Holiday health myths

During the holidays when we're busy and stressing about so much, I have found a list of things we don't have to worry about: Five surprising holiday health myths.
Number one is sugar makes kids hyperactive. Studies found there is no link and sweets cannot change behavior.
Number two is suicides increase over the holidays.
Also proven false. Poinsettias are toxic. They may not be good for you and may make you sick, but no significant poisoning has been found in 96 percent of the cases reported.
Eating at night makes you fat also proven to be untrue. It may be linked to obesity, but it's the overall calories that you ingest that causes obesity, not the time of day. Read about the rest of the myths here.

Pet love and understanding

You love your dog and cat and can understand every meow or woof! That's pretty much the finding of a new survey. Some 67 percent of those polled believe they can identify the wants and needs of their pets by how they bark or meow. If only we could understand our teens that well! More details about the survey here.

Something to make you smile

Who can resist little kittens, posing so cute for the camera? Not me. Here's a website that features a different kitty everyday. It's like a kitten calendar on your computer.

Love the Internet?

You're not alone, if you're always going online. Survey finds many of us use the internet for comparison shopping, as well as information gathering, and entertainment. Now a survey has found many of us would not only take the internet over tv, but also over sex. You can read more about it here.

Barney Christmas

Barney, the first family's Scottish terrier, has a new holiday doggie video. This year's plot has Barney napping and imagining he's an athlete. The video co-stars Michael Phelps. Check out the video here.

Obama's top wise man

Barack Obama is so popular, his figurine is now tops for nativity scenes. In Naples, Italy, craftsman say Obama's figurine is the biggest seller. Apparently tradition there is to not only put Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus in the scene, but also top newsmakers and celebrities for the year. Look here.

Santa is scary!

Santa can be scary to a toddler. and Now there's a book dedicated to all the toddlers who screamed and cried to get off Santa's lap, but not before someone took a picture. A book of 250 photos. You can check it out here.
It has become so popular, that there is a website featuring photos of freaked out toddlers.

Weekend fun

For twinkling fun, drive through Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek to enjoy the "Holiday Fantasy of Light." It's three miles of animated holday displays and illuminated trees.


You can take your pets to see Santa and the proceeds go to a good cause. The City of Hollywood's Christmas for the Animals, Saturday, December 13th, from 10am to 3 pm, at Poinciana Park. Please bring dog and cat food, treats and toys, supplies and bedding. (954-921-3061)


For the dolphin lover in your family, why not get a holiday photo with "Santini," the dolphin at the Dolphin Research Center. Sessions are available twice dily at teh Center on Overseas Highway in Key Largo. (305-289-1121x203)

Your kids can journey from Holywood to Deerfield Beach by Tri-Rail for breakfast with Santa and a photo in Deerfield. The funs starts at 7 am Saturday at David Park Community Center in Hollywood. (954-967-4236)

Holly Jolly Fun

If you're not holiday shopping all weekend, why not take the kids for some holiday fun. The Roxy Theatre Group is presenting "Holly Jolly Follies," a holiday spectacular featuring 550 kids singing, dancing and acting. There are shows Saturday and Sunday. The Theatre is located in South Miami Dade-not too far from the North Pole.

GPS Jesus?

Every year, churches report the theft of Baby Jesus figurines out of nativity scenes. Police chalk up most to pranks, but it can get costly. Now churches are relying on something new in those nativity scenes... global positioning devices. Now they have GPS Jesus. Details here.

A really BIG gift

Stumped on a holiday gift. Tired of the malls. Give a manatee. You can give an adoption package as a gift and you get the tax deduction. Nice, huh. Also the recipient gets an adoption certificate, a manatee photo and a biography, for just 25 dollars. The money goes to conservation and education programs. Details here.

A reason to smile

Smile! It's contagious. When you're smiling, the whole world really does smile with you. A study has found that happiness is contagious and that you can spread your cheer easily and to strangers. Study also found happiness can last a year. Now a happy cupcake makes me smile on the inside! More on happiness here.

Small Holiday idea

Think small this year. Forget overpriced gifts that will wipe out your bank account. Go small and help a cause. Adopt a Koala Bear. You get a certificate and information on how the little cute one was rescued for as little as 26 dollars. Details here.

Forget the hourglass figure

If you've been exercising and dieting like crazy to try to get the much sought after hourglass figure, good news, you can stop now. Researchers have found that even though pop culture worships the hourglass figure, it's not natural and the best for women. In fact, the hormones that make women physically stronger, more competitive and better able to deal with stress also tend to redistribute fat from the hips to the waist. So what if we look like cylinders! Read more about it here.

Hello to Yellow

With the economy putting everyone in a doom and gloom mood, color experts say we can say hello to yellow in 2009. Yellow to brighten up our grey moods will be found on everything from appliances to fashions. After all, it is the color of the sun! I happen to have yellow in my dining room, so I'm very cheery when I'm eating. Details here.
What color cheers you up?

College affordability?

College affordability sounds like an oxymoron. Who can afford college these days? New study flunks all but one state when it comes to affordability. The biennial study by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education handed out F's for affordability to 49 states, up from 43 two years ago. Only California gets a passing grade. Read more about it here.

Lots of TV harms kids

If your kids watch a lot of tv, surf the web and play video games all the time, you figure they're probably going to gain weight from lack of exercise. But new research shows that's not all that will happen. The more kids play video games and watch tv, the more likelihood they'll smoke and engage in sexual activity sooner. You can read more about it here and then reconsider that new video game for Christmas.

Toys to avoid

If you're about to go toy shopping for your little ones, please remember safety. There is a top ten list of the toys you might want to avoid because they pose some safety concerns. The number one issue is the choking hazard. Many toys have removeable parts that can be swallowed. The thing to remember is if the toy or part can fit inside a toilet paper roll, it probably could be swallowed. Here's the list.

Students ethically challenged

New study out finds students think they're good, when they're really not. Some 64 percent admit to cheating on a test, 30 percent admit to stealing from a store, but 98 percent think their ethics and characters are good. Sounds like we need more ethics lessons. Read more about it here.

Phones distract drivers most

New study finds cell phones distract drivers more than chatty passengers. It also found that we drive no better whether we're using hands-free phones or not. And that passengers will stop chatting to help us drive better. In the end, phones are bad, people are good. Details here.