Reality Check: Is Your Child Overweight? Director of Kids Weight-Down Program and child psychologist, Trish Gallagher and Dr. Louis Arnone say parents underestimate their kids and should pay more attention to their kids' growing weight. Maybe because parents see their kids every day they don't notice when the kids start packing on the pounds. Kids don't just wake up one morning fat. They gave some advice to parents to help their kids get to and stay at a healthy weight. Make it global. Talk about the childhood obesity epidemic without pointing fingers and don't lecture. And from today's page of the book of the obvious: practice what you preach. Chances are if your kid is overweight, you are too. So set a good example. And there's more where that came from IE: get family involved, cut down on high calorie beverages, limit TV and computer time and kick them out the door to get some physical activity. Parents are also urged to get schools to get rid of soda and snack machines. They're your kids. Make sure your schools--which you're paying taxes for--listen up and get healthier foods. It's much easier to prevent obesity than it is to treat it.
Today's Travel editor, Peter Greenberg showed how you can learn a new skill during your next vacation. How-to vacations are becoming popular and there were several featured today like a boat building vacation in Maine. You can build your own boat and take it home--that's the down side. It costs about $3,000. New Orleans Glasswork Studio has glass blowing, paper marbling, and hand casting. I'm not sure what that costs but there's more information on the website. In Hoboken, NJ you can make your own handbags at Avery Design. And if you have a spare $32,000 and seven friends, you can go to Amici Vineyards in California and make your own wine--288 bottles of it--with your own label on all the bottles.
Next there was a story called All In The Family about a 23 year-old raising his three nephews on his own. They're his sister's kids who were taken away from their drug-addicted mother. She also happens to be his twin sister. Joseph Democko stepped up to the plate and had to convince social workers that he would be a good parent for them after months of parenting classes and getting a steady job. Plus one of the kids is disabled with spina bifada, so he has more than his hands full. He's what Ann Curry referred to as the hero of the day. Unfortunately, she referred to him as Joseph "Alexander" after Today contributor, Peter Alexander signed off on the story from California. I had to google him because he deserves his correct name in print. He is a good man indeed.
Take It Off Today featured a no cook diet by Today food editor, Joy Bauer, with meals you can either use in a microwave, blender or toaster. It's a 1600 calorie a day diet and you can mix and match any meals. You can get more information on the website. She showed a few options such as Go Lean waffles with a low sugar syrup for breakfast or a smoothie with milk and fruit. For lunch you can have something like chunk light tuna (white has too much mercury) with a reduced calorie mayonnaise on whole grain bread or crackers like Triscuits and a salad with Paul Newman's light vinaigrette. A Boca burger with reduced fat cheese makes a good dinner as does supermarket sushi (or takeout) or lean cuisine brick oven style pizza. There are seven options for each and every category listed on the website. It's also featured in this month's Self magazine.
17 year-old singer, Sean Kingston ended the show with a cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry." His parents should pay attention to the information on the first segment of this hour about childhood obesity.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Monday on Today 7/30
Hope everyone had a great weekend. The number 1 spot at the box office this weekend was taken over by "The Simpsons," which is getting good reviews across the board. Number 2 was last week's number 1, "I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry," and "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix" came in at number 3.
First up today in the 9:00 hour was a segment called To Tell The Truth: Understanding Compulsive Lying with Today contributor, Dr. Gail Salz and Body Language Expert, Janine Driver. According to them, lying can be an addiction for some people. And obviously, like any other addiction, constant lying damages relationships because it breaks trust. That's one way to know if you have a lying problem. Another way to tell is if telling the truth is actually uncomfortable for you. Then, you might consider yourself a compulsive liar. How do you tell when someone is lying to you? They usually make deflective statements, such as "Just ask my friends, I don't smoke." I don't think that's totally accurate because I've said things like that before and I wasn't lying. I usually use the "ask so and so..." to prove I'm right because I know they'll back me up. Also, people who are lying, according to the body language expert, will use the word "but" a lot. "I know you'll think this is strange, but..." "You'll probably think I'm lying but..." I don't know. I've heard many of these kinds of statements before. If that's true, then I know a lot of compulsive liars. I'll tell you how I know when someone is lying. When their story sounds so outrageous and is just unbelievable, it usually is. Just like if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It doesn't take a genius to figure out when you're being lied to. Unless you're being lied to by a genius. Then it can be difficult. Or if you love the person lying to you so much, you just want to believe them.
