Body Bueatiful Magazine

My Numbered Days

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 22:37:00 GMT

Last Friday, I got word that this blog would be shut down after March 31st – exactly a year to the day that it was first launched. So, we have about a week to say everything we want to say to each other, seven whole days to fill cyberspace with as much information on health and beauty as we care to share . . .and then, we must go our separate ways.

On that note, what would you like to discuss? What haven’t I covered in 12 months that you think is worthy of a post? Let’s get the dialogue going, even if it is just for a short time.

Let It Be

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:10:00 GMT

    Yesterday, Paul McCartney agreed to pay his estranged wife, Heather Mills, $33 million in a divorce settlement. Did you hear that right – this former model gets $33 MILLION for being married to a former Beatle for only four years! She originally wanted more than $300 million, but was happy to settle for the $33 million. How kind of her.

    They have a daughter together, 4-year-old Beatrice. And what I find interesting is that he has been ordered to pay only $70,000 a year in child support (plus nanny and school fees). I would think that most of that $33 million would be for child support, since the Paul and Heather weren’t married that long.

    Their epic divorce battle has raged on for more than 2 years, and it was rumored that their divorce settlement could be the highest divorce settlement in British history. But in the end, it wasn’t.

    Considering that McCartney is worth about $1.1 billion, do you think this was a fair settlement? I agree with so many other Brits, if you read the many posts all over the Internet, that Heather is a gold digger and does not deserve to be vastly wealthy for the rest of her life for being married to Paul McCartney for less than 5 years. He’s 65 and she’s 40, which means he had already made multi-millions of dollars before Heather was even born. Linda McCartney, Paul’s real love and wife of many years who died of cancer in 1998, would have deserved that much. But not Heather.

    Paul needs to write a new song: “Heather in the sky with diamonds.”

Hooker, Line And Sinker

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:27:00 GMT

    Since everyone is talking today about the resignation of New York’s governor, Eliot Spitzer, I thought I should, too. But I don’t want to talk about all the titillating, sordid details behind this story. The man is an idiot, plain and simple. He threw away EVERYTHING dear to him just to have meaningless sexual encounters with hookers. Something he will live to regret the rest of his days. And if I were his wife, they would be severely numbered.

    As this is a website for women, let’s talk about his wife, Mrs. Eliot Spitzer. Let’s call her Silda, because that’s her real name, a name she will probably be using more and more when she comes to her senses and divorces the shamed governor. What I am completely miffed about every single time we see a press conference with some once-glorious politician or public figure admitting he has had inappropriate sex or misused funds or WHATEVER, is WHY their wives are standing stoically next to them, looking equally pained and sympathetic.

    If my husband had spent an “alleged” $80,000 cavorting with prostitutes over a 6-year period, the LAST thing I would be doing is standing by his side. I would be behind him kicking him in his ass. No, scratch that. I would be home packing up every last thing he owned and tossing it out on the front lawn AFTER I called the locksmith to change the locks at the Governor’s mansion.

    What is wrong with these disgraced women? Forget those damn vows of “for better or worse.” This is way worse than worse. Not only did Spitzer humiliate Silda, but he also put her at risk for sexually transmitted diseases. The best thing she could have done would have been to NOT show up at the press conference. To send a message to other disgraced women out there that this kind of behavior from a man is egregious and obscene and will NOT be tolerated, excused or supported in any way.

    In fact, had Hilary Clinton divorced Bill after the whole Monica Lewinsky scandal, not only would she have my utmost respect, she’d have my vote this year, too.

To read a man's side to this story, go to ocfamily.com and click on "ocdadblog."

Hormone Therapy Scare

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:52:00 GMT

    A new follow-up study has been released in the Journal of the American Medical Association that offers good news and bad news for women who have taken estrogen-progestin pills after menopause.

    First, the good news: Any heart problems associated with these pills disappeared once women stopped taking them.

    However, the bad news: These women are at new risk for cancers, such as breast cancer and lung tumors. Researchers noted that the increased risk for all cancers was only 3 extra cases per year for every 1,000 women on hormone pills, compared with nonusers.

