Archive for January, 2010

TMZ posted this recent photo of Miley Cyrus’ boyfriend carrying her purse, and it made me wonder if other men will carry purses for the wives or girlfriends.

I have to say that Michael would NEVER under any circumstances carry my purse. We have been together 18 years this month, and I’m saying he has NEVER carried my purse. He won’t even carry my luggage if I use any floral bags.

To get him to carry the diaper bag I had to switch to a red backpack. He wouldn’t even carry a black diaper bag if it was in the shape of a regular diaper bag.

Will your husband carry your purse? What about the diaper bag? Does he care if it has flowers on it or girly colors? Does he complain about doing it?

Continue reading Will your husband carry your purse? »

This is the type of charm suspected of having the toxic metal cadmium in it. AP

Check your daughters’ little jewelry boxes. A new investigation from The Associated Press shows that some children’s jewelry imported from China has levels of a toxic heavy metal known as cadmium. The cadmium is a known carcinogen that can hinder brain development in the very young!

“Barred from using lead in children’s jewelry because of its toxicity, some Chinese manufacturers have been substituting the more dangerous heavy metal cadmium in sparkling charm bracelets and shiny pendants being sold throughout the United States, an Associated Press investigation shows.”

“The most contaminated piece analyzed in lab testing performed for the AP contained a startling 91 percent cadmium by weight. The cadmium content of other contaminated trinkets, all purchased at national and regional chains or franchises, tested at 89 percent, 86 percent and 84 percent by weight. The testing also showed that some …

Continue reading AP: Toxic metals found in children’s jewelry from China! »

Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas and actor Josh Duhamel renewed their wedding vows this weekend to celebrate their one-year-anniversary. (Check out photos here from the first wedding.)

In that one year of marriage rumors have swirled that Josh cheated on Fergie with a stripper. Fergie has stood by her man through those charges saying she doesn’t believe them.

The couple said they were inspired to renew their vows by Seal and Heidi Klum, who according to one web site have renewed their vows every year since they were married in 2005.

But I’m wondering if Fergie was trying to remind her man: Hey! Remember what we promised each other  just one year ago!

Michael and I renewed our vows for our 10-year-anniversary. It was very low key with just our family. We did it after Mass one Sunday in our regular church clothes. It was the same priest who married us. I must have been giant pregnant with Walsh at the time. Our anniversary is about 3 weeks before his birth date. I think we felt …

Continue reading Fergie and Josh renew vows: Marriage in trouble or just romantic? »

We’ve talked before about our celebrity crushes – obviously people we’re very unlikely to meet but we still think are hot.

Today I thought it would be fun (since it is Fun Friday!) to talk about people in our everyday lives that we have little crushes on.  For example, I think Rose’s orthodontist is very cute, and I actually try to have make-up on whenever I have to take her in. He’s very friendly and obviously smart. But overall he’s just awfully cute.

I certainly don’t mind that all my kids will need their teeth fixed! (Keep sucking that thumb Lilina!)

I also had a crush on the heart surgeon that operated on my brother this summer. My sister-in-law and I joked about it all summer long. I’d call to check in when I was heading to the hospital and my sister-in-law would tease “You just missed Dr. X. He just made his rounds.” I’d curse and then she’d giggle. We were fascinated by his stubble. This guy works a lot of crazy hours. All of the nurses at the hospital were hot for him …

Continue reading I have a crush on my daughter’s orthodontist! »

Our favorite fill-in host Keith reports the snow is coming down, covering and sticking to the ground up in Alpharetta. But so far we’ve only got a few flakes floating around in the sky here in Gwinnett.

The big question among moms I’ve talked with last night and today is: Do you want the kids to have a snow day tomorrow?

Several teacher friends on Facebook are all for a snow day tomorrow, but I feel like the kids just got back from a long break. They need to get back in a routine and get some things accomplished.

And we already have to make up two days from the flood in fall. Gwinnett loses two three-day weekends (Feb. 12 and March 15) to make up those flood days.

Obviously if it’s not safe they shouldn’t go, but honestly, I’m not really rooting for a snow day tomorrow.

How do you feel: Ready for a good snow day from school and work (do you get off work?)? Too close to such a long winter break? Would you rather have some days off in the Spring?