Today's Woman with Dr. Judith Reichman was all about Pregnancy Fact Or Fiction. There are so many shoulds and shouldn'ts during those nine months, it's hard to straighten out the myths from reality. Fact: You should not stand for more than five hours at a time--I wouldn't want to do that even when not pregnant. Fiction: You shouldn't fly while pregnant. You can but stay hydrated and remember to walk around a lot to avoid dangerous blood clots. Also you shouldn't fly after 36 weeks. Fact: Avoid hot tubs and saunas. Stay cool and don't sunbathe for long periods--shouldn't you avoid sunbathing for other reasons anyway? Like avoiding wrinkles and skin cancer? Fiction: Pregnant women should avoid heavy lifting. The truth is you should lift 25% less than you normally would. Why should a pregnant woman be lifting anything heavy? That's what the expectant father is there for--among other things. And finally, fiction: No, you're not eating for two. You're not supposed to gain more than 25 pounds for a normal weight woman, 15-20 if you're overweight and up to 40 if you're underweight. I gained exactly 30 with both of my pregnancies, though at different stages for each. And I wasn't aiming for any particular number. No matter whether I pigged out--2nd one, or couldn't eat much at all--1st one, I still gained the same. So, I hate it when they tell you exactly how much to gain. Everyone is different. Some women gain 70 lbs. and manage to take it off later. Just focus on your health, not your weight.
Next up was Wendy The Wonder Dog. She's a Bully Whippet, so called because of her unusually muscular build. Most whippets are so skinny you can see most of their bones, but bully whippets have mutated genes that cause excess muscle. She's real cute and looks like a whippet on steroids. Since those dogs were bred for racing, I wonder if Wendy would be faster or slower than a regular whippet. Most track athletes are super skinny, like a normal whippet. Wendy would probably be better at other sports like Frisbee catching or something, though swimming is most likely not her thing.
Today's Garden with P. Allen Smith featured Safe Pest Solutions such as watering under the leaves of tomato plants where bugs like to hide. Japanese beetle traps are great, as are white fly traps. He has what he calls the Texas two step plan for fire ants--check Todayshow.com for that and other all natural insecticides. Dish washing liquid kills bugs. I used that method last year for ridding my patio of ants. It works, but you have to keep at it. Also, you can buy lady bugs who eat those other pesky bugs. And why not plant Rosemary or Basil? Those are fragrant and bugs don't like them.
Denise Jackson is country music star Alan Jackson's wife and apparently has written a book, "Love Of My Life: Inside Alan Jackson's Marriage." She tells about his infidelity and their separation and how she got strength from God to help her learn about letting go. Once she learned to let go, he came back to her and they renewed their vows. How sweet. Then her husband performed a song, "It's All About Him." The Him he's referring to is obviously God. These country people really put a lot of faith in God. Like God is what got them back together. Is God the one that made him cheat on her? Why don't these people ever turn to God before they turn to behavior that ruins their marriage in the first place? Well, it doesn't matter because God always steps in and makes it all right again. Good for them.
That's a wrap. Till Tomorrow.
First up today in the 9:00 hour was a segment called To Tell The Truth: Understanding Compulsive Lying with Today contributor, Dr. Gail Salz and Body Language Expert, Janine Driver. According to them, lying can be an addiction for some people. And obviously, like any other addiction, constant lying damages relationships because it breaks trust. That's one way to know if you have a lying problem. Another way to tell is if telling the truth is actually uncomfortable for you. Then, you might consider yourself a compulsive liar. How do you tell when someone is lying to you? They usually make deflective statements, such as "Just ask my friends, I don't smoke." I don't think that's totally accurate because I've said things like that before and I wasn't lying. I usually use the "ask so and so..." to prove I'm right because I know they'll back me up. Also, people who are lying, according to the body language expert, will use the word "but" a lot. "I know you'll think this is strange, but..." "You'll probably think I'm lying but..." I don't know. I've heard many of these kinds of statements before. If that's true, then I know a lot of compulsive liars. I'll tell you how I know when someone is lying. When their story sounds so outrageous and is just unbelievable, it usually is. Just like if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It doesn't take a genius to figure out when you're being lied to. Unless you're being lied to by a genius. Then it can be difficult. Or if you love the person lying to you so much, you just want to believe them.
