Life style
Was Jenna wise to skip the White House wedding?
My husband gets a kick out of the fact that I still refer to our wedding as "my" wedding. I don't do it on purpose. Seriously. It's a subconscious tick of mine that I justify by reminding him that he was never interested in the planning and details anyway. Besides, weddings have forever been the province and dream of the bride. Her dream, her day, has always been my undiplomatic take on it. So, I felt more than a little hypocritical when I scoffed at the news that Jenna Bush opted to forgo a White House wedding affair for her parent's Crawford, Texas ranch. 'Who let her make THAT decision?', I cattily thought.
Last month I attended the Papal Welcoming Ceremony on the South Lawn. The place just screams "Wedding" or "Wedding Reception", or at least "Wedding Pictures". Yes, there is the White House social secretary to contend with, but I've seen this classy woman with her indispensable pearls and clipboard interviewed on television and frankly, Jenna would be hard pressed to find a more knowledgeable and efficient wedding planner in all of her beloved Lone Star state. Besides, everyone knows that the Bushes are famously down-home people who have, with only a few notable exceptions (Queen Elizabeth, Pope Benedict) adapted White House protocol to suit their Texas-casual style. I'm certain Jenna would have been able to do the same with her wedding day.
And what's with her "I'm not glamorous enough" explanation? The Bush girls have always been infinitely more glamorous (and fun) than the painfully gawky and reclusive Chelsea Clinton.
So it was with my own dashed White House wedding dreams for Jenna that I called my mom to dish and complain about the way-too-private-for-a-first-daughter wedding at the humble (by comparison)Texas ranch.
My mother surprised me with her thoroughly modern response: "Good for her!"
What? I was in shock. This is the same woman who scrimped and saved to take us both on a cruise aboard the QE 2 my senior year.
"Look," she continued, "I think it is very classy of her. The White House is the "people's" house and too many presidents and candidates (I knew she was referring to the Clintons here), act as if it is theirs. This sense of entitlement is plain tacky. She's setting a good example. As for the secrecy, why should they invite the press? The press has never been kind to them."
And with those sage words, my mother changed my mind.
Congratulations to Jenna and Henry on her, I mean, their wedding.
Miley offered Playboy spread
Hannah Montana star and, I guess, new Hollywood bad girl Miley Cyrus has been offered a spread in adult magazine Playboy. She'll have to be eighteen before she can pose nude for the magazine.
After seeing her controversial photo spread in Vanity Fair magazine last month, Playboy head honcho (and all around creepy old guy) Hugh Heffner says he would "welcome" Miley to the pages of the magazine once she is of legal age. Heff also called on America to stop being so "schizophrenic" about sexuality.
Miley Cyrus has since been forced to issue an apology for the photos in the Vanity Fair spread, taken by famed photographer Annie Lebovitz. No word from Miley's flack about her consideration of the Playboy offer.
Photo from Vanity Fair spread offered by gregwilker.
Michelle Duggar pregnant AGAIN!
Apparently the Duggar clan hasn't quite filled that quiver! Michelle Duggar, matriarch of the popular Discovery Channel program "The Duggars" and mother to seventeen children managed to surprise the entire lot live on the Today Show when she announced that once again she is expecting.
Mother's Day gifts by zodiac sign
Don't have your mother's day gift quite yet? Naughty, naughty child! Well, if you're like me and forever trying to pick out the perfect gift yet always feel like you're coming up short, why not try a different approach?
MSN's astrology website offers gift suggestions for mom based on her astrological--or zodiac--sign. If you can remember your mother's birthday, you're in luck. Suggestions run from the usual, such as brunch for the Taurus mom or hanging out with the family for the Cancer mom, to the very, er, unusual--such as skydiving for an Aries mom!
I don't know enough about the different personality traits to say whether or not the suggestions are accurate. It did seem to me, though, that the traits discussed for each sign were the kinds of things we'd like to see in any mom, regardless of her birthday. So, for ideas when you're stumped, for perhaps something different or something traditional you hadn't considered, or just to have fun, why not see what works for a mom based on her astrological sign? Still stuck? Well, maybe you should consult your magic eight ball. That always works for me!
Mariah to mommy?
