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Celebrities

George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis Split: George Ran After Hearing Talks of Marriage!

June 23, 2011

George Clooney is single – again.

What is up with commitment issues for this man? Did Elisabetta Canalis ruin it by bringing up marriage?

Just weeks after her comments about one day being married were published, she and George Clooney broke up. This is not a coincidence.

“We are not together anymore. It’s very difficult and very personal, and we hope everyone can respect our privacy,” Clooney and Canalis said in a joint statement.

The couple was together for two years.

Canalis earlier told the Italian weekly magazine, Chi, that their relationship is solid and that she wouldn’t be with someone who didn’t want to get married or have kids.

“I am a firm believer in marriage, in the future I will be married. But for the time being I am as happy as I am, I don’t need anything to confim how happy I am,” she said.

Clooney then ran!

So what is the Clooney Syndrome? A man who wants to be a bachelor forever; first talk of marriage and he runs.

Clooney once said: “I love children and I get along with them great. It’s just that I believe if you’re going to be a parent, there has to be something inside you that says, ‘I want a family.’ I don’t feel that sense of urgency.”

Meanwhile, Canalis told the Italian mag: “My maternal instinct has not kicked in yet but my mother says when it does it will be like a lightning bolt,” she said.

Canalis is 32. She obviously wants to get married and have children. Clooney is now 50 – I highly doubt he will marry.

George Clooney is so adamant about his not wanting to have children that he even made a big money bet with Nicole Kidman and Michelle Pfeiffer – and lost – twice!

Do you think George Clooney will ever be a dad? I highly doubt it now. What a shame to not procreate – the man is beautiful!

Featured

More Kids Dealing With Food Allergies, New Study

June 22, 2011

As many as one in every 12 kids in the United States may have a food allergy, according to a new study.

The latest study shows food allergies are more widespread than previously thought, and perhaps even more dangerous.

“Understanding how common it is and how severe it is, that’s important to note,” said Dr. Ruchi S. Gupta, pediatrician and researcher at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. “It’s very important that people understand that this is very real.

The survey of nearly 40,000 U.S. parents found that nearly eight percent of children under the age of 18, about six million of them, have a food allergy. Researchers also concluded that nearly 40 percent of those reactions are severe, and nearly one-third have sensitivities to more than one food, according to Gupta, lead author of a study published in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics.

“The most common food allergy — of all children with a food allergy, the most common food allergy was peanut allergy. About 25 percent of kids had a peanut allergy,” Dr. Gupta said. “About 21 percent of kids with a food allergy had a milk allergy, and then shellfish. And then other common food allergy include egg, wheat, soy, fin fish and tree nuts.”

The question we want to know is – why? Why the increase in allergies?

That question is still being studied. But Dr. Gupta mentions some of the theories:

“Our immune systems aren’t able to fight the germs they used to fight, and so they are fighting things they shouldn’t be fighting, like food and environment. Other theories are about how our Western diet is today, how the foods, the pesticides, maybe it’s changing our gut flora, so we’re more susceptible to food allergy.”

Dr. Gupta said a large study is being conducted called the National Children’s Study which will follow children from before birth until 18. By collecting genetic material and environmental material, maybe one way, we will have the answers.

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

parenting

Are Kindergarten Graduations Over The Top?

June 22, 2011

Do you/ does your school celebrate your kids’ graduation?

I’ve recently read a few posts by parents who think that celebrating graduation, whether pre-school, kindergarten or grade eight, is simply too much and gives kids self-entitlement issues and opens the door to spoiling.

Celebrating a milestone like graduation makes kids self-entitled? Celebrating an educational milestone is spoiling our kids?

Let’s think about this for a minute.

If not a school graduation, what should we be celebrating?

I can see how extravagant birthday parties and buying children everything they want would be setting up some kids up for some issues down the road. Some parents take the extreme and over-celebrate everything our children do.

But if we’re talking about praising our kids for a job well done in school, advancement in their education, an accomplishment for their learning efforts – I can’t see how that spoils our kids. Does it?

It doesn’t matter if the kids are graduating kindergarten – it’s a memorable milestone, from pre-schooler to school-age. That precious time in a child’s (and parent’s) life should be celebrated.

In my children’s school, kindergarten graduation is a small ceremony celebrating the kids and they receive little diplomas and sing a few songs. I don’t see any harm in that.

What I’m reading/hearing is that parents are feeling that we shouldn’t be praising our kid for every little thing they do, whether it’s graduating kindergarten to getting trophys in sports. But doesn’t that start in the home? Are you clapping your hands at everything your child does? Giving him stickers and rewarding him for every single task? He then may grow up to expect praise for every job – whether it’s well done or not.