Today's Woman with Dr. Judith Reichman was all about Pregnancy Fact Or Fiction. There are so many shoulds and shouldn'ts during those nine months, it's hard to straighten out the myths from reality. Fact: You should not stand for more than five hours at a time--I wouldn't want to do that even when not pregnant. Fiction: You shouldn't fly while pregnant. You can but stay hydrated and remember to walk around a lot to avoid dangerous blood clots. Also you shouldn't fly after 36 weeks. Fact: Avoid hot tubs and saunas. Stay cool and don't sunbathe for long periods--shouldn't you avoid sunbathing for other reasons anyway? Like avoiding wrinkles and skin cancer? Fiction: Pregnant women should avoid heavy lifting. The truth is you should lift 25% less than you normally would. Why should a pregnant woman be lifting anything heavy? That's what the expectant father is there for--among other things. And finally, fiction: No, you're not eating for two. You're not supposed to gain more than 25 pounds for a normal weight woman, 15-20 if you're overweight and up to 40 if you're underweight. I gained exactly 30 with both of my pregnancies, though at different stages for each. And I wasn't aiming for any particular number. No matter whether I pigged out--2nd one, or couldn't eat much at all--1st one, I still gained the same. So, I hate it when they tell you exactly how much to gain. Everyone is different. Some women gain 70 lbs. and manage to take it off later. Just focus on your health, not your weight.
Next up was Wendy The Wonder Dog. She's a Bully Whippet, so called because of her unusually muscular build. Most whippets are so skinny you can see most of their bones, but bully whippets have mutated genes that cause excess muscle. She's real cute and looks like a whippet on steroids. Since those dogs were bred for racing, I wonder if Wendy would be faster or slower than a regular whippet. Most track athletes are super skinny, like a normal whippet. Wendy would probably be better at other sports like Frisbee catching or something, though swimming is most likely not her thing.
Today's Garden with P. Allen Smith featured Safe Pest Solutions such as watering under the leaves of tomato plants where bugs like to hide. Japanese beetle traps are great, as are white fly traps. He has what he calls the Texas two step plan for fire ants--check Todayshow.com for that and other all natural insecticides. Dish washing liquid kills bugs. I used that method last year for ridding my patio of ants. It works, but you have to keep at it. Also, you can buy lady bugs who eat those other pesky bugs. And why not plant Rosemary or Basil? Those are fragrant and bugs don't like them.
Denise Jackson is country music star Alan Jackson's wife and apparently has written a book, "Love Of My Life: Inside Alan Jackson's Marriage." She tells about his infidelity and their separation and how she got strength from God to help her learn about letting go. Once she learned to let go, he came back to her and they renewed their vows. How sweet. Then her husband performed a song, "It's All About Him." The Him he's referring to is obviously God. These country people really put a lot of faith in God. Like God is what got them back together. Is God the one that made him cheat on her? Why don't these people ever turn to God before they turn to behavior that ruins their marriage in the first place? Well, it doesn't matter because God always steps in and makes it all right again. Good for them.
That's a wrap. Till Tomorrow.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Friday on Today 7/27
Who Wears The Pants? Women Take The Relationship Lead. That was the topic of the first segment of the third hour. Anthropologist, Helen Fisher and Clinical Sexologist (I had no idea these actually existed) Ian Kerner discussed the power struggle in relationships between men and women. Gender stereotypes are dissipating and there is more equality in couples. Men are doing more housework and content with being stay at home dads. The thing is everyone thinks they wear the pants in the partnership. That's the way it should be. No single person should be in charge of all the decisions in anyone else's life. The message in this is that men and women are different but equal.
Today's Health was all about Summer Heat: Fighting Odor and Perspiration. Each of us have 2-4 million sweat glands but some of us sweat more than others. Antiperspirants block the sweat glands so they actually stop you from sweating where as deodorants just stop you from stinking. But antiperspirants with deodorant do both. They suggested using antiperspirants at night because they're more effective then. If you're an excessive sweater you can get Botox injections--if you don't mind spending a $1,000 per visit--and wear special sweat clothes, underarm pads and dress shields.
Today Throws A Wedding was all about the cake--Take The Cake. Not much information here. They showed a beautiful square wedding with doves on top instead of the traditional bride and groom.
Today's Tech featured Video Game Wars. I loathe video games so this segment meant nothing to me. Xbox 360 has a consumer warranty extension--a polite name for a recall because there's something wrong with the hardware, but they won't specify what. That has the most popular video games. The second most popular games are in Playstation 3, which has the highest resolution games there are. Nintendo is number 3. I don't know what the best thing about them is.
Marc Anthony sang a song as women wearing wedding vales danced around with their partners. Then they signed off early again and showed highlights of Al's stops around the country looking for the couple to get married on The Today Show.
And that wraps up another week of Yesterday on Today. Have a great weekend!
Today's Health was all about Summer Heat: Fighting Odor and Perspiration. Each of us have 2-4 million sweat glands but some of us sweat more than others. Antiperspirants block the sweat glands so they actually stop you from sweating where as deodorants just stop you from stinking. But antiperspirants with deodorant do both. They suggested using antiperspirants at night because they're more effective then. If you're an excessive sweater you can get Botox injections--if you don't mind spending a $1,000 per visit--and wear special sweat clothes, underarm pads and dress shields.
