Fun Festivals

There's the Storybook Festival at the SW Regional Library in Pembroke Pines. Saturday, from 10-4. A parade of princesses, pirates and storybook characters is at 11 am. Your kids could be included. (954-538-9996)

There's the K-9 Winter Festival at CB Smith Park, Pembroke Pines, Saturday from 9-4. (954-437-2650)

Fairy Tea Party for your little ones at the Coconut Creek Center Saturday at 1 pm. (954-545-6670)

Toy buying? Remember safety!

If you have kids, you know it's never too early to start thinking about the Holidays. My kids already have their wish lists for Santa. Before you hit the stores to go searching for their must-have toys, please don't forget safety. Last year, 18 children under the age of 15 died in toy related accidents, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Here's a some safety tips from the Commission.

Don't panic: Paranoia is up

If you think they're out to get you, you're not alone. Study finds many of us have irrational fears that other people are trying to upset or annoy us. Some studies show at least 40 percent of us have had a least some paranoid thoughts. Not to worry, you don't need professional help unless your odd thoughts provoke real behavior. And some experts believe a little bit of paranoia could be helpful. It's beneficial to be on guard. Details here.

Want smarter kids?

Get them into music. Study finds kids who study a musical instrument for at least three years outperform kids with no instrumental training on non musical tests of vocabulary and non verbal reasoning. So I guess those piano lessons really do paid off. Details here.

Oprah stuff

If you love Oprah, you'll love that you now can get some of the wares offered at the Oprah Store in Chicago online. She is even offering some of her own shoes and dresses. So you walk in her shoes, in a very small way. Check out her store here.

Weekend ideas

You can celebrate Bike Miami on Sunday, from 10 am to 3 pm. Bike Miami is sponsored by the City of Miami, and is a day for bicyclists, pedestrians and skaters to explore downtown Miami in a fun, safe and free way. It includes a free yoga class and bike safety workshops. A special rally with Mayor Manny Diaz is at 1 am on the corner of Biscayne Blvd. and Flagler Street.

You can "Rock for the Wetlands." It's a concert at "The Inner Circle" on the southwest corner of Royal Palm and University Drive, Sunday from 2 pm to 7 pm. The concert is to save the wetlands along Atlantic Blvd. and Lyons Rd. in Coral Springs. A five dollar donation would be appreciated. There will be raffles and prizes.

Got a dirty car? Head to the Girl Scout Troop 1577 Car Wash Saturday at the Burger King, 14095 SW 88 Street, Miami, from 9 am til 1 pm and Sunday at the Checkers Drive-In at 2701 SW 42 Street from 9 am til 1 pm. Funds go to the scouts camping trip.

Love Barbie? Saturday between noon and 3, Barbie fans are invited to donate their old Barbie dolls at participating Walmart Stores. For every doll collected, Mattel will give a new one to a local children's hospital. As an added bonus, Barbie herself wil be at select stores. Details here.

Toy Hall of Fame inductee is...

A stick! The National Toy Hall of Fame inducted the universal plaything powered by a child's imagination: a stick. The stick joins the bicycle, kite and crayons. To get in, a toy must be widely recognized and foster learning, creativity and discovery through play. Next year could be a rock! Details here.

Metrozoo's Big Cats

Two of the most fearsome and dangerous cats in the world are now at Metrozoo. The jaguars arrived from Houston and Massachusettes and will have their own exhibit debut December 6th. They will have 27 acres to roam, with plenty of space between visitors and them. Details here.

White House Pets

You've heard by now that the Obama family will be moving into the White House with a new puppy. They join a long list of families who've had pets at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Bush family shared their eight years at the White House with a cat, a springer spaniel and two Scottish terriers. The Clinton's had a cat and a chocolate lab. Going way back, Thomas Jefferson had two grizzly bears and John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator. That's a way to keep away your detractors!

Women have more germs

It's true. Research has found women have more germs on their hands than men do. Researchers were also surprised to find that there were more types of bacteria on the hands than they expected. Why do we have more germs? Researchers didn't have a reason. But I do.. As women, don't we wipe our kids noses more, clean more, cook more and get our hands dirty more, except for taking out the trash! Details here.

Alarming teen pregnancy link

Turn off the TV! Research has linked teenagers watching sexy tv shows with teen pregnancies. Study found those teens who watched the raciest tv shows with a lot of sexual dialogue and behavior were twice as likely to get pregnant than those watching tamer shows. Details here.

Bid on your favorite candidate

Instead of voting for your favorite candidate, you can bid on their doll on eBay. It's a doll of an idea. There are cabbage patch dolls resembling John McCain, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. You bid. We all win. Proceeds go to Toys for Tots. Details here.

Be scary and safe

If you're taking the kids out to trick or treat tomorrow for Halloween, please be safe. Remember the basics. Take a flashlight with you, don't let them run out into the street or across lawns, stick to the sidewalk. And don't go to houses that don't have any lights on. There are more safety tips here.

Working hard or hardly working?

If you're not working while you're on the job, you're among the many. A new survey finds nearly half of us spend two hours of our workday doing personal things. And the most popular time waster is socializing with co-workers. Least it's not shopping on line. Then we'd be wasting not only time but also money. Details here.

Wear red

If you're not feeling too attractive today, put on something red and watch the guys turn their heads! New research finds what we always knew: Red is the color of love. It's also the color of lust. Researchers found men always found the woman in red as the most attractive... even when it was the same woman wearing different colors.
Details here.

Internet altering brain?

Is surfing the internet altering your brain? Probably. Experts believe that internet searching and text messaging has made brains more adept at filtering information and makign snap decisions. Details here.

Watch your coffee drinking

Study finds if you drink more than three cups of coffee a day, it may shrink your breast size. Researchers also found the more coffee, the more shrinkage. If only all that coffee could shrink my thighs. Details here.

Weekend scary stuff

If you and your kids can't wait until Halloween, there's plenty of scary things to do before then:

Ghosts and Goblins Family Fun Night Saturday, Oct. 25th, 6-8 pm, at Fern Forest Nature Center in Coconut Creek. Games, costume contest, arts and crafts and storytime. Ages 2-10.

Davieween Happenings is Sunday, Oct. 26th, with a pumpkin patch, free halloween games that include play bowling for ghouls, feed the hungry pumpkin and more and a costume contest. 1-4 pm.

A Masquerade Dance is Saturday, Oct 25th at the Civic Center in Miramar, 6920 SW 35 Street. (954-704-1631)

Pumpkin Origami is at the Morikami Museum Saturday, from 11-4 in Delray Beach. (561-495-0233)

Pines Night Out

Bring the kids to a special Pembroke Pines Crimewatch Program at Walter C. Young Middle School tonight, (Friday), from 6 to 9 pm. There will be police and fire vehicles and safety demonstrations and free child ID kits as well as lots of free fun for the kids. Rock climbing, face painting, pony rides, bounce houses and more.
(954-436-3274)

Hell's Kitchen Auditions

Today's the day for you to grab your favorite spatula and skillet and head to the Hell's Kitchen auditions. They're going on from 10-3 at the Hard Rock Cafe at the Bayside Marketplace. You have to be at least 21 and over, and have the skills, stamina and competitiveness to go toe to toe with Chef Gordon Ramsay. Details here.