SavvySugar

Leonardo DiCaprio Breaks Into the Coffee Biz

Susannah Chen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:04:17 PST

Have a hard time getting up in the morning? Well, you've got more than just coffee to look forward to. Thanks to a new line of coffees, the best part of waking up could be Leonardo DiCaprio in your cup.

Today, The Great Gatsby actor announced he's partnering with La Colombe Torrefaction to produce a new coffee line, Lyon. Its entire net profile will benefit the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to promote sustainability for the planet. "Raising awareness on the most pressing environmental issues of our time is more important than ever," DiCaprio said in a statement. "I am thrilled to be a part of this new project with La Colombe that will help aid the shift to a truly sustainable future for the planet and its inhabitants."

Starting today, the coffee will appear online and on shelves in Williams-Sonoma stores across the country, as well as select Whole Foods Markets. Will you try one of Leo's new coffees?

Staff Members at Animal Shelters Can Use These Things

Morgan Ashley Parker — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:50:01 PST

While we usually think of giving things to shelters for the animals, the staff can use your help, too! It helps to contact your local one to learn exactly what they need, but I gathered up a list of recommendations that you may be tossing, or can easily spare, this New Year.

Camera: If you were lucky enough to get a new camera for Christmas, a doggie shelter could use your old one! Supply the cables, too, and staff can upload photos of their available dogs to their website or Petfinder.
Computer: Ditto goes for your computer. Many animal shelters don't have budgets to upgrade their computers so it's possible your hand-me-over is better (and newer) than what they're working with.
Printer: Sure, they probably have one but it helps to have a backup in case one breaks.

Learn other things that most shelters need that won't break your bank and

Gift Guide: 10 Charitable Gifts For Architecture, Design, and Home Enthusiasts

Elka Karl — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:00:08 PST

If you're still searching for a passable gift for a friend or family member who seems to have everything she needs, put down that credit card for a moment and consider giving a charitable gift instead. There are amazing charities and non-profit organizations out there doing great work, which could definitely use your charitable gift this year.
For friends and family members who appreciate charitable gifts and have a deep love for causes related to design, architecture, and home, here are 10 gifts they'll be sure to cherish. (These gifts are tax-deductible, too, so you can feel good about your holiday giving and feel good about your taxes.) Of course, this is only a tiny fraction of the charities that need your support. If none of these seem to fit your gifting agenda, make sure to check out charities in your area, too!

Located in Boston, The Food Project turns abandoned urban lots into productive farms that make nutritious fresh produce available in former food deserts. Around 40 percent of the food grown is donated to hunger relief organizations and homeless shelters, or sold at below-market rates at farmers' markets.
The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum is the United States' only museum completely dedicated to historic and contemporary design. With over 250,000 objects, the Museum holds the largest design collection in the country. Contribute with a gift amount or a membership.
Berkeley's Ecology Center is a public resource for reliable information, tools, hands-on training, referrals, strategies, infrastructure, and models for sustainable living.
Architecture For Humanity strives to create a more sustainable future through its network of more than 50,000 professionals who lend their time and expertise to help bring design, construction, and development services where they are most critically needed across the world.
The National Coalition For Homeless Veterans provides advice and assistance to policymakers, Congress and the federal agencies involved with homeless veteran issues and service providers with the goal of ending homelessness among veterans.
The National Housing Law Project is a law and advocacy center dedicated to housing justice for the poor. For over 40 years, NHLP has used the law to increase and preserve the supply of decent affordable housing, to improve existing housing conditions, including physical conditions and management practices, to expand and enforce low-income tenants' and homeowners' rights, and to increase opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities.
Habitat For Humanity helps to provide home ownership opportunities through the building of safe, energy efficient, and stable homes, in partnership with the potential home owners through its "sweat equity" program. Habitat For Humanity seeks to "eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action."
The American Folk Art Museum is devoted to the preservation, conservation, and interpretation of traditional folk art and creative expressions of contemporary self-taught artists from the United States and abroad.
West Oakland's City Slicker Farms has been working to create food justice and improve the environment in West Oakland since 2001 through a series of gardens, workshops, and related projects for the community.
The Good Shepherd Center in Los Angeles helps homeless women rebuild their lives so they and their children will experience a brighter future. Through housing, employment and other supportive services, we offer women hope and the opportunity to achieve independence.

Do you have a favorite cause or charity that you give to each year? Leave the name and link in the comments below.