Today Throws A Wedding was all about the cake--Take The Cake. Not much information here. They showed a beautiful square wedding with doves on top instead of the traditional bride and groom.
Today's Tech featured Video Game Wars. I loathe video games so this segment meant nothing to me. Xbox 360 has a consumer warranty extension--a polite name for a recall because there's something wrong with the hardware, but they won't specify what. That has the most popular video games. The second most popular games are in Playstation 3, which has the highest resolution games there are. Nintendo is number 3. I don't know what the best thing about them is.
Marc Anthony sang a song as women wearing wedding vales danced around with their partners. Then they signed off early again and showed highlights of Al's stops around the country looking for the couple to get married on The Today Show.
And that wraps up another week of Yesterday on Today. Have a great weekend!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Thursday on Today 7/26
Today Al Roker was in Chicago looking for that special couple to perform their nuptials on The Today Show. More on some bridal hair do's later.
Today's Style contributor Bobbie Thomas offered a fashion show featuring Chic Cover ups and a bag that will keep your make-up from melting in the hot sun at the beach. Do you really need to bring a make-up bag to the beach? It's one thing to wear a touch of waterproof mascara and maybe some tinted lip balm but your whole make-up bag? Come on. They showed some beach dresses you can wear as part of your bathing suit that dry quickly and look better than just a skimpy suit for walking around in. There was a safari themed look, a terry leaf halter and Nautica beach hoodie, as well as a crochet dress, a floral caftan and a Jantzen short caftan. All the models wore these hideous shoes--plastic wedges that made their feet look something straight out of a horror flick. The idea is that they can get wet, but why not just wear flip-flops or go bare foot? Who needs plastic wedges? You can take your shoes off when you go for a swim.
Moving on to number eight on the America The Beautiful tour: Arlington National Cemetery. David Gregory was there doing the Washington, DC on $50 segment, where he visited The US Mint and all the famous landmarks like the Washington Monument which are all free. He ate lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl and visited the Spy Museum for $14, but you can visit The Smithsonian museums for nothing. Then he had dinner (ribs) for $5.49 and had ice cream--Swiss chocolate honey malt. Seems like Washington, DC would be a pretty easy place to do this--spend $50 or less--because so many places are free.
Today's Fitness featured the author of the book "The Abs Diet For Women," David Zinczenko showing us "How To Flatten Your Abs" and "Keys To A Flatter Stomach." How many subtitles do they really need? And don't you love that a man wrote a book about how women can get into shape? Anyway, he says you need to eat more, which sounds good but he doesn't mean more in volume, just more often and you still need to eat healthy foods, especially protein which keeps you fuller longer. Eat more to weigh less means eating around six small meals a day--taken from today's page of the book of the obvious. How many times have we heard that before? Also you have to add weight training to your fitness routine--if you haven't already. Is there anybody who doesn't know this? He demonstrated some exercises that work many different muscle groups like the squat and the plank--a yoga move. When I do the plank during yoga I do it with my palms flat on the floor, but this demonstration showed a version with elbows on the ground. For a good power snack he suggested a smoothie. For more suggestions, check out the book. You can use my Amazon search box.
And from Today Throws A Martha Stewart Wedding there was a Beauty On Call "I do" hair do's for weddings segment. They showed an up do for a formal wedding, a half up do for an informal wedding and a loose side bun for a beach wedding.
And that's a wrap. Till Tomorrow.
Today's Style contributor Bobbie Thomas offered a fashion show featuring Chic Cover ups and a bag that will keep your make-up from melting in the hot sun at the beach. Do you really need to bring a make-up bag to the beach? It's one thing to wear a touch of waterproof mascara and maybe some tinted lip balm but your whole make-up bag? Come on. They showed some beach dresses you can wear as part of your bathing suit that dry quickly and look better than just a skimpy suit for walking around in. There was a safari themed look, a terry leaf halter and Nautica beach hoodie, as well as a crochet dress, a floral caftan and a Jantzen short caftan. All the models wore these hideous shoes--plastic wedges that made their feet look something straight out of a horror flick. The idea is that they can get wet, but why not just wear flip-flops or go bare foot? Who needs plastic wedges? You can take your shoes off when you go for a swim.
Moving on to number eight on the America The Beautiful tour: Arlington National Cemetery. David Gregory was there doing the Washington, DC on $50 segment, where he visited The US Mint and all the famous landmarks like the Washington Monument which are all free. He ate lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl and visited the Spy Museum for $14, but you can visit The Smithsonian museums for nothing. Then he had dinner (ribs) for $5.49 and had ice cream--Swiss chocolate honey malt. Seems like Washington, DC would be a pretty easy place to do this--spend $50 or less--because so many places are free.
