So what do pants have to do with Habitat for Humanity? More than you might think! Alexis said, “They are recycling jeans and making these tubes … that will help insulate the houses they are building down there.”

And it’s not just the folks working on the movie who are getting involved — Cotton Inc., GUESS, and Warner Bros. Pictures are spreading the word among people purchasing GUESS products, who will receive a discount for each pair of old denim jeans they turn in. The old jeans are reclaimed into cotton and turned into energy efficient insulation.

What makes this so cool is that, not only do you get to clean out your closet (seriously — how many pairs of jeans do you still have that you never wear?), but you get rewarded for it, and it helps out a good cause! Alexis made a good choice in her favorite cause!

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Proceeds from sales of Nutrish will benefit Rachael’s charity, Rachael’s Rescue, which she created to help shelter animals. She knows that many of the animals brought to shelters don’t find homes, especially if they’re older or have behavioral problems. Pit bulls, the breed to which she’s partial, are often overlooked because they have such a bad reputation, and she hopes that, by bringing more money and attention to the cause, more people will learn about shelter animals and do what they can to help out. She has a link to Bad Rap, an organization devoted to teaching people pit bull responsibility.

In addition to the link to Bad Rap, Rachael also has a link to the North Shore Animal League and a Pet Lovers blog that serves up loads of great posts, such as “Are you ready for a dog?” and “Can aspirin be toxic to dogs?” If you’re a pet lover, it’s a cool place to hang out. And, if you’re interested in whipping up some tasty treats for your furry friend, you can find recipes there as well!

Photo courtesy of rachaelray.com

“A dangerous storm of factors … have stacked on top of each other and are pushing people over the edge. Malnutrition rates have spiked and children grow ever hungrier each day,” said Colin, who added, “Oxfam desperately needs the support of the British public to help avert catastrophe and keep people alive.”

This latest food drive comes on the heels of a disappointing G8 Summit in Japan, in which, according to Oxfam International Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs, “Several governments championed steps to tackle the crucial issues sitting on the G8 agenda, but in the end this summit did not deliver the breakthroughs that are so urgently needed.”

Colin is joined by other celebrities, including John Hanna and Daniela Nardina. Together with Oxfam, they hope to encourage Britons to answer the call to help. You can help, too, by visiting Oxfam’s website.

John Hannah, and Daniela Nardini a

Photo courtesy of celebritywonder.com

The documentary will air for one hour tonight at 10pm ET/PT. Kanye pays a surprise visit to some soldiers who have returned home to show the challenges these young men and women face. The rappers said, “There are hundreds of veterans out there who are falling through the cracks. They make the ultimate sacrifices for us by laying down their lives, but it seems like a lot of them just get forgotten about … I teamed up with MTV and took the opportunity to share the spotlight with these veterans and hear their stories.”

Not only with the documentary show the difficulties vets have upon returning home, but it will show young people some resources they can go to in order to help out, such as chooseorlose.com or the Dr. Donda West Foundation.

MTV’s research (yes, I know — I snickered at the thought of MTV doing research, too, but I’m assuming they went beyond the walls of the Real World house and the case of The Hills to get their information) shows that 70% of people ages 18 to 29 personally know someone who has fought in Iraq, so this documentary is sure to hit home to many viewers.

Photo courtesy of mtv.com

This is an unbelievable, over-the-top chocolate cake that packs 2 full cups of shredded zucchini to keep the cake more moist with less fat.

This cake is so good I like to skip the frosting and serve with just a dusting of powdered sugar or a scoop of ice cream frozen yogurt!

Choco-chini Cake

2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup canola oil and ½ cup applesauce
2 large eggs and 1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup low fat buttermilk
2 cups shredded zucchini*, dried well
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a Bundt pan (or a 9 x 13 inch pan) with Pam for Baking. Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat sugar, oil and applesauce together in a large bowl until well mixed. Add the eggs and egg white individually, beating well after each is added. Add vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients by alternating with the buttermilk until all is well blended. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 55 minutes, or 40 minutes convection. (Tester should be moist; do not overbake.) Serves 16.

*The prep of the zucchini is important. Slice a medium zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out all the seeds. Then shred the zucchini and dry very well on paper towels. (If the zucchini is wet, the batter will be watery and the cake will come out dry. Trust me on this!)

