Don't Miss Your Chance to Get in the Game with the TCU Baseball Team

Baseball season is here!  I'm thrilled to be co-hosting TCU's fourth annual "Frogs for the Cure" Women's Baseball Clinic featuring baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle and his players this Thursday, February 7 at the Sam Baugh Indoor Facility.

It's a night to get to the know the 2013 squad as it enters its 10th year under Coach Schlossnagle and first in Big 12 competition (TCU went 8-3 against Big 12 teams last year, btw).  Proceeds from the evening benefit the Susan G. Komen of Greater Fort Worth for the Cure to provide funds for research and breast cancer treatment.  The event is open to all women ages 21 and up.

Some of the highlights will include:

• A fashion show featuring members of the baseball team who will model the 2013 uniforms and the Showgirls modeling attire from Leddy's Ranch and CD Ski and Sport.
• A chance to take batting practice, test your velocity on your fastball and more.
• Dinner provided by Blue Mesa Grill.
• Raffle items, door prizes and other surprises.

There will also be a discussion with Coach Schlossnagle and players Stefan Crichton, Kevin Cron, Jantzen Witte and Davy Wright.  Guests attending the evening will get the chance to ask them questions, on just about anything.

Here's where you come in:
Players need a walkup song when they step up to the plate in a game and they'll need one when they step on stage to join us for our discussion.  Suggest a walkup song for the players participating in the panel.  It can be anything.  Get creative.  Submit your song suggestions by posting in the comments section, tweeting me or TCU baseball.  

Here are some songs to get you in the mood.

You can get complete details on the "Frogs for the Cure" Women's Baseball Clinic presented by State Farm here.

Suja Master Cleanse Juice: FINALLY A Way To Drink The Master Cleanse Juice And Not Gag

Have you ever tried to master the Master Cleanse, the juice fast created by Stanley Burroughs?  It's popular and helps you drop pounds fast.  Burroughs claims weight loss isn't the point.  Please.

Regardless of your Master Cleanse goal, the juice tastes horrific.  It's a blend of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, grade B maple syrup and water.  The first time you try it, you might gag.


Suja Juice is trying to make the urine-colored (really) concoction a little more palatable with their Master Cleanse juice.  I first saw it at Whole Foods and almost gagged at the price.  It is $8.99, too much for me to drop on something I might poor down the drain.   I went back later in the week and saw a $3 off coupon attached to the bottles so I took the plunge.

The Verdict?
It's not bad!   You taste a definite heat from the cayenne pepper.  There's a decent amount of afterburn but it's not too strong.  It's almost pleasant, like a quality salsa fresca.   You also taste a hint of lemon but not much maple syrup.  In fact I couldn't even sense it.  It's lightly sweetened, not syrupy at all.

Rock Your Resolution: Tips to Get Lean, Fit & in Fighting Shape in 2013

One month into 2013, are you sticking with them?  Not the extra pounds you (and me) want to lose but the resolutions to drop them?

Many people abandon their New Year's resolutions in just a couple of weeks.   Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, reports that of the 45% of Americans who make resolutions every year, 24% of them fail.  Take all that with a grain of salt but resolutions are a tough thing to maintain, no question. 

For those of us hoping for a leaner version of ourselves in a few months, here are reminders on how to rock your 2013 weight loss resolution with some easy tips:

• Three Calorie Cutting Tricks: it's as simple as putting your fork down between bites.  Check out the other two here.
• Dancing with your kids counts as exercise.  Really.  Here are some other workout options.
• Don't get fat eating salads!  Here's how to avoid that.
• Here is a great, quick workout you can do anywhere without any equipment when you're pressed for time.
• How about some healthy snack options so you can fight back when the urge to visit the vending machine attacks while you're at work.  This is my personal 2013 resolution - avoid the vend-o-matic! 

Whatever happened to this!?!?!?!?

How to Stay in Shape While Pregnant

At 34 weeks

For this Workout Wednesday, we'll revisit something I chat about with friends almost daily: staying fit and healthy while pregnant.  I posted this on another blog in 2011 right after Jordan was born.  

DISCLAIMER TIME: check with a doctor before you being an exercise program, especially if you're expecting. 