Today's Fitness featured the author of the book "The Abs Diet For Women," David Zinczenko showing us "How To Flatten Your Abs" and "Keys To A Flatter Stomach." How many subtitles do they really need? And don't you love that a man wrote a book about how women can get into shape? Anyway, he says you need to eat more, which sounds good but he doesn't mean more in volume, just more often and you still need to eat healthy foods, especially protein which keeps you fuller longer. Eat more to weigh less means eating around six small meals a day--taken from today's page of the book of the obvious. How many times have we heard that before? Also you have to add weight training to your fitness routine--if you haven't already. Is there anybody who doesn't know this? He demonstrated some exercises that work many different muscle groups like the squat and the plank--a yoga move. When I do the plank during yoga I do it with my palms flat on the floor, but this demonstration showed a version with elbows on the ground. For a good power snack he suggested a smoothie. For more suggestions, check out the book. You can use my Amazon search box.
And from Today Throws A Martha Stewart Wedding there was a Beauty On Call "I do" hair do's for weddings segment. They showed an up do for a formal wedding, a half up do for an informal wedding and a loose side bun for a beach wedding.
And that's a wrap. Till Tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Wednesday on Today 7/25
Al Roker was at The Loews Hotel in Miami today on his search for the Today Show wedding couple. Besides briefly taking comments from prospective brides, I'm not exactly sure what the purpose was today.
The Gift Of Gab was a segment that promoted the benefits of gossip. Professional gossiper Wendy Williams of "The Wendy Williams Experience" and psychotherapist Robi Ludwig told about why gossiping is actually good for you. As long as it isn't too mean spirited and not about your friends. In other words, keep your gossip focused on celebrities--they're always fair game. It's actually in our DNA to gossip. And 70% of female conversations are about personal matters so it's only natural that they focus a lot on gossip. And let's face it, tabloids sell so gossip is here to stay, like it or not.
Mo'Nique was a guest today in a segment called Fabulous And Thick, where she talked about her new show "Fat Chance," in which she has a beauty contest in Paris for plus-sized women. She's promoting the idea that big women can be beautiful. She even bares all in body paint on the show. All I know is that she's funny and she also has a big heart--no pun intended.
Next up was a quick visit with a couple of the stars of the new USA show "Burn Notice." They called this Miami Heat--how original. Gabrielle Anwar and Bruce Campbell talked a bit about the show and bragged that is totally shot in Miami, unlike CSI Miami.
Then they had to talk a little bit about troubled tartlett, Lindsay Lohan getting arrested for DUI and possession of cocaine. She could get six years in prison. I say good. Let her serve the time. How many times can she go to rehab for a few weeks and then get out only to drive drunk again and put other lives at risk. Obviously rehab does not work! When are people going to stop falling for the "Oh, I'm quitting, I'm entering rehab now" routine. And if she wants to get drunk and high, I couldn't care less, but why does she have to drive? That's why she needs some time in prison. She just doesn't care about anybody else. I'm so sick of the excuses that it's in her blood because her father is an alcoholic. So was my father and I'm not driving around drunk and crashing my cars. Nobody is sticking a gun to her head and making her down shots and snort lines. And she's got money. Why can't she hire a driver? Because she's a selfish bitch that needs to be punished. And her career should be over or anyone hiring her should go to prison too. Okay, end of rant.
All About Summer Beverages was next up, where Today's food editor talked about all those enhanced water products that are mostly for marketing. They don't do anything special except pull money from your pocket. But there are some products out there worth a taste, such as drinks with green tea--loaded with antioxidants. A good one to try is Tazo diet mojito. Also recommended was Sence Pare European Rose Nectar and Aloe Breeze which revitalizes and heals. Something called Fruitzzo is a mother-load of antioxidants and Propel powder packets are convenient and you don't waste so much plastic as you do with all those other products. Didn't anyone see the Live Earth Concert? Stop using plastic water bottles! Tap water is just as healthy if not more so than bottled. And guess what? It's a hell of a lot cheaper. Think about it.
Today's Kitchen featured, surprise surprise, A Taste of Miami. Three different chefs from three popular Miami restaurants delivered their specialties like stone crabs and one had giant hot dogs--like three feet long.
That's it for today. Till Tomorrow.
The Gift Of Gab was a segment that promoted the benefits of gossip. Professional gossiper Wendy Williams of "The Wendy Williams Experience" and psychotherapist Robi Ludwig told about why gossiping is actually good for you. As long as it isn't too mean spirited and not about your friends. In other words, keep your gossip focused on celebrities--they're always fair game. It's actually in our DNA to gossip. And 70% of female conversations are about personal matters so it's only natural that they focus a lot on gossip. And let's face it, tabloids sell so gossip is here to stay, like it or not.