First she married, now she wants to mommy? Mariah Carey, the woman who recently claimed the act of motherhood would violate her but who has now found the soulmate she's always been searching for wants babies.
According to reports, Mimi is planning for children in the months ahead with new husband Nick Cannon. According to the Daily News, the 39-year-old Grammy winner is moving forward with plans to bring some mini-Mimis into the world, wasting no time in listening to her biological clock.
Carey reveals that her marriage, which she claims was planned and not out of the blue, was all part of her mommy plan. Says Carey, "It's part of the whole purpose of getting married." She also goes on to say she wants her kids to have the best childhood and upbringing possible. I'm elated by all this just imagining hearing that voice in the halls of the maternity ward during Mimi's final stages of pushing! Or, better yet, will she be wearing stilettos???
Good luck, Mariah!
Nicole Richie misses the simple life
New motherhood -- fulfilling as it is -- can be a difficult adjustment. I can only imagine that adjusting to life with a demanding young baby has to be especially hard for a young celebrity mom who's used to spending her days shopping and her nights partying. That's why it didn't surprise me when I read that an "insider" recently told the press that Nicole Richie is torn between enjoying life as a new mom and missing her old party girl ways. She calls life with baby Harlow "beyond amazing," yet misses her former, carefree lifestyle. Yep, that about sums it up.
I remember sitting in a rocker on my third night as a new mom. Suffering from the baby blues and sleep deprivation, as well as a little uncertainty about why my baby wouldn't stop crying, I began to wonder if life would ever be the same again. What I didn't realize then -- tears falling, hormones raging, brain exhausted -- was that I was right; life would never be the same again, it would be better.
Nicole may already realize that, despite what this "insider" says. But if not, I'm sure that she soon will. What about you -- did you mourn your former life when your child came along?
Online programs let parents view kids' grades
In a recent NY Times article we were introduced to online programs that allow parents to track their children's grades. Many parents are choosing products like ParentConnect, Edline and PowerSchool to assist them in conversing with their children about their grades.
As the Times article points out, it cuts out the middle portion of the conversation. The parents know what the grade is, good or bad. There can be no hiding of the grades or pretending they're something other than what they are. ParentConnect allows the parent access to the grade, and lets the child know that information is out there, and that discussion is sure to follow (especially if the grade is less than desirable).
Such programs are currently being utilized by 10,000 schools in all but one of the states. Studies have shown that parental involvement can have an effect on grades, and with test scores being more important than ever these days, many are turning to such sites to assist them in their quest for kids with good grades, even though several of these sites have been around for ten years.
Celeb cellulite pics good for women
You've seen the tabloid covers. Bikini-clad celebrities on luxurious vacations treated to the ultimate in tabloid humiliations: the close-up, sharpie circled cellulite photo. AAAGHHH!!!!!The latest victim is the sultry 22 year-old Mischa Barton on vacation with her mom in Australia. While donning panties on her hotel balcony, photographers captured her dimpled bottom and thighs, prompting a cruel Daily Telegraph headline about losing the cellulite battle.
She's hardly alone. Jennifer Love Hewitt, recently on vacation with her fiance, was also photographed from an unflattering angle, sparking lots of online chatter about what is beautiful, normal, and fair in the age of the paparazzi. Jennifer's feisty response to the expose endeared her to women and may explain why she remains a Jockey Underwear model and spokesperson despite the flap.
A few months ago, I was complaining to my sister about my ever-expanding pregnant belly. "My belly feels heavier", I lamented. "The doctor says the baby is the same size as all the other ones, I must have no ab muscles left. This is going to be the pregnancy that does my belly in for good". A short while later,she sent me what I thought was a very thoughtful and sisterly e-mail: A picture of super-model Cindy Crawford in a bikini coming out of the ocean with a surprisingly loose post-baby belly. I'd be lying if I told you that it didn't lift my spirits just a little.
The comments that followed the Mischa story admonished the British tabloid to "Just leave her alone!!". Hear, hear.
But while the intentions of the tabloids are clear (they're cruel bastards), women enjoy the photos for reasons that are hardly malicious. Celebrity "fat and cellulite" revelations, while embarrassing for the stars, generates body acceptance and even a sense of gender solidarity among the greater female population. A cursory look at the internet comments overwhelmingly reveals women rallying around the stars. Countless women will look at themselves a little less harshly in the mirror after viewing celebrity cellulite.
