You don’t have to give up carbs, but eating the right carbs can make a big difference in achieving your goals. Registered dietitian Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., author of the new book Eat Your Way To Happiness, has some tips to share below in “10 Steps for a Carb Makeover.” The tips may help you work with your carb cravings to make better food choices. If you like the tips, you might want to check out Eat Your Way To Happiness. In the new book, Somer presents easy recipes to add to your daily routine to help energize you, elevate your mood and slim your waistline. Learn more about Somer’s new book at EatYourWaytoHappiness.com. And enjoy the carb makeover tips! 10 Steps for a Carb Makeover by Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.,... [Read more]

Ask.com, the leading brand for questions and answers online, recently performed their end-of-year recap. They found that people curious about pets asked these 10 most popular pet questions on Ask.com in 2009: Why do cats purr? How long do dogs stay in heat? Why do cats knead? How do you potty train a puppy? Do fish sleep? What do lizards eat? Can Guinea Pigs be trained? How long do rabbits live? Are dogs colorblind? Can dogs take aspirin? I’m going to cover a few of the answers in this post. Why do cats purr? They do it to convey contentment, but a cat that purrs nonstop may be ill or in labor. Purring also shows a friendly social mood, like the human smile! Are dogs colorblind? Not exactly. According to DogChannel.com, dogs... [Read more]

Today marks the 34th Great American Smokeout. Visit cancer.org to learn more about all the reasons you should quit, plus a guide to quitting and planning your quit day. For women who want to quit smoking, there’s more good news on a how to better make that commitment. Some women choose their appearance over health, continuing to smoke to avoid the weight gain that may come from the absence of nicotine. However, one new study says that need not be the case. A new analysis of the results of several studies reveals that women who quit smoking while also receiving treatment for weight control are more successful at quitting cigarettes. They are also better able to control their weight gain. “Women who smoke often feel caught between... [Read more]

Changes to Letters to Santa Program Since 1954, kids’ letters to Santa addressed to the North Pole were sent to the small town of North Pole, Alaska to be answered by Santa and his elves. Of course, the responses always had the “North Pole” postmark, but that tradition may be interrupted for some this year. The program isn’t being stopped because of budgets, but because a postal worker realized that one Operation Santa volunteer there was a registered sex offender! Not all programs will be affected, but generic letters addressed to Santa in the North Pole may not be answered this year. Read the full story at msnbc.com: “No more letters from North Pole? Ho ho oh no!” Drop-Dead Shipping Dates Online shopping... [Read more]

Have you seen the super-friendly cat in Texas that climbed and climbed and climbed all over a police officer who’s apparently making a traffic stop? You know I don’t post videos often, but this one is very much worth watching. I couldn’t stop laughing at this over-friendly feline. And I was very impressed with the way the officer handled the situation. If it were me though, I would have stopped to pet the attention-starved cat! However, I do think the police officer showed a great deal of patience and restraint. Please leave a comment with your reaction to this Associated Press video that I found over at Paw Print Post. Do you think the police officer handled the situation well? Can you imagine what the people in the stopped... [Read more]