Let me explain. Over the weekend, we went to a party where there were waitresses passing around hors doerves and my DH explained that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat the wait staff. If someone comes up to you with a tray of salmon wafers and you turn your nose up without even acknowledging the waitress, then you are totally rude. Now if the gal with the hot dog tray comes around and you stalk her so you can grab 5 or 6 pigs in a blanket and then proceed to double dip your franks, then you are kind of gross. Not totally gross, just kind of.

Totally gross is actually reserved for the people who go to supermarkets and purposely eat the cherries and grapes (which is an obvious shoplifting offense) without thinking about the fact that the fruit hasn't even been washed yet. Those cherries came from some farm that had been sprayed with pesticides, traveled by truck to the supermarket and then was unloaded by someone who may or may not have been wearing gloves when he placed those cherries into the bin. Plus, thousands of people have touched those cherries over and over again - so in essence, they are covered in stuff I don't even want to think about and in essence, you just popped a germ ball in your mouth. Yum.

So what do you think about food etiquette? Does it gross you out when someone picks over fruit at the supermarket only to throw it back (don't ya just love the ones who drop an apple on the floor and then puts it back on top of the pile of Fujis?) Does it bug you when someone hands a wad of napkins to a poor waitress who is trying to serve the rest of the guests mini tuna tartar wafers with wasabi sauce? Gross or rude, you decide!

I've been a lifetime member since I'm 12 years old so if anything is going to get me to lose weight and keep it off, then it's Weight Watchers or bust.

Plus, if I lose weight in the next several weeks, I can actually do it for a good cause!
On September 7, Weight Watchers will launch Lose for Good, a campaign created to empower people to get healthier while also giving back to others in need. The program addresses two global epidemics - obesity and chronic hunger and malnutrition.

For every pound lost with Weight Watchers during a six-week period, beginning September 7 and ending October 18, Weight Watchers will donate the cost of one pound of food -- up to one million dollars. The funds will go to two hunger-fighting organizations: Share Our Strength, which works to make sure no child in America grows up hungry, and Action Against Hunger, which provides immediate and long-term solutions for hunger to people around the world.

To learn more about the Lose for Good campaign, view exclusive content including a video by the visionary iO Tillett Wright and Overspray, and to get involved, visit Lose for Good. Or, to join Weight Watchers online, click here.

Ouch.

Here's the deal-io my fine, well-educated feminist friends on both sides of the Republican and Democratic fence. Most Americans don't know the nitty gritty facts about all the candidates and their stance on all the issues affecting Americans. Plain and simple, many of us vote with our emotions. We make our decisions after watching negative ads or seeing news reports about a candidate's latest indiscretion. Sadly, we vote like we're selecting an American Idol contestant. And that is the cold hearted truth. Sure there are some who research all the issues and make an informed decision after they've weighed the pros and cons, but when it comes to the current political climate, we've just turned up the heat to broil.

Women are saying we should support Sarah Palin just because she's a woman and if we say petty or jealous things, then we should be ashamed of ourselves. I truly don't believe I'm jealous of Sarah Palin or being petty for that matter. What I do know is while I respect the things she's accomplished in her political career, I don't believe in her stance on issues that affect women. Just because she's a part of my team, I still don't feel compelled to support her. Others say we should support Barack Obama because he represents change. And while he has motivated millions with his incredible oratorical skills, conservatives maintain that he has yet to singlehandedly pass a bill or law since taking office. Republicans say we should vote for John McCain because he's a war hero and will protect us from terrorists at all costs by keeping us in Iraq for 100 years. And Democrats say we should support an Obama/Biden ticket, because Joe Biden is a really decent guy who has tons of foreign policy experience and will finally get our troops out of Iraq.

I guess since I'm sharing my opinions for the world to see I'm fair game for those who think I'm a petty, heartless shrew who shouldn't be throwing my two cents into an election process I know nothing about. And if I make a joke about a candidate, watch out, I'm going to be lynched by an angry mob of humorless political die-hards.

Here's what I know about what I want from whomever is elected to office. I don't want to see anymore friends lose their jobs. I don't want to ever lose another dear friend to a terrorist attack. I want our environment to be safe for our children. I want my daughter to pursue whatever she wants in her life free of guilt that she's neglecting her own kids in the process. I want to see cures for cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease in my lifetime and I want people to stop being so damn mean on the Internet when others share their honest opinions. Maybe I'm a culprit too and for that, I apologize for being so heartless with my choice of words. Honestly, I write things to be funny and if it seems insensitive, then I'm sorry I offended you, your political candidate and the entire female gender.

Now I'm off to find out more about Ron Paul.

