kids

Jason Lewis, the actor who plays Samantha’s love interest in Sex and the City, might be busy promoting the new movie, but he’s not so busy that he can’t make time for a good cause. He spent some time in New Zealand in April to host a charity party for the KidsCan Charitable Trust.

KidsCan’s goal is to basically level the playing field in less affluent areas, regardless of whether the parents are truly poor or are wasteful of the money the have — either way, the children aren’t to blame. Many Kiwi kids come to school without their basic needs being met, and even more miss school during the winter due to inadequate clothing. KidsCan provides some of these basics for kids so that they can not only come to school, but come to school with pride.

Programs like Raincoats for Kids, Shoes for Kids, and Food for Kids are making a big difference in some New Zealand schools. Attendance during the rainy months is up, and now that more attention is being brought to the inadequate nutrition some kids receive, more parents are making an effort to give their kids three square meals. And, for those families that truly can’t afford it, the program provides free food to kids.

Jason feels strongly that celebrity and politics go hand in hand, looking to Bono as inspiration. He said, “I’m not a brain surgeon, I’m not curing cancer, but if I can show up and do an interview and that is going to raise awareness and someone’s going to give money to the hardworking people of this charity, great. I think it is the best use of celebrity that is out there.”

Photo courtesy of starpulse.com

Eva Longoria Parker doesn’t look like she spends much time at fast food restaurants, but she spent a day at a Corpus Cristi, Texas, Wendy’s serving up Frosties to benefit the Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption.

She signed also signed autographs to raise funds for the Father’s Day Frosty Weekend. Eva was a Wendy’s employee before her Desperate Housewives days, from 1991 to 1994.

In case you’re curious as to why Wendy’s and Dave Thomas are involved in adoption (because I certainly was), it might interest you to know that Dave Thomas (the founder of Wendy’s) was adopted as a child. According to the website, “the Foundation leads signature national service programs and works to streamline the adoption process and make adoption more affordable for families. As the only foundation dedicated exclusively to foster care adoption, we are driven by Dave’s simple value: Do what’s best for the child.”

While a burger and Frosty might not exactly be the best thing for children, I’m happy to see the company (and Eva) working so hard for such a good cause. Official reports set the goal at over $1.3 million, and I hope they make it with room to spare. Shoot, I might even have to get myself a Frosty. Ice cream for a good cause is practically good for you, right?

Photo courtesy of popsugar.com

Julia Roberts isn’t new to environmental causes — in 2006 Roberts joined the board of directors of Earth Biofuels to serve as a spokesperson for the eco-fuel (the company has since gone bankrupt, but that doesn’t take away from Robert’s intent). She’s gotten political with her efforts to get school buses to switch to biodiesel fuel, encouraging parents to go to their school districts and congressmen to ask for cleaner running school buses because, as she says, “It’s too easy not to fix.”

Having children made Roberts realize how very important it was to take whatever small steps possible to clean up the environmental mess that’s been made. Little by little, by doing tiny things like carrying reusable grocery bags around (and going on Oprah to make her message heard), Roberts is doing her part to leave a cleaner world for her children (her twins, Hazel and Finn, are three, and Henry is just about six months old).

She also renovated her home to make it more eco-friendly. She had hoped the upgrades, including solar panels and recycled bathroom tiles, would be completed by the time her newest little reason for saving the earth came along this summer. I hope that the $20 to $30 million she put into the renovations allowed her to meet that deadline.

Photo courtesy of Treehugger.com

Kids love going to the movies, and so do I, but sometimes it is tough to find one that suits all of our interests. Here’s the deal- some kids movies can be painful to sit through as an adult, but I have come to realize that the joy my children gain from the “movie experience” trumps my own. There is nothing cuter than watching a three-year old balance a bag of popcorn while sitting perched upon the plastic kid’s chair at the movies. The little squeal I always hear when the lights go down warms my soul. I have also found that watching them watch the movie makes it all the more enjoyable for me. Here are a few current fun flicks for families:

National Treasure- both my three year old and ten year old loved this one. Great adventure (although very far fetched) that will keep little ones, and older ones, entertained.

Alvin and the Chipmunks- cute heartwarming story that kept my three year old on the
edge of his seat. A little long, but a fun flick.

The Golden Compass- too mature for young ones (as it is rated PG-13) but my ten year old LOVED IT!!! This is the first PG-13 movie I have allowed her to see, but she says it is now one of her favorites, and it prompted some interesting family discussions. Worthwhile for the older crew.

We would love to hear some of your family movie favorites from the holidays.