But at school, graduation time is something to commemorate. Whether as a parent, you decide to reward your child with a huge party or a small dinner – that’s up to you. If you decide to reward your child with an expensive gift or a modest one, again, it’s the parents’ decision.

As for kindergarten graduations, I think they are adorable – children are realizing that they are growing up and becoming “big kids”. I think every milestone doesn’t have to be a huge celebration but something small to commemorate is okay.

What do you think?

Featured

Mommyrexia: Women Are Avoiding Weight Gain During Pregnancy

June 21, 2011

Once upon a time, pregnancy was a fabulous time in a woman’s life where she could “eat for two” and not worry about gaining weight.

Well, no more.

Pregorexia or “Mommyrexia” is on the rise.

What is pregorexia? It’s the pregnant woman’s eating disorder. Pregnant women will obsessively watch their calorie intake, binge and purge and/or exercise excessively during pregnancy in an effort to avoid putting on any extra baby weight.

You heard right.

One in 20 pregnant women may have an eating disorder (ED), sometimes referred to as “pregorexia”, and the figures may be higher still, says Professor John Morgan, head of the Yorkshire Centre for Eating Disorders and Senior Lecturer at St George’s University, London.

“Women with eating disorders do not readily disclose their disorder to their obstetrician, and have been reported to ascribe their behaviours to symptoms of pregnancy, such as hyperemesis gravidarum [excessive morning sickness],” he said.

Some women get so obsessed with keeping their weight in check while pregnant that they go overboard on dieting and exercise and put their baby’s health at some risk, experts say. Those women may be influenced by images of celebrities who look thin while pregnant and immediately after giving birth. Some women are even going so far as to schedule C-sections during their eighth month of pregnancy and are skipping breastfeeding, all in an attempt to stay thin.

According to some experts, images of ultra-slim celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Nicole Kidman, who stay ultra-slim during pregnancy with their “barely-there” bumps, are inspiring and pressuring expectant mothers to diet and exercise to excess to stay slim during pregnancy and put the drop the baby weight right after birth.

Some experts also believe that changes in shape and weight during pregnancy may make a woman who suffered an eating disorder in the past, relapse. One study even reported a worsening of symptoms in pregnancy in women with either anorexia nervosa or bulimia who were symptomatic at conception.

parenting

Should We Monitor Our Kids Lunches?

June 20, 2011

by Kathy Buckworth

The Japanese have introduced a technological “advance” with the invention of the Lunchbox Communicator, a modified “Bento Box” which includes a video camera and screen, embedded in the box’s lid. The idea here is that the child can watch Mom preparing his/her lunch, just before digging in, and Mom can in return watch Junior eating it. As riveting as video footage of lunch making can be – quite surprised there isn’t a reality show called “Extreme Lunch Boxes” – and as appealing as it is to watch a child eat lunch, it begs the question: Why? Why? Why?

Making the decision as to what you will eat out of your school lunch is a major part of learning and growing as a child. Do you go for the apple Mom packed, or try to trade it for your best friend’s cupcake? Is that homemade chocolate chip cookie really worth two fruit roll ups? It’s sort of like a food version of “Let’s Make a Deal”, and the bartering and bargaining learned here can build a foundation for negotiating skills most kids will require later on in life (particularly if they become parents themselves). And with most schools now having supervisors watching for kids throwing out healthy food, trying to sneak it into a garbage can is a risky option compared to the good old trade.

But with every move being monitored by the video camera’s watchful eye, these poor children will likely be forced to eat what their Mama gave ‘em…and where’s the fun in that?

On the other side of the lens, I’m not sure why there’s thinking that kids would want to watch their parents prepare their lunches. Kids don’t want to watch their mothers do anything; particularly something as pedestrian as providing them with a basic life necessity. Do the manufacturers really think that the kids will appreciate the effort that Mom (or Dad) has put into the preparation of this meal? If anything, they’re more likely to be turned off when they realize that there are “raw” ingredients that go into making a sandwich, salad, or cooked entrée. “There’s cheese in my macaroni? I never knew that. You know I hate cheese Mom.” No, I think this new innovation has disaster written all over it. I don’t know about you, but watching my children eat breakfast and dinner at home is enough “food bonding” time for me. Also, I’m not entirely convinced my children wouldn’t capture an inappropriate body part on the camera, just for my viewing pleasure.

I mean, what’s next? Do we want to have two way video cameras on our children for other moments during their school day? Not sure I need to see how uncoordinated they are at gym, or that the pencil they use for homework is also an effective scratching implement for places that scratching shouldn’t be done in public. Let’s leave some things in the realm of the unknown, and unwatched, shall we?