Mo'Nique was a guest today in a segment called Fabulous And Thick, where she talked about her new show "Fat Chance," in which she has a beauty contest in Paris for plus-sized women. She's promoting the idea that big women can be beautiful. She even bares all in body paint on the show. All I know is that she's funny and she also has a big heart--no pun intended.
Next up was a quick visit with a couple of the stars of the new USA show "Burn Notice." They called this Miami Heat--how original. Gabrielle Anwar and Bruce Campbell talked a bit about the show and bragged that is totally shot in Miami, unlike CSI Miami.
Then they had to talk a little bit about troubled tartlett, Lindsay Lohan getting arrested for DUI and possession of cocaine. She could get six years in prison. I say good. Let her serve the time. How many times can she go to rehab for a few weeks and then get out only to drive drunk again and put other lives at risk. Obviously rehab does not work! When are people going to stop falling for the "Oh, I'm quitting, I'm entering rehab now" routine. And if she wants to get drunk and high, I couldn't care less, but why does she have to drive? That's why she needs some time in prison. She just doesn't care about anybody else. I'm so sick of the excuses that it's in her blood because her father is an alcoholic. So was my father and I'm not driving around drunk and crashing my cars. Nobody is sticking a gun to her head and making her down shots and snort lines. And she's got money. Why can't she hire a driver? Because she's a selfish bitch that needs to be punished. And her career should be over or anyone hiring her should go to prison too. Okay, end of rant.
All About Summer Beverages was next up, where Today's food editor talked about all those enhanced water products that are mostly for marketing. They don't do anything special except pull money from your pocket. But there are some products out there worth a taste, such as drinks with green tea--loaded with antioxidants. A good one to try is Tazo diet mojito. Also recommended was Sence Pare European Rose Nectar and Aloe Breeze which revitalizes and heals. Something called Fruitzzo is a mother-load of antioxidants and Propel powder packets are convenient and you don't waste so much plastic as you do with all those other products. Didn't anyone see the Live Earth Concert? Stop using plastic water bottles! Tap water is just as healthy if not more so than bottled. And guess what? It's a hell of a lot cheaper. Think about it.
Today's Kitchen featured, surprise surprise, A Taste of Miami. Three different chefs from three popular Miami restaurants delivered their specialties like stone crabs and one had giant hot dogs--like three feet long.
That's it for today. Till Tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Tuesday on Today 7/24
We started the 9:00 hour off with Today's Classroom: Preparing For Preschool. The authors of "Practical Wisdom For Parents," from the 92nd Street YMCA preschool gave tips to parents to get their kids and themselves ready for that daunting first day of school. You have to first make sure the kids are able to communicate well and have good verbal skills. Are they able to say goodbye for a few hours while you're away from them? Can they take off their coats and shoes and use the bathroom independently and put toys away? They also suggested to wait until the week before school before talking about with your kids. Show them the school and read books about going to school to get them prepared. And only one parent should go to drop them off. Don't make a big fuss and try not to look so distraught. It should be a positive experience for all involved. And take it from someone who's been there, it's not that hard. Once you get past that first day and your child realizes that school is fun, it's routine. Get more parenting tips in the book.
Today's Family featured iVillage on the road again for a second day in a row. This time with a huge box they call a first aid kit filled with stuff like allergy medicine, band aids and pain meds. They also suggested you pack a stomach med such as Pepto Bismol and alcohol wipes for cuts and scrapes. There was a thermometer and cold meds in their box along with instant ice packs and lots of water. In case dehydration sets in, there are some kind of electrolyte tablets you can put into your water to relieve it. For the full list of things to pack, visit the website at todayshow.com.
Today Throws A Wedding: Looking For Couples In Las Vegas. Al Roker was in Las Vegas today auditioning people who want to get married on The Today Show. He gave the couples a quiz about Las Vegas weddings. The men also had to sing a couple of bars of That's Amore while riding in a gondola at The Venetian Hotel.
From there we moved on to A Hostess Gift Guide segment where they showed different ideas like personalized soaps, Table Topics--a box of cards with conversation starters written on them, and a salad bowl on ice. They also showed candles in keepsake containers as well as mobile serving trays that float. Obviously those are meant for pool parties. There was a bunch of ideas including gifts for dogs--if the hostess is a dog owner. For the full list visit the website. And if all this sounds a little too weird, you can always opt for the more traditional bottle of wine. Though, I do like the idea of the gifts for dogs. Everybody always seems to forget about the pooches. And what better gift for the dog than an adorable dog T-Shirt from The Karmic Bulldog store at http://cafepress.com/karmicbulldog. Right now you can buy 3 t-shirts and get one free. I just did. Hey, why not get one for the hostess too or one of many other adorable gifts? It's original. While you're there, you can pick up a card to go with the gift.