    If you participated in the Women’s Health Initiative study in 2002 (or know someone who did) that was halted 6 years ago because of the increased risk of heart disease and breast cancer in women on HRT, you’ll want to read the findings in this important, follow-up study:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23468941/from/ET/

Get A Leg Up

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 06:56:00 GMT

    I used to have beautiful legs. Long, smooth pretty things. Probably one of my best assets. I never thought twice about throwing on a pair of shorts or opting for a daring mini skirt. But now, the thought of wearing anything above the knee frightens me to no end. In the last few years, I have developed some unsightly spider veins, tiny clusters of red veins that sometimes seem to pop up overnight. My dermatologist tells me they’re partly caused by genetics, birth control pills, childbirth and standing around a lot. I test positive to all those causes.

    So now that the weather is warming up and it’s time to show more leg, I’m going in for sclerotherapy, a procedure I have done 2-3 times a year. My dermatologist says it’s the most effective procedure for treating these tiny veins. She injects a saline solution into the vein, which causes it to stick together, and then it eventually gets absorbed by the body. It’s not fun getting poked by needles for 20 minutes, but come June, the discomfort will be long forgotten and I’ll be less self-conscious in a skirt.

    It usually takes a few treatments to get the results you want, so be patient. If you need to show off your legs NOW, get an airbrush tan. The darker, healthier look lasts about 5-7 days and does a good job of covering up the veins.

End Of An Era

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:58:00 GMT

I found out last week that I’m insulin-resistant. Basically, I have too much insulin coursing through me body. We need a certain amount to help regulate glucose, which supplies our body with the energy it needs. But an oversupply of insulin can lead to all kinds of problems: heart attacks, obesity, hypertension, stroke and the mother of all problems – diabetes. (Forgive me if I sound so Health 101. It can get pretty confusing and I still have a lot to learn!)

All my life, I’ve gravitated toward breads and pastries and sweet things. I was always thin – my nickname in high school was “Olive Oil – and never had to worry about controlling how much of this great-tasting bad stuff I was eating. Well, I’m here to tell you that it eventually catches up to you. I have simply worn out my pancreas with one too many Krispy Kremes, apparently.

What signaled this problem for my doctor were two things: No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t lose even five pounds. And, around 4:00, I would be so tired, that after pulling into my garage from picking up kids at school, I would stay in there and nap for half an hour. Odd behavior, don’t you think?

So now I have to pay very close attention to what I eat. I am choosing foods from the low-glycemic-diet index. And you know what’s interesting? I am eating foods that everyone should be eating, anyway: lean protein, eggs, veggies, beans, most fruits, low-fat dairy products, nuts and the only bread low enough on the index to be acceptable is pumpernickel. That’s OK. I like toasted pumpernickel with peanut butter. I can do that. (I will miss sourdough, though!) Best of all, I can have low-fat ice cream, my saving grace.

There must be something to this because after just 4 days of eating this way, I jumped on the scale and was down 2.5 pounds! It turns out that the motivation I needed all this time to lose weight wasn’t to look good in a bathing suit come summertime, but rather, to live long enough to see my children grow up.

So long, sugar!

JuNO!

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:21:00 GMT

    I’d like to officially go on record as the only person in this country who saw “Juno” and didn’t like it. More to the point, I think it was irresponsible filmmaking. This movie sends the wrong message to teens: That it's OK to get pregnant at 16, it's not the end of the world, your parents and friends will rally behind you, you can squeeze out this "thing" (which is how she refers to it), easily find an adoptive parent and then go back to being a teen. And if you're lucky, you may even get to attend the prom and make-out with the guy who got you pregnant to begin with.

    My 14-year-old daughter saw it with her friends more than a month ago, and had I seen this movie before her, I wouldn’t have let her go. She kept telling me, “Mom, it’s awesome! You’re going to love it!” Well, I didn’t love it and I am very upset that whoever rated this movie thought it was OK for a 14-year-old to see it.

    “Juno” is very whimsical and that’s precisely what’s wrong with it: There’s nothing whimsical about teen pregnancy. It starts out as a cartoon and then dissolves to real life as Juno walks into a pharmacy to take a pregnancy test for the third time. Juno, is very likeable. She’s smart, sassy, witty, precocious, courageous, free-spirited and COOL – all the qualities any teen would love to possess as they desperately search for their own identities. Not only do you like Juno, but you want to be like her. Except for the fact that she seduced a boy friend of hers, had unprotected sex and is now pregnant at 16.

