the Winston-Salem community. The inaugural weekend raised money to endow a scholarship in honor of his grandfather - Nathaniel Jones Scholarship Fund - which will send a student from Forsyth County (NC) to Wake Forest University and last year the CP3 Foundation sponsored a Habitat for Humanity House for the Jones Family of Winston-Salem. The 3rd Annual Chris Paul's Winston-Salem Weekend will take place Sept 19-21, 2008.
Ronnie Lott (NFL Hall of Fame): Known throughout his playing career as a hard-hitting safety, Lott's post-career life has been nothing but full of love and opportunity. He founded All Stars Helping Kids in 1989 in an effort to provide children with the opportunity to be their own "star". Almost 20 years later, Lott and All Stars continue to make an impact on children across America.

Stay tuned...more coming on Monday! Let me know who your fave star is and I'll find out where they are volunteering their time!

Until next time,
lisa

Blogging

A family that blogs together...

Here's my 30 second commercial about me and my family --

I have several blogs, my daughter has one (http://www.wordforteens.blogspot.com/) and my son, Travis, just started his own http://www.thegamechallenger.blogspot.com/. It's late at night and I'll explain later why this means a lot to me (my youngest might be next LOL) but if you could check out my kids' blogs I'd appreciate it. Nicole writes about books and Travis writes about video games. Travis is 13 and he's just getting started in this field. He's excited about it! Nicole is doing incredibly well, with a local radio interview, newspaper promotion and access to book promotions and books before they hit the market now. Unreal! I promise to explain soon... Thanks so much for my 30 second family commercial.

lisa

Round 2: Checking in the celebs!

Round 2: Checking in with more celebs!

Well, before I get to that -- Don't you just love snow days!? Okay, many of you are screaming yes, yes, I do! Me, not so much. I've never been a big winter person, although the first snow on the tree branches is just beautiful, but when you work from a home office, a snow day often means "What I've scheduled to work on today is often put to the side because the kids are home!" Now my kids are older and are good at entertaining themselves and each other, but when the kids are home you think differently. It's harder to write articles and blogs, so instead I focus on administrative things I need to do.

Now that the kids are getting older though (two of them are teens), they have volunteered to help me out in the office too! My 15-year-old daughter, who is great at web design, put together a new blog for me (more on that another day), and my son, who loves to sell things and make money, got to work on what we were selling on Ebay. So it was a productive, although extremely COLD, day here in the northeast yesterday.

My favorite indoor snow day activity? Hot chocolate and a good movie! We re-watched Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and caught Dreamgirls for the first time on HBO. Both great movies! What do you like to do on a snow day? Let me know!

Thought I'd let you in on more celebrity charity involvement:

In keeping with the holidays, Style.com thought it would be great to put some of the focus on giving back - and to highlight the ways people in the fashion industry do that. They invited designers, retailers, and models -- including Iman, David Lauren, Donna Karan, Margherita Missoni, Kenneth Cole, Betsey Johnson, Narciso Rodriguez, Francisco Costa, Simon Doonan, Zac Posen, and more to discuss their favorite charities and what it means to give back.

Check this out:



Style.com also published a list of the charities, so if you are inspired you can find out how to get involved.

GL Gives Back

I've been a Guiding Light fan for as long as I can remember. One of the stars of the show, Crystal Chappell grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and several of the cast members visited this holiday season to give back the community through the Salvation Army. Check it out here.

J.K. Rowling helps the less fortunate

J.K. Rowling sold her limited edition handwritten book “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” for almost $4 million dollars. Money raised from the seventh copy will go to the Children's Voice charity.

For all you boxing fans --

On Thursday, December 6, Tabú Ultra Lounge at MGM Grand transformed into Santa Clause's headquarters when Floyd Mayweather Jr. hosted a Toys for Tots fundraiser. Mayweather took a break from his rigorous training for Saturday's boxing match against Ricky Hatton to join Santa and a bevy of Santa's sexy helpers to gather gifts for underprivileged children this holiday season. Joining in these efforts, NBA legend Gary Payton and TV icon Robin Leach assisted in filling the lounge with presents and holiday cheer.

Doing something good on Super Bowl Sunday

While I watch my Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre go to this year's Super Bowl (don't tell me otherwise people!), there is more going on that day than just football! The Surf City USA® Marathon, formerly known as the Pacific Shoreline Marathon, may have changed its name, but the marathon will continue its successful charitable partnership with the Free Wheelchair Mission. The charity has set a goal of raising enough money to provide 12,000 free wheelchairs to the disabled in undeveloped countries from this year’s event, scheduled for Super Bowl Sunday, February 3, 2008, on the shores of Huntington Beach, CA.