Another segment called Passion For Fashion had The Girlz of Bratz as guests. I guess there's a movie based on the Bratz dolls. Bet you can hardly wait for that one to open.
Today's Kitchen had two chefs from The Venetian Hotel "Cooking At The Venetian." They made truffles and wild prawn hash browns as well as other interesting edibles that I'm sure you can get recipes for on the website.
That's a wrap. Till Tomorrow.
Today's Family featured iVillage on the road again for a second day in a row. This time with a huge box they call a first aid kit filled with stuff like allergy medicine, band aids and pain meds. They also suggested you pack a stomach med such as Pepto Bismol and alcohol wipes for cuts and scrapes. There was a thermometer and cold meds in their box along with instant ice packs and lots of water. In case dehydration sets in, there are some kind of electrolyte tablets you can put into your water to relieve it. For the full list of things to pack, visit the website at todayshow.com.
Today Throws A Wedding: Looking For Couples In Las Vegas. Al Roker was in Las Vegas today auditioning people who want to get married on The Today Show. He gave the couples a quiz about Las Vegas weddings. The men also had to sing a couple of bars of That's Amore while riding in a gondola at The Venetian Hotel.
From there we moved on to A Hostess Gift Guide segment where they showed different ideas like personalized soaps, Table Topics--a box of cards with conversation starters written on them, and a salad bowl on ice. They also showed candles in keepsake containers as well as mobile serving trays that float. Obviously those are meant for pool parties. There was a bunch of ideas including gifts for dogs--if the hostess is a dog owner. For the full list visit the website. And if all this sounds a little too weird, you can always opt for the more traditional bottle of wine. Though, I do like the idea of the gifts for dogs. Everybody always seems to forget about the pooches. And what better gift for the dog than an adorable dog T-Shirt from The Karmic Bulldog store at http://cafepress.com/karmicbulldog. Right now you can buy 3 t-shirts and get one free. I just did. Hey, why not get one for the hostess too or one of many other adorable gifts? It's original. While you're there, you can pick up a card to go with the gift.
Another segment called Passion For Fashion had The Girlz of Bratz as guests. I guess there's a movie based on the Bratz dolls. Bet you can hardly wait for that one to open.
Today's Kitchen had two chefs from The Venetian Hotel "Cooking At The Venetian." They made truffles and wild prawn hash browns as well as other interesting edibles that I'm sure you can get recipes for on the website.
That's a wrap. Till Tomorrow.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Monday on Today 7/23
Hope everyone had a good weekend. The weekend box office smiled on "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," despite dismal reviews. Does anybody even read the reviews? Or do they think Adam Sandler is funny so they'll give up ten bucks even if the movie is crap. And from the highlights I've seen, it is. If a movie can't even make me laugh with their ads, it has to suck. Not one reviewer had a nice thing to say about it, and yet it still made money. The premise is funny but apparently the movie isn't. Number two on the list was "Harry Potter," followed by "Hairspray," which got five stars in my local paper, but it's not without it's detractors either. Out of the three, Hairspray would be my pick to see.
Family Affair: Working For Your Kids was about baby boomers going back into the work force only this time keeping it in the family. They featured a woman who started her own cosmetics company and hired her father to be the CEO or the numbers guy. Leigh Gallagher from Fortune Magazine and Psychologist Dale Atkins offered suggestions for making situations like this work like defining roles. In the cosmetic company case study, the dad only worked the numbers and stepped aside so his daughter could do all the creating. They also suggested asking strategic questions and to plan for conflict. I couldn't imagine working with anyone in my family, let alone a parent. So, if you're like most normal families, plan for lots of conflicts.
Fashion Forward On A Budget was the subject of Today's Style which focused on 100 buys for under $100. They had jewelry for under $10--for girls but women can wear most of it too. Target and JC penny were the places that they featured clothing from. I'm not sure about the jewelry but you can pick up a copy of the People Style Watch issue where you can get more information about where to find the best buys. They showed some bags by Devi Kroell for Target and some dresses that can easily take you from summer into fall.