    She treats her pregnancy like it’s a 9-month cold she will soon recover from.
The entire situation is handled so nonchalantly, like “Juno’s pregnant. Oh,
well . . . “ After what should have been a tearful, harrowing, life-altering moment – telling her parents she was pregnant – she and her best friend casually walk upstairs to her room, probably to listen to CDs or talk about boys. Oh, well . . .

    I’m sure “Juno” will win an Oscar for something. In the coming weeks, publicity will mount and we’ll hear more about this “darling” movie. If you have a teen, use this as an opportunity to talk about teen pregnancy and all its ramifications, and that unlike the story of Juno and Jamie Lynn Spears, getting pregnant at 16 is anything but a whimsical fairy-tale.

Valentine's Day, Every Day

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 07:03:00 GMT

    I realize this blog entry comes in a little late, the day after Valentine’s Day. But the thing is, if you love someone, you don’t need Hallmark to tell you that on such-and-such day, you have to send roses to that person. Or make them a nice dinner. Or write them a poem. Or buy them flavored massage oil (not sure where that one came from). Romance is usually best when it’s spontaneous, not calendared. Don’t you agree?

    My observation of Valentine’s Day is that it is a day fraught with a lot of obligation and anxiety. Men feel obligated to do SOMETHING, buy their women SOMETHING. Take them to dinner SOMEWHERE. Yesterday in Rite Aid, I saw a handful of men pillaging the Valentine’s Day section, frantically grabbing teddy bears and boxes of chocolate and M & M’s tubes – whatever was pink and red and had a heart on it. It was comical. In fact, a recent survey conducted by TeamDating.com said that 95% of men say Valentine’s Day is their least favorite holiday and 80% of men don’t even remember what they gave their women the previous year. That same TeamDating survey said that 99% of single and married women confirm that the worst mistake a man can make is doing exactly what they did the Valentine’s Day before.

    As for the anxiety part of this day, women have a hold on that. We anxiously await the arrival of our “surprise” dozen roses at work, living proof that we are loved and have rich lives beyond our cubicle walls. We’re hopeful all morning, listening for doors to open and hurried, delivery-man-type footsteps to come our way. And we even come back from lunch, still hopeful, fully expecting those roses to be on our desks with a card declaring the sender’s forever love. By 4:00, when the roses haven’t arrived, we start that emotional spiral into disappointment, rejection, hurt and then downright anger. “Well, we’ll just see how romantic I feel tonight!”

    So, guys . . . if you blew it this year and forgot to send roses or the guy ahead of you at Rite Aid snagged the last cuddly teddy bear, here’s something to think about next year. That is, if you get another chance with her:

    The TeamDating survey asked women to rank their Top 5 favorite Valentine’s Day gifts:

1. A picnic dinner at a location new to the women
2. Breakfast in bed that morning
3. Flowers sent to their office or place of business
4. Dinner at a restaurant they’ve never been to
5. A romantic, home-cooked dinner.

    Of course, you don’t have to wait until next year to do any of these things, because we women are happy to be romanced any day, every day.<

Come And Get 'Em!

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 07:13:00 GMT

    It doesn’t get any more exciting than this: Today is National Pancake Day. I’m not really sure how that got pushed through Congress. (They must have been hungry for business that day. Get it?) But today, February 12th, is the official day to pay tribute to that golden-stacked breakfast favorite – with dripping, melted butter and maple syrup oozing down the side.

    My children and I have decided to pay our homage to pancakes by having breakfast for dinner tonight. We’ll have pancakes and all the trimmings: scrambled eggs, bacon and orange juice. Pure soul food. The ideal meal before “American Idol.”

    If you can’t let today go by without indulging in pancakes, I suggest a trip to IHOP, where they will be serving up a FREE short stack (three hotcakes) all day, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. All they ask in return is that you consider making a donation to local children’s hospitals through Children’s Miracle Network.

    You hungry? Go get ‘em!

Crashed Diet

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:12:00 GMT

    Don’t let anyone tell you differently -- advertising works. After seeing hundreds of commercials for NutriSystem over the years, the weight-loss plan with the “glycemic advantage” (whatever that means!), I decided to bite. I’d like to drop about 10 pounds before warmer weather forces me out of my sweats and into something more skin-baring, and I thought, “Why not give it a try? It worked for Sally and Judy and Denise and John and Marie Osmond and all those formerly fat people who have paraded through my living room between episodes of ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ Why wouldn’t it work for me, too?” Besides, the food looked pretty good on TV.