To show there is more to do on Super Bowl Sunday than just watch football, former NFL quarterback Jay Schroeder has committed to run in the event and serve as the keynote speaker for the fundraising dinner on February 2 at the Hilton Beachfront Resort.

“I am excited about the opportunity to celebrate Super Bowl Sunday in such a healthy and rewarding way,” said Schroeder. “Once I heard about the great work the Free Wheelchair Mission does, I knew it was a cause I wanted to support. I encourage all runners to fundraise and all of my former neighbors, classmates and fans in Southern California to sign up to run or sponsor a runner.”

For the third consecutive year, the “Run for Mobility” will allow runners the chance to permanently change lives by raising money to purchase special wheelchairs for the physically disabled in undeveloped countries. Thus far, through the partnership between the charity and the marathon, more than 13,000 people have received a free wheelchair and the gift of mobility thanks to runners.

In the “Run for Mobility” program, runners can become fundraisers by running the marathon, half marathon, or 5K, and committing to raise donations from businesses, friends, and co-workers as part of the activity. For people who want to help support the cause but do not have a runner to sponsor, Free Wheelchair Mission is encouraging people to support Jay Schroeder’s run by visiting his personal fundraising page at www.RunforMobility.org. Jay has established a goal of $5,700 for his run – one wheelchair for each of the 144 touchdown passes he threw in the NFL.

The Run for Mobility raised $165,000 in its inaugural year, and $465,000 last year. This year’s goal is $650,000, enough to “lift” 12,000 people off the ground and into a wheelchair. Each wheelchair costs just $48.35 to produce and is delivered for free, with no conditions.

As an extra incentive, the Free Wheelchair Mission will pay the registration fee and guarantee a spot in the Surf City USA Marathon for any person willing to raise a minimum of $500. For more information, visit www.RunForMobility.org or www.RunSurfCity.com.

Until next time,

Lisa

Young Widows and Widowers

Today, I want to talk about helping just ONE person -- first, please watch CNN's story on this Arizona man who lost his wife when she gave birth to their triplets -- click here and then come back to this site. Is there anything you can do -- send clothes (for older ages, sounds like he has some for the babies now), donations of diapers, food, gift cards, etc.?

Why did this story touch me? I am a widow (visit my site www.youngwidowsandwidowers.com for more information) and I'll never forget how hard it was to raise my children when they were babies and my husband passed away (It's still hard, but in a different way -- they are teens and pre-teens now!). They were 6, 4 and 2 at the time of my hubby's death in 1999. So it didn't take much for me to understand what this Arizona man was going through when he lost his wife during childbirth and now faces raising his triplets (!) alone. I hear about these stories all the time because of the letters I receive from widows/widowers who aren't able to support themselves for whatever reason (often it's because they haven't gotten life insurance yet). Grieving is hard enough, but grieving and having to worry how you're going to feed/clothe/care for three young babies is just a unbelievable mountain to climb, but I'm certain that he'll climb it.

I know my blog is also read by many PR people, who might have clients who can donate some goods. See what you can do -- it's the holidays, folks.

Starting over

Starting Over...

While I wait for the next celeb interviews (I'm so excited about the ones I have coming up!), this weekend was cold and rainy and I spent a large portion of it nursing my aching knee (old basketball injury). I didn't want to aggravate it by walking at the mall -- besides I'm done with my holiday shopping and my budget is back on track, so why tempt myself -- so instead, I spent part of the weekend cleaning out some things in the garage. I found a box of old computer games that my kids have outgrown, so I went on Freecycle.org, found my local group, listed them (for free, hence the name) and within 10 minutes, someone confirmed they would pick them up. The woman who took them was struggling this year -- she was working, but her husband was currently unemployed and they couldn't afford much for their children. They had a computer, given to them by a friend, and the games would make a nice gift. My daughter threw in some Beanie Babies and dolls that were still in good condition and while we cleaned out our garage, we made the holiday of another parent. Don't ya love that feeling?

I've been cleaning out a lot of things in the house and trying to continue with my motto, 'if it's not useful or sentimental, it's gone.' The new year is coming up and it's a great time to start fresh in many areas of your life!

Until next time,
Lisa

Brad Pitt, Nicole Richie and My Holiday Shopping!

Brad Pitt, Nicole Richie and My Holiday Shopping!