Kathy Buckworth is an award winning humour writer, and feature writer for Sympatico.ca in their parenting, travel, and auto sites Visit www.kathybuckworth.com and follow Kathy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kathybuckworth

parenting

Should You Discipline Another Parent’s Child?

June 18, 2011

Whether you’re at the playground and some other kid gets out of hand, or you’re supervising a playdate – do you intervene and discipline when the other child behaves badly?

On the Today Show, the question was posed: should you discipline another parent’s child?

It sure happens. How do you deal? How would you or do you handle it when the other child is out of hand?

One expert, Ian Kerner, said it’s okay to discipline someone else’s child. “You have to intervene on behalf of the children involved,” he says.

He believes in the three Fs method: be firm with the child; be fair to the child’s parent or caregiver; and, whatever you do, don’t freak out. If for example, the other child is aggressive, you should use a firm tone of voice to stop the situation, like saying “hey!” After that, explain to the parents what happened in a calm tone.

“I’ve learned that while I can be firm with another parent’s child, I can’t change their parenting style,” he says. “It can be frustrating, but it’s better for you to put yourself and your child in safe situations rather than toxic ones.”

Susan Swimmer says it’s not okay to discipline someone else’s child. She says when it comes to other kids under the age of 10, it’s not your job or your business to correct their behaviour.

Unless the situation is dangerous, she believes that you should defer to the parents or caregivers of the child causing problems. “You’re big and they’re small and you are a stranger,” she says. The parents of the child should be the one to explain to the child what went wrong.

Also, she says, “If you don’t like how a kid is behaving, take YOUR kid out of the situation.” Swimmer’s message to parents who aren’t disciplining their own kids: “They’re your kids, you need to MOM UP and do the job. Don’t rely on others to do what you should do.”

What do you think? Should you discipline another’s child?

lifestyle

How To Use Coupons Like Extreme Couponing

June 15, 2011

by Andrea Woroch

With the popularity of TLC’s latest “Extreme Couponing” season, it’s a good time to review some basic tricks that these coupon pros use. Read on for six ways you can save like an extreme couponer.

1. Start Small
Don’t try to go extreme all at once. Take it step by step, rather than show up at a checkout with 50 coupons and little idea what you’re doing.

2. Never Pay For Coupons
There are some things in this life you just shouldn’t pay for, and a coupon is one of them. Paying someone to clip or organize your coupons defeats the purpose of living frugally. Instead, surf Sunday newspaper ad supplements for coupon savings; ask your neighbors for their unwanted papers; or dive inside a recycled dumpster or two. Also, free online coupon sites like CouponSherpa.com give consumers access to a multitude of coupon codes and printable coupons for thousands of merchants.

3. Get Organized
A little organization can go a long way. Always create a shopping list and have your coupons and shopping strategy organized before you even enter the store. Use an expandable coupon binder to sort coupon inserts by date, categories and expiration dates. Transfer to a small couponizer only those you’ll need for a specific shopping trip.

4. Location, Location, Location
Where you shop is a key factor in making the best use of your time and coupons. Only shop at locations that allow coupon stacking and combining coupons with in-store offers. Don’t be afraid to call and ask about policies before you show up. You don’t want to wind up embarrassed at the checkout line with a handful of useless coupons.

5. Loyalty Rewards
Always take advantage of club membership rewards. These programs are usually free and have many savings perks, like rewards points, cash back programs, and double points for every certain amount you spend.

6. Don’t Be Greedy
This is often where extreme couponers cross over into the world of hoarding. Only shop for items you actually need, products you can stock up on that aren’t perishable, and those you can donate. Remember, a bargain is only a bargain if you can actually use the purchase. If your pantry has expanded into your living room and the kids are sleeping on rolls of toilet paper, you’ve probably reached hoarder status.

Consumer Savings Expert Andrea Woroch has been featured as a media expert source on NBC’s Today Show, FOX & Friends, MSNBC, ABC News NOW and many more. For more savings tips follow @AndreaWoroch.

Food

Top Foods to Buy Organic Because of Pesticides

June 15, 2011

Do you love peaches, strawberries and apples?

According to the 2011 edition of Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, these fruits have higher levels of pesticide residues.

Pesticides can be extremely toxic to human health and the environment. Both U.S. and international government agencies have linked pesticides to cancer, nervous system toxicity, hormone system disruption and IQ deficits among children.

Each year Environmental Working Group analyzes nearly 100,000 produce pesticide reports from the USDA and the FDA to determine what fruits and vegetables contain the highest (the “Dirty Dozen”) and lowest (the “Clean 15″) amounts of chemical residue.