Beauty Bloggers Auction Their Favorite Items For Charity

Annie Tomlin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:20:37 PST

Proof that beauty is as beauty does: For the second year in a row, BeautyBloggers.org is auctioning off gorgeous goods for charity. Last year, the group of bloggers and brands raised more than $5,000 to benefit Doctors Without Borders. This time, says auction founder Karla Sugar, the goal is to do even better. "In the spirit of the season, we wanted to make a meaningful donation to charity," she said. "Of course, the most effective donation is cash. A charity might not be able to do much with my limited-edition eye shadow palette - but someone out there desperately wants that palette." And what about those items up for grabs? Offerings include everything from a complete Lancôme mascara wardrobe to lunch with a Lucky beauty editor, and 100% of the bid price will be donated to Doctors Without Borders. Bidding continues until Monday, December 12.

Kiehl's and Jeff Koons Team Up For a Blooming Good Cause

Jaime Richards — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:30:00 PDT

If you like having soft skin, looking at modern art, and being part of a great cause, then you'll absolutely love this news. Kiehl's is continuing its partnership with contemporary artist Jeff Koons with the release of its Creme de Corps Holiday collection. Inspired by the vibrant "Balloon Flower (Yellow)" sculpture from his "Celebration" series, 100 percent of the sales (up to $200,000) from the limited-edition offering will go to The Koons Family Institute, a branch of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

Available for 2011 are three sizes of Jeff Koons's Balloon Flower Creme de Corps ($29 to $72) and a special Jeff Koons Bottle Art ($50) bottle-topper, a scaled-down replica of the original work. "I believe that flowers are a symbol for perfect love, and an important expression for this charitable collaboration with Kiehl's," said Koons. So load up on feel-good body care for you and your loved ones his holiday season. There's something to be said about being soft on the outside and warm and fuzzy on the inside, after all.

Watch Your Spirits Will Soar With L'Occitane's Adorable, Charitable Soaps

Jaime Richards — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:20:00 PDT

There's nothing plain about these cute little planes. In fact, for every sale of L'Occitane's limited-edition Get on Board For Sight soaps ($6 each), 100 percent of the proceeds will help support Orbis, an organization that strives to help end preventable blindness. Available in pink (a fruity-floral scent with notes of grape, white rose, and blackcurrant) and blue (a sparkling, zesty scent with notes of grapefruit, verbena, and lemon), these charming cleansers will have your spirits soaring in no time flat.

Operation Organize: Charitable Closet Clearing

Lauren Conrad — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:30:31 PDT

We are thrilled to share this story from LaurenConrad! The TV personality, writer, designer, and style maven started LaurenConrad.com, a social networking site that features daily posts by Lauren on all of our favorite topics - fashion, beauty, food, party planning - and Lauren will be sharing her latest fashion finds with Fab every month. This week, we talk closet cleaning for a cause.

If you have read my book Style then you know what I think when it comes to cleaning out your closet: if you can’t see it, you won’t wear it. The solution? Overhaul your closet, and get organized. (Check out Chapter 4 of Style for helpful tips on editing and arranging your closet.) So what do you do with all of the pieces you want to ditch? Pay it forward. And no, I don’t mean watch the movie.

Think of it this way: as your unused homecoming dress sits in the deep dark depths of your closet, there is someone out there who is looking for, or needing, that very dress. They don’t say, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” for nothing. Instead of tossing or selling closet rejects, donate them - but do it wisely. Certain organizations specialize in distributing specific clothing items. To inspire you to make smarter donation decisions, I have put together a list of helpful suggestions on disposing your closet castoffs:

Shoes. If you are tossing a pair of shoes, give them to someone who really needs them. I recently learned about Soles4Souls, which is an organization that collects shoes and gets them to those in need. In many countries, children cannot attend school or church unless they have a pair of shoes, and Soles4Shoes makes this possible.

Keeping reading . . .

Do Something Magnifique When You Buy Génifique This Friday

Jaime Richards — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:10:19 PDT

All this month, Dillard's and Lancôme have been raising funds to support St. Jude, and this Friday the 21st (aka "Genes Day"), it's your chance to help out even more. The beauty brand will donate $7 from each purchase of Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate ($58 to $125), pledging $300,000 from the day's sales to benefit the children's hospital. Watch the video above to see Lancôme's Michelle Phan and Arlenis Sosa talk more about the event. And to learn some truly touching statistics that I learned after visiting the hospital firsthand, just keep reading.

5 Other Ways You Can Help Support Breast Cancer Awareness

Jaime Richards — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:00:00 PDT

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is well underway, and while there are plenty of pink-themed products available you can purchase to benefit the cause, there are other ways you can lend a helping hand. See how you can make a difference when you read more.

5 BCA Nail Polishes You Can Feel Good About Buying

Jaime Richards — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:00:20 PDT

October is a time of changing leaves, Halloween, and cozy sweaters, but it also signifies a time when people come together to raise awareness and support research for finding a cure. Hundreds of beauty companies have released Breast Cancer Awareness Month items this year, including the nail polish industry. Here, see five brands who have gone above and beyond in the lacquer category, and what they have to offer for 2011.

Source: Flickr User Miss a Liss