I'm busy watching blogs and media coverage go back and forth over whether a mom of five young children can handle the 2nd toughest job in our country and still be there for her kids when they need her and here's what my girlfriends on the 8:48 responded this morning. "If she gets the job, she'll be a bad mother but we're not voting for her as mother of the year. We're voting to elect her as vice president."

Point well taken. No, we are not voting for her as mother of the year. We are voting on whether or not she can take on Washington with military maverick man John McCain and judging from her speech last night, yes she totally can. Will the job affect her relationship with her husband and her kids? Absolutely - but it's their life, not ours to worry about. If her marriage falls apart and her kids suffer because they don't have their mom's full attention because she's on a business trip to Iraq, such is life. They will have to deal and I guess in school, their friends will have to admit that their mom totally has the coolest job than anyone else's parents in their class.

Should we judge the way a person can lead if their kids turn out to be screw ups because they didn't get their undivided attention? At least if she does get the job, her fisherman husband will be the one to focus on the kids since there's no big snow machine races in D.C.

The one thing I did like about Palin was her tenacity about helping to solve the energy crisis by offering a solution from her own home state. It would be great to not have to depend on foreign oil and Palin does offer a sound solution to the current crisis we're in. And while her oratory skills aren't as strong as Barack Obama's, it's as if Norma Rae is running for the 2nd highest post in our country and that alone is going to earn her several million votes. Not to mention that Elizabeth from "The View" will probably build a shrine in her honor. I can't say I'd ever relate to her stance on issues relating to women and families so I guess I'll reserve my decision on who I'm going to vote for after I watch John McCain give his speech tonight. And is it just me, or does the poor guy have a back problem? Hope the guy does a little yoga before his big night tonight or else he'll resemble the tin man from the Wizard of Oz. At least for McCain, he now has Dorothy by his side leading him to the Emerald City.

I have officially become my grandmother. Determined not to go up a dress size despite my numerous pig out sessions this summer and the fact, that yes, I have gained 8 pounds since my momentous Jenny Craig slim down, I purchased a dress at Ann Taylor Loft and decided that even though it fit a bit snug around my hips, I was going to buy it because it looked so damn cute on the headless mannequin.

And so, this morning, as I got the kids ready for their first day of school, I picked out my brand new dress to wear for an important morning meeting. As I fidgeted with the slip that had been sewn into the frock, I kept feeling like something didn't look right. If only I could smooth out that look, I thought to myself. And then a lightbulb went off in my head. All I need is a girdle.

Oy vey. A girdle. I am thisclose to 40 years of age and now I've gone over the deep end and have sunk to a new low. I wear girdles. Well, today I'm wearing one and to be honest, it's cutting off the circulation in my thighs and midsection and when I walk, the sewn in slip rides up to my waist and I find myself pulling at my dress so that my undercover undergarment can't be seen.

As I walked my son into his first grade class and attempted to help him find his seat, all I could keep thinking about was my uncomfortable dress and whether anyone else could see my girdle. And after I gave him a peck on the cheek and raced out of the school, pulling my dress down the entire time, I realized one important lesson about the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. Never let them see your girdle and if the dress don't fit, buy a bigger size.

I know we've already tackled weight loss plans I should be hitting in the next few weeks (Weight Watchers is topping the list), but any surefire undergarments you can recommend that don't cut off your circulation while wearing them? Inquiring minds and tushes want to know.

Today I thought I was going to get a reprieve since my babysitter was returning from vacation but something suddenly came up and I had to figure out how I was going to juggle work and keep my kids entertained in the process. Note to parents: HBO on Demand works incredibly well in these situations. They are currently watching Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, my son is noshing on his new waffle and no one is arguing. Ah, heaven.

Unfortunately, the silence will only last about another hour before the kids come in asking me what else they can do today. Make that 10 minutes - my daughter just came in to ask me what's on the agenda. Luckily, I do have one friend coming over for a play date which means my son is the odd man out so I'll have to think of something to keep him happy while the girls head off to my daughter's room to pick out her outfit for her first day of school. I'm finding that Pokemon card bribery works well in these situations.

After the outfit is selected, I'm sure the girls will hang around upstairs for at least 10 more minutes until they call out asking what else they can do. Lucky for them, my friend and I have agreed to take them to Bellizi - a restaurant nearby that features a supervised game room. That way, we can order salads and catch up on our respective summer vacations while the kids come over to our table every five minutes or so begging for more quarters.

By 3 pm, we'll take the kids to the playground or bike riding or some activity away from a computer or television screen and then afterwards, it'll be ice cream truck time. If I have time, I may squeeze in a haircut for my son's unruly mop top and a mani/pedi for me and my daughter (ah, dare to dream). And before we know it, it'll be 6 pm and their dad will walk in the door and take over so I can get back to work.

