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Brad and Angelina want you to be just like them

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are certainly style icons... each photograph of the couple is scrutinized to see what shoes Angelina is wearing, or bag Brad is carrying.

And while I'm certain the couple is happy to influence sales of lip gloss and footwear, it seems they’d really like to stir others to a more compassionate level of spending.

The most recent news is that the Jolie-Pitt Foundation has made a $1 million contribution to support kids effected by the war in Iraq.

Jolie has visited Iraq twice in the past year - the last time she was fairly heavily pregnant and wore a flack jacket over her abdomen, so she definately knows first hand the struggles on the ground in the country.

The funds donated by the couple have been earmarked specifically for educational expenses.

For the children of Iraq, Jolie-Pitt is contributing $500,000 to the be distributed to the following organizations:

Women for Women International to sponsor 300 Iraqi women and up to 1,200 children. The program will allow these women to provide their families with basic necessities, pay to send their children to school, and purchase books and learning supplies.

The International Rescue Committee to support their school rehabilitation and accelerated learning programs in 3 schools in Najaf, Iraq benefiting over 2,500 students.

NineMillion.org/UNHCR to make uniforms, school supplies, and learning materials available to over 2,000 Iraqi children who have been internally displaced or forced to flee to Jordan and other neighboring nations.

"These educational support programs for children of conflict are the best way to help them heal," said Jolie.

For children in the United States, Jolie-Pitt is contributing $500,000 to the Armed Services YMCA Operation Hero Program who helps thousands of military children separated from a parent serving in Iraq - and many who've lost a parent.

Pitt and Jolie hope their contribution is just the start.

"We hope to encourage others to give to these great organizations," stated Brad Pitt.

If you'd like to follow Angelina and Brad's lead and donate to the cause, click here.

Or you can simply send an e-card, that helps educate people about the organization.

Carolyn Leber gives Healing Lifestyles & Spas Tip of the Day

I'm probably the worst at tooting my own horn - I've become so accustomed to being a cheerleader for my clients and their carefully crafted brands. 

But when the opportunity came to give a few tips gleaned from personal experience to Healing Lifestyles & Spas Magazine recently, I took it automatically.

In my work, I juggle a ridiculously varied set of tasks daily.  My company gets a lot of publicity hits and acceptance for our customers, but we also shoulder and cushion a good deal of rejection on their behalf, an element of PR that goes largely overlooked. 

As a result, I've developed mechanisms to keep a great attitude and stay productive.  Here's a few that appeared in yesterday's HL&S newsletter:

Be More Efficient Each Day

We have been raised with the mantra that we can have and accomplish anything and everything--if we work hard enough. We, the "do everything" women of the 21st century, want to raise our own children, make a substantial financial contribution to the family, please our spouses, maintain our friendships, and simultaneously be happy ourselves. Impossible? Maybe. But we certainly persist. For most of us, this equation of life can be a little daunting, but once we figure out the formula that keeps the multi-layered machine of our lives cranking, life's a breeze. Well, sort of.

Carolyn Leber, director of CLPR, a public relations and event firm, has a to-do list that is seemingly never-ending, but despite the demands placed on her, she's managed to figure out a few simple ways to balance her day:

1. Make a list of tasks – It negates the stress of trying to remember everything (and ultimately forgetting something).

2. Prioritize according to deadline and payoff (Example: Even though image is important in PR, the payoff for getting a manicure really isn't up there with say writing and posting a press release or talking to an editor about a client's new product roll out).

3. Stay focused on one task at a time - having an array of skills is a gift, but multitasking is overrated. Simultaneously trying to do too many things tends to lead to mistakes and oversights. Maintaining focus on one thing cultivates creativity and widened possibilities.

4. Silence your inner critic.