I'm still not over the thrill of my little TV appearance, so I just had to share my favorite souvenir. Here's a shot of me, Kim Coles and Bill Rancic, the hosts of In The Loop with iVillage.

I've been a Kim fan since she starred on Living Single and I've been a Bill fan since season one of The Apprentice, so it was a joy to meet them and pretty fascinating to watch them do their jobs!

My 72 year old aunt sent me this newspaper clipping. One of the women in her coffee clatsch emailed it to her. I don't know if it's for real but I think it needs no comment.

P.S. - I don't know what's more shocking: the fact that this woman is smoking and is still worried about the sound of those jackhammers on her unborn baby; or the fact that my elderly aunt's friend knows how to email....with attachments?! Who knew?!

Bread is one of my all time favorite foods and I'm not alone in this either. It is one of the oldest prepared foods, dating back to the Neolithic era. So even cave women were suffering from the bulge. As a mom, I find we're eating more bread than ever and loving it! I resent the long time demonization of bread, back during the Atkins craze my joke was:

"You can't eat bread, bread crumbs, you can't even get a yeast infection on it."

I heard about a funny campaign called http://savethetoast.com. Check it out, it's hilarious.

Yesterday, in keeping with the Halloween spirit, I did something scary.

I went on live TV -- to talk about Halloween! I've never done a TV appearance before, and I went armed with all sorts of factoids, stats and anecdotes about last-minute costumes and Halloween safety and trick-or-treat tips. In the end, I learned that I didn't have to worry so much about telling the audience everything, because the segment turned into a rollicking good time with the help of hilarious host Kim Coles and a few adorable kids.

Kim went out of her way to make me feel welcome and comfortable -- and to keep the audience roaring with laughter as we introduced princesses, pirates (and a few brave adults!) all decked out for the holiday. Take a look!

Halloween is next week and Lily is so excited about it. She's a budding Diana Ross with all her costume changes too. So far, she's wanted to be a bunny, a pirate and her latest choice is a dragon. Yesterday, she insisted on wearing the costume to see if it fits properly. PS - The try-on session lasted two hours.

I'll let you know what she finally chooses next week. Who knows? Maybe we'll do half the day in one costume and half in another.

Come see comedy by mothers for everyone this weekend at the Emelin Theatre in Mamamoroneck, NY this Saturday, 10/27/08 at 8:00pm. You don't have to be a mom to enjoy the hilarious comedy of these three ladies. Each a finalist in Nick at Nite's Search for the Funniest Mom in America, they will leave you wanting more. Join Mama's Night Out soon for your night out!

You know you're a mama when you find yourself sneaking Halloween candy from your kids. Halloween isn't even here yet and I'm already hitting the stash I have been amassing for trick or treaters. You've heard of Starburst? Well now I've got butt burst. I'm looking forward to trick or treating. I can use the exercise. Did you know that they got rid of the Cookie Monster on Sesame Street because of his cookie binging! He didn't even eat them. He only crushed them. I think Halloween leads to more obesity in children (and mothers) than a puppet.

Pumpkins with eating disorders...today on Oprah.

Halloween's a week away, and it's entirely probable that you've got costumes on the brain right now. Since the baby years are probably the only chance you'll get to exert total control over your child's choices, enjoy those cute costume options while you can. Once your kid has ideas of his own, you might have some negotiating to do.
What costume did you buy or make this year? (One out of every five moms makes a costume.) Did your child's costume choice make you cringe? Did you have to invoke a parental veto this Halloween?
If you did, you're not alone. We found that 51% of parents let their children choose their own costumes -- but the parents ultimately have the final say. Six out of 10 parents say there are costumes they wouldn't let their children wear. And only one parent in 10 would allow their daughter to dress up as Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. Let's all be grateful to the other nine...

Who Chose Your Kid's Costume this Year?

• I did. He'll look so cute in the costume I picked out!
• My kids and I compromised. That way, everyone is happy.
• My child chose. She decided on an idea months ago!
• What costume? I'll pick a few of those up this weekend.

Get Your Guide to a Ghoulish Halloween

Every time I hit the brake pedal in my car about a dozen loose snacks and an unfinished bottle of water roll under it. In fact, if I'm ever hungry I just stop short. I'm starting to feel like that rat in the Skinner Box with the food bar. I really do try to keep the inside of my car clean. I say 'inside' with finger quotes because we live in NYC. I'm definitely not responsible for the homeless guy who occasionally pees on my tires and the garbage man lifting dripping bags of whatever over my windscreen.

Guest entry from Jennie Baird, Editor-in-Chief, iVillage.

