Ok, that’s it, what is with this recycling of everything from t.v. shows to music groups? Are all the stars from the 80s and 90s going broke? Are they bored? Are they tired of NOT being in the tabloids?

In some ways I feel like I’m reliving highschool. I mean face it, when you hear the theme song to shows you grew up on, it brings back a feeling of nostalgia.

The CW is the station to watch if you want to catch the “new” 90210. I typically don’t like sequels or re-releases of just about anything, particularly in Hollywood where a spinoff, sequel, or re-release doesn’t necessarily mean BETTER, it just means DIFFERENT. Here is a plate of DIFFERENT yet oh so familiar stuff for you to look at…do you like it better?

I like to keep characters like “Nat” (Joe E. Tata) from the Peach Pitt in the comfy recesses of my mind, not fast forward 15-20 years and watch him all over again. I mean how much can you build on a character that worked at a teenage hangout?

My one true excitement about the show – AnnaLynne McCord, she will play Naomi Clark, a spoiled brat, on the show. If anyone has seen her in the Nip/Tuck series, she is a very talented actress and plays, ironically, a spoiled brat on that show too. Hopefully she will have a chance to shine even though I’m not too sure of what the overall outcome of this show will be.

If you haven’t started already, you need to do this. Early detection of any problems is crucial.

Check your breasts 3 days after your period. This can be done in the shower. While your body is wet and soapy, use the pads of 3 fingers (using 3 kinds of pressure — light, medium, and deep) to check both breasts for lumps.

Move your fingers in circles, starting in a wide circle around one breast and working into the center. Areas to check:

• Outside — armpit to collar bone, and below breast
• Middle — the breast itself
• Inside — the nipple area.

Things to look for after you shower:

• Liquid coming from your nipples
• Puckering of the skin
• Redness or swelling
• Change in size or shape

Breast self-examination can also be done lying down in bed. Do the test in whatever place or position seems most comfortable and effective for you. If you feel any lumps or see any changes, call your doctor. You should also visit your doctor for regular examinations as well.

Ingredients:

2 soft flour tortillas
2 TBS cream cheese, softened
1 carrot, grated
1 sweet red pepper, chopped fine

Process:

Place tortillas in the microwave about 10 seconds to warm.
Lay each tortilla flat and spread with 1 TBSP of cream cheese.
Place the carrot and pepper on top of the cream cheese.
Roll tortilla around vegetables.

Spinach leaves also work well in these roll ups. For a little change of pace use a cream cheese that is flavored with herbs.

When you start a relationship with someone, you want it to last as long as possible. Building a healthy relationship can help you do that. In order to have a strong relationship with someone, you need to have a healthy mind and body.

How do they make a relationship healthy? A healthy mind is when you have good self-esteem and confidence about who you are and what you want out of life. A healthy mind gives you independence so that you rely on yourself to get things done and don’t become co-dependent on your partner.

An unhealthy mind is when you have little or no self-esteem and no confidence in yourself. The lines of communication become non-existent because you withdraw into your own world and just look to partner for guidance on your life, which puts a burden on your lover.

A healthy body is when you take care of yourself. You try to maintain a healthy weight and you care how you look and feel on a daily basis. You don’t smoke or drink or do anything that would cause harm to your body in the long run.

You exercise regularly to keep your heart running smoothly and eat a sensible diet, splurging once in awhile as a reward. Your attitude becomes a positive one that makes your partner want to spend time with you.

An unhealthy body is when you don’t care enough about yourself to take care of your body. You smoke or drink too much and let yourself go. You eat junk food most of the time and your waistline is expanding.

Since you don’t care about yourself, you don’t try to exercise or do things that would keep your heart beating soundly. Your attitude is poor, making your relationship crumble because your partner no longer wants to spend any time with you. You can’t blame him because if you can’t even love you, why should he?

When your mind and body are in sync with one another, you can gain a positive attitude, which keeps the line of communication going with your partner. It allows you to listen to them and helps you support them whenever they need it (and vice versa). You’re more likely to do what it takes to keep that relationship in tip-top shape so that it continues to grow.

Avoid those pitfalls and take a stand on your mental and physical health. Setbacks are sure to happen, but don’t let them ruin your state of mind or affect your health for the long run.

Don’t laugh…you can be pretty when you sleep too! My husband has sleep apnea (where you quit breathing briefly and then take a deep breath in resulting in a loud snore) and I have often complained about it to no avail. I was at the end of my rope when it came to blocking out the noise.

I tried going to bed earlier, later, covering my head with a pillow. I tried turning a sound machine on, turns out, soothing waves do not mix well with snorting and heavy breathing. Lastly, I tried the fan on low, then medium, then high. Nothing could block out this noise, I eventually threatened him with blocking his breathing in general

Until I came across Sleep Pretty in Pink Women’s Ear Plugs. Yeah, you know they are for women, cuz it says so and they are pink – not sexist at all – I guess I can’t complain, I fell for it. They claim it blocks 32 decibels of sound, is physician recommended and best of all it’s only a few dollars for 7 pair. It came with a cute carrying case too (as if you would want to travel with a snorer!)

Here’s the best part, my spouse claims that I’M the big snorer of the family – this may be true, but it certainly isn’t as loud or obnoxious as his apnea. Either way, I’m in good shape for a quiet night of sleep with my new pretty PINK ear plugs…they are actually kind of cute, but more importantly, they really do work and are very functional.

