Happy Friday!

My nationally syndicated column Do Just One Thing comes out every day in newspapers across the country and I thought I would use today’s post to share our current 5 tips.   So maybe it should be called Do Just FIVE Things, instead?

Have a great weekend and I’ll see you all Monday!

1. With so many environmental, conservation and scientific nonprofit organizations, it can be overwhelming when trying to choose who to donate money to.    The best advice is to not be afraid to ask questions: where is your money going, how much will be spent for overhead and can you earmark it towards a very specific project?    You can also search on the website GuideStar where a database of more than 1 million nonprofit organizations exist that you can search and learn more about how they operate to make an informed decision, too.
2. Doing some home improvement work this weekend? When painting walls, make sure you buy just enough paint. Go to popular home improvement Web sites like lowes.com and search for “paint calculator.” Type in the dimensions of your room, and it’ll compute exactly how much paint you need to buy. No more overbuying and a lot less waste.
3. Donating an old car to charity seems like a good idea: it gives you a tax deduction, it helps  a worthwhile case and your car can be “recycled” for a good cause.    But if you ever donate to a non-profit that has large billboards, TV ads or newspapers that make it easy for them to pick up your car and do it for you, be sure to avoid them.  They are actually for-profit intermediaries who take a huge chunk of the proceeds—up to 90%—and donate the rest to the actual charity.  If you want to really, truly help a non-profit, donate directly . Or better yet: sell the car yourself and write a check to the charity of your choice.
4. Wedding gowns can cost if hundreds if not thousands of dollars to create the fairy tale wedding of your dreams.    For something that is only worn for a few hours just once in your lifetime, this is the time to think about getting more dress for money by thinking “once wed.”    The online store www.oncewed.com has an online marketplace of almost-new wedding gowns be re-sold at a fraction of the price.   In-demand designers like Vera Wang and Monique Lhuiller can be found up to 90% off their original retail price.   With the money saved, you can use the savings to honeymoon at a 5-star eco-resort after the wedding.
5. Barbecuing tonight? Here’s a quick entertaining solution! After the burgers are grilled and the corn is cooked, recycle the hot coals in the grill for dessert! Scoop the hot coals into fireproof bowls and ask guests to search the woods for a toasting stick. Bring out bowls of marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars. Instant S’mores!

I am traveling today to sunny Tampa, Florida to appear on HSN (formerly Home Shopping Network) on behalf of the 100% preservative-free skin care line Boscia.

Tune in at 3AM, 9AM and 10PM (all EST) LIVE to see me unveil the latest and greatest products from Boscia including the Bright White Mask and their game-changing BB Cream.

I love visiting HSN and hope not only will you tune in, but maybe call in if you’re using Boscia?  Would love to hear from you!

We are coming out with a line of natural jute and fiber rugs this month in stores like HomeGoods, TJ Maxx and Marshalls.   I just got a sample of this natural jute rug and knew EXACTLY where I wanted to have it in my own home: right by the kitchen sink.    As you know, I’ve been debating if I should put an antique runner rug in the kitchen (spaghetti sauce spills anyone?) but love the size and feel of this smaller rug for where I spent the most time in the kitchen anyway.

Speaking of product, we have some new goodies in stores: including these 100% recycled steel bamboo style kitchen utensils.

These woven carrying cases for the kitchen come in a whole variety of colors and sizes.  I’ve seen them in deep green, vibrant blue and very bright beautiful yellow, too.

Our garlic press and can opener can also be found in stores now; recycled steel with bamboo smooth handles.

Obsessed with our bamboo fiber measuring bowls ( LOVE THE COLORS! ) and the green colander.   All dishwasher safe on the top rack of the dishwasher.

And our growing collection of non-stick eco-friendly cookware includes our new Danny Seo Professional series; it features a non-stick ceramic coating that is free of any PFOA and PTFE chemicals.      I love our simpler label on the inside of the pan, too.

And a new beautiful professional shot of our new eco-friendly cleaning supplies.

Here’s an image of a dog I was taking care of over the weekend in my home.  He LOVED it here.    Gorgeous gray coat, very calm demeanor, and just a great all around dog.

Here’s an image of the same dog taken by photographer Laura Moss in my work studio at my house.    With the right lighting, backdrop and patience…. it looks like a whole other dog!

Even in his serious state of mind, another gorgeous pic.

Living in the woods of Bucks County, Pennsylvania—-how do I put this—-you see a lot of wild activity on your property throughout the year.

Recently, I’ve been seeing large, intricate spider webs woven in between the beams of the house.    Many of these webs are “old homes” (I like to call them that) for spiders that are no longer actively being used.    So, I thought it might be fun to capture these webs on paper with this simple upcycling technique.

All you need is black paper, a spray bottle, white latex paint and water.

Fill the spray bottle half way with white paint and add just enough water so the paint will spray evenly, but isn’t too drippy or watery.     The ratio will take a little trial and error, so if there’s too much water, add more paint (hence only starting with a half full bottle).

Next, find a web you like and make sure there are no spiders actively using it.

Spray the web with the white paint mixture.    Be light with the touch to not destroy the web, but heavy enough with the paint so it’s saturated.

Bring the black paper BEHIND the web an capture it on the paper.    The web’s natural sticky texture and the wet paint will help it adhere to the paper.

Then frame!

I’m doing a whole series of these in floating frames to hang in the bedroom hallway.    I just love the look of them and how they call came from my own property.    A fun way to bring the outdoors, indoors.