Happy Holidays to everyone! Are you all done with your shopping? I hope not. Why? Because www.anysoldier.com could use your attention. Looking to do something nice for our soldiers? Visit this site, choose what branch of service you want to choose from and pick the soldier you want to send a box to -- they often post pictures and a wish list of what they are looking for. My children, mom and brother all chipped in to send Sgt. Zapata a box of goodies! I sent it today -- rice krispies treats, trail mix, popcorn (they have a microwave), candy canes and more! The kids loved going to the dollar store to pick out some of the stuff and we hit the grocery store for the other stuff. We also sent little footballs, books, puzzle books and more.

My brother, Chris, decided this year that in lieu of giving his nieces/nephews gifts this year, he was going to have them choose a charity and donate to that cause. All year my kids thought about where they were going to give. I know they'll get plenty of things for Christmas from me, family and friends and this was another great way to give back -- I know they aren't going to miss the one extra present they would've had from Uncle Chris. So...what did they choose?

My 10-year-old daughter chose the ASPCA and, as a result, will receive an ASPCA magazine for the next year, so she'll continue to learn about the organization and the good work it does for animals.

My 13-year-old son chose St. Jude's Children's Hospital and was sent a keychain as a special reminder of the amazing work this hospital does. Check out their website!

My 15-year-old daughter is an animal lover also and one of her favorite animals is the Grey Wolf. So she went to the World Wildlife Fund website and adopted one! She even through in $10 of her own money so that she could upgrade her donation! She'll receive an adoption certificate, a plushie and a photo.

So we've worked hard in trying to put others first this holiday season, but I'll admit that I always spend too much during the holidays.

On the celebrity front, former partygirl (we hope!) Nicole Richie and her boyfriend Joel Madden, who are due to have their first child in January, donated baby gifts to 100 expectant families in need through the newly-formed Richie Madden Foundation through the Los Angeles Free Clinic.

Brad Pitt is spreading the word about helping New Orleans and building homes. Check out my friend Jane Boursaw's blog for more information on what Brad is doing http://ruby-shoes.blogspot.com/

How I Spent My Summer

How I spent my summer

I'm thrilled to announce that in 2008 my book on what musicians are doing to change the world will be released by Omnibus Press. I spent the summer interviewing musicians on the projects that are near and dear to their heart. I had the opportunity to interview Martin Sexton, Elliott Yamin, Gavin DeGraw, Chuck Leavell (musician for the Rolling Stones) and more. Some artists shared personal stories about the tragedies and triumphs in their life and how they are trying to make a difference. Other artists, such as Chuck Leavell, contributed essays about important topics to them. For example, would you know that Chuck is a save-the-trees forest expert? He's written books on the subject and has done a tremendous amount to help our forests. Sometimes when we watch our favorite bands, we think that this is all they do. It's interesting to find out that they have other passions as well. I'll keep you posted on the happenings!

Oh and a little momma bragging if you don't mind. My daughter has started a teen literary blog site, so if you have time, check it out. It's great that in this day and age, there are teens like her who still love to read. Feel free to pass on the blog to those you know.

http://wordforteens.blogspot.com/

And in other news: Absolut recently held an event in honor of ABSOLUT New Orleans, a limited-edition bottle that was on shelves for three months. 100% of the profit from sales went to help five different charities around the gulf coast. At the event, celebrities Will Ferrell, Eva Longoria, Brooke Shields, Whoopi Goldberg, Matthew McConaughey and Michael Imperioli signed bottles that were then silent-auctioned off at the event. There was also a Fats Domino poster and a guitar signed by Little Steven Van Zandt.

The production of Absolut New Orleans will be accompanied by a minimum charitable donation of $2 million to organizations benefiting New Orleans and cities along the Gulf Coast. The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc. will donate 100 percent of its ABSOLUT NEW ORLEANS profits to charities along the Gulf Coast, including organizations in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. ABSOLUT NEW ORLEANS will celebrate the spirit of the city by forging partnerships with non-profit organizations that are dedicated to rebuilding the Gulf region. New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, Hands On Gulf Coast, Volunteer Mobile, Tipitina’s Foundation and the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation will each receive a monetary donation to support programs that will help rebuild their respective cities and revive the vibrant culture of the Gulf.

Update!

Wow, it's been a long time since I've written. I hope you all had a great summer and did something fun and exciting and hopefully donated some time to a volunteer cause. Let me know if you did, I'd love to hear it!