What can you do? If you can’t shop organic produce, at least avoid the Dirty Dozen and opt for the Clean 15.

By avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables, you can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly 92 percent.

Here is a fabulous list from the EWG website.

Big Kids

How to Talk With Your Teenager

June 14, 2011

by Bruno LoGreco

If you’re having difficulty communicating with your teenagers, you’re not alone. Many parents watch helplessly as their talkative, happy children turn into sullen, uncommunicative teens who prefer the company and conversation of their friends to their parents.

While this seemingly overnight transformation can be alarming, it’s important to realize that this change in behaviour is a normal part of growing up. If you feel like you’ve been talking to a brick wall lately, here are some ways to keep the lines of communication open.

1. Listen.

Make it a habit to stop what you’re doing and really listen to what your teen has to say. If you’re distracted, chances are you’re not looking at your teen’s face or reading his/her body language. Often teens will give verbal–and even nonverbal–clues about problems while engaging in a seemingly normal conservation with a parent. If you are preoccupied and not really listening, you’ll miss the chance to pick up on any problems your teen may be experiencing. Remember, teens don’t always want or need you to fix the problem, they just need a safe place to vent and have their feelings heard.

2. Respect their feelings.

Have you ever had a family member, friend or co-worker make you feel embarrassed or humiliated because of the way you felt about something? If so, you probably haven’t confided in them since. Your teenagers are in the process of discovering who they are and how they feel about the world. They don’t want you to tell them how they should or should not be feeling. What they need is a safe place they can discuss their feelings without the fear of being judged. Let them know you’ll always be there to listen and, most importantly, that their feelings matter.

3. Ask the right questions.

Instead of asking your teen What’s wrong?, try being more specific with your questions. When uttered in frustration, What’s wrong? can have an accusatory tone and may put your son/daughter in defense mode. Try using words that convey the warmth of emotion you’re really trying to project: You look angry/hurt/upset. Is there something you want to talk about? Those words not only provoke thought and discussion, but they also help you to avoid the dreaded What’s wrong? response of Nothing! 

4. Skip the lecture.

Technology, clothing, values…the high school experience has changed since you were a teenager. Instead of dragging your teen into your past with when-I-was-your-age lectures, inspire and motivate him/her with stories about when you got into trouble and what you learned from each incident.

5. Show your teens you love them.

The teenage years are a time of adjustment for both parents and teens. As a parent, you’re trying to prepare your teens for the world and learning to let them go. Your teens, however, are learning to become more independent and discovering what it takes to create a life of their own. Make sure they know you love them unconditionally and will continue to support them as they make the inevitable mistakes on their road to adulthood.

As an author, speaker, and contributor to Style by Jury and Save Us from Our House, nationally renowned Life Coach Bruno LoGreco has helped Canadians from all walks of life discover the strength inside themselves to lead healthier, happier lives and walk with confidence on the path to success.

Food

Easy Peanut Sesame Noodles Recipe That You Can’t Stop Eating

June 14, 2011

I’m addicted to this Peanut Sesame Noodles recipe. What’s great is you can enjoy the peanut sesame noodles hot and then cold as a salad the next day… if there’s any leftover! The peanut dressing is so savoury, you will have a tough time stop eating this dish!

For this peanut sesame noodles recipe, you can substitute the organic peanut butter for regular if you don’t have on hand. You can also use gluten-free pasta instead of regular linguine. For a soy free option, use Coconut Aminos instead of soy sauce.

Check out this delicious Lobster Lo Mein recipe too!

Easy Peanut Sesame Noodles Recipe That You Can’t Stop Eating

Peanut Sesame Noodles

Peanut Dressing:

1/2 cup smooth organic peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce or Coconut Aminos (soy-free option)
1/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes or Sambal
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Peanut Sesame Noodles:

1 lb. dried linguine or spaghetti (you can use other noodles but not rice noodles as they get a little too soft the next day)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 yellow and/or orange pepper, cut into thin strips
1-2 carrots, cut into thin slices/strips
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
chopped cilantro to garnish

Method

First, mix the Peanut Dressing ingredients in a bowl or mixing cup and set aside.
In the meantime, finely chop the vegetables.
Toast the sesame seeds – make sure to watch closely to ensure they don’t burn (don’t ask how many times I’ve done this!)
In a large pot, boil water with a pinch of salt to make the pasta. You will want to break the linguine into half or thirds.
Cook the pasta until ready and drain. Put pasta back into the pot and add half of the peanut sauce, and half of the vegetables and stir well.
Add the remaining peanut sauce and vegetables.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and extra cilantro to garnish.
Enjoy warm and cold leftovers!