Today's Family featured a segment entitled iVillage on the road which showed how to keep the sanity on family road trips. They showed different ideas to keep your kids occupied, in other words quiet, while you're on the road for summer vacation. They had some good suggestions like packing a cookie sheet with magnetic letters so kids can play word games. Bring etch a sketches, stuffed animals and books on tape. Use bribery but no candy. And divide the kids with a cooler or something big enough to keep them from hitting each other--very important. At least for my kids. And since we have a minivan, one sits in the way back and the other in the middle. Separation is a great way to avoid fights. Because when you pack the car full of toys, they'll be tearing them away from each other and complaining that the other isn't sharing. Trust me, I know. But if you do want to pack some good things to keep your kids busy, I have more suggestions from my today's Providence Journal Kidsbeat section. Coincidentally, they also featured a Fun On The Road article. They suggested fun toys such as Purse Pals that lets kids take a "pet" along. It's a cute purse with a cat inside to care for and play with. They also suggested books such as "Travel Games" and "Made You Look" as well as Travel Clue, which is a special travel version of the classic board game. If you want to read more of their suggestions, you can visit projo.com and look under the Lifebeat Kidsbeat section for Monday 7/23.
Next up was a segment called, Design Psychology: Your Inner Decorating Style. This was a story about a couple who have so much money, they paid somebody to design their house around some psychobabble about place attachment and memories. Please. I don't see the average person hiring a psychologist/designer to make sure their home decor is balanced with their inner child. If you've got money to burn, why not just hire a feng shui consultant to make sure you have positive energy flowing throughout your house. That at least has been proven to help people.
Today's Kitchen featured Mexican Cuisine by chef/author Rick Bayless. He cooked up an authentic Mexican fiesta with snapper smothered in some kind of salsa looking sauce. I'm sure you can find the recipe on Todayshow.com or buy one of Rick's books. Apparently, he has many Authentic Mexican volumes. Check my Amazon search box.
Till Tomorrow.
Family Affair: Working For Your Kids was about baby boomers going back into the work force only this time keeping it in the family. They featured a woman who started her own cosmetics company and hired her father to be the CEO or the numbers guy. Leigh Gallagher from Fortune Magazine and Psychologist Dale Atkins offered suggestions for making situations like this work like defining roles. In the cosmetic company case study, the dad only worked the numbers and stepped aside so his daughter could do all the creating. They also suggested asking strategic questions and to plan for conflict. I couldn't imagine working with anyone in my family, let alone a parent. So, if you're like most normal families, plan for lots of conflicts.
Fashion Forward On A Budget was the subject of Today's Style which focused on 100 buys for under $100. They had jewelry for under $10--for girls but women can wear most of it too. Target and JC penny were the places that they featured clothing from. I'm not sure about the jewelry but you can pick up a copy of the People Style Watch issue where you can get more information about where to find the best buys. They showed some bags by Devi Kroell for Target and some dresses that can easily take you from summer into fall.
Today's Family featured a segment entitled iVillage on the road which showed how to keep the sanity on family road trips. They showed different ideas to keep your kids occupied, in other words quiet, while you're on the road for summer vacation. They had some good suggestions like packing a cookie sheet with magnetic letters so kids can play word games. Bring etch a sketches, stuffed animals and books on tape. Use bribery but no candy. And divide the kids with a cooler or something big enough to keep them from hitting each other--very important. At least for my kids. And since we have a minivan, one sits in the way back and the other in the middle. Separation is a great way to avoid fights. Because when you pack the car full of toys, they'll be tearing them away from each other and complaining that the other isn't sharing. Trust me, I know. But if you do want to pack some good things to keep your kids busy, I have more suggestions from my today's Providence Journal Kidsbeat section. Coincidentally, they also featured a Fun On The Road article. They suggested fun toys such as Purse Pals that lets kids take a "pet" along. It's a cute purse with a cat inside to care for and play with. They also suggested books such as "Travel Games" and "Made You Look" as well as Travel Clue, which is a special travel version of the classic board game. If you want to read more of their suggestions, you can visit projo.com and look under the Lifebeat Kidsbeat section for Monday 7/23.
Next up was a segment called, Design Psychology: Your Inner Decorating Style. This was a story about a couple who have so much money, they paid somebody to design their house around some psychobabble about place attachment and memories. Please. I don't see the average person hiring a psychologist/designer to make sure their home decor is balanced with their inner child. If you've got money to burn, why not just hire a feng shui consultant to make sure you have positive energy flowing throughout your house. That at least has been proven to help people.
Today's Kitchen featured Mexican Cuisine by chef/author Rick Bayless. He cooked up an authentic Mexican fiesta with snapper smothered in some kind of salsa looking sauce. I'm sure you can find the recipe on Todayshow.com or buy one of Rick's books. Apparently, he has many Authentic Mexican volumes. Check my Amazon search box.
Till Tomorrow.
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