    So I bought a month’s supply of the stuff. I was excited about starting this diet. I’ve tried Weight Watchers and the South Beach Diet before, with minimal success. I think the most I ever lost was 7 pounds. But it was excruciating, and I felt so deprived. I had a good feeling about NutriSystem, though. This would be the magic bullet.

    My 30-day food supply arrived in a giant box and I eagerly tore into it, half-expecting the aroma of delectable dishes to come jumping out. My heart sank. All those steaming-hot plates of yummy food you see on TV start out in boxes, lots of boxes. Cup O’ Noodle-type boxes that I had to clear out an entire cupboard to store. It sounded good on the outside: Chicken and Pasta in Cacciatore Sauce, Cajun-Style Sausage With Brown Rice, Cheese Ravioli With Basil Tomato Sauce, even desserts like Peanut Butter Cookies and Blueberry Lemon Bars. Yum! But shouldn’t all this great food at least be refrigerated?

    I looked on the ingredient labels and saw high, triple-digit sodium numbers, which scared me. I eyed “dextrose” and lots of other “oses” and realized that this wasn’t real food. This was highly processed, freeze-dried CRAP! The kind of meals-ready-to-eat that they serve the military on the battle lines and astronauts in space. I quickly looked on the return label of the box, fully expecting to see “NASA” written on it.

    But, I‘m a trooper, and so many people swear by NutriSystem, I decided to give it a try, anyway. I warmed up my box of Beef Stroganoff for dinner, and an hour later, I swear, my heart was racing. It could have been stress, though. So in the morning, I thought I’d give the Scrambled Eggs With Cheddar Cheese a try. It started out as a cup of yellow powder, which should have been my first clue. And after 40 seconds in the microwave, my breakfast was nothing but a gooey, yellow clump. Are you kidding? Was I really supposed to put this in my mouth, let alone, digest it?

    I ran out to the trash to retrieve the box all that processed junk came in, packed it up and drove it to the UPS store. It was the best $30 I have ever spent sending NutriSystem back to Cape Canaveral, or wherever it came from.

    Later that day, craving REAL, three-dimensional food, with color and a scent, I went to Trader Joe’s and stocked up on the good stuff. I have decided that the best diet is to eat good food in smaller portions, drink more water, cut WAY down on sugar and get a lot more exercise. That’s my diet plan, and I’m going to try to stick to it.

    I’m dying to know . . . has anyone tried NutriSystem and actually enjoyed it?? If so, are you out of your mind???

Knock, Knock

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:08:00 GMT

It’s February, so if you hear a soft rapping at your door this month, chances are it will be a Brownie or Girl Scout, America’s favorite diet saboteurs, selling those irresistible cookies again. I never understood the timing of the Girl Scout cookie sale (a tradition in this country for more than 90 yeasr!). Why would the council decide to kick off their largest money-making operation of the year one month after so many of us have made resolutions to eat healthier? I don’t know about you, but Thin Mints are a definite deal breaker.

But I do encourage you to buy these overpriced cookies – either at your door or outside the supermarket or bank or wherever your local troop will be camping out for the next two weeks. Even if these cookies do go to your hips, they also go toward a good cause – they help develop leadership skills for nearly 24,000 girls in Orange County. (gscoc.org)

What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie? I already told you I love Thin Mints. And the Do-Si-Dos – the crunchy peanut butter ones with a filling. Good news -- they’re all back for a return engagement. Plus, you’ll be treated to a few surprises this year . . . like Cinna-Spins.

Anyway, enough daydreaming. Go answer your door.

Botox Beware!

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:17:00 GMT

Any Botox users out there? Well, before you go for your next wrinkle-smoothing injection, you may want to reconsider. According to Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, 16 people have died from complications related to Botox and Myobloc injections. Click here.

Botox, as any beauty-savvy consumer knows, is made from the botulinum toxin, which paralyzes muscles (sounds awful, I know), but the result is that fewer lines or wrinkles appear on the face. Now, isn’t that worth having botulism injected into you??

The problem has arisen, however, in about 180 cases reported to the FDA, where patients have experienced muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing or aspiration pneumonia. And most recently, we have heard reports of those 16 people who paid the ultimate price for looking years younger.

