charity

Angela Kinsey on Life as a Working Mom

August 12, 2010 at 6:13 pm , by Megan Finnegan

Though they share the same first name, Angela Kinsey, the bubbly, petite blonde star of The Office, is nothing like her stern television counterpart. I chatted with Angela when she came to New York City for an event sponsored by Post-it (her personal favorites are the tiny ones she can stick on her packed calendar) about her life as a working mom and the upcoming season of her hit show.

How do you balance life as a busy actress with being the mother to a 2-year-old?

I am very lucky that Isabel can come to set and visit me during the day, but that dynamic is going to change, because she’s very busy. She’s wanting to do activities, and now work might just be boring for her. She’s got quite the social calendar. Growing up, my mom had a magnet on the fridge, and it was this frazzled woman, and it said, “If a mom’s place is in the home, then why am I always in the car?”  I feel like that chapter of my life is about to begin.

I think as a working mom, you’re always balancing things. You’re balancing your commitments and then you’re having to work really hard to set boundaries so that you can be fully present in your child’s life. And that’s the thing I think I’ve learned the most - when to say no, and how to say no.

What are some ways that you Do Good?

Anything to do with kids is important to me. I just did this thing for Do Something 101. If you go to Staples, you can pick up a pack of pencils or erasers or whatever, and they have these bins right by the checkout and you can just put the extra office supplies in the bin and they go to students who can’t afford their school supplies. And it’s so easy, and inexpensive. A pack of pens is like $2. And every little bit helps.

What can we expect from the upcoming season of The Office?

I think the demise of Michael Scott is going to be really fun to watch. One story line is, supposedly Michael has a medical condition, and because of this condition he has to contact his former lovers, so we’re going to see Melora Hardin come back as Jan, and Holly [Amy Ryan] is going to come back as well. Read more

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We Do Good Finalists: Vote For Your Favorite Lady

August 2, 2010 at 9:58 am , by Amanda Wolfe

We got so many amazing nominees for our We Do Good Awards, it was really hard to narrow the field down to just 15 finalists. These women from all over the U.S. have a range of different causes, but they all have one thing in common: They are passionate and tireless volunteers for the charities and causes they support. We think you’ll be so inspired when you read their stories.

But we need your help, too! After you read about these amazing ladies, you can vote for your favorite woman in each of our three categories to help choose the winner. Each winner will receive donations to their causes, a trip to New York for the awards event and more. So vote for your favorites now!

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Pepsi’s Great Plan to Help the Gulf

July 14, 2010 at 11:54 am , by jbrown

Pepsi gets an LHJ shout-out today for aiding victims of the oil spill—and for letting the public decide how they should do it. As part of their do-good Refresh Project, the company has pledged to give $1.3 million in grants to projects that will support communities in the states affected by the Gulf oil spill (Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.) Right now, they’re accepting project ideas at gulf.refresheverything.com (the cut-off is this Friday the 16th); you can return to the site start August 2nd to vote for the ones you think should get funded. Be sure to weigh in!

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Be In LHJ: Calling All Difference-Makers!

June 28, 2010 at 9:19 am , by Amanda Wolfe

Do you make a difference in your community, or know a woman who does? Maybe she started a local charity organization. Or she finds the time in her busy life to volunteer for a cause that’s close to her heart. We’re looking for these amazing women for our Difference-Makers Contest!

Nominate your difference-making lady today and she could be featured in an upcoming issue of Ladies’ Home Journal and on Better!

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Help Your Dog Beat the Summer Heat

June 4, 2010 at 2:28 pm , by jbrown

Technically it’s not even summer yet but it definitely feels like it is. The heat and humidity is already making me cranky and uncomfortable but my adorable French bulldog, Smuckers, has it way worse—he starts panting the minute I take him outside lately. (Flat-faced dogs have a harder time breathing and they overheat very easily.) But he can frolic happily and safely now that I’ve been using this genius Dura Doggie fetch toy/water bowl hybrid. Imagine if a pie tin and a Frisbee made out of really tough rubber mated—that’s what it’s like. (Okay, that sounded really weird. What can I say, it’s Friday.) I also love the company’s do-good efforts: Dura Doggie donates one disc for every 10 sold to a foundation helping dogs. You can order one for your fur baby here.

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Do Good With Botox

June 3, 2010 at 9:36 am , by Tara Bench

We all know a simple act of kindness can go a long way—so what if I told you $25 would be donated to charity on your behalf, just by filling out a no-strings-attached profile online? It’s really that easy! That was just the thought behind Allegan’s BOTOX® Cosmetic My Expressions of Kindness campaign.

Share your act of kindness (by filling out that simple profile) and $25 automatically goes towards the $250,000 total that will help support the causes of three outstanding organizations. Tweet or Facebook the campaign (the site tells you how) and an additional $5 is donated, for a total of $30.

I happen to be a fan of Botox treatments (I get just a little above my eyebrows to prevent the pesky vertical lines that look like an “11”).  I realize that admitting I use Botox will not garner the attention Cindy Crawford did when she was so forthcoming—but like her,

Read more

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Do Good: Help Underprivileged Men Get A Fresh Start

May 10, 2010 at 9:26 am , by Amanda Wolfe

We know you’ll be inspired to pitch in when you read this month’s Do Good story, about Shara Mondy, the founder of Suited For Success. Shara was a board member for a national group you’ve probably heard of: Dress For Success, which is a nonprofit that provides clothes and career help to disadvantaged women. But Shara realized that there weren’t any similar programs for men—even though she recognized that the need was definitely there. So she started Suited For Success in her hometown of Jacksonville with just a handful of male clients. Six years later she now has more than 200 clients each month, many of whom are struggling young men or ex-offenders who need a fresh start. Shara provides just that, by giving free suits, career coaching, mentoring, workshops and more.

So how can you help disadvantaged men in your area? One easy way is to participate in the Men’s Wearhouse National Suit Drive. This retail chain will accept gently used men’s professional clothing items in exchange for a 10-percent-off thank-you coupon. If you want to get more hands-on, organize a men’s clothing and shoe drive in your neighborhood, then donate the items you collect to a shelter or group in your area.

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