From December 2011: 
Staying in shape while I was going through my first pregnancy wasn’t easy but it was certainly worth it with the payoff being a relatively easy delivery. The lessons I learned while pregnant can certainly carry over to life without a bowling ball in your stomach.

I experienced only two solid months of morning sickness, so bad at one point I had to stop an interview with a Texas Rangers outfielder and run to the restroom thinking I was going to hurl. The final seven to eight months were relatively pain-free. I worked and exercised up until October 23rd, the day before I gave birth to Jordan.

A New Orleans Primer: Where to Stay, Eat & Drink if You're Visiting for Super Bowl XLVII or Anytime

"America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans.  Everywhere else is Cleveland.”  --Tennessee Williams.

So true.  

Jackson Square, courtesy Nola CVB

If you're heading to New Orleans for Super Bowl XVLII, congratulations.  It is a magical place.  From the architecture, to the history, the food, the people and more there is something to love at every turn.  I adore the Crescent City for big events: Mardi Gras, All-Star Games, Final Fours, BCS Games, etc.  The city knows how to handle the masses, the police officers are experts at crowd control and the proximity of all the facilities that house the events makes it perfect to get around town, even in bad traffic.

New Orleans is one of my favorite weekend getaways.  We take that 10:30 flight on Southwest airlines from Dallas and are enjoying lunch by 12:30 or 1pm.  It's an easy place to visit from Texas, it's super affordable even if you stay at the city's most luxe hotels and is wonderfully walkable.

I visited about five months after Hurricane Katrina in 2006 and have been making at least three to four visits a year ever since.  Here are some suggestions if you're making first trip or your 50th.

TV Anchor Makeup Tips To Help You Look Thinner Instantly

There's no dieting necessary and you don't need to spend time on the treadmill (although you should be getting that heartrate up for 30 minutes a day at least fives times a week) to look thinner in an instant.

In the Fabulous Friday edition of the Real Botox Diaries, Tracy Kornet and I share one of our favorite makeup tips that can make you look skinnier in a second and all you need is a little bronzer, blush and the right brush.

Koco Powell of LashesandMakeup.com helped tweak our technique.

Are Kids Career Killers?

I wish I could take credit for that headline but, alas, it was the subject line in an email I received from the women's career site The Little Pink Book.

In a word, no.  I don't believe that's the case.  Since I had Jordan, exactly 15 months ago Thursday actually, I feel like I've become a better professional.  Granted I haven't gotten a promotion or received a raise, unfortunately, that's not quite the nature of my daily work.  But I have become more focused, targeted and, in my opinion, producing at a higher level. 

Why?

Well, for one, I'm not out drinking every night like I was in my pre-Jordan life.  Post-game cocktails are part of the job for many sports reporters and anchor, sorry.  Secondly, I'm uber-focused on creating a better life for her and my family and the creative juices to help get there are fueling me.  I'm also healthier, have a more optimistic attitude and have become a better friend, all while being a bit sleep-deprived.

But a line in a recent Elle Magazine article about Kelly Ripa struck me. 

"For many women, family is often at odds with a career...."

Why is that?  I get that my experience at this parenting thing is quite new.  I haven't fought with my daughter or had to leave work early to take care of her.   Regardless, why is it that in 2013 we are STILL saying these things and asking these questions?  Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer was criticized for taking a two-week maternity leave after the birth of her son.  Ridiculous!  NO man would be questioned about his time off from work to care for a child.  I get she's the mom and it's supposed to be different.  Really?  She can do whatever she wants.  Her son will be fine.  Probably better educated and cared for than 90% of us.

The expectations for working mothers to fit into some maternal mold is frustrating.  There is an automatic assumption that many women "will stop what they're doing and focus all of their attention on their children."  I am questioned why I don't do that every day and why I am still working.

The one thing I have learned is that every parent is different and handles parenting differently.  For me, I need to be busy and work.  It makes that time with my daughter SO much more precious.  I have friends who are stay at home moms who can't wait until they can hand off their kids to a sitter.  Is that child better off, with a mother who is anxiously counting down the seconds to get rid of the kid in favor of cocktail hour?

This is good dialog that could be discussed for hours.  My friend who has three children of her own, Tracy Kornet, and I tackle this and more in our latest edition of the Real Botox Diaries. 

What do you think?