"Imagine being destitute, orphaned and abandoned in a strange country at the age of seven and spending the next eight years of your life in foster care moving from home to home. When you’re finally adopted at age 15, what do you do?

On Thursday evening, I met a young Ethopian-born woman named Abazash, and this is her story. As a young adult adopted by an American family, she traveled back to Ethiopia and reconnected with a young cousin, a 12-year-old, HIV-positive orphan. The system in Ethiopia could provide nothing for this boy, with his age and HIV status two strikes against him.

Abezash made it her goal to find her cousin a home. She wound up renting a house and creating a home for her cousin and 17 other truly needy children. They live in a family-style environment in this home, attend school and receive medical care and support. The home is fully supported by the organization Abezash founded, Artists for Charity, which raises money primarily through the sale of artwork by its members. (In addition to supporting the home, Artists for Charity also conducts HIV/AIDS awareness and education programs.)

When it comes to baby products, sometimes there's a fine line between functional and fussy, between fabulous and frivolous, between "How did I ever live without this?" and "What were they thinking?"
When this list of ridiculous products for babies circulated around the office, it elicited hoots from everybody, male and female, parents or not. Take a look -- and let's add to the list...
Some items that cross my desk just seem like more trouble than they're worth. When I saw this highchair food catcher, I didn't know what to make of it. Would I rather wipe baby's dinner droppings off of the floor or scrape them out of this bag? I'm sure it's a matter of personal preference but... well, what do you think?
And have you seen crazy products that you just, uh, can live without? Tell me about 'em. Drop it in a comment!

Ever wonder why some moms just seem more maternal than others? Well, it looks like there may be a scientific reason for it. New research indicates that women who have higher levels of the hormone oxytocin in their systems during pregnancy, bonded more intensely with their babies after birth. They gazed, touched and spoke to their newborns with a really high level of attachment.
Until this study, only animals have proven how the hormone works, but now humans have confirmed why oxytocin has been called the hormone of "love and bonding"!

My neighborhood is delightfully just wall-to-wall Halloween decorations this year....again. The kids really enjoy them too, I love Halloween. But a friend of mine sent me this photo of a very creative fall display. Enjoy.

I actually paid a visit to Bed, Bath & The Way Beyond today. I've never been there before. I generally eschew stores that are based on 'linens and things' as home stuff tends to drive me mad and I'm generally not interested. I'm really more of a let's-just-steal-one-towel-from-the-hotel-at-a-time-so-they-don't-notice girl rather than make a special trip to a special store for them. The closest I get to BB&B is when my local bargain mart sells irregular Martha Stewart sheets.

Sorry I've been a little remiss in posting lately but I have a very good reason for this. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know how much I'd like to have another child but am quite worried about being 40 and pregnant and all the risks associated with that. It has always been my dream to have one biological child and adopt another. Well, I'm happy to report that that process is well underway!!

I now have an idea of what Lily would have looked like if she were a boy instead......

You've seen all the photos I've posted of our beautiful daughter Lily. She is the perfect combination of both our families. But what if we had another girl and she wound up taking more after my husband??

When New York City's experimental cash rewards program was introduced, everyone was talking about the pros and cons of paying parents to do their jobs -- taking the kids to the dentist, attending parent/teacher conferences and more.

Well, what about paying kids to get good grades?

This week, we decided to ask people on the street how they feel about it. Watch the video, take the poll below, and leave a comment!

Just last week, parenting expert Dr. Michele Borba told us about four risky teen activities that have become frighteningly popular. And just days ago, another child died from one of them. He was engaged in an activity that even his father, an emergency medical technician, had never heard of -- the Choking Game. Make sure you're up to speed on the latest deadly trend, including the signs to look for and what you can do to stop it.

In Japan, where single motherhood is rare, a 60-year-old unmarried woman has recently become pregnant via in-vitro fertilization. She came to the U.S. for the procedure, and is now believed to be the oldest single mother in Japan to give birth from a donated egg.
Due to her age, marital status and the potential risk involved, she had trouble finding an obstetrician willing to take her case.

File this one under "If only life were like this..."

Mattel's new Fashion Fever Shopping Boutique offers every little girl the chance to shop 'til she drops by mixing and matching clothing and accessories -- and then paying for them with a "credit card." Unlike all the credit cards we've ever seen, and all the credit cards our little girls will encounter in the years to come, the limit on this oh-so-miraculous piece of plastic resets once it hits $0.

"I love shopping," exclaims the super-excited tween in the commercial. "You never run out of money!"

If only...