Read more about: Sleep Pretty in Pink Women’s Ear Plugs

Ingredients:

1 C fat free refried beans
2/3 C salsa
1 bag of baked potato chips

Process:

Place the beans in a mixing bowl.
Add the salsa and stir to combine.
Serve with baked chips.

Kids love dips of any kind and this one is no exception. When they hear it’s taco beans and salsa they go crazy. Use baked tortilla chips or regular baked chips. They love them both.

You feel your relationship is suffering a little and you think both of you aren’t on the same wavelength anymore. You think the relationship is worth saving, but you don’t know how to bridge the gap between you both to rebuild the intimacy you desire.

If you feel the relationship is worth saving and worth the effort to get it to grow, there are some things you can do in order to heal the wounds and move forward together as a strong couple.

1. Talk things out with each other. Always let the other person know what your feelings are, what you want out of life and things you would like to do. You have to remember that your partner can’t read your mind and will need you to tell them what you want. If they don’t know, how are they going to give you what you need in the relationship?

2. Be open and honest. Don’t waste time and effort trying to play mind games with your partner. You can’t expect them to read between the lines and know that when you say, “I’m fine,” it really means you’re fuming inside. The longer you take to get the truth to the surface, the longer it will be until you’re in a truly happy relationship.

3. Trust one another. Trust is what makes a relationship grow into a healthy one and allows intimacy to come into play. Without trust, a relationship will only continue on a destructive path and prevent true intimacy from becoming a part of your partnership.

4. Spend some “we” time together as a couple without your family and friends tagging along with you. In order for a relationship to flourish, it needs you to spend a little time with each other – basically getting to know one another – and what your likes and dislikes are.

When you feel you know your partner well enough, intimacy will come much easier when others aren’t trying to get in your way. And don’t think that just because you’ve known your partner for 15 years, then you still know what it is they like and don’t like – people change over time and so do their preferences.

5. Go on a romantic trip together. Pick a spot that you can have some fun together while getting to know your lover a little more. A trip can help eliminate stress in a relationship and allows you to be more yourself with your partner.

You can be more relaxed with him or her, which breaks down the walls and allows intimacy to come through. Also, couples who took vacations reported a happier marriage overall than those who hadn’t been on a trip together in the last six years.

6. Be flexible with each other. You’ll need a little give and take in your relationship. If you expect your partner to go to a play with you when they’re not interested in the activity, then you should be willing to do something with them that you’re not interested in. Give and take is an excellent way to build intimacy in your relationship.

Building intimacy doesn’t have to be that hard to do. As long as both partners work to bridge the gap, they can build a healthy relationship that could involve a healthy level of closeness and compatibility.

We know what we say and do goes a long way when it comes to teaching our kids wrong from right. That also includes the foods we eat and the way we approach our health too. Think about it, if we sit around eating chips and sweets all day, our kids will follow suit and those bad habits will follow them even after they leave home.

So, what do you do if your kids bulk at the idea of eating their fruits and veggies and think exercising includes pushing buttons on a video game controller?

First, get creative and incorporate fun activities into their routine that give them the exercise they need and the healthy foods their body deserves.

Secondly, do it with them. If kids see mom doing things, especially if they’re young, they will naturally want to join in.

Thirdly, check out the Moms Talk Guide to Raising Healthy and Fit Kids, where you’ll find ways to make being healthy fun and exciting along with lots of other helpful tips
including:

• Ideas for getting the whole family more active
• The benefits of exercise
• Healthy snack recipes
• Information on calories and vitamins
• How sleep plays a role in your child’s health
• What those food labels really mean

The old saying, “Actions speak louder than words” is a perfect motto for teaching our children. Set a good
example by eating healthy and staying fit and giving your child the best chance of growing into a healthy
adult.

For many people, just the thought of an exercise “program” is enough to make them cringe. If you feel pressured by job and family constraints, and are tired at the end of every day, it’s hard to work up the enthusiasm for going to the gym every night. Yet those very people are the ones who may benefit the most from developing an exercise habit.

The great thing about exercise, is that it doesn’t need to be “organized”, and no schedule is ever engraved in stone. Maybe you’d like to do it every day, but can only manage four days a week. That’s perfectly fine, and certainly more benefit than none at all. Can’t make an hour every night? That’s fine, too. Make it a half hour or fifteen minutes.

Vary the types of exercise if you like. When it rains, there are always sit-ups in front of the television, or a
stationary bike placed where you can listen to the stereo. Walking is the easiest and most relaxing exercise of all. Regular walks, whenever you can manage them, reduce stress, and increase the flow of endorphins, the “feel good” hormones.

Ingredients:

2 frozen waffles
2 TBSP ranch dressing
2 tomato slices
4 cucumber slices
Shredded carrots

Process:

Toast the waffles according to package directions.
Spread each waffle with 1 TBSP ranch dressing.
Layer the tomatoes and cucumbers onto one waffle.
Top with the shredded carrots.
Place the remaining waffle on top.

Any type of dressing will work with these fun sandwiches. Try different vegetables to find just the right taste for your children. Cut them into 2 triangles and watch them gobble them down and ask for more.