What will the kids say, you ask? Don’t tell…and once they taste this luscious cake they won’t care that they are eating zucchini! But if they are really, really picky, then peel the zucchini before shredding or they will be quizzing you about the little green specks!

Read more by Dr. Pat…or email comments, questions and requests…

Every minute, a woman dies in labor, so Christy, along with Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, went to Washington, D.C. to convince leaders to create legislation designed to help women who have difficult experiences with pregnancy and/or childbirth.

Christy is no stranger to humanitarian causes. She’s been working in Washington to bring more attention to the issue of maternal health, and she’s also an ambassador for CARE, an organization working on the global food crisis. The goal of CARE is two-fold — first, to get families the food they need in order to survive right now, and secondly, to help communities create solutions for the future.

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

For the first time, Farm Aid will take place in New England –at Boston’s Copely Square Farmer’s Market on September 20, to be exact. Mellencamp, along with Willie Nelson and Neil Young first established Farm Aid in 1985 to raise awareness of family farms and help raise funds for farmers in need. They have raised over $30 million for their cause.

Dave Matthews first performed at Farm Aid in 1994 and, in 2001, was invited to join the board of directors and, along with the original three, takes part in the yearly concert. What’s cool about these concerts is that, while they might have corporate sponsors (this year it’s Whole Foods and Horizon Organics), the concession stands will serve 100% locally grown organic goodies from family farms.

Willie Nelson said it best, saying, “The only way to solve this is to do it locally. Let your neighbors grow your food so you don’t have to import it. That addresses not only the big expense, but the environmental problem. And at the same time you’re getting better food.” Right on, Willie — it’s a win-win!

If you’re interested in attending Farm Aid, tickets will be available at ticketmaster.com starting July 28.

Photo courtesy of starpulse.com

The Tony and Eva Parker Celebrity Casino Night is slotted to take place on August 9th in San Antonio. A poker tournament will take place, for which players will have a $300 buy-in and receive $10,000 worth of starting chips. There will be other casino games available as well, such as blackjack, roulette, craps, slots, and a money wheel.

The money Tony and Eva raise will go to Eva’s Heroes, a charity the Desperate Housewives actress founded to help those with developmental disabilities succeed. She was inspired to set up Eva’s Heroes after seeing her sister grow up with an intellectual disability, and said, “She has given me so much inspiration and hope to face everyday with the strength and courage she has had her whole life. She has never seen herself with a disability and only sees the good in everyone and everything.”

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

A source says that “Demi and Ashton were actually building houses with tin roofs and schlepping breeze blocks in the midday sun. Ashton’s father is a carpenter so he has some experience.”

They weren’t the first of their family to get involved with this project — Demi’s 16-year-old daughter (with Bruce Willis), Scout, has already taken her turn. Earlier this year she spent her spring break building homes in Guatemala. It certainly seems like the Willis/Moore/Kutcher family has a lot of good to give, and it’s great to see so many members of the family getting actively involved!

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Over and over I see wonderful mothers who can’t help but blame themselves for all of their child’s woes. When my son was only 15 months old, he sliced his hand on a can I had just thrown in the trash. I saw him go for it, but didn’t get there in time to stop him. He needed six stitches. I was fairly calm under the circumstances, but I knew it was my fault. Just like all the other mothers I see with injured children, I was blaming myself. I was guilty.

We know who we are. Did we feed them enough or too much? Are they warm or cool enough? Is the house clean enough? Too clean, too scheduled, too much?

I don’t really know where all that negative stuff comes from (maybe our mothers?), but I do know we don’t have to keep up the tradition. I spend the better part of my day reassuring parents that they are doing the right thing. And usually, they really are. It also turns out that our children will thrive in spite of us, in spite of themselves. Work for a balance as best you can, but try to leave guilt out of it.

Guilt ranks right up there with other stress hormones and they all take a big toll on our well being. Just say NO to guilt, and mean it. No, I won’t feel guilty or take responsibility for every failing, every problem my family encounters. Keep your sense of humor and life’s little crises won’t seem so bad.

Check out a few good books on the subject, like Motherhood without Guilt, by Debra Rosenberg or Mommy Guilt, by Julie Bort, Aviva Pflock and Devra Renner. If you don’t feel guilty anymore, your family won’t have to feel guilty for making you feel guilty. Then everyone feels better. Hooray!

More articles by Dr. Pat in Healthy Lifestyle.

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