Cindy's belly undeniably provided some comfort to this pregnant mom. Is that so bad?
Miley Cyrus almost a billionaire!
I knew Miley Cyrus' career was going pretty well, but this is unbelievable. At the tender age of fifteen, Cyrus has found huge success as a singer, actress and amateur model. Everybody knows her name and the cash is rolling in at a steady pace. In fact, according to People, the girl will soon be a billionaire!She's already the richest kid in the world and her future looks even greener. She made a whopping £9 million last year, which according to my currency converter is over $17 million in US dollars. By the end of 2009, the Miley Cyrus machine is expected to have generated £500 million. Convert that and you get awfully close to one billion dollars!
Despite her father's hands-off approach to parenting and the resulting mini-scandals, I would say the kid is doing pretty well for herself. If her enormous success blows your mind just a little bit, you are not alone. Even her bosses at Disney sound happily surprised. "Kids are earning more and more and can command huge fees in Hollywood. But no one could have predicted how popular Miley would be. She's a true star," says a Disney spokesperson.
Miley's mom says a lot of her money goes into an investment fund, which she can't touch until she turns eighteen. Clearly money will never be an issue for Cyrus, but where does she go from here? When you reach the top at such a young age, what in the world do you have to look forward to? Spending all that money, I guess.
Tom Cruise changes his mind about post partum depression
Seems Tom Cruise has reversed his opinion about post partum depression. He's also gone public with his change of mind and heart. In a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, for whom you'll recall he jumped all over a couch as he professed his love for now-wife Katie Holmes, Cruise admits what he said about Brooke Shields in his other most-famous moment back in 2006. His harsh comments about Brooke Shields turning to medication--specifically anti-depressants--to treat her post partum depression came under fire from all sides.
Now Cruise confirms that what he said came out the wrong way, that he was raised by four women with babies and that he doesn't want to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't be doing or believing in. He insists what he said about Shields "came out wrong, it's just not true." Cruise has since apologized to Shields several times.
The damage, however, seems to have been done. Cruise was attacked by the media, mothers and feminists everywhere. His career seems to have taken a back seat to his rantings. In the interview Cruise comments that he regrets saying a lot of what he did and talking about Shields at all. Say what you will about Tom Cruise, and perhaps he's just trying to save face, but it does take some guts to come out and say you're wrong about something, especially when you admit it to the whole world.
By the way, remember the Tom Cruise from the pic? The young cutie? Hrd to believe how far he--and we--have come after all these years!
There goes my neighborhood
Actually, it's my former neighborhood. Apparently--and please pardon me, as there may be just a teensy little bit of bile forming in the back of my throat (and it's NOT morning sickness)--the creator of Melrose Place are considering another such type show set in, gag, Park Slope. For those of you unfamiliar with the Slope, it's in Brooklyn, New York. The people who live there think it's the bomb--the epitome of making it in, well, at least Brooklyn if not New York.
People move from Manhattan to Brooklyn, specifically, to have their babies and clog the sidewalks with their OBNOXIOUS (note, I didn't use the word annoying--it's not annoying; it is, in fact, OBNOXIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!) double-wide strollers and brag to each other and anyone else endlessly about how wonderful they are from all their righteousness and do-gooding. None of which is mixed with an ounce of altruism.
And I used to be one of them. Well, sort of. I fled to Windsor Terrace (sort of like the older cousin of the Slope whose been around the block and knows better) long before I thought about babies--my own, anyway. See, you can't live in the Slope without at least one kid. They'll scorn you otherwise. Seriously. And regardless of cost, they must have the best of everything--you will be snubbed for a simple Maclaren umbrella style stroller like the one I have when you could have shelled out $800 for whatever Euro design is hot this week. I'm basically considered a bad parent by these people because I don't have one. But mine folds up. Easily. With one hand.