Did you know... that researchers at the University of Pennsylvania studied dogs who bite kids and found that children under 6 were more likely to be bitten when dogs felt their dog food or dog toys were under threat? Older children, however, were more likely to be bitten by dogs who felt their territory had been threatened in some way.

My dear, old friend called me on Friday to tell me the sad news that his mother died. My friend is 40. His mother was 94. Yes, much to my shock when I heard it as well, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy at 54! Believe me, her pregnancy was a shock to her as well. Fortunately, her death was a peaceful one. She went in her sleep. She was a lovely woman, I remember her fondly. My friend and I spent hours on the phone reminiscing about his mother and the huge age differences between him and his elder siblings. I'd like to share with you some of the funnier moments from that conversation.

This has been another summer of endless street festivals for us in the five boroughs. I do love the energy of a street festival and how excited the kids get at the prospect of sliding down a giant inflatable balloon perched precariously on the pavement but I'm not bitter. The biggest inconvenience is the traffic and the constant parking restrictions that really take the fun out of standing on line for hours for overly priced rides and greasy fried dough.

October is International Walk to School Month, and when I saw this recent footage of kids flying through the air after a schoolbus collision, I realized that the benefits of walking can go way beyond exercise. In fact, moms around the country have begun Walking School Bus programs in which parents volunteer to lead groups of children to and from school following safe, prescribed routes. It's a workout, a bonding opportunity, an interesting way to explore the community -- and it's environmentally friendly.

Are the latest "no PDA" policies getting out of hand? Or are they a necessity at a time when sexual harrassment and hormones may run wild? Some schools are now banning hugging, hand holding and all other forms of PDA. Others have banned "extreme hugging" (picture groups of girls exchanging hugs every time they meet). When I see the teen hug trend in action, I'm amazed. It's the equivalent of exchanging "high fives," it's always friendly and when I see it on the street, it's hard to paint it as objectionable social behavior. But is there a point when it just becomes too much? Or not? Leave a comment!

All around the country, moms are adjusting to newly emptied nests. Last week, Meredith Vieira spoke to her son, happily settled in on campus, and she shared her feelings about sending her "baby to college" here. Speaking of babies at college, I've been interested in the story of 15-year-old University of Pennsylvania student Brittney Exline, the youngest black female ever admitted to an Ivy League institution. She graduated from public high school in Colorado Springs last year, and a summer spent taking courses at Harvard helped her parents determine that she was ready to leave home. It's a tough choice for a family to make. I started college at 16, a few months older than Brittney, but quite certain that I wanted to stay close to home.

The dean at her school sited her motivation, discipline and maturity as deciding factors in the decision to admit Brittney. But a new study published by Psychological Science suggests that some motivated kids might be on a perilous course.

When it comes to family travel, we haven't been at a loss for words, whether we're talking about road-trip survival tips and family travel must-haves, or the controversies over toddler travel tantrums and the clothing passengers wear.

Well, here's the latest: The Transportation Security Administration just announced that they’ll start screening passengers carrying remote control toys onto airplanes, because toys can be used to initiate devices used in terrorist attacks. So, if you're already crying with frustration because you have to take off your shoes and relinquish your water bottles, wait until all the kids on line with you start wailing too.

Speaking of travel, in our never-ending quest to get from here to there in safety, comfort and style, yet another debate-worthy topic has bubbled to the surface.

Lily is now in full day Kindergarten and brings her lunch everyday. Thank god she still loves her good 'ole peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It's so wonderfully easy to prepare a homemade lunch for her. The only imagination it requires is on the snack end: cookies and a banana; or yogurt and a banana. However, the liquid portion of her lunch is proving to be somewhat problematic.....it's so hard to keep gin cold. (just kidding)

This just in: Britney Spears has lost physical custody of her kids. An L.A. judge issued an order that Kevin Federline gets Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James,1, on Wednesday -- until further notice. Her two years of motherhood have been defined by one meltdown after another, topped off with an ugly custody battle. Do you approve of the judge's order? Leave a comment!

Parenting is political. Parenting is entertainment. And whether the mom is Hillary or Britney, parents make news. And the news affects parents. Here at The Daily Mom, I'll join some witty and wise women with a lot on their minds, to bring you a daily dose of news and observation. I’ll keep an eye on issues big and small. I'll keep you posted on the stuff that comes my way as Senior Producer of the Pregnancy & Parenting channel at iVillage -- the quirky announcements, the interesting products, the newsy tidbits. I'll make sure you’re the first to know about the latest goodies on our site. And, whenever you've got something to say, jump in and say it. And if you've got a topic you think we should be talking about, feel free to drop it in a comment. Since there's not much out there that doesn't affect our kids, we'll have a lot to talk about!