Recently in Our Favorite Charities Category

Associated Content has a very easy list of places you can donate that will provide immediate assistance to Haiti toward recovery efforts. The earthquake that hit Haiti today was 7.0 and many building have collapsed, including schools. We know it is very devastating even though there are not a lot of reports yet. You can donate to the Red Cross by texting the word "Haiti" to 90999. A $10 donation will appear on your phone bill. It takes 10 seconds to do. The story has other easy ways to help.

Save up to 40% on select Pediped shoes from now through Feb. 5th and they will donate 50% of the sale price to Make-a-Wish. This is the perfect time to stock up on your favorite designs and make your purchase meaningful at the same time. I am getting the Ashley (Choc Brown/Fuchsia, $23) with all the cute hearts, perfect for Valentines. I'm sure my friends will appreciate this more than chocolate for their tots =) And their boys designs are just as cute, like the Josh (Navy/White/Blue, $23).

Warning: I am going to get on my political soapbox here but please bear with me. During the holiday season everyone wishes and prays for peace but we really need to do something more than just talk and wish and pray. We are fighting 2 wars and yes, they are necessary for our safety and morality but using violence to fight violence only creates more violence. Something has to be done at the root level, where intolerance and hatred begins that leads to violence.

One man is doing this and is succeeding at it, "one child at a time". Greg Mortenson is the co-founder of the Central Asia Institute which develops and runs schools in remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. His belief is that peace can be achieved by getting rid of ignorance and hatred and the only way to do that is through education. His schools are primarily girls because he says, "When you educate a boy, you educate an individual but when you educate a girl you educate a community." These are such powerful concepts and it hit me like a brick wall when I heard an interview with him on NPR. His book, Three Cups of Tea about his journey from climbing K2 to changing the world, just hit the best seller list. There is also Three Cups of Tea: The Young Reader's Edition.

You can help Greg's goal of peace and hope by donating to the Central Asia Institute. He is 100% privately funded and this is important because that means he can keep politics out. His schools are not an extension of the US government and military. The staff of CAI are from local villages who know the cultures of tribal communities. This is the only way to achieve sustainable and successful development of these programs. There is no imposition from external judgments, of what "we" think is best for "them". This is a very special program and awareness is key but obviously donation is the most important. Please consider a donation of any amount.

Left: Heidi Klum; Right: Shaquille O'Neal

Our favorite Pediped shoes is holding an auction of celebrity autographed shoes to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation. All of the proceeds from the auction will go directly to the charity. The auction will start this Sunday, October 25th, 2009 and go to November 5th, 2009 on Charitybuzz.com. Your signed shoes will come in a nice cherry wood display case. Some of the celebrities include Heidi Klum, Shaquille O'Neal, Tiger Woods, Jessica Alba, Jon Stewart, Angie Harmon and believe it or not, your very own Snobs, Kelly Cook and Tina Craig. Go to Pediped for a full list of celebrities (and to see pictures of us alongside real celebrities!). Please bid on our shoes!!! Click here for Kelly's shoes. Click here for Tina's Shoes.

I heard Bono speak at last year's women's conference and not only is he talented and HOT, he is inspiring. Makes me feel like I can and should do more. Something as little as buying the (RED) products whenever possible can make a big difference, that's why I am a huge supporter. The Bugaboo Bee Teasu(red) special edition stroller contributes 1% of all revenue to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. I love the Bee, I wish I was still in the market for a stroller, it has all the functionality of the Chameleon with the convenience of a one piece breakdown. Show that you care and look great while doing it. Exclusively at Neiman Marcus for $599.

Need something a bit more creative than a bake sale to raise money for your cause? Verimeri has the most ingenious concept ever! The fundraiser tees are designed by tots, then everyone votes and the winner gets to have their design made and sold with 20% of proceeds going to the cause of their choice. Now talk about getting involved, this is the most hands on and personal way to raise awareness as well as teach your tots the importance of helping others. A couple of examples of winning tees: I love this one, I always tell my tots how lucky they are because positive attitude is the secret to happiness. The Lucky Ducky by Hannah Katzenstein, age 7 from Los Angeles, $24. Also,Conserve by Ean, age 11 from Wichita Falls, $24.00.

It's a bit early to start thinking about Holiday gifts but it is never too early to plan. I file things away in the back of my head so that the hectic shopping season doesn't become overwhelming. And I am always looking for unique ideas to do both good and fun. Like Ocean's "Adopt a Creature" program. Along with helping a creature in the wild, your gift recipient will receive one of 6 sea creature cookie cutters or one of 4 sea creature plush toys to remind them of the good that was done. There is a special gift package in honor of Casey Sokolovic who baked thousands of sea turtle cookies and held bake sales that raised over $3,000 to provide funding for a sea turtle hospital in North Carolina. For more information on Casey, visit the Ocean hero page. Adopt one creature for $35, a gift pack with oven mitt and framed adoption certificate for $75 or adopt all 6 creatures for
$100 (comes with mitt and frame). View all creature and adoption options here.

OK you hipsters out there, here is the line you've been waiting for. Famed LA tattoo artist Mark Mahoney is designing a line for tots that is responsible, adorable and charitable. No wonder it is a celeb favorite among A-Listers like Angelina Jolie, Tori Spelling, Marcia Cross, Poppy Montgomery, Kim Raver and Jennie Garth, just to name a few. A generous donation of 20% goes to children's charities! Only high quality cotton is used but the prices are really amazing. The Butterfly Dress is only $36. And their sale items are even better, the Hooded Dress on sale is $18! Great for the summer - easy to wear, comfortable and beyond adorable. Shop Baby Eggi. Free shipping through June 30th.

On June 2nd the Hollywood Improv will host a very special stand up comedy event that you cannot miss. It is a charity event that benefits "Laugh Links", a program that is a part of "A Place Called Home" which provides at-risk youth with a secure, positive family environment where they can regain hope and belief, earn trust and self-respect and learn skills to lead to a productive lifestyle free of the gangs, drugs and poverty that surround them. Laugh Links is such a great program, it teaches at risk kids to write their own stand up comedy material as well as perform it. It reinforces basic skills like writing but more importantly, it is a way for them to express their experience through laughter. This event is huge because it is their big moment to get up in front of hundreds of people at the legendary venue and show everyone what they've got. Please join me and help support these awesome kids. Tickets are only $20, get them HERE.

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden hosted a super swanky party last night at LA's latest hotspot, My House. Nicole Richie had her little pregnant bump. So cute! The event was to benefit Unicef's annual Tap Project sponsored by Sony Cierge. I was honored to be invited to help spread the word about a devastating problem in many parts of the world than can be easily resolved with your help. With a the donation of $1, a child can get clean drinking water for 40 days. Imagine the kind of impact you can have with very little money. Please consider making a donation in any amount that you can and when you do, Tot Snob will send you a super cute Tot Snob t-shirt! Please email me your donation confirmation along with your t-shirt size. Think about what it would be like to not have water the next time you pour yourself a glass. And then imagine what it would be like if it is your child who is without water.