Less than 24 hours and counting before the first day of school. Yippee!

From now until September 7th at midnight, fans can check out the seven toe-tapping, head-banging finalists and vote for their top pick. Then, on September 13th at 10:30 AM, tune in to the premiere on the CW4Kids to see if your favorite tune rocks the show's opening.

Now is it just me, or does this mean that as governor of Alaska Mrs. Palin was too busy to stay on top of the fact that her teenage daughter was already getting busy while her mom was busy attempting to get her brother in law kicked off the police force?

I may be sounding incredibly judgemental considering this site is all about celebrating women who balance work and family without ever missing a beat. But something tells me that Palin might be in a bit of denial that she's going to be able to be John McCain's VP and have kids who aren't affected by the fact that she'd have to uproot their lives in order to fulfill the #2 slot in America. Is her fisherman husband going to quit his job and raise their kids full time? And D.C. is way more problematic than Alaska - it's teeming with bars and college kids - a veritable oasis for her troubled teenage daughter. Will her daughter marry the kid who got her pregnant in the first place? This and many more questions have me concluding that I'd rather see Palin as the star of a reality show than as John McCain's pick for the vice presidency. While she's earned the reputation for being a whistleblower and a barracuda on the job, her #1 role as a mom is suffering in the process.

Again, I know it seems like I'm jettisoning the female gender back to the 1950's but trust me, that's not my intention. Hillary Clinton pursued the presidency the right way. She encouraged her daughter to achieve her true potential by being there for her every step of the way and once Chelsea entered adulthood, Hillary went for the brass ring with her daughter at her side. As working moms, we are constantly struggling to decide whether our kids will be scarred for life if we work non stop. Perhaps as governor, Palin wasn't readily available for a heart to heart talk about the importance of protecting oneself from an unwanted pregnancy. According to the Republican spin masters, they knew about Palin's daughter's pregnancy and didn't hold it against her. Nor do they hold against her the fact that her husband was caught driving drunk more than 24 years ago. Well at least Sarah never cheated on anyone - how could she? She's too damn busy trying to keep everybody else in her family in line.

I wonder what Karl Rove is thinking right about now since he would instinctually use this kind of dirt to bring a Democratic candidate to their knees. I guess the Republicans thought that in Sarah Palin, they had the perfect American story of a mom who has managed to do it all while raising a family. Sure she's doing it all, but doing it well is a whole different story.

I honestly don't know why I've become so compulsive about my business. It's been one year since I've been out on my own, and frankly, I've found myself working more hours and more days than I ever have in my life. Is it healthy? No. Is it satisfying? Not really. So why do I do it? I have no clue. It's as if someone has turned on a switch in my brain and now, no matter what I do, I can't stop thinking about all the things I need to get done over the coming weeks and months.

I'm fortunate that I do have some incredibly talented people working with me, but still, when you're an entrepreneur, it becomes a bit daunting when the buck literally stops with you. And so, you'll just keep at it until you get results or burn out in the process. The crazy thing is, as much as I wanted to become an entrepreneur, the more I realize why people stay in corporate jobs - it's safe, it's comfortable, and you get to turn off the switch.

When you've got a 9-5 job you don't get emails on weekends, late at night or before the day begins and even if you do, you're not expected to return those emails until your workday has officially begun.

Before I went out on my own, I remember starting my day at 9:30 am. Sure I checked my emails beforehand, but I never would have been on the computer at 6 or 7 am and I certainly wouldn't have been sending out emails on weekends and national holidays. But now, I'm a 24/7 operation and frankly, as we prepare to start a new school and work year, I don't know if the solo business life is all that it's cracked up to be.

I guess time will tell in the months ahead if I'm still enjoying the bumpy road to success. What I do love is building my website and getting to network with incredible women at events I've produced this past year. What I don't love is having to run another business at the same time to finance my passion. Something has got to give. And perhaps maybe that's why on Labor Day, it's time to take a hard look and decide, am I happier now than I was before? Is being a business owner all that it's cracked up to be? Would I be better off back in the corporate game while pursuing my passion?

I know the grass is always greener on the other side and considering my grass is literally looking like hay these days, I'm seriously contemplating trying out some new astro turf.

Feel free to share suggestions or words of encouragement.

Plus, there even fitness activities for kids, menu suggestions for holidays and Halloween and much more. And best of all, if you comment on this post with a healthy food suggestion for kids, you can win a copy of this book! It's that simple! So comment away and you can win a copy for your family. To purchase your own copy of Eat This, Not That for Kids, then click here.