If you don’t want to take that risk anymore, you may want to consider Fraxel Laser Therapy. The FDA has approved Fraxel to treat acne scars, age spots, melasma and wrinkles around the eyes. I’ve had several treatments already to remove some pigmentation on my face and have been very pleased with the side benefit of tighter skin under my eyes. Fraxel helps rebuild collagen from the dermal layer of the skin, resulting in more “plumpness” and fewer lines on the face. Similar to the results you get from Botox. But I haven’t heard of anyone dying from Fraxel yet.

For more information on Fraxel Laser Therapy, log onto this website: www.fraxel.com

Moonscreen

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:06:00 GMT

    Something funny happened yesterday that I wanted to share with you. For years and years, I heard from one dermatologist after the next that the absolute BEST beauty secret every woman needs to know is to wear sunscreen every single day of her life. I ignored their advice up until recently. I now rub a layer of spf 70 sunscreen on my face each morning to ward off damaging ultraviolet rays. And I feel good about that.

    So yesterday morning, I thought I would share this keen advice with my teenager. I figured if I could teach her to take care of her flawless young skin now, it would still be flawless and beautiful when she was my age.

    “Wear sunscreen on your face every single day, Hon, and your skin will be so beautiful when you’re my age, you’ll look years younger than I do.” And off we both went to school and work.

    That night, before she went to bed, my daughter walked into my room and told me that she decided to listen to my advice and put sunscreen on. And it was rubbed in all over her face.

    I had to laugh because I guess I left out the part where she’s supposed to wear sunscreen during the day, NOT at night.

    The moral of the story? Be VERY specific whenever you’re speaking to teenagers.

A Course In Life

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:21:00 GMT

    I’ve been spouting off left and right in my blog and columns to re-energize your life and “try something new this year.” And I meant every word of it . . . for you guys. But for the last few years, I had yet to follow my own advice, content to stay in my rut and keep the routine I’d grown accustomed to. I am such a creature of habit.

    However, this past weekend I tried something I never thought I would, long ago dismissing the possibility that it would ever interest me. I went golfing -- played 18 holes with a friend of mine, an avid golfer, out in La Quinta. I was pushing for a massage at the spa, but she was insistent. And I’m glad she was. Because guess what? I discovered that I really LOVE golf! And that I’m pretty darn good at it, too! I sunk a
40-foot putt and hit a 120-yard approach shot! For those of you who don’t golf, let me translate: That’s AMAZING for someone who has never picked up a golf club before, so says my friend!

    I never understood why people would waste so much time on the weekend knocking a little ball around, but NOW I get it!

    Discovering golf has left me invigorated and open to more new experiences. I had no idea it could be so much fun! What else have I been missing out on?

    This weekend, I learned a few lessons: Don’t discount something until you’ve tried it. And keep your head down when you swing

Heart-To-Heart

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:03:00 GMT

    Did you know that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women? It’s one of those shocking statistics you hear that raises an eyebrow, but is quickly forgotten. (Like the fact that Americans consume 156 pounds of sugar per capita, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s 31 5-pound bags for each of us!)

    We forget about this important statistic because so many of us could never even entertain the idea that we have heart problems. How could we? We’re alive and breathing and able to multi-task everyday. Surely, a heart problem would slow us down, wouldn’t it?

    Besides, what I find hard to believe, is that if cardiovascular disease claims the lives of more women than the next 5 causes of death combined, then why don’t I know ONE WOMAN who has died of it?

    Even so, it’s a threat to take very seriously, no matter who you are, how busy you are, or what your age. Here are some quick facts from the American Heart Association to keep in mind:

•Only 13% of women view heart disease as a health threat, even though it’s women’s No. 1 killer.
•Cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills 480,000 women a year, about 1 per minute.
•One in 3 adult females and males in the United States suffers from a form of CVD.
•CVD claims more lives than the next four most common causes of death combined.
•On average, an American dies of CVD every 35 seconds.
•Coronary heart disease is the No. 1 single killer of women over age 25.
•Sixty-four percent of women who died suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms.
•One in 2.6 female deaths are from CVD, compared with one in 30 from breast cancer.

Now . . . how do you feel? I hope you’ll take this warning to heart, and at least get your heart checked out real soon. Maybe just in time for Valentine’s Day

Heaven Help Us!