Continue reading Are you rooting for a snow day from school? »

Is it too much pressure for kids to answer difficult academic questions on TV to possibly win hundreds of thousands of dollars for their families?

That is the question being asked about the new game show “Our little Genius,” which will premier next Wednesday night on Fox.

The game show will ask 6- to 12-year-olds to choose academic subjects, such as astronomy, and answer increasingly difficult questions. There are 10 levels worth $1,000 to $500,000. They can stick with the money they’ve earned or try to go to the next level and win more. Once they get above $10,000 they are guaranteed at least that amount.

The twist on this is that the kid doesn’t decide whether to go on but his parents must make the choice based on the confidence they have in their child. They have to basically bet if they think their kid will know the next answer.

From The New York Times:

“ ‘We thought genius kids would be a great subject,’ said Mark Burnett, the prolific reality show producer who conceived …

Continue reading Will ‘Our Little Genius’ put too much pressure on kids? »

It is commonly known that many women put on and keep on weight after having a baby, but a new study says it’s not just the kids affecting our weight. The study found that just being married increased the amount of weight women put on over a 10-year period.

The New York Times reports:

“After adjusting for other variables, the 10-year weight gain for an average 140-pound woman was 20 pounds if she had a baby and a partner, 15 if she had a partner but no baby, and only 11 pounds if she was childless with no partner. The number of women with a baby but no partner was too small to draw statistically significant conclusions.”

“ ‘Women’s bodies may adjust to the increased weight associated with having a baby,’ Dr. Dobson said. ‘There may be a metabolic adjustment that goes on when women are pregnant that is hard to reverse. This would be more consistent with our findings than any other explanation.’ ”

“The study covered more than 6,000 Australian women over a 10-year period ending in …

Continue reading Doomed to be fat just because we’re married? »

I asked fans on our AJCMomania Facebook page to send in hot topics for this month. You guys sent in a bunch of great ideas so I’m going to weave those in during this month. This topic comes from one of our regulars. Here’s what she wrote:

“I have MANY gay friends and have struggled in the past with how much to let the children digest regarding that part of my life….my friends know that I do not spiritually condone it. Biblically…it isn’t covered at all. Leviticus is thrown around a lot…but it doesn’t delve in it deeply. But I have come to this conclusion….if it is indeed a sin….and I believe to a degree it is….how does one reconcile it? It isn’t mentioned in the 10 Commandments. Is it any worse than stealing a pack of gum…sassing your parents….murder? How can a parent teach about homosexuality? My kids know that my very best friends in life are 2 gay men. But they also know that their gayness isn’t who they are…and it especially isn’t the reason why I love them so much. So….I …

Continue reading How do you talk to kids about homosexuality? »

Those Yankee kids go to school three-fourths of the year in freezing cold weather, and we need to know their parents’ secrets to keeping their kids warm in this crazy cold weather!

With bus stop temperatures expected to be in the teens and twenties this whole week, I’m worried about my kids freezing while waiting on a ride, being cold in their trailers (essentially an icebox) and not getting any outdoor playtime to run-off their energy.

I’ve doubled up their shirts and pants, mittened their little hands, shoved them into the warmest jackets they have and resisted the temptation to smear A&D ointment all over their faces to prevent windburn.

And even with all that, I’m probably going to drive them to school for the next few days so they don’t get chilled before they even get there. (Rose broke out in hives from the cold twice in the last few weeks so I just want to be careful.)

Our favorite fill-in host Keith is excited this morning to see if the middle school boys in her …

Continue reading Yankee parents: Tell us how to keep our kids warm! »

A friend gave her 13-year-old daughter a cell phone for Christmas. They wisely chose the unlimited plan for texting. In about three hours on Christmas morning, her daughter had 70 texts.

She reports that between Dec. 25 to Dec. 28, her daughter had sent and received more than 400 texts!

I asked what on Earth could they have to talk about that much? She said it’s like this:

“Guess what?” (1 text)

“What?” (2 texts)

“I’m wearing a blue shirt.” (3 texts) and they add up fast like that!

I was amazed at her statistics and wondered what the record could possibly be?

How many texts can your kid rack up and how quickly? What’s their record? What’s the most your phone bill has ever been?

Do you care how much they are texting as long as it’s not costing you extra money and they’re not doing it during dinner, church, or school?

Continue reading What’s your kid’s texting record? »