I finished a book of mine that's coming out in January (more on that later, but it relates to the blog!) and of course did my mom duties to my three kids. My older daughter and son volunteered for their local church to help out at the camp with the little ones. It's nice seeing them start to understand the importance of volunteering. We're working on more things they can do. I know my older daughter is anxious to volunteer at an animal shelter when she's old enough.

I'll be back with more news about your favorite celebrities are doing. I have an article on Doug Christie coming very soon (it was supposed to run a few months ago, for those of you who are keeping tabs you didn't miss it!). I'll have some other news more organizations that need our help as well. If you know of something that a celeb is doing, let me know, okay?!

It's great to be back!

So what's been going on so far?

1) On Friday, October 5th at Santa Monica beach, some of LA’s most successful women join Oxygen CEO Geraldine Laybourne, Cathy Benko, managing principal of talent and leader of Deloitte's Women's Initiative (WIN), and Debi Picciolo, President of the LA North Division of Time Warner Cable, to walk and mentor local young women. Oxygen, the only cable television network owned and operated by women, is bringing together high-profile women leaders from a variety of fields to walk‒ and talk‒ for LA’s first Oxygen Mentors Walk, part of the network’s successful national initiative, Mentors Walk: Bringing Along the Next Generation. The mentor list is a veritable who’s who of successful LA women, including: Marcy Carsey, Carsey-Werner LLC; Leeza Gibbons, Leeza Live; Rikki Kleiman, Court TV; Jamie Lee Curtis; Actress and Author and more!

2) A nice gesture by Colin Farrell!
www.torontosun.com

3) Elton John AIDS Foundation's 6th annual An Enduring Vision benefit was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City on Tuesday, September 25, 2007. Visit www.ejaf.org to find detailed information about EJAF's mission and history and to make secure, tax-deductible, online donations in support of their work.

4) What are you doing for Make a Difference Day? Make A Difference Day is the most encompassing national day of helping others -- a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Everyone can participate. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. The next event is Saturday, October 27, 2007. For more info, check out http://www.usaweekend.com/diffday/aboutmadd.html#whatis

More posts coming!
Lisa

Just wanted my readers to know that my stories will continue starting Monday, March 5th! I apologize to everyone -- the doggone winter cold just kept being passed back and forth to me and my kids. We're finally on the road to recovery and the blog will resume shortly!

In the meantime, I've interviewed Kevin Bacon re: his SixDegrees.org site, Stefanie Powers (remember her from Hart to Hart? she's been doing amazing work for animals), musician Joyce Cooling and her connection to mental health and I'll have more charities and information for you soon on events taking place (hopefully even later today), so stay tuned and stay healthy!

lisa

Update on the blog

My features will be posted again starting Monday, December 11th -- have computer issues this week -- sorry!

In the meantime, I've been asked by readers what is my choice of charity that I like to mention.

That's easy -- in 1999, my husband died of Hodgkin's Disease, a friend died of it recently and pro wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper just got diagnosed with it, so I'd like to recommend The Lymphoma Research Foundation. This disease is NOT common and, like all cancers, needs a cure. Best wishes of a speedy recovery to Piper -- my kids watch wrestling all the time and they are very familiar with how scary this disease is too.

Until next week,
lisa

Welcome to Celebrity Do-Gooders!

During the week of October 23, this site will launch its first feature with celebrity Ace Young, from this past season's American Idol. Ace and I had the opportunity to chat about his work with his favorite charity and how his near tragedy with a family member is a constant reminder to him of what life is all about. If you're an Ace fan, you'll learn more about this talented and giving singer and his amazing family, plus you'll also learn what you can do to help Ace to help his charity.

You'll also learn more about Studio by the Tracks, one of the charities that benefited from the Soul Patrol fan base of American Idol winner Taylor Hicks. Learn about the amazing work that they do for autistic adults.

Coming up on this blog over the next few weeks are also candid and heartfelt interviews with John C. McGinley of Scrubs, Doug Wilson of Trading Spaces, soap opera legend Kimberlin Brown (of Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful fame), actor from "Desire," Chris deRose and more! Learn what celeb saved the life of a baby, what celeb works with the Ronald McDonald House and what celeb has a deep committed passion for saving animals.

I'll post information on what your fave celebs are doing to help their causes and provide information on what you can do to help. We won't chat about what clothes they are wearing or who they are dating...instead we'll get down to the heart of the matter -- what are they doing to help the community? Feel free to email me information about what your fave celeb is up to and I'll do my best to get the information posted or chat with them for a little while and talk about their passions and their causes.

Thanks for reading my Celebrity Do Gooders blog! Until next time,
Lisa