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:20:00 GMT

I was raised Catholic, went to a Catholic, all-girls’ high school, and eventually fell away from it all, believing that it was more important to believe in this world and what it offered than to trust in something so other-worldly. That’s not to say I’m not a spiritual person. I am an American Indian, my grandmother was a full-blooded Iroquois, so a spiritual nature runs through my gene pool. I do believe in God and His message of love and the promise of heaven. But doggone it . . . it would be nice to see some proof, too, wouldn’t it? Especially when I’m having a bad day.

Well, my sister sent me this link tonight, and I finally got my proof. It’s a story on CNN about a 12-year-old prodigy who paints incredibly vivid paintings that she says are inspired by God. She even claims to have met God, Himself. And boy, is He handsome!

Watch it and tell me if you are a believer.

Guilt Food

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:57:00 GMT

    This just in . . . sparkpeople.com just came out with its list of the “10 Worst Foods of 2007.” I’m guilty of indulging in 3 of them. Not often. But I do enjoy an occasional frappuccino from Starbucks.

    Truth be told, I really just like the whipped cream on top. It’s eye candy and makes me feel like I’m celebrating something every time I hear the can swirling the cream around the rim and watch as a confetti of sprinkles tops it off.

    Be warned, though: It costs about $3.50 up front, but at almost 700 calories (YIKES!), you’ll really pay for it about a week later, If you know what I mean.

    If you can stomach it, click on this link to see the complete list of last year’s 10 worst foods:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=994

A Website That Will Move You!

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:00:00 GMT

We’re a week into the new year . . . so, how is your weight loss/fitness resolution shaping up? If you’re having a tough time getting it off the ground, I just heard about a very COOL website that will help move you along: TrackandFitness.com.

Created by Marian E. Washington, an Olympic basketball coach and the Head Women’s Coach for the University of Kansas, this new, fitness-oriented, social-networking site website combines a personalized exercise plan with virtual travel around the world. The concept took 20 years to develop!

"TrackandFitness.com is an interactive solution to the wellness
challenges that many of our citizens, both young and old are
facing these days," says Washington. "It's a bona-fide tool to
help energize ANYONE to reach their individual fitness goals
because TrackandFitness.com educates, inspires, motivates,
supports and connects people."

So, how does it work? After a simple registration,
subscribers log in their physical activity for the day, which can
range from running or walking to weight training and even housework. Your activity is translated into mileage and starts moving you virtually across the country. For instance, you can hike through Yosemite -- all from their personal computer.

How cool is that??

The best part is, it’s FREE! It won’t cost you a thing but your time. I logged onto it last night and it looks like a lot of fun. I plan to join later tonight after a brief walk on my treadmill. I may not have the time to exercise enough to take a virtual dream trip to Europe. But maybe I can at least exert enough physical activity to move me to the next county.

I'm Baaack!

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:55:00 GMT

Happy New Year, Everyone! I’ve been on “holiday” for a few weeks, as they say in Europe. And I promised myself I wouldn’t e-mail, blog or talk too much on the cell phone. And you know what? After the first few, rough days of technological deprivation, it was actually nice. I felt relaxed, and still do. Now I’m ready to hop back on the hamster wheel and greet 2008 enthusiastically.

I suppose we should talk about New Year’s resolutions, this being a health and beauty website, after all. Like most everyone else, I hope to drop a few pounds, join a tennis club, finally write that children’s book I’ve been marinating for a while. I also plan to travel more with my kids. They’re at the perfect traveling ages. It’s shaping up to be a good year, so far.

How about you? Have you declared resolutions for this year that are attainable?

Christmas Surprise

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 18:26:00 GMT

It’s the day you’ve waited for all year. I hope your Christmas was everything you had dreamed it would be, full of love and many wonderful surprises.

One of the biggest surprises I had was discovering a girl named Bianca Ryan. My 14-year-old happened to hear her singing on the radio yesterday. I had never heard of her before. “Who’s Bianca Ryan?” Surprise, surprise . . . she is a 12-year-old singing phenomenon who won “America’s Got Talent” last year -- at age 11! She came out of nowhere . . . her father didn’t even know she could sing! And when I saw her videos on YouTube, I was astounded at the confident, rich, mature voice coming out of a girl so young. She’s like the Josh Groban of girls.

Enjoy this Christmas miracle-of-a-singer . . . and remember, she’s ONLY 12!! Two great links for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozDh4NQveJs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV8IE_vtTq8