Oregon school wants students to shave off their eyebrows
At least four students at an Oregon high school have fallen victim to a rather unfortunate fashion trend: vertical lines shaved into the eyebrows. This look was popularized by hip-hopper Soulja Boy, but police say gang members have adopted it for themselves. Because of this gang connection, school officials at Centennial High School have prohibited these students with self-inflicted bare spots in their eyebrows from attending classes. "We don't dictate policy for any schools," Officer David Schmidt of the East Multnomah County Gang Enforcement Team said. "We just tell them what we see the latest trends are. This is a way for them to identify each other. In a school setting, it intimidates other kids."
Until somebody invents an eyebrow toupee, the only way to get rid of the so-called gang symbols is to shave the eyebrows entirely. And that is exactly what school officials want these students to do. One student found a way around that by putting band aids on the eyebrows. That student has returned to school, but the other three are still sitting out, presumably waiting for their hair to grow.
One of the students, Andy Gonzalez, claims he's not a gang member and only shaved his brows to impress girls. I wonder how impressed the girls will be when he shows up with NO eyebrows.
Celebrity Hand Me Down Auction
Hand-me-downs are a beautiful thing. The bane of a younger sibling's existence can be a financial lifesaver for economy-minded parents. While the practice of passing an older child's things down to a younger child might be motivated by fiscal responsibility and a desire to reuse what is still usable, here's another reason to love hand-me-downs: you can get great stuff with a celebrity connection and support a good cause at the same time.That's the idea behind Johnson's Celebrity Hand Me Down Auction. Famous parents like Matt Damon and Elisabeth Hasslebeck are passing on their child's outgrown things to the highest bidder in support of charities such as the March of Dimes, Save the Children, Zero to Three and Baby Buggy.
The auction runs from April 29 to May 9 on eBay and will feature items such as Matt Damon's diaper bag, an Adidas track suit worn by Mariska Hargitay's son, Julianne Moore's high chair, Elisabeth Hasslebeck's car seat and more. Sign up now to receive email notification when the auction begins.
Trend alert: dressing like celebrities' kids?
Do you ever get the feeling that those who predict trends aren't actually seeing into the future as much as they are attempting to shape it? That is how I feel about this press release that excitedly exclaims that moms everywhere are rushing to dress their children like celebrities' kids. They aren't talking about the fashion influence of kids who are famous in their own right. No, they are referring to copying the children of famous people Mosnar Communications insists that "parents view dressing their kids like celebrity kids as one of the hottest spring fashion trends of the season." In support of this, the press release quotes Cataunya Ransom, co-founder of the very same PR firm: "I am honored to have a very beautiful daughter and I love dressing her up in celebrity brands for kids."
For Ransom, the celebrity kids she copies are those of Kimora Lee Simmons, who apparently has a reality show in which her two daughters feature prominently. According to Ransom, her two-year-old daughter Charm is "drawn to the brand Baby Phat" which Simmons' daughters wear on the show. It just so happens that Baby Phat is Simmons' own line of children's clothing, but that is coincidental I am sure.
Buying expensive, brand-name clothing for your children is one thing. If you can afford it and it makes you happy, why not? But does this kind of trend hype really work? Do you now want to go out and buy your kid some pricey, celebrity parent-approved clothing?
Motherhood would feel "violating" to diva Mariah
Mariah Carey is known for diva behavior such as requiring a red carpet lined with white candles to welcome her when she arrives at a destination and having a chauffeur for her dog, so it's probably in the best interests of everyone involved that she has decided not to have children but her reason why is a little unusual. The singer told OK! magazine she was childless by choice because, "I never wanted to feel violated and I know that's a kind of weird thing to say, but that's how I am."
She goes on to explain, "It's hard to have kids in this world. I don't think I could properly educate a child right now. Maybe in the future, but I actually haven't thought about it. For now, I enjoy my dog Jack's company. It's definitely because of childhood traumatic stuff. The whole not wanting to have a baby as a baby.
I don't understand what Mariah means when she equates motherhood with being violated. I didn't relish my girlie parts being on display during the birthing process and definitely wasn't one of those women enjoyed feeling the baby moving around inside. It felt like I swallowed a live trout and I sort of hated the sensation and just wanted the kid to stay still, concentrate on developing properly, and get the heck out of there in a timely manner. But I never felt violated.
There's nothing wrong with not wanting to be a mother, but when those feeling are due to a childhood trauma that's almost like double jeopardy. I hope Mariah getting some treatment to help work her way through